Tech head-to-head
Apple AirPods MaxvsBose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
Apple AirPods Max vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, scored side by side on all 5 Tech axes. Overall 8.1 to 8.1.
Apple AirPods Max
Apple
8.1
Built like nothing else in the category, priced like nothing else, and only fully useful on Apple hardware.
Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.
The most convincing low-frequency isolation here, wrapped in the most comfortable clamp.
Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.
Where they diverge
Two products can average the same and still feel different, because the shape of the scores differs. Left of center is Apple AirPods Max, right is Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones.
Apple AirPods Max
Axis
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
- 8.4Performance9.0
- 5.8Value6.9
- 8.2Durability7.8
- 9.0Ease of use8.4
- 9.0Design8.4
Which one to pick
Take the Apple AirPods Max
Leads on Durability, Ease of use and Design.
- Everything you own already has an Apple logo on it
- You want a metal-and-mesh build rather than plastic
- Automatic switching between Mac, iPad, and phone is a daily need
Take the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
Leads on Performance and Value.
- Aircraft cabins and train carriages are your normal listening environment
- You wear headphones for six hours at a stretch
- Glasses make most clamping headbands unbearable
What each one gets wrong
Apple AirPods Max
- You need a codec better than AAC
- The sleeve that ships instead of a real case bothers you
- Android is your main platform
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
- You want deep EQ control rather than presets
- aptX is irrelevant to you and the premium is hard to justify
Specs, side by side
| Spec | Apple AirPods Max | Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Over-ear, closed | Over-ear, closed |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive |
| Battery | About 20 hrs with ANC on | About 24 hrs with ANC on |
| Case | Fabric sleeve, no full case | — |
| Folding | — | Folds flat and inward |
Rankings they both appear in
Questions
- Apple AirPods Max or Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones — which should I buy?
- Apple AirPods Max leads on Durability, Ease of use and Design. If Performance and Value matter more to you, take the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones instead.
- How far apart are they overall?
- Apple AirPods Max scores 8.1 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones scores 8.1, a gap of 0.0. The total is the plain average of the 5 axes used in Tech.