Today Apple announced a forthcoming firmware update for AirPods Max with USB-C that will enable lossless audio. As part of that news, the company has now started selling a new cable to enable wired playback on its newest AirPods Max with a standard headphone jack.New firmware will support wired playback, and Apple now sells a USB-C to 3.5 mm cableLast fall Apple announced new AirPods Max with very minimal changes.there were new colorsa USB-C port instead of Lightningand support for Personalized Spatial AudioThats it.For many of us who were expecting a proper AirPods Max 2-level update, it was a big disappointment.That letdown was amplified by a key regression that the new USB-C model brought.While the original AirPods Max could be used for wired playback with a special Lightning to 3.5 mm cable, there was no such cable and no such hardware support for wired playback over USB-C in the new model.Fortunately, thats changing with next months firmware update.And now, in preparation for the update, Apple has today started selling a new USB-C to 3.5 mm audio cable.The new cable costs $39 and is available on the Apple Store now.Apple writes:It can be used to connect AirPods Max to 3.5 mm audio sources, like the audio-out port on an airplane. Users can also connect their iOS or iPadOS device to 3.5 mm audio ports, like audio-in ports on car stereos or other speakers.If youd like to connect your AirPods Max to a device using its included USB-C cable, that will work too. But if you need to connect to a 3.5 mm headphone jack, this new cable will be a great way to do that.Hopefully third-party cables, which are available at a much lower cost, will work too once the new firmware ships, but well have to wait and see on that.Does wired playback on AirPods Max make a big difference to you, or not? Let us know in the comments.Best AirPods Max deals and accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel