Three cheap accessories to upgrade your AirPods Max 2

The AirPods Max 2 are excellent headphones, but Apple has a habit of shipping premium products with surprisingly bare-bones accessories. A few cheap add-ons go a long way toward protecting your investment and making these headphones a little more versatile.

Get a real carrying case

The AirPods Max 2 ships with what Apple calls a Smart Case, which is more of a suggestion than actual protection. It’s infamously been compared to a sports-bra strap-shaped sling that leaves the ear cups largely exposed. It triggers sleep mode, sure, but it offers about as much protection as a sock.

This cheap hard case is the fix. It’s a zippered shell with a soft anti-static lining to guard against bumps and scratches, room for a charger and cables, and a built-in magnet to keep the headphones in sleep mode while stored. It’s not glamorous, but it does the job Apple’s included case refuses to.

Cover those ear cups

The AirPods Max 2 is unmistakably defined by its large, heavy, aluminum slab earcups. While stylish, the exposed design means every bag toss, desk set-down, and accidental knock is a potential scratch waiting to happen. The last thing you want is to scuff up those shiny slabs. Spigen’s Ultra Hybrid Pro covers snap over the cups and are made of hard, clear plastic to show off whatever color you chose. They don’t interfere with sleep mode, and fit inside most third-party cases, like the one above. For a $500-plus pair of headphones, a few dollars of peace of mind is an easy call.

Reclaim analogue

Look, I know Apple killed the headphone jack, and now they want to sell you a cable to get it back. But honestly, it’s worth it. Yes, the AirPods Max 2 already supports wired listening over USB-C, but that only gets you so far. This cable is what opens up the full world of analog sources: airplane entertainment systems, car stereos, studio gear, older hi-fi setups — anything with a 3.5mm jack. It’s braided, bidirectional, and at $39, not exactly cheap for a cable. But if you want to connect to analog sources without compromise, this is the only way to do it.

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