Apple AirPods Max 2 vs Beats Executive

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AirPods Max 2 compared with Executive

	AppleAirPods Max 2	BeatsExecutive
Overview
Released
Released	April 2026	October 2012
Sound
Type
Type	Over-ear	Over-ear
Noise cancelling
Noise cancelling	Yes	Yes
Back
Back	–	Closed
Transparency mode
Transparency mode	Yes	–
Spatial audio with head tracking
Spatial audio with head tracking	Yes	–
Bluetooth codecs
Bluetooth codecs	SBC and AAC	None (wired)
Lossless over USB-C
Lossless over USB-C	Yes	–
Chip
Chip	H2	–
Drivers
Drivers	Apple-designed dynamic driver and custom high dynamic range amplifier	40 mm dynamic drivers reported by Tom's Guide
Chip
Chip	H2 in each ear cup	–
Noise cancelling detail
Noise cancelling detail	Up to 1.5x more Active Noise Cancellation than the original AirPods Max; Adaptive Audio, Transparency mode and Conversation Awareness	–
Audio features
Audio features	Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking; Adaptive EQ; Personalised Volume; Voice Isolation; studio-quality audio recording; Live Translation; 24-bit, 48 kHz Lossless Audio and ultra-low latency audio via USB-C; analogue sources need Apple's USB-C to 3.5 mm Audio Cable, sold separately	Closed-back design (RTINGS)
Hearing health
Hearing health	Loud Sound Reduction	–
Battery
Listening time (maker's claim)
Listening time (maker's claim)	Up to 20 hours	Up to 25 hours
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Storing them in the Smart Case puts them in an ultra-low-power state	Two AAA batteries; maker's up-to-25-hour claim reported by Tom's Guide. The maker guide confirms audio and noise cancellation both require the power switch to be on.
Fast charging
Fast charging	5 minutes of charging gives around 1.5 hours of listening	–
Design
Weight
Weight	386.2 g	–
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	5.3	–
Headphone cable
Headphone cable	Yes	Yes
Controls
Controls	Digital Crown (turn for volume; press once to play, pause, answer a call or use camera remote; twice to end a call or skip forward; three times to skip back; press and hold for Siri); listening mode button; “Hey Siri” or just “Siri”; Siri Interactions	On/off switch for audio and noise cancellation; maker guide describes remote playback, track, call, voice-command and volume controls with device-dependent support. Both reviews received a one-button remote rather than the guide's three-button design.
Microphones
Microphones	Nine microphones in total, eight for Active Noise Cancellation and three for voice pickup (two shared with ANC)	Inline microphone in the remote cable
Fit and ear tips
Fit and ear tips	–	Folding earcups with aluminium alloy, stainless steel and leather construction; over-ear classification (RTINGS), although What Hi-Fi? found the pads sat on the ears
Case weight
Case weight	134.5 g (Smart Case)	–
Works with
Works with	Full features with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Apple Vision Pro on the latest software; works as Bluetooth headphones with other devices, with limited features	Wired connection; included iOS-compatible microphone cable at launch; maker guide says remote functionality varies by device
Colours
Colours	Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple, Orange	Silver at launch; Black also reported by Tom's Guide
In the box
In the box	AirPods Max 2, Smart Case, USB-C Charge Cable, documentation	Headphones, hard case, two 3.5 mm cables, batteries, aeroplane adaptor, 6.3 mm adaptor and cleaning cloth (What Hi-Fi?)