Apple AirPods Pro 2 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds

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AirPods Pro 2 compared with QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds

	AppleAirPods Pro 2	BoseQuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
Overview
Released
Released	September 2023	October 2023
Sound
Type
Type	In-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	–
Chip
Chip	H2 in each AirPod; U1 chip in the MagSafe Charging Case (USB-C)	–
Noise cancelling detail
Noise cancelling detail	Up to 2x more Active Noise Cancellation than AirPods Pro (1st generation) and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation; Adaptive Audio, Transparency mode and Conversation Awareness	Quiet Mode (full noise cancelling), Aware Mode and Immersion Mode, plus custom modes with noise cancelling levels in between; CustomTune tailors sound and noise cancelling to your ears
Audio features
Audio features	Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking; Adaptive EQ; Personalised Volume; Voice Isolation; Live Translation (with iOS 26 and an Apple Intelligence iPhone); lossless audio when paired with Apple Vision Pro	Bose Immersive Audio (Still keeps the sound in place as you turn your head; Motion lets it follow); three-band EQ in the Bose app; aptX Adaptive with Snapdragon Sound devices, normally at 44.1 kHz and up to 48 kHz for high-resolution listening, with a low-latency mode
Hearing health
Hearing health	Hearing Test, Hearing Aid and Loud Sound Reduction in the UK; active Hearing Protection is available only in selected regions, not the UK	–
Battery
Listening time (maker's claim)
Listening time (maker's claim)	Up to 6 hours	Up to 6 hours
With the case
With the case	Up to 30 hours	Up to 24 hours
Wireless charging
Wireless charging	Yes	No
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Up to 5.5 hours with Spatial Audio and head tracking on; up to 4 hours of Lossless Audio listening with Apple Vision Pro	Up to 6 hours per charge with Immersive Audio off, 4 hours with it on; the case holds three full charges; tested by Bose at 75 dB SPL in Quiet Mode
Charging case
Charging case	MagSafe Charging Case (USB-C) with speaker for Find My and lanyard loop; charges with MagSafe, Apple Watch or Qi-certified chargers or a USB-C cable	USB-C; earbuds charge in up to 2 hours, the case in up to 3 hours; an optional silicone case cover (sold separately) adds wireless charging
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)	5.3 g (better)	7.7 g
Water and sweat resistance
Water and sweat resistance	IP54	IPX4
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	5.3	5.3
Two devices at once
Two devices at once	–	Yes
Controls
Controls	Touch control on the stems (press to play, pause, answer calls and skip; press and hold to switch listening modes; swipe up or down for volume); “Hey Siri” or just “Siri”; Siri Interactions	Touch surface on each earbud (tap to play, pause or answer calls; double-tap to skip forward or end calls; triple-tap to skip back; swipe up or down for volume; touch and hold for a shortcut to switch modes or the voice assistant)
Microphones
Microphones	Dual beamforming microphones and an inward-facing microphone; speech-detecting accelerometer	Adaptive microphone system with adjustable self-voice; TechRadar counts four microphones per earbud
Fit and ear tips
Fit and ear tips	Silicone ear tips in four sizes (XS, S, M, L)	Silicone eartips in small, medium and large (medium fitted); stability bands in sizes 1, 2 and 3 (size 1 fitted), with a notch that aligns them on the earbud; extra-small and extra-large sizes available from Bose Support; either earbud can be used on its own
Case weight
Case weight	50.8 g	0.132 lb (about 60 g)
Water resistance detail
Water resistance detail	IP54 (IEC 60529) for the AirPods Pro and charging case	IPX4 for the earbuds; the inside of the case resists water left on the earbuds, but Bose advises keeping the outside of the case dry
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 (launched with Bose Music) for iOS and Android; multipoint connection to two devices since a July 2024 update; Google Fast Pair; SimpleSync with Bose smart soundbars and speakers
Colours
Colours	White	Black and White Smoke at launch; Bose UK now sells Lunar Blue
In the box
In the box	AirPods Pro 2, MagSafe Charging Case (USB-C) with speaker and lanyard loop, silicone ear tips (XS, S, M, L), USB-C Charge Cable, documentation	Earbuds, charging case, eartips (small and large; medium fitted), stability bands (sizes 2 and 3; size 1 fitted), USB-C to USB-A cable