Bose - QuietComfort Headphones 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 | Bose - QuietComfort Headphones | Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 24 h | 30 h |
| Weight | 240 g | 253 g |
| Spatial audio | false | true |
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 / spatial audio. Overall, the QuietComfort Headphones scores 70.2 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 (70.2 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 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. The single most decisive one: Weight — 13.00 g less. 240 vs 253.
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. The single most decisive one: Battery life — 25.00% more. 30 h vs 24 h.
Both ship with comparable driver size, active noise cancellation, multipoint, 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: Bose - QuietComfort Headphones or Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2?
Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2 leads the current Mars Score by 0.6 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare battery life, weight against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Bose - QuietComfort Headphones if…
Bose - QuietComfort Headphones has the measurable edge on weight g.
Choose Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2 if…
Bose - QuietComfort Ultra 2 has the measurable edge on battery life h, 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 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.