1.   Try searching by:
    1. Category (Best $100 Headphones, Best 50 Inch TVs, …)
    2. Brand (Sony, Samsung, LG, Bose, …)
    3. Model (S405, QC 35 II, …)
    4. Etc...
Get insider access
Get insider access
Preferred store
Notice: Your browser is not supported or outdated so some features of the site might not be available.
Best
Noise Cancelling Headphones Wireless Earbuds Noise Cancelling Earbuds Gaming Over-Ear Wireless Wireless Gaming Running PC Gaming Xbox One PS5/PS5 Pro Wireless Earbuds For Running Beats Wired Music Over-Ears For Working Out On-Ear In-Ears Budget And Cheap
Tools
Compare Table Review List Review Index Graph Custom Ratings
Popular
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Wireless Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 Audeze Maxwell Wireless Logitech G PRO X 2 LIGHTSPEED Wireless Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro Astro A50 X Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless [7, 7P, 7X] Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Anker Soundcore Space Q45 Wireless Samsung Galaxy Buds FE Sennheiser HD 800 S Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless [PC, PS, Xbox] Sony WH-CH720N Wireless Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless
828
Headphones bought and tested
Supported by you via insider access, and when you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Driven by data, run by a passionate team of engineers, testers, technical writers, developers, and more.
We are hiring!
  1. Home
  2. Headphones
  3. Compare
  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Style
    2. Comfort
    3. Controls
    4. Breathability
    5. Portability
    6. Case
    7. Build Quality
    8. Stability
    9. Headshots 1
    10. Headshots 2
    11. Top
    12. In The Box
  5. Sound
    1. Sound Profile
    2. Frequency Response Consistency
    3. Raw Frequency Response
    4. Bass Profile: Target Compliance
    5. Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance
    6. Treble Profile: Target Compliance
    7. Peaks/Dips
    8. Imaging
    9. Passive Soundstage
    10. Virtual Soundstage
    11. Weighted Harmonic Distortion
    12. Test Settings
  6. Isolation
    1. Noise Isolation - Full Range
    2. Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios
    3. Noise Isolation - Voice Handling
    4. ANC Wind Handling
    5. Leakage
  7. Microphone
    1. Microphone Style
    2. Recording Quality
    3. Noise Handling
  8. Active Features
    1. Battery
    2. App Support
  9. Connectivity
    1. Wired Connection
    2. Bluetooth Connection
    3. Wireless Connection (Dongle)
    4. PC Compatibility
    5. PlayStation Compatibility
    6. Xbox Compatibility
    7. Base/Dock
  10. Comments

Apple AirPods Max vs Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Apple AirPods Max
Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless

Tested using Methodology v1.8

Updated Feb 10, 2025 03:32 PM

Searching
Finding store

Tested using Methodology v1.8

Updated Aug 29, 2024 08:10 PM

Searching
Finding store
Apple AirPods Max Picture
Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless Picture
TypeOver-ear
Noise CancellingYes
EnclosureClosed-Back
WirelessYes
TransducerDynamic
MicYes
TypeOver-ear
Noise CancellingYes
EnclosureClosed-Back
WirelessYes
TransducerDynamic
MicYes
  1. Recommended in 1 article:
  2. Apple

Variants

  • AirPods Max (USB-C) (Blue)
  • AirPods Max (Lightning) (Green)
  • AirPods Max (USB-C) (Midnight)
  • AirPods Max (USB-C) (Orange)
  • AirPods Max (Lightning) (Pink)
  • AirPods Max (USB-C) (Purple)
  • AirPods Max (Lightning) (Silver)
  • AirPods Max (Lightning) (Sky Blue)
  • AirPods Max (Lightning) (Space Gray)
  • AirPods Max (USB-C) (Starlight)
  • QuietComfort 45/QC45 (Eclipse Grey)
  • QuietComfort 45/QC45 (Midnight Blue)
  • QuietComfort 45/QC45 (Triple Black)
  • QuietComfort SE (Triple Black)
  • QuietComfort 45/QC45 (White Smoke)

Review

See Apple AirPods Max Review
See Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless Review
14 
13 

Our Verdict

Apple AirPods Max

Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless

The Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 are slightly more versatile headphones than the Apple AirPods Max Wireless. The Bose are lighter and more comfortable. Their integrated mic offers significantly better overall performance, and these headphones support multi-device pairing or 3.5mm wired. However, the Apple feel better built and have a virtual soundstage feature. They also have the edge in noise cancelling, although both headphones still do a fantastic job in this regard.

0 

Check Price

Blue
AirPods Max (USB-C)
Searching
Finding store
Eclipse Grey
QuietComfort 45/QC45
Searching
Finding store
Green
AirPods Max (Lightning)
Searching
Finding store
Midnight Blue
QuietComfort 45/QC45
Searching
Finding store
Midnight
AirPods Max (USB-C)
Searching
Finding store
Triple Black
QuietComfort 45/QC45
Searching
Finding store
Orange
AirPods Max (USB-C)
Searching
Finding store
Triple Black
QuietComfort SE
Searching
Finding store
Pink
AirPods Max (Lightning)
Searching
Finding store
White Smoke
QuietComfort 45/QC45
Searching
Finding store
Purple
AirPods Max (USB-C)
Searching
Finding store
 
Silver
AirPods Max (Lightning)
Searching
Finding store
 
Sky Blue
AirPods Max (Lightning)
Searching
Finding store
 
Space Gray
AirPods Max (Lightning)
Searching
Finding store
 
Starlight
AirPods Max (USB-C)
Searching
Finding store
 

Main Differences for
Neutral Sound

Threshold 

0.10

Neutral Sound 

7.5
7.7

Treble Profile: Target Compliance 
 

4.9
6.6

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance 
 

8.7
9.2

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Design Picture 2  

Apple AirPods Max Design Picture 2
Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless Design Picture 2

Type  

Over-ear
Over-ear

Enclosure  

Closed-Back
Closed-Back

Wireless  

Yes
Yes

Transducer  

Dynamic
Dynamic
Show Text 

Comfort 
 

7.0
8.5

Comfort Picture  

Apple AirPods Max Comfort Picture
Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless Comfort Picture

Weight  

0.85 lbs
0.52 lbs

Clamping Force 
 

1.2 lbs
0.7 lbs
Show Text 

Controls 
 

7.9
8.1

Controls Picture  

Apple AirPods Max Controls Picture
Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless Controls Picture

OS Compatibility 
 

iOS
Not OS specific

Ease Of Use  

Great
Good

Feedback  

Good
Good

Call/Music Control  

Yes
Yes

Volume Control  

Yes
Yes

Microphone Control  

No
Mute/Unmute

Channel Mixing 
 

No
No

Noise Cancelling Control  

On/Off
On/Off

Talk-Through 
 

On/Off
On/Off

Additional Controls  

Voice Assistant
Voice Assistant
Show Text 

Breathability 
 

6.1

Breathability After Picture  

Apple AirPods Max Breathability After Picture

Avg.Temp.Difference  

6.7 °C
Show Text 

Portability 
 

6.0
6.6

Portability Picture  

Apple AirPods Max Portability Picture
Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless Portability Picture

L  

7.8" (19.8 cm)
6.8" (17.2 cm)

W  

7.5" (19.1 cm)
5.5" (13.9 cm)

H  

1.7" (4.3 cm)
1.5" (3.8 cm)

Volume  

99.00 in³ (1,622.31 cm³)
55.44 in³ (908.50 cm³)

Transmitter Required  

No
No
Show Text 

Case 
 

6.0
8.0

Case Picture  

Apple AirPods Max Case Picture
Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless Case Picture

Type  

Soft case
Hard case

L  

7.9" (20.1 cm)
8.3" (21.1 cm)

W  

8.5" (21.6 cm)
5.7" (14.5 cm)

H  

1.7" (4.3 cm)
2.2" (5.6 cm)

Volume  

114.00 in³ (1,868.12 cm³)
105.16 in³ (1,723.20 cm³)
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

8.0
7.5

Build Quality Picture  

Apple AirPods Max Build Quality Picture
Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless Build Quality Picture
Show Text 

Stability 
 

6.5
7.0

Stability Picture  

Apple AirPods Max Stability Picture
Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless Stability Picture
Show Text 

Headshots 1  

Angled Picture  

Apple AirPods Max Angled Picture
Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless Angled Picture

Side Picture  

Apple AirPods Max Side Picture
Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless Side Picture

Headshots 2  

Front Picture  

Apple AirPods Max Front Picture
Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless Front Picture

Rear Picture  

Apple AirPods Max Rear Picture
Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless Rear Picture

Top  

Top Picture  

Apple AirPods Max Top Picture
Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless Top Picture

In The Box  

In The Box Picture  

Apple AirPods Max In The Box Picture
Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless In The Box Picture
Show Text 
Sound

Sound Profile 
 

Sound Profile  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Normalization Frequency 
 

400 Hz
400 Hz

Bass Amount 
 

1.5 dB
1.8 dB

Treble Amount 
 

-4.4 dB
-0.5 dB
Show Text 

Frequency Response Consistency 
 

7.1
7.7

Consistency L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Consistency R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. Std. Deviation 
 

0.6 dB
0.46 dB
Show Text 

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw FR L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Raw FR R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Bass Profile: Target Compliance 
 

9.6
9.5

Bass Profile: Target Compliance  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

1.5 dB
2.2 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

20 Hz
20 Hz

Low Bass 
 

1.72 dB
0.47 dB

Mid Bass 
 

1.15 dB
2.45 dB

High Bass 
 

1.49 dB
3.18 dB
Show Text 

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance 
 

8.7
9.2

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

1.3 dB
0.94 dB

Low Mid 
 

0.49 dB
0.27 dB

Mid-Mid 
 

0.2 dB
-0.94 dB

High Mid 
 

-1.34 dB
-0.31 dB
Show Text 

Treble Profile: Target Compliance 
 

4.9
6.6

Treble Profile: Target Compliance  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

5.14 dB
3.63 dB

Low Treble 
 

-4.28 dB
1.25 dB

Mid Treble 
 

-4.58 dB
-2.85 dB

High Treble 
 

-3.65 dB
-1.46 dB
Show Text 

Peaks/Dips 
 

7.9
7.5

Peaks/Dips Graph 
 

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Peaks 
 

1.01 dB
1.43 dB

Dips 
 

2.31 dB
1.84 dB
Show Text 

Imaging 
 

7.7
6.5

Group Delay  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Phase Response Mismatch  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Weighted Group Delay 
 

0.12
0.6

Weighted Phase Mismatch 
 

2.91
26.97

Weighted Amplitude Mismatch 
 

2.33
1.5

Weighted Frequency Mismatch 
 

2.86
2.46
Show Text 

Passive Soundstage 
 

4.1
4.8

PRTF  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.) 
 

4.28 dB
3.62 dB

PRTF Size (Avg.) 
 

6.81 dB
6.52 dB

PRTF Distance 
 

5.22 dB
8.49 dB

Openness 
 

1.7
1.0

Acoustic Space Excitation 
 

3.3
4.3
Show Text 

Virtual Soundstage 
 

2.9
0.0

Virtual Soundstage  

Apple AirPods Max Virtual Soundstage
Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless Virtual Soundstage

Head Modeling 
 

No
No

Speaker Modeling 
 

On/Off
No

Room Ambience 
 

No
No

Head Tracking 
 

On/Off
No

Virtual Surround 
 

Spatial Audio
No
Show Text 

Weighted Harmonic Distortion 
 

7.7
7.6

Weighted Harmonic Distortion  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

WHD @ 90 
 

0.337
0.173

WHD @ 100 
 

0.125
0.207
Show Text 

Test Settings 
 

Firmware 
 

3B71
1.0.3-2674+ee3f55e

Power 
 

On
On

Connection 
 

Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth 5.0

Codec 
 

SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz
SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz

Test Instrument  

TP-Link BE9300 BT 5.4

EQ 
 

Adaptive EQ
No EQ

ANC 
 

On
On

Tip/Pad 
 

Default
Default

Microphone 
 

Integrated
Integrated
Show Text 
Isolation

Noise Isolation - Full Range 
 

9.4
9.0

Noise Isolation - Full Range Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Noise Cancelling  

Yes
Yes

Overall Attenuation 
 

-26.06 dB
-23.90 dB

Bass 
 

-19.54 dB
-19.96 dB

Mid 
 

-30.62 dB
-22.53 dB

Treble 
 

-28.95 dB
-30.21 dB
Show Text 

Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios 
 

9.0
9.1

Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Airplane Noise Attenuation 
 

-21.85 dB
-21.39 dB

Airplane Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Office Noise Attenuation 
 

-19.98 dB
-20.89 dB

Office Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Street Noise Attenuation 
 

-21.92 dB
-22.37 dB

Street Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Show Text 

Noise Isolation - Voice Handling 
 

Female Voice 1 
 

Male Voice 1 
 

Female Voice 2 
 

Male Voice 2 
 

ANC Wind Handling 
 

ANC Wind Handling Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

ANC Wind Noise 
 

Show Text 

Leakage 
 

7.1
6.3

Leakage  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Leakage Audio 
 

Overall Leakage @ 1ft 
 

38.88 dB
43.53 dB
Show Text 
Microphone

Microphone Style 
 

Integrated 
 

Yes
Yes

In-Line 
 

No
No

Boom 
 

No
No

Detachable Boom 
 

No
No

Mic  

Yes
Yes

Recording Quality 
 

6.6
7.7

Microphone Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Recorded Speech 
 

LFE 
 

273 Hz
201.59 Hz

FR Std. Dev. 
 

2.77 dB
3.6 dB

HFE 
 

3,466.89 Hz
6,834.38 Hz

Weighted THD 
 

3.025
0.373

Gain 
 

15.85 dB
34.01 dB
Show Text 

Noise Handling 
 

5.0
5.3

SpNR  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

SpNR 
 

9.61 dB
36.73 dB

Noise Gate 
 

No
No

Speech + Pink Noise Handling 
 

5.0
5.5

Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample  

Speech + Subway Noise Handling 
 

5.0
5.0

Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample  

Show Text 
Active Features

Battery 
 

8.3
8.5

Battery Type 
 

Rechargable
Rechargable

Continuous Battery Life 
 

21.6 hrs
21.3 hrs

Additional Charges 
 

0.0
0.0

Total Battery Life 
 

21.6 hrs
21.3 hrs

Charge Time 
 

1.5 hrs
2 hrs

Power-Saving Feature 
 

Standby mode
Auto-Off Timer

Audio While Charging 
 

Yes
No

Passive Playback 
 

No
Yes

Charging Port  

Lightning
USB-C
Show Text 

App Support 
 

6.0
8.0

App Picture  

Apple AirPods Max App Picture
Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless App Picture

App Name  

iOS Interface
Bose Music

iOS  

Yes
Yes

Android  

No
Yes

macOS  

Yes
No

Windows  

No
No

Equalizer 
 

No
Graphic + Presets

ANC Control 
 

On/Off
On/Off

Mic Control  

No
No

Room Effects 
 

No
No

Playback Control 
 

No
Yes

Button Mapping  

No
No

Surround Support 
 

Yes
No
Show Text 
Connectivity

Wired Connection 
 

9.3
7.4

Cable Picture  

Apple AirPods Max Cable Picture
Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless Cable Picture

Analog Audio 
 

Yes
Yes

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Detachable 
 

Yes
Yes

Length 
 

N/A
3.61 ft (1.10 m)

Connector 
 

Lightning
1/8" TRS

Latency - Analog 
 

1.7 ms
16.4 ms

Latency - USB 
 

N/A
N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

Recorded Latency Connection  

Analog
Analog
Show Text 

Bluetooth Connection 
 

7.9
8.2

Bluetooth Version 
 

5.0+H1 chip
5.1

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

No
2 Devices

Quick Pair (Android) 
 

No
No

Quick Pair (iOS) 
 

Yes
No

Line Of Sight Range 
 

328.00 ft (99.97 m)
272.31 ft (83.00 m)

Latency - SBC 
 

185 ms
182 ms

Latency - aptX 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - aptX Adaptive (High Quality) 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - aptX Adaptive (Low Latency) 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - LDAC 
 

N/A
N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

Recorded Latency Codec  

SBC
SBC

AAC Support 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Wireless Connection (Dongle) 
 

0.0
0.0

Line Of Sight Range 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - Dongle 
 

N/A
N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

N/A
N/A

PC Compatibility 
 

Analog 
 

No
Audio Only

Wired USB 
 

No
No

Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No
Show Text 

PlayStation Compatibility 
 

PS4 Analog 
 

No
Audio Only

PS4 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PS4 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

PS5 Analog 
 

No
Audio Only

PS5 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PS5 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Xbox Compatibility 
 

Xbox One Analog 
 

No
Audio Only

Xbox One Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox One Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Xbox Series X|S Analog 
 

No
Audio Only

Xbox Series X|S Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Base/Dock 
 

0.0
0.0

Type 
 

No Base/Dock
No Base/Dock

USB Input 
 

No
No

Line In 
 

No
No

Line Out 
 

No
No

Optical Input 
 

No
No

RCA Input 
 

No
No

Dock Charging 
 

No
No

Power Supply 
 

No Base/Dock
No Base/Dock

Check Price

Blue
AirPods Max (USB-C)
Searching
Finding store
Eclipse Grey
QuietComfort 45/QC45
Searching
Finding store
Green
AirPods Max (Lightning)
Searching
Finding store
Midnight Blue
QuietComfort 45/QC45
Searching
Finding store
Midnight
AirPods Max (USB-C)
Searching
Finding store
Triple Black
QuietComfort 45/QC45
Searching
Finding store
Orange
AirPods Max (USB-C)
Searching
Finding store
Triple Black
QuietComfort SE
Searching
Finding store
Pink
AirPods Max (Lightning)
Searching
Finding store
White Smoke
QuietComfort 45/QC45
Searching
Finding store
Purple
AirPods Max (USB-C)
Searching
Finding store
 
Silver
AirPods Max (Lightning)
Searching
Finding store
 
Sky Blue
AirPods Max (Lightning)
Searching
Finding store
 
Space Gray
AirPods Max (Lightning)
Searching
Finding store
 
Starlight
AirPods Max (USB-C)
Searching
Finding store
 
Back to Top

Apple AirPods Max

Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless

Comments

  1. Comparison
 • Posted 1 year ago

Apple AirPods Max vs Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless: Main Discussion

What do you think of these products? Let us know below.


Looking for a personalized buying advice from the RTINGS.com experts? Insiders have direct access to buying advice on our insider forum.

Follow Discussion0 followingSee All Headphones DiscussionsCopy link
0 
PreviewBack to editorFormat guide
No comments yet, refresh to see new ones
We make money directly from you via insider access (which gives you access to extra features) and when you buy a product after clicking a link to a retailer. Learn more about how we work.
We buy our own products, just like you, mostly from the United States. When a product is discontinued or no longer popular, we sell the review units locally. You can see what products we currently have for sale here.
© 2025 9298-5266 Quebec Inc. All Rights Reserved. Visit our corporate site.