New AirPods firmware updates promise to improve the Automatic Switching experience for all AirPods, add a new press-to-mute feature for most models, and bring new Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, and Personalized Volume features to the second-generation AirPods Pro.

No search for Apple earbuds or headphones is complete without weighing what’s on offer from Apple subsidiary Beats By Dre. Releases include flagship Studio Pro headphones and a modest update to its 2021 Studio Buds.

Apple has updated the firmware in all currently supported AirPods models but hasn’t said what it’s supposed to change.

Apple is rolling out a firmware update for the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max that adds limited support for Find My and the Find My network.

Choosing Apple earbuds or headphones becomes more complicated when you factor in gear from Apple subsidiary Beats by Dre. To wrap his head around all the options, Julio Ojeda-Zapata constructed a huge comparison chart. This companion article separates the various Apple and Beats devices into categories to assist you in your decision.

Apple has published a support article offering clarity on how lossless audio will work with your devices.

Apple Music will provide free upgrades to lossless audio, Dolby Atmos, and Spatial Audio starting next month.

You would pay dearly for Apple’s AirPods Max headphones, which at $549 exceed the cost of rival products by $200 or more. But Julio Ojeda-Zapata came away impressed with their stylishness, ruggedness, audio quality, active noise cancellation, design flourishes, and integration with Apple’s ecosystem. They have flaws, but none are deal-breakers.

Just in time for the holidays, Apple has introduced the AirPods Max, over-ear headphones with impressive specs, a questionable case, and a stratospheric price tag.