The Short Version
Apple updated AirPods Max 2 firmware from build 8E251 to 8E258 with no release notes and no manual install option.
Apple pushed AirPods Max 2 firmware from build 8E251 to 8E258 and said nothing about what changed. No patch notes, no manual install option, no explanation. Apple has done this for years across its audio products, and it never gets less strange: the company that obsesses over product presentation treats software updates for a $549 headphone like a note slipped under the door at 2am.