AirPod Max Wired Connection – Can You Use it With a Wired Connection?

About AirPod Max Wired Connection, Most people prefer AirPod Max due to their comfort, sound clarity, and unrivaled noise-canceling capabilities that offer superior quality audio. 

Despite these unique features, Apple designed them primarily for wireless use, posing problems when connecting devices without wireless capabilities. 

Fortunately, you can buy an AirPod Max lightning to 3.5mm cable and set up an AirPod Max wired connection. 

Therefore, if you seek to explore your AirPod Max’s compatibility with different devices, this article will assist you.

Table of Contents

Is AirPod Max Sound Better When Wired? -Wired vs Wireless

While Bluetooth is a more advanced technology than a wired connection, the wired sound quality is still better than a wireless one. 

First of all, being a new technology, Bluetooth has not developed adequately to reach the levels of a wired connection. 

For example, Bluetooth transmission in AiPod Max utilizes the lossy compression format AAC codec

This compression technique uses partial data representing the original data, making the format prone to data loss. 

In audio transmission, any small data loss results in a lower-quality sound. It is not to say you will get a poor sound when you use your AirPod Max in its Bluetooth mode. 

Apple has advanced this Bluetooth technology, but there is still latency discernable by high-fidelity sound enthusiasts.

In contrast, a wired connection offers a more stable connection since it provides point-to-point data transmission without losses or latency.

 It is also less prone to sound interference and noise than a wireless connection.

Generally, wired Airphod Max is better when looking for superior-quality sound. It is also the only option for connecting to gaming consoles or aircraft music systems. 

However, AirPod Max wireless features a Head Accommodation feature which makes many individuals prefer them in their Bluetooth mode.

 This feature scans your hearing profile and fine-tunes the sound frequency to match it. 

Consequently, you get a clear, high-quality sound tailored automatically to your hearing profile.

AirPod Max over the ear

AirPod Max over the ear

Does The AirPods Max Provide Lossless Audio Support?

Lossless compression allows original audio data reconstruction without any losses. While Apple brought this technique, non of their devices support it except HomePods

It, therefore, means that AirPods Max does not support lossless audio even in their wired mode. As we saw earlier, Bluetooth wireless transmission utilizes the lossy format.

 Secondly, although the 3.5 mm jack support lossless audio, ADC at the cable’s lighting end converts it to a digital signal. 

This conversion ensures a proper sync and a format that the speakers can comprehend but result in some quality loss.

 However, although the analogy-digital conversion in wired connection results in some data loss, it still gives superior quality audio than wireless.

How Can You Make AirPod Max Sound Better?

You can do several techniques and tricks to improve the audio quality of your AirPod Max.

 The most obvious is using a wired connection to minimize data loss, as discussed above.

 You can also use different preset and manual EQ settings to get the one that suits your frequency preference. 

Another method is to enable spatial audio, a surround system that ensures immersive sound. Other vital tips for getting a better sound include:

  • Better audio source quality: Consider getting a better audio source that amplifies the capabilities of your AirPod Max. For example, you can use streaming services such as Apples Music instead of Spotify. Apple Music streaming offers high-fidelity audio that can enhance your listening experience significantly.
  • Utilize an audio digital-analog converter: If you use the Air Pod max lighting to 3.5mm cable, consider using a DAC. This gadget reconstructs compressed audio data at the lighting cable end, ensuring clear audio quality.
  • Toggle between transparency and noise canceling settings: Generally, ANC and transparency modes can affect your audio quality to a greater extent. Consider experimenting with these two settings, depending on your surround, to get an audio quality that suits your needs.
AirPod Max connected to a laptop

AirPod Max is connected to a laptop.

What To Do If Your AirPods Max Wired Connection Is Not Working

For music enthusiasts, audiophiles, and audio editors, AirPod Max presents an excellent headphone option. 

While this gadget works in wired and Bluetooth modes, the wired connection sometimes fails. When this happens, here are some solutions to consider:

Use the original Apple 3.5mm audio cables

The first step is to ensure you are using the original lighting to 3.5 mm cable from Apple to ensure compatibility. 

Note that the Apple original cable features bidirectional audio capabilities, which are absent in most cables. 

Additionally, you may use third-party cables which are Apple MFi Certified.

Forget your AirPods Max from your Bluetooth list.

Your AirPods may also fail to connect via a wired connection because they are already connected in Bluetooth mode. 

In such a scenario, go to your device setting, then Bluetooth devices, select the paired AirPod, and forget it.

 Consider forgetting other audio devices to guarantee a wired connection. After that, restart your AirPod Max.

 To do this, press and hold the digital crown and noise control button until it flashes orange.

Factory reset your AirPod Max.

If the above methods don’t work, it’s time to factory reset your AirPod Max. You can do this by pressing and holding the digital crown and noise control button for 15 secs. 

Once it flashes umber and then white, you can let the button go, ensuring a factory reset has been initiated.

 Since the factory rest erases everything, you can now try connecting it using the cable connection.

Contact Apple customer care.

If the factory reset fails to solve the issue, consider contacting Apple support. Here, you will report your problem and seek guidance on how to solve it.

How to Connect AirPod Max to Aux

An Auxiliary abbreviated as an Aux, facilities a connection between a device and audio output.

 Therefore, to connect your AirPod Max to an Aux, you only need to purchase a lightning to 3.5mm cable. 

Then the process should be straightforward: insert the 3.5mm jack into your device’s 3.5mm connector. 

Finally, plug the lighting end into your AirPod Max, and the music will start playing immediately. 

However, if your device doesn’t have a 3.5mm connector, but instead has a 6.35mm connector only, you’ll need improvisation.

 Here, it would be best if you bought a 6.35mm-3.5mm adapter to connect to the cable, then to the device’s connector.

Can AirPods Max Be Connected to iPhones Via a Wired Mode?

The simple answer is yes, but the process can be costly and challenging. Although if you have the iPhone 6 and below, you can connect since it features a 3.5mm jack. 

For iPhone 7 and above, Apple terminated the inclusion of the jack in its iPhone design. 

Additionally, there is no lighting to lighting cable adapter, making the process more complicated. 

Therefore, you will need two cables to achieve a wired connection between your iPhone and AirPod Max. 

It would be best to have lighting to a 3.5mm headphone jack adapter and a 3.5mm audio cable.

 Once you connect these cables, you can seamlessly use your Airpod Max to your iPhone in a wired mode. But note this connection drains the battery fast.

iPhone device

iPhone device

Conclusion

AirPod Max wired connection is worthy of improving your sound quality tremendously.

 But it would be best to buy the AirPod Max lighting to-3.5mm jack adapter separately since Apple does not include it. 

However, this is a small price for quality sound and enhanced compatibility with other devices.