No one knows when or if an APM2 might be released. I've not seen any rumors. After much internal debate I recently purchased the APM $450. Three features made the APMs much more attractive to me than the usual competitors. One is the really excellent transparency mode. Everyone compares noise cancellation, but I often need to hear my environment and the APMs win transparency mode mode in a landslide. That alone made me feel I wouldn't use other headphones as much because I simply need to hear my environment and if I can't... The second feature that made the APMs especially attractive to me is integration into the Apple ecosystem. I have an iMac, iPad, iphone, and Apple TV. While automatic switching doesn't always work seamlessly. If you plan to only use the headphones with 1 or two devices, then auto switching is not a big deal. The 3rd is spatial audio. My limited use of spatial audio with music has given me mixed feelings; some music seems really enhanced using spatial audio, some sound a bit disconnected (just sort of that sounds seem to be coming from places you wouldn't expect them to come from. BUT, I use headphones a lot watching movies and shows on my iPad and Apple TV. Spatial audio might not match sitting in a theater or having a dedicated surround sound system, but IMO, it really enhances the experience. It just makes watching movies more fun. If you don't care about spatial audio, transparency mode, and if integration into the Apple ecosystem is not important to you, then the relative value of the APMs is much diminished, IMO. But I knew I'd miss those features if I bought a competitor. I also think they just sound better than the Sony or Bose models I demoed. I'm not an audiophile. And I'm getting older and my hearing, especially in the higher frequencies, is definitely not what it once was. I also think demoing at a store is somewhat unfair since you basically hear them with whatever (most likely the default) settings. A little EQ adjustment can really be transformative. I also think how things sound is pretty subjective. With those caveats, I simply thought the APMs sounded better. I thought the XM4s lacked clarity; the mid and upper base just seemed to make them sound kind of dull. Now my hearing could be contributing to that perception, and some EQ adjustments might change that opinion. But I was just not very impressed with the XM4s in terms of sound. I liked the sound of the Bose 700s better than the XM4s, but thought they sounded somewhat "clinical" in comparison to the APMs. Again, some minor EQ adjustments might change that assessment. I didn't try other options like Sennheiser, B&0, etc. Most of the APM flaws of the APMs have been well documented. They just aren't deal breakers for me.
