Apple AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)

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AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case compared with QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)

	AppleAirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case	BoseQuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)
Overview
Released
Released	September 2026	June 2025
Sound
Type
Type	Open-ear	In-ear
Noise cancelling
Noise cancelling	Yes	Yes
Transparency mode
Transparency mode	Yes	Yes
Spatial audio with head tracking
Spatial audio with head tracking	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth codecs
Bluetooth codecs	SBC and AAC	SBC, AAC and aptX Adaptive
Lossless over USB-C
Lossless over USB-C	No	–
Chip
Chip	H2	–
Drivers
Drivers	Custom high-excursion Apple driver and custom high dynamic range amplifier in a new multiport acoustic architecture	–
Noise cancelling detail
Noise cancelling detail	Up to 1.5x more Active Noise Cancellation than AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation; Adaptive Audio, Transparency and Conversation Awareness	Quiet Mode (full noise cancelling) and Aware Mode with an updated ActiveSense that smooths sudden noise spikes; noise cancelling adjustable in the Bose app; CustomTune tailors sound and noise cancelling to your ears
Audio features
Audio features	Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking; Adaptive EQ; Voice Isolation; studio-quality audio recording; Live Translation; lossless audio with Apple Vision Pro	Bose Immersive Audio (Still keeps the virtual speakers in place as you turn your head; Motion lets them follow) and Cinema Mode; up to seven custom modes; adjustable EQ in the Bose app; aptX Adaptive with Snapdragon Sound devices, which Bose says adapts to lossless audio and low latency
Battery
Listening time (maker's claim)
Listening time (maker's claim)	Up to 5 hours	Up to 6 hours
With the case
With the case	Up to 22 hours	Up to 24 hours
Wireless charging
Wireless charging	Yes	Yes
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Up to 7 hours per charge with noise control off	Up to 4 hours per charge with Immersive Audio on; the case holds three full charges, for 24 hours in total with Immersive Audio off; tested by Bose at 75 dB SPL in Quiet Mode
Charging case
Charging case	Wireless Charging Case (USB-C) with speaker for Find My; charges with a USB-C cable, Apple Watch charger or Qi-certified charger	USB-C (5 V, 1 A) and wireless charging; 680 mAh output capacity; the case charges in up to 3 hours and the earbuds in up to 2 hours
Fast charging
Fast charging	5 minutes in the case gives around 1 hour of listening	20 minutes in the case gives up to 2 hours of playback
Design
Weight (each earbud)
Weight (each earbud)	4.3 g (better)	7.3 g
Water and sweat resistance
Water and sweat resistance	IP57	IPX4
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	5.3	5.3
Two devices at once
Two devices at once	–	Yes
Controls
Controls	Force sensor with volume swipe on the stems (press to play, pause, answer calls and skip; press and hold to switch listening modes; swipe up or down for volume); camera remote; “Hey Siri” or just “Siri”; Siri Interactions by nodding or shaking your head	Touch surface on each earbud (tap to play, pause or answer calls; double-tap to skip forwards; triple-tap to skip back; swipe up or down for volume; touch and hold for a shortcut to modes, Immersive Audio settings, Spotify Tap or the voice assistant); touch controls can be turned off in the app; in-ear detection pauses audio when an earbud is taken out
Microphones
Microphones	Dual beamforming microphones and an inward-facing microphone; speech-detecting accelerometer	Eight microphones in total; AI-based SpeechClarity noise suppression for calls
Fit and ear tips
Fit and ear tips	Open-ear design with no ear tips	Silicone eartips in S, M and L (M fitted) with a guard against earwax build-up; stability bands in sizes 1, 2 and 3 (size 1 fitted)
Case weight
Case weight	34.7 g	59.9 g (Bose lists 0.132 lb)
Water resistance detail
Water resistance detail	IP57 (IEC 60529) for the AirPods and charging case	IPX4 for the earbuds only
Works with
Works with	Full features with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Apple Vision Pro on the latest software; works as Bluetooth headphones with other devices, with limited features	Bose app for iOS and Android; multipoint connection to two devices; Google Fast Pair on Android; Spotify Tap
Colours
Colours	White	Black, White Smoke and Deep Plum at launch; Bose UK now also sells Midnight Violet and Desert Gold
In the box
In the box	AirPods 5 and Charging Case (USB-C) with speaker, documentation; no USB-C cable or power adapter	Earbuds, wireless charging case, eartips (S, M, L), stability bands (1, 2, 3), 30 cm USB-C (A to C) cable, safety sheet