Bang & Olufsen - Beoplay HX 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 | Bang & Olufsen - Beoplay HX | Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 285 g | 253 g |
| Battery life | 35 h | 30 h |
| Driver size | 40 mm | 35 mm |
| Spatial audio | false | true |
Between the Beoplay HX and QuietComfort Ultra 2, the Beoplay HX comes out ahead in battery life / driver size, while the QuietComfort Ultra 2 wins on weight / spatial audio. Overall, the Beoplay HX scores 72.3 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 (72.3 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 Beoplay HX if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. The biggest gaps in its favor are battery life, driver size. The single most decisive one: Battery life — 16.67% more. 35 h vs 30 h.
Pick the QuietComfort Ultra 2 if you carry the device everywhere and weight or thickness has been the deciding factor before. Its strongest claims are weight, spatial audio. The single most decisive one: Weight — 32.00 g less. 253 vs 285.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, multipoint, 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: Bang & Olufsen - Beoplay HX or Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2?
Bang & Olufsen - Beoplay HX leads the current Mars Score by 1.5 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 Bang & Olufsen - Beoplay HX if…
Bang & Olufsen - Beoplay HX has the measurable edge on battery life h, driver size mm.
Choose Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2 if…
Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2 has the measurable edge on weight g, has spatial audio.
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 Bang & Olufsen - Beoplay HX wins
- ▲Battery life — 16.67% more. 35 h vs 30 h.
- ▲Driver size — 14.29% more. 40 mm vs 35 mm.
Why Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2 wins
- ▲Weight — 32.00 g less. 253 vs 285.
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Bang & Olufsen - Beoplay HX | Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | over-ear | over-ear |
| Weight | 285 g | 253 glead |
| Water resistance | none | none |
Audio
| Spec | Bang & Olufsen - Beoplay HX | Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 40 mmlead | 35 mm |
| Impedanceⓘ | 21 Ω | 32 Ωlead |
| Sensitivityⓘ | 96 dB | 98 dBlead |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | false | truelead |
Battery
| Spec | Bang & Olufsen - Beoplay HX | Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery lifeⓘ | 35 hlead | 30 h |
| Fast chargeⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Bang & Olufsen - Beoplay HX | Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.1 | 5.4lead |
| Multipointⓘ | true | true |
| 3.5mm jack | true | true |
| LDACⓘ | false | false |
| aptX HDⓘ | true | true |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery life, Beoplay HX or QuietComfort Ultra 2?+
Beoplay HX lasts 35 hours vs 30 hours.
Do Beoplay HX or QuietComfort Ultra 2 have active noise cancellation?+
Both models have active noise cancellation.
Which supports LDAC, Beoplay HX or QuietComfort Ultra 2?+
Neither supports LDAC.