AirPods Max Wired connection does not work

I am having this exact problem. While wired I get no sound connecting my AirPods Max to my 2021 MacBook Pro M1 MAX. I am a video editor and need my AirPods Max to be in sync while editing. This requires a wired connection which is not working so basically my $500 headphones I purchased to edit video are useless for editing :/

You have to use the official apple cable not the adapter as that won’t work. This is the only cable that works: Lightning to 3.5 mm Audio Cable (1.2m) - White - Apple

Hey there, BrianDiaz19!

Thanks for stopping by the Apple Support Communities. We understand that you aren't getting any audio while using your AirPods Max with a wired connection to your iPad. You've come to the right place to get help!

We would recommend going through the Apple Support article Set up AirPods with iPad - Apple Support to make sure you've got the AirPods Max connected properly, specifically paying attention to the "Connect AirPods Max with an audio cable" section.

"Note: Make sure that the Headphone Jack Adapter is connected to your iPad, not your AirPods Max."

If the issue persists, please contact Apple directly here:

Get Support

Cheers!

You need ‎MR2C2AM/A a digital to analog cable. Most cables are analog to digital. Air Pod Max need digital to analog. With this cable it should work all the time.

Couldn't get my new Air Pods Max to work with generic lightening to 3.5mm cables, but now seems to work fine with Apple's $39 cable.

I was in the exact same situation as "typemark" above. The original cable is needed.

Sounds freakin' amazeballs using cable, Max and Apple Music though. Well worth the extra 40 bucks.

Same problem with my iphone. No sound when wire connected, although the iphone shows that the song is playing and volume indicator is high. Tried using with different iphone, different airpod max's, and even different adaptors. Went to apple store, and after they failed to remedy, I was told that it is likely a firmware issue.

I went to an Apple Store today and was told that it was a firmware problem. The sympathetic store employee had no idea if or when it would be fixed. As far as I can tell, Apple hasn’t officially acknowledged the problem. Thinking about bringing the Max’s back, as I just purchased them.

Very unfortunate problem here with the AirPod max’es not working with the aux cable. I’m flying a lot again now and am stuck with these headphones that I can’t use on the airplane. Great headphones, and probably one of the most beautiful designs, however they are useless. I have since bought some b&o headphones because the Apple store employee basically told me there’s nothing I can do about this. Massive fail for Apple. This company has lost its magic. Could write a PhD thesis on all of the other recent products I’ve bought that have problems.

Hi, I have this same issue and it is a truly annoying issue! I have spent a few hours trying to get it to work without success. No solution seem to be in place. Please Apple fix this. Wireless connection works flawless and sound quality is great.

I had the same issue.. Really bad experience for an apple product. Imagine purchasing a brand new product being sent for repair after 5 days of use coz the wired connection doesn't work.

They should have just replaced it for me since its brand new.

This is an interesting find. What disappoints me the most is that I suggested this scenario to the apple "Genius" technical support, because I don't wanna fork out extra money just to find out if it has to be about the cable. Guess what that "Genius" said.... "We don't need to waste time about that, let's send your product for repair". a product i purchased 4 days ago needs to undergo repair. LMAO.

Way to go apple geniuses of Singapore Jewel... I dunno if she's just lazy af but one thing for sure she aint Genius. 😅

Thanks Ldiamond!

I am quite convinced now that the cord has to be Apple MFi Certified. I haven't tested this one behind the link, but the cord is not (obviously) the same design as it is for other (standard) products.

What comes to having the cord in the box for all, wouldn't make sense because most aren't using it anyway. However, something Apple should learn about this "cord-gate" when people are expecting the best experience with their products.

Hi chrameza, thanks for taking the time to chime in. However after reading every post prior to going to apple directly I didn’t see a single solution which said that you needed to buy the Apple lightning to 35mm cable, and that was why I posted what I did, to try and help and be insightful; not really sure what your reasoning for your response was. However, even after I went to apple today the genius told me it’s hardware and needs to be replaced, I tried the cable and it worked fine. Lastly, to your point of needing an original cable and that being obvious, that doesn’t actually hold true as I used not only an apple adapter but also third party cables that had chips in them. Again, I did not write my post nor this response to have a back and forth, but more so to shed some insight. Take care

Exactly the same thing that happened to me today. I decided not to send it out though and tried the cable. Not a single genius at the store knew this would work and all expressed gratitude when I told them as it likely made their lives a little easier if they came across this issue again.