Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) vs Bose - QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
Between the AirPods Max (Lightning) and QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, the AirPods Max (Lightning) comes out ahead in driver size, while the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones wins on weight and battery life. Overall, the AirPods Max (Lightning) scores 65.7 and the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones scores 62.9 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (65.7 vs 62.9). The decision isn't about overall quality — both clear the bar — it's about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the AirPods Max (Lightning) if you care most about driver size. The biggest gaps in its favor are driver size.
Pick the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. Its strongest claims are weight, battery life, multipoint.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, spatial audio, ldac, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity tells you both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Why Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) wins
- ▲Driver size — 14.29% more. 40 mm vs 35 mm.
Why Bose - QuietComfort Ultra Headphones wins
- ▲Weight — 131.00 g less. 253 vs 384.
- ▲Battery life — 20.00% more. 24 h vs 20 h.
- ▲Has Multipoint.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) | Bose - QuietComfort Ultra Headphones |
|---|---|---|
| Type | over-ear | over-ear |
| Weight | 384 g | 253 glead |
| Water resistance | none | none |
Audio
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) | Bose - QuietComfort Ultra Headphones |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 40 mmlead | 35 mm |
| Impedanceⓘ | 10 Ω | 32 Ωlead |
| Sensitivityⓘ | 105 dBlead | 100 dB |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) | Bose - QuietComfort Ultra Headphones |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 20 h | 24 hlead |
| Fast chargeⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) | Bose - QuietComfort Ultra Headphones |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.0 | 5.3lead |
| Multipointⓘ | false | truelead |
| 3.5mm jack | false | truelead |
| LDACⓘ | false | false |
| aptX HDⓘ | false | truelead |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery life, AirPods Max (Lightning) or QuietComfort Ultra Headphones?+
QuietComfort Ultra Headphones lasts 24 hours vs 20 hours.
Do AirPods Max (Lightning) or QuietComfort Ultra Headphones have active noise cancellation?+
Both models have active noise cancellation.
Which supports LDAC, AirPods Max (Lightning) or QuietComfort Ultra Headphones?+
Neither supports LDAC.
Spec-level deep dives
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