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Apple explains why only revised AirPods Pro 2 support lossless audio from Vision Pro

Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C charging arrive in stores today. The new hardware is more than just a revised charging case though. As we know, the updated AirPods Pro 2 will be capable of streaming lossless audio from the Vision Pro headset when it ships early next year. Apple credits the H2 chip, but it’s still been a bit of a mystery since both versions have this processor.

In a half-hour video interview with Brian Tong, folks from Apple finally share some insight into what the technical differences are that explain why. The simple answer is that the H2 chips inside Apple Vision Pro and AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C run at 5 GHz. For comparison, the H2 inside AirPods Pro 2 with Lightning runs at 2.4 GHz.

While that may not ease the frustration of future Vision Pro customers who already own AirPods Pro 2 with Lightning, it at least supplies a somewhat satisfactory technical explanation. Of course, the original AirPods Pro 2 will still work with Apple Vision Pro. They just won’t support lossless. Neither version supports lossless from iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

See Brian Tong’s exclusive video interview with Ron Huang, Apple VP of Sensing and Connectivity, and Eric Treski, Director of Product Marketing, below. The 2.4/5 GHz explanation starts around the 27 minute mark.

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