According to the source, orders placed now are expected to arrive between February 7 and February 14. Given that the AirPods Max were released way back in December 2020, it makes little sense for supply issues to arise now, more than 2 years after the original launch. Unless, however, Apple is planning a surprise.
9to5Mac has speculated that the AirPods Max could instead be receiving new tints, as an effort on Apple’s part to keep the lineup fresh. The Cupertino company has developed a penchant for launching new color options in the middle of the release cycle of a product.
Currently, it seems the AirPods Max will have a 4 year refresh cycle. This aligns well with the hypothesis for new color options 2 years after the original release of the headphones. Nevertheless, this should all be taken with a bucket of salt at present.