Apple AirPods Max 2 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra: I tested Apple and Bose’s flagship cans and here’s the result

To find out which cans come out on top, keep reading this AirPods Max 2 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra showdown.

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Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2

AirPods Max 2

Price

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)

The AirPods Max 2 take the award for “prettiest headphones”, hands down. There are some things Apple dominates the market in, and design is one of them. The AirPods Max 2 look and feel like the premium cans they are: gorgeous, shiny ear cups, intuitive controls, and a weight-bearing mesh headband that prevents headphone headaches as much as possible.

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In comparison, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2nd Gen look a little, dare I say, cheap.

Of course, there are swings and roundabouts here: the AirPods Max 2 look and feel more premium, but they’re incredibly heavy. Conversely, the Bose QC Ultra feel a little cheaper and they’re not as pretty, but they’re almost half the weight of the AirPods, and are much comfier to wear for long periods.

Your preference will, of course, depend on you. Would you rather a sleek metal-forward design, or a slightly plasticky, yet lightweight finish?

Personally, I prefer the look and feel of the AirPods Max.

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Controls are also a slam-dunk for Apple: everything is managed via two tactile buttons on the right cup. You’ve got Apple’s “Digital Crown” for things like play/pause, Siri, and volume. The tab-shaped button controls ANC.

The Bose controls are a little confusing, and took me a while to get used to. You adjust the volume by rubbing the underside of the right cup. To pause, you press the multi-function button on the right cup — while searching for this, I accidentally increased the volume.

You also use this button to switch between Immersion, Quiet, and Aware modes. You cannot turn ANC off on the Bose cans.

For me, this choice was easy. Yes, I am begging Apple to make the AirPods Max lighter, but the easy controls and premium appearance means the Maxes take this round.

Winner: AirPods Max 2.

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If you’re deep in the Apple ecosystem, on the surface it makes more sense to get the AirPods Max 2 as they integrate seamlessly with your iPhone and MacBook.

However, there’s much, much more to both the AirPods Max 2 and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra than that. The Bose QC Ultra also have multipoint connectivity; I was able to connect to my iPhone 16 Pro and MacBook Air M2 and switch between both just as easily.

The Bose run on Bluetooth 5.4, and the AirPods Max 2 have Blueooth 5.3. I’m surprised to see such “old” Bluetooth versions on flagship new products, especially as Samsung launched its Galaxy Buds 4 line with Bluetooth 6.1 just weeks before the AirPods Max 2.

Although there aren’t any life-changing differences between Bluetooth 5.3 and Bluetooth 6.1, the more modern version helps future-proof the product and allows for a wider and more reliable connection. I’d like to see both Bose and Apple go for the 6.1 version with its next releases.

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Connectivity complaints aside, both the AirPods Max 2 and Bose QC Ultra boast a huge range of features, some more “modern” than the others.

Apple has gone for a more “smart tech” angle with the AirPods Max 2, stuffing the cans with Live Translation, Siri integration, a camera remote for your iPhone — no, I’m not joking — and AirPods Pro functions like Conversation Awareness.

Bose has leaned more into the “do one thing and do it really well” angle. Instead of these smart features, the QC Ultra 2nd Gen sound great, feel great, and have supreme ANC. So while you won’t be able to translate other languages while on vacation, your long-haul flight to your holiday destination will be a heck of a lot comfier with the Bose.

It really depends on what you personally look for in a pair of headphones, but seeing as the AirPods Max 2 offer way more features, I’m giving Apple the win.

Winner: AirPods Max 2.

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Alright, now let’s get into the meat of it: sound quality.

Apple and Bose gear have different sound signatures, so they will, inevitably, sound different. While Apple goes for a more expansive, immersive, and detail-focused soundscape, Bose offers a deeper, richer, and bassier listening experience.

There’s no right or wrong way to do sound, so your personal preference will likely differ from mine. I lean more towards the Apple side of the spectrum — I like immersive music that handles bass with clarity and focus and allows each layer of the track to shine.

That’s not to say I dislike Bose’s sound — not at all. The QuietComfort Ultra sound immense, with powerful, bass-driven energy and clarity across most of the frequency range.

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I played the same three songs via Spotify Lossless to even the playing field — using Apple Music would be unfair in favor of the AirPods Max 2 — and analyzed each track independently.

First, I played an electronic track: “Birth4000” by Floating Points. This song is built over a glitchy, fearless synth bassline and electronic hi-hats, clattering tambourines playing in the background, and a punchy kick-drum keeping the whole thing going.

The QC Ultra handled this track excellently, unafraid of the pulsing, glitchy bassline, not allowing the kick drum to get lost in the melee. Even so, the low-end was the most pronounced part of the track, somewhat overshadowing delicate high-frequency stereo effects in the left ear.

When I played this track with the AirPods Max 2, I was surprised to hear a squeaky, wobbly sound effect in the left ear. In the Bose cans, this was almost completely overpowered by bass.

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I also listened to “Regular John” by Queens of the Stone Age, a heavy rock track with raucous bass and a rich rhythm guitar section. The AirPods Max 2 handled the vocals fantastically, clearly separating them from the rich instrumental and focusing on the texture in Homme’s voice.

Comparatively, I think this song sounded a little muddied in the Bose QC Ultra, like all the sonic layers were competing for the same volume and the same point on the frequency range.

The AirPods Max 2 made this song sound much more expansive and wide, and separated the instruments with more precision.

Finally, I played “Run Your Mouth” by the Marias, a soul-pop track with funky basslines and sunsoaked synth layers. The breathy vocal and soulful guitars sounded clear and balanced through the AirPods Max 2, and the samba-esque bass didn’t overpower the vocals. When I listened with the QuietComfort Ultra, the vocals were equally as effective, but the bass and kick drum were brought forward, rather than the synth chord progressions.

Sound is a very subjective experience, but I personally prefer the wider, clearer soundscape of the AirPods Max 2.

Winner: AirPods Max 2.

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It goes without saying that Bose wins this round. Spoilers, guys, sorry. But, yeah, Bose is still the undefeated champion of ANC. What can I say? The company invented it.

No other headphones come close. When I was testing the QC Ultra around the city, I couldn’t hear a single car. No engines, no buses, no motorbikes. I was in my own little bubble, just me and my music against the world.

It is a little frustrating that you can’t turn off ANC at all — unlike on AirPods, there’s no ‘Off’ mode, just ‘Immersive’, ‘Quiet’, and ‘Aware’ — as this will inevitably drain the battery a little more.

Even so, the clue’s in the name — QuietComfort, after all. You buy Bose cans for the ANC.

In comparison, Apple’s ANC is good, but not quite Bose-level yet. I could still hear a few high-frequency sounds leaking through, but most of the low, grumbly environmental noise — like car engines — was blocked out.

Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra

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We’ve reached a point where all flagship headphones have identical call quality. There’s no way around it. It just is.

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Battery life is a bit of a sore spot for AirPods Max users. The original Maxes tapped out at 20 hours, which, even in 2020, trailed far behind the industry standard of ~30 hours (ANC on).

So, imagine my surprise when the AirPods Max 2 were released with the same battery life. 20 hours in 2020 was one thing — 20 hours in 2026 is wildly audacious. Apple claims the battery’s “efficiency” has been improved, but it’s still 20 hours.

The Bose QC Ultra have a 30-hour battery life (ANC on, as you cannot turn it off), which drops down to 23 hours with ‘Immersive’ ANC mode on.

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)

Both the Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2nd Gen and the AirPods Max 2 are excellent, flagship cans worthy of the praise directed at them. You wouldn’t be disappointed with either headphone — both are sleek, sound great, and have fantastic ANC.

Of course, the Bose QC Ultra block out a touch more sound and are a little comfier for longer periods, but personally? I’m going for the AirPods Max 2. I prefer Apple’s wider, more complex sound tuning (true of AirPods Pro, too). The seamless connection between my iPhone, MacBook, and work MacBook makes shifting between devices a breeze.

If you prefer a bassier soundscape and you travel a lot, I would recommend the Bose QuietComfort Ultra over the AirPods Max 2. But if, like me, you predominantly use your headphones for work and running errands, and you have a lot of Apple gear, it’s gotta be the AirPods Max 2. These cans took the term “flagship” and ran with it.

AirPods Max 2

Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2nd Gen

Price (5)

3

4

Design & controls (15)

12

8

Features (10)

8

7

Sound quality (25)

24

20

ANC (20)

19

20

Call quality (10)

9

9

Battery (15)

8

11

Total score (100)

83

77