Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) vs Bose - QuietComfort SC
Between the AirPods Max (Lightning) and QuietComfort SC, the AirPods Max (Lightning) comes out ahead in driver size and spatial audio, while the QuietComfort SC wins on weight and battery life. Overall, the AirPods Max (Lightning) scores 65.7 and the QuietComfort SC scores 62.9 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (65.7 vs 62.9). The decision isn't about overall quality — both clear the bar — it's about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the AirPods Max (Lightning) if audio quality and feature breadth (ANC, codecs, multipoint) are the lead criteria for your purchase. The biggest gaps in its favor are driver size, spatial audio.
Pick the QuietComfort SC 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.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, ldac, water resistance, 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 Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) wins
- ▲Driver size — 14.29% more. 40 mm vs 35 mm.
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
Why Bose - QuietComfort SC wins
- ▲Weight — 144.00 g less. 240 vs 384.
- ▲Battery life — 20.00% more. 24 h vs 20 h.
- ▲Has Multipoint.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) | Bose - QuietComfort SC |
|---|---|---|
| Type | over-ear | over-ear |
| Weight | 384 g | 240 glead |
| Water resistance | none | none |
Audio
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) | Bose - QuietComfort SC |
|---|---|---|
| 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ⓘ | truelead | false |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) | Bose - QuietComfort SC |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 20 h | 24 hlead |
| Fast chargeⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) | Bose - QuietComfort SC |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.0 | 5.1lead |
| Multipointⓘ | false | truelead |
| 3.5mm jack | false | truelead |
| LDACⓘ | false | false |
| aptX HDⓘ | false | false |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery life, AirPods Max (Lightning) or QuietComfort SC?+
QuietComfort SC lasts 24 hours vs 20 hours.
Do AirPods Max (Lightning) or QuietComfort SC have active noise cancellation?+
Both models have active noise cancellation.
Which supports LDAC, AirPods Max (Lightning) or QuietComfort SC?+
Neither supports LDAC.
Spec-level deep dives
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