Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) vs Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2
Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) | Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 384 g | 253 g |
| Battery life | 20 h | 30 h |
| Driver size | 40 mm | 35 mm |
| Multipoint | false | true |
Between the AirPods Max (Lightning) and QuietComfort Ultra 2, the AirPods Max (Lightning) comes out ahead in driver size, while the QuietComfort Ultra 2 wins on weight / battery life. Overall, the AirPods Max (Lightning) scores 68 and the QuietComfort Ultra 2 scores 70.8 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (68 vs 70.8). The decision is not about overall quality — both clear the bar — it is 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. The single most decisive one: Driver size — 14.29% more. 40 mm vs 35 mm.
Pick the QuietComfort Ultra 2 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. The single most decisive one: Weight — 131.00 g less. 253 vs 384.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, spatial audio, ldac, so those specs do not 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 says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) or Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2?
Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2 leads the current Mars Score by 2.8 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare driver size, battery life, weight against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) if…
Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) has the measurable edge on driver size mm.
Choose Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2 if…
Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2 has the measurable edge on weight g, battery life h, has multipoint.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) wins
- ▲Driver size — 14.29% more. 40 mm vs 35 mm.
Why Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2 wins
- ▲Weight — 131.00 g less. 253 vs 384.
- ▲Battery life — 50.00% more. 30 h vs 20 h.
- ▲Has Multipoint.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) | Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | over-ear | over-ear |
| Weight | 384 g | 253 glead |
| Water resistance | none | none |
Audio
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) | Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 40 mmlead | 35 mm |
| Impedanceⓘ | 10 Ω | 32 Ωlead |
| Sensitivityⓘ | 105 dBlead | 98 dB |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) | Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery lifeⓘ | 20 h | 30 hlead |
| Fast chargeⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) | Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.0 | 5.4lead |
| 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 2?+
QuietComfort Ultra 2 lasts 30 hours vs 20 hours.
Do AirPods Max (Lightning) or QuietComfort Ultra 2 have active noise cancellation?+
Both models have active noise cancellation.
Which supports LDAC, AirPods Max (Lightning) or QuietComfort Ultra 2?+
Neither supports LDAC.