Apple - AirPods Max (USB-C, 2nd gen) vs Bose - QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (USB-C, 2nd gen) | Bose - QuietComfort Ultra Headphones |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 384 g | 253 g |
| Battery life | 20 h | 24 h |
| Driver size | 40 mm | 35 mm |
| Multipoint | false | true |
Between the AirPods Max (USB-C, 2nd gen) and QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, the AirPods Max (USB-C, 2nd gen) comes out ahead in driver size, while the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones wins on weight / battery life. Overall, the AirPods Max (USB-C, 2nd gen) scores 68 and the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones scores 69.9 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (68 vs 69.9). 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 (USB-C, 2nd gen) 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 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. 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 (USB-C, 2nd gen) or Bose - QuietComfort Ultra Headphones?
Bose - QuietComfort Ultra Headphones leads the current Mars Score by 1.9 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 (USB-C, 2nd gen) if…
Apple - AirPods Max (USB-C, 2nd gen) has the measurable edge on driver size mm.
Choose Bose - QuietComfort Ultra Headphones if…
Bose - QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 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 (USB-C, 2nd gen) 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 (USB-C, 2nd gen) | Bose - QuietComfort Ultra Headphones |
|---|---|---|
| Type | over-ear | over-ear |
| Weight | 384 g | 253 glead |
| Water resistance | none | none |
Audio
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (USB-C, 2nd gen) | 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 (USB-C, 2nd gen) | Bose - QuietComfort Ultra Headphones |
|---|---|---|
| Battery lifeⓘ | 20 h | 24 hlead |
| Fast chargeⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (USB-C, 2nd gen) | Bose - QuietComfort Ultra Headphones |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Multipointⓘ | false | truelead |
| 3.5mm jack | false | truelead |
| LDACⓘ | false | false |
| aptX HDⓘ | false | truelead |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery life, AirPods Max (USB-C, 2nd gen) or QuietComfort Ultra Headphones?+
QuietComfort Ultra Headphones lasts 24 hours vs 20 hours.
Do AirPods Max (USB-C, 2nd gen) or QuietComfort Ultra Headphones have active noise cancellation?+
Both models have active noise cancellation.
Which supports LDAC, AirPods Max (USB-C, 2nd gen) or QuietComfort Ultra Headphones?+
Neither supports LDAC.