Bose - QuietComfort Headphones vs Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2
Between the QuietComfort Headphones and QuietComfort Ultra 2, the QuietComfort Headphones comes out ahead in weight, while the QuietComfort Ultra 2 wins on battery life and spatial audio. Overall, the QuietComfort Headphones scores 62.9 and the QuietComfort Ultra 2 scores 64 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (62.9 vs 64). The decision isn't about overall quality — both clear the bar — it's about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the QuietComfort Headphones if you carry the device everywhere and weight or thickness has been the deciding factor before. The biggest gaps in its favor are weight.
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 battery life, spatial audio.
Both ship with comparable driver size, active noise cancellation, multipoint, 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 Bose - QuietComfort Headphones wins
- ▲Weight — 13.00 g less. 240 vs 253.
Why Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2 wins
- ▲Battery life — 25.00% more. 30 h vs 24 h.
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Bose - QuietComfort Headphones | Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | over-ear | over-ear |
| Weight | 240 glead | 253 g |
| Water resistance | none | none |
Audio
| Spec | Bose - QuietComfort Headphones | Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 35 mm | 35 mm |
| Impedanceⓘ | 32 Ω | 32 Ω |
| Sensitivityⓘ | 98 dB | 98 dB |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | false | truelead |
Battery
| Spec | Bose - QuietComfort Headphones | Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 24 h | 30 hlead |
| Fast chargeⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Bose - QuietComfort Headphones | Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.1 | 5.4lead |
| Multipointⓘ | true | true |
| 3.5mm jack | true | true |
| LDACⓘ | false | false |
| aptX HDⓘ | false | truelead |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery life, QuietComfort Headphones or QuietComfort Ultra 2?+
QuietComfort Ultra 2 lasts 30 hours vs 24 hours.
Do QuietComfort Headphones or QuietComfort Ultra 2 have active noise cancellation?+
Both models have active noise cancellation.
Which supports LDAC, QuietComfort Headphones or QuietComfort Ultra 2?+
Neither supports LDAC.
Spec-level deep dives
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