Tagline: It turns out fixing the unfixable only takes fifteen minutes and a bit of patience.

Last week, I wrote that my AirPods Pro case was dead. The battery wouldn't hold a charge, and Apple's only solution was to charge me €100+ for a replacement case.

Instead of throwing it away, I decided to try fixing it myself. It cost me €20 and took about 15 minutes.

Here is how to do it.

Finding a battery

I bought a replacement battery on eBay for €20. You need one specifically for the first-generation AirPods Pro case (model A2190).

To open and repair the case, I followed this video tutorial by iMeo:

The repair

The process is straightforward, but it requires steady hands.

First, you pry the inner assembly out of the outer white shell. A plastic spudger helps here to avoid scratching the plastic. Once the internals slide out, you need to disassemble the case further:

1. Detach the hall sensor.
2. Disconnect the flex cables for the setup button and the Lightning port.
3. Remove the motherboard.
4. Remove the old battery. It is held down by strong adhesive, so applying some gentle heat (a hair dryer works fine) makes it much easier to pry out.

Once the old battery is out, put the new one in place, and do all the steps in reverse.

The hardest part is reattaching the tiny flex cables to the logic board. They are incredibly small and delicate. I used tweezers and a magnifying glass to line them up. If you tear one of these ribbons, the case is done, so take your time.

The result

After clicking the cables back in and putting the case back together, it worked immediately. It now charges normally, holds a charge for days, and charges the earbuds without issues.

Paying Apple €120 for a replacement is a waste. If your case dies but the earbuds are still good, buy a cheap battery and spend 15 minutes fixing it. Just be careful with the flex cables.

Tagline: Five years later, the lithium-ion reality sets in.

I got my AirPods Pro in February 2021. They’ve been my daily drivers for over five years, which, in the world of tiny lithium-ion batteries, is basically ancient history.

Now, the case has finally given up. It doesn't work unless it's plugged into a charger. The moment I pull the cable, it's a brick.

It’s the classic symptom of a completely exhausted battery. If you’re in the same boat, there are a few things you can try before declared it dead, though I wouldn't hold my breath.

1. The Factory Reset: Sometimes the firmware just gets stuck. Put the buds in the case, close the lid for 30 seconds, then open it and hold the setup button on the back for 15 seconds until the light flashes amber, then white.
2. The Deep Charge: If the battery hit absolute zero, the power management chip might be struggling. Take the buds out, plug the empty case into a wall charger, and leave it alone for two hours.

I tried both. Neither worked. The battery is just chemically finished.

The annoying part? My earbuds themselves were replaced in 2022 because of a microphone issue. They still hold a decent charge and sound fine. But because the case is dead, the whole set is essentially unusable.

Apple doesn't replace these batteries. They just sell you a new case for €100-€120, or tell you to buy the new model.

It’s a distinct sting: holding a perfectly functional piece of engineering that has been rendered a paperweight because of a tiny, non-replaceable pouch of lithium. It’s the dark side of the wireless audio boom, brilliant convenience paired with built-in expiration dates.

I just bought the AirPods Max 2 in April. Knowing that they also have non user-replaceable batteries is... not encouraging.

However, there’s a small silver lining. The Max houses a much larger, traditional headphone battery. It undergoes far fewer charge cycles to deliver the same amount of listening time compared to the tiny cells in the Pro case, which are subjected to aggressive micro-discharging every single time you put them away.

The Max should, theoretically, last much longer. But it doesn't change the underlying problem. We’re still buying products with a ticking clock inside.

If you’re stuck with a dead case and functional buds like me, don't pay Apple's tax for a new one. Check the secondhand market for standalone cases or look at reputable third-party chargers. It’s better than letting the whole set become e-waste.

These AirPods Pro have officially graduated to "gym headphones" status. I'll keep the case plugged in at my desk and use them for workouts, where the battery of the buds will still last for a few hours. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than tossing them out.

Tagline: The favorite button in Apple Music on macOS feels broken af.

You're listening to a song you love and want to save it. You click the favorite star and... nothing.

You wonder if you missed the button. Did the app freeze? You're about to click again when, SECONDS later, the star finally turns red.

This is the current state of Apple Music (Version 1.6.5.10) on macOS 26.5.1.

Most apps use "optimistic updates." When you like a post or star a song, the UI changes immediately. The app assumes the server request will work. If it fails, the UI just reverts later.

This makes everything feel fast. You shouldn't have to wait for a server response just to see a star change color.

Apple Music does the opposite. It waits for the server to confirm the change before updating the UI.

In this video, you can see the lag. I click the star, and it stays empty for five seconds before finally filling in.

It's not just slow; it's confusing. When the UI doesn't react instantly, you lose confidence in the app. You end up double-checking your own actions.

It bums me out. I've bought so many Apple products and services over the years, most recently the AirPods Max 2, and it's discouraging to see such a clunky experience in a core app. For a company that markets "fluidity," this is a basic failure.

It's another sign of declining software quality. If a tiny startup can make a button feel instant, Apple can too.

Tim, we're still not cooking.

The Song in Question

Tagline: Pages from my logbook.

Yesterday morning I watched a puddle drying up, taken by force by the sun's rays.
A "necessary" violence to make room for the next puddle.

Transformation is an act of rupture, and at this moment, I feel I am in a phase of transformation.

Today I feel a bit like that puddle: a bit mortified, a bit disappointed, and a bit of a disappointment.

Does evaporating mean failing?

Tagline: A brutally honest review of Apple's premium headphones

You've probably read four hundred seventeen reviews of the AirPods Max 2 already. I'm not here to tell you they're "life-changing" or wax poetic about unboxing experiences. I'm a critical Apple fan with a collection of decent IEMs and headphones, and I have strong opinions about where these fit in the audio landscape.

Let's address the elephant in the room first: they cost a ridiculous amount of money for a consumer headphone. €579 / $549 is not a casual purchase. So are they worth it?

The Noise Cancellation

Comparing the ANC to the original AirPods Max, Apple's claim of "1.5x better" is the kind of vague marketing figure Apple loves. In practice? It works. The low-end engine hum and midrange chatter of a crowded place genuinely fade out better than they did in 2020. You can hear voices are more muffled in a way that actually registers.

Is it the best ANC out there? No. If you ask me, the original AirPods Pro 1 still had the most natural implementation of ANC Apple ever shipped. The Max 2 might be technically superior at blocking decibels, but the Pro 1 felt less pressurized and more balanced.

Transparency Mode

This is where Apple usually left everyone else in the dust, but IMHO AirPods Max 2 feel a bit metallic.

It's something I also notice on the original AirPods Max and the new AirPods Pro 3. Transparency Mode is clinical, and it lacks that "ear-opening" naturalism of the past. To my ears, the AirPods Pro 1 still hold the crown for the most convincing transparency. They’re the only ones that truly made me forget I was wearing anything at all.

The Sound

Compared to the AirPods Max 1, the bass is richer without muddying the mids. Instrument separation is surprisingly precise for a consumer Bluetooth headphone. Listen to well-mastered lossless tracks and you'll notice a wider soundstage than most Bluetooth gear has any right to claim.

But here's my biggest gripe: Apple still won't give us a proper EQ.

We get "Adaptive EQ" that allegedly tailors to your ear shape. For €579, I want to tweak the frequency response myself. Is that really too much to ask in 2026?

The H2 Features

The H2 chip actually delivers some new experiences. Here's what actually matters day-to-day:

Conversation Awareness: This feels like witchcraft. Start talking and your music immediately lowers while the mics pipe in the person you're speaking to.

Adaptive Audio: A middle ground between ANC and Transparency mode. It handles sudden loud noises (sirens, car horns) while keeping you aware of your surroundings.

Lossless via USB-C: The USB-C port supports ultra-low latency lossless audio when wired.

The Disappointments

The case is still ridiculous. They kept the Smart Case. It offers zero protection for the headband, collects dust, and looks like you're carrying a bra around. The material is as shitty as the iPad's Magic Keyboard / Smart Folio.

The weight hasn't changed. If you suffered from crown fatigue or clamping pressure with the original, the Max 2 won't solve your problems. They're still heavy.

No power button. You still can't just turn them off. You have to put them in that stupid case to force deep sleep. It's 2026 and this still bothers me.

The Verdict

These are brilliant headphones if you fit the profile. But they're infuriating in ways Apple refuses to fix.

If you own the original AirPods Max: Skip the upgrade. Unless your battery is completely dead or you need USB-C lossless, the audio bump isn't worth the massive upgrade fee.

If you own AirPods Pro 1, 2, 3: Keep them. The Pro 2 do 90% of what the Max 2 do for less than half the price. The only reason to switch is if you genuinely need over-ear form factor.

If you're buying your first premium over-ears: These are worth considering. They sound incredible, ANC is solid, and they'll easily last five to seven years (I'm still rocking my AirPods Pro 1, for example). Just budget for a real case and accept that Apple won't let you touch the EQ settings for now.

The Crash

But here's something worth mentioning: they crashed on me. Completely. Wouldn't play any audio, refused to respond to controls. The only way to get them working again was a full reboot. It happened once during testing, and while it's not a pattern (yet), it's worth noting for a €579 product. I'd expect better stability from hardware at this price point.

You might also appreciate my thoughts on Apple's software quality and how their hardware sometimes masks software corners they cut.

Testing the Sound

I put these through my usual testing playlist to see how the these headphones handle different extremes:

La Sera Dei Miracoli - Lucio Dalla

Dalla's classic is a sprawling, messy arrangement. I use this to see how well headphones handle chaos, the piano, the backing vocals, and his soaring voice all fighting for space.

Figli Delle Stelle - Alan Sorrenti

I hate that I love this disco track. It’s perfect for testing high-end treble. If the headphones are too sharp, the hi-hats and falsetto will pierce your eardrums. Here, they sparkle nicely.

Oh my god - Adele

A solid pop track for testing vocal presence. The AirPods Max 2 put Adele right in the center of the room, isolating her voice cleanly from the heavy bass drops without muddying either.

Bury a Friend - Billie Eilish

Eilish's production is absurdly bass-heavy with ASMR-style vocal whispers. If the sub-bass is too muddy, the track becomes unlistenable. The low-end surprisingly tight here.

Shape of My Heart - Sting

Yes, it's cliché, but that acoustic guitar riff and the delicate snare hits are great for checking instrument separation. You can actually hear the fingers sliding on the strings.