Apple has had to re-issue a firmware update for the latest AirPods Max to enable lossless audio. Here’s how to do it and whether it works now or not.

Apple also introduced a new USB-C to 3.5mm cable for the AirPods Max last week, and it’s worth noting you can use that without any new firmware; it works right out of the box for connecting the headphones to devices with a traditional headphone jack — and it’s a pretty good cable as these things go. (You’d hope so for $39.)

When iOS 18.4 arrived earlier this week, AirPods Max users were likely the quickest to update after Apple announced last week that a new AirPods Max firmware update released at the same time would bring lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio to AirPods Max for the first time via the bundled USB-C cable.