The Short Version
AirPods Max 2 reviewed at $549, praised for sound and build quality but flagged for Apple's history of neglecting the line.
At $549, the AirPods Max 2 are genuinely excellent headphones right now. The problem is that 'right now' is doing a lot of work in that sentence. Apple went years without updating the original AirPods Max, and buyers who paid premium prices watched the product sit untouched. Spending $549 on headphones that sound and feel extraordinary is easy to justify. Spending $549 on Apple's commitment to keep them relevant is harder.