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Head to head · for music listening
Apple AirPods Max vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra
More people recommend the Apple AirPods Max overall (44 vs 14). None of the 10 comments that name both says outright which one to buy, so read the loves and complaints and decide by taste.
- Comments naming both
- 10
- Say they own both
- 2
- Choose the AirPods Max
- 0
- Choose the QuietComfort Ultra
- 0
Preference evidence:Limited0 explicit choices among 10 comments naming both.What the levels mean
Counted across 5 review videos, harvested Sep 2026. A comment counts as a choice only when it says so in plain words (prefer X over Y, upgraded from Y to X); questions never count. Quotes are whole sentences of 12 words or fewer, linked to where they were said. How we count.
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical price | $549 | $449cheaper |
| Overall rank | #16higher | #30 |
| People who recommend it | 44more | 14 |
| Say they own it | 45more | 27 |
| Mentions | 802more | 193 |
| Type | wireless ANC over-ear | wireless ANC over-ear |
| Known for | CommuteiPhoneNoise cancelling | FlightsComfortSilence |
| Best for | Recommended to iPhone and Mac people who want one pair that just appears on every device. | Recommended for long flights and loud offices, where comfort and silence matter more than the last bit of sound quality. |
| Buy | Amazon · $549Direct | Amazon · $449 |
#16 overall
Apple AirPods Max
2 of the 10 comments naming both come from people who say they own this one.
What owners love
- Auto-switching between iPhone, Mac and Apple TV is the feature owners say they cannot give up
- Metal build that other headphones get compared against
- Called the most comfortable Bluetooth headphone by more than one commenter, and friendly to glasses
The complaints
- Price: the single most repeated objection
- Clamp gets tight after an hour for some heads
- Condensation inside the cups after long sessions; sweat kills the headband electronics
- Battery is not user-serviceable and they are dead without it
- Heavy
In their words
“I have the Apple AirPod MAX and I love them”
A commenter under The Truth about the New Beats by Dre! (Marques Brownlee) · Jul 2023
“So I had to get the AirPods Max”
A commenter under Beats Studio Pro | Don't Buy Until You Watch This (Aesthetic AL) · Aug 2023
“my daily drivers are some Airpods Max which i think sound amazing”
A commenter under Is Sennheiser's new headphone REALLY an upgrade? (The Headphone Show) · Feb 2023
#30 overall
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)
2 of the 10 comments naming both come from people who say they own this one.
What owners love
- The comfort choice: people who find Sony hot or tight land here
- Noise cancelling that many rate a notch above Sony
- The app EQ tames Bose's bass boost well
The complaints
- Bass-heavy out of the box
- Expensive; the older QC45 does most of the same job for less
- Some people get a pressure feeling or nausea from strong Bose noise cancelling
In their words
“I personally have the QC Ultra Earbuds and absolutely love them”
A commenter under The New Bose QC Ultra Headphones (Unbox Therapy) · Dec 2023
“At least on the Bose qc ultra I do not recommend them”
A commenter under The best headphones under $1000 (2025 edition) (The Headphone Show) · Apr 2025
Questions people ask about this pair
Every answer is built from the counts on this page, not from our own listening.
- Is the Apple AirPods Max better than the Bose QuietComfort Ultra?
- None of the 10 comments naming both says outright which one to buy. Overall, 44 people recommend the Apple AirPods Max and 14 the Bose QuietComfort Ultra. Read what owners love and complain about below and decide by taste.
- Which is cheaper, the Apple AirPods Max or the Bose QuietComfort Ultra?
- The Bose QuietComfort Ultra is cheaper: $449 against $549 when we last checked. Prices move, so the buy buttons show the live price.
- Which do more people recommend, the Apple AirPods Max or the Bose QuietComfort Ultra?
- The Apple AirPods Max: 44 people recommend it against 14. On the site-wide leaderboard the Apple AirPods Max is #16 and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra is #30.
- Do people own both the Apple AirPods Max and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra?
- Yes. 2 of the 10 comments that name both come from people who say they own both pairs. 2 say they own the Apple AirPods Max and 2 the Bose QuietComfort Ultra.
- What do owners complain about on the Apple AirPods Max and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra?
- The most repeated complaint about the Apple AirPods Max: price: the single most repeated objection. About the Bose QuietComfort Ultra: bass-heavy out of the box. The full lists are on each side below.