Products
Apple AirPods Max
Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless
Tested using Methodology v2.0
Updated Oct 30, 2025 03:15 PM
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Amazon.com
Tested using Methodology v2.0
Updated Nov 06, 2025 03:50 PM
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TypeOver-ear
Noise CancellingYes
EnclosureClosed-Back
Bass Amount
Slightly Emphasized (1 dB)
WirelessYes
TransducerDynamic
Treble Amount
Underemphasized (-4 dB)
MicYes
Sound Signature
Warm
TypeOver-ear
Noise CancellingYes
EnclosureClosed-Back
Bass Amount
Emphasized (3 dB)
WirelessYes
TransducerDynamic
Treble Amount
Slightly Emphasized (1 dB)
MicYes
Sound Signature
V-Shaped
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. The Bose are lighter and more comfortable. Their integrated mic offers significantly better overall performance, and these headphones support multi-device pairing or 3.5 mm 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.
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)
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Blue
AirPods Max (USB-C)
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Eclipse Grey
QuietComfort 45/QC45
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Amazon.com
Green
AirPods Max (Lightning)
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Amazon.com
Midnight Blue
QuietComfort 45/QC45
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Amazon.com
Midnight
AirPods Max (USB-C)
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Amazon.com
Triple Black
QuietComfort 45/QC45
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Amazon.com
Orange
AirPods Max (USB-C)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Triple Black
QuietComfort SE
SEARCH
Amazon.com
Pink
AirPods Max (Lightning)
SEARCH
Amazon.com
White Smoke
QuietComfort 45/QC45
SEARCH
Amazon.com
Purple
AirPods Max (USB-C)
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Amazon.com
Silver
AirPods Max (Lightning)
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Amazon.com
Sky Blue
AirPods Max (Lightning)
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Amazon.com
Space Gray
AirPods Max (Lightning)
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Walmart.com
Starlight
AirPods Max (USB-C)
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Amazon.com
Main Differences for
Sports And Fitness
Sports And Fitness
Threshold
Sports And Fitness
6.9
7.4
Comfort
7.0
8.5
Stability
6.5
7.0
Full Comparison
Sound
Sound Profile
Sound Profile
Normalization Frequency
1,250 Hz
750 Hz
Bass Amount
Slightly Emphasized (1 dB)
Emphasized (3 dB)
Treble Amount
Underemphasized (-4 dB)
Slightly Emphasized (1 dB)
Sound Signature
Warm
V-Shaped
Frequency Response Consistency
8.1
7.6
Consistency L
Consistency R
Std. Deviation
0.83 dB
0.97 dB
Bass Profile: Target Compliance
9.7
8.7
Bass Profile: Target Compliance
RMS Deviation From Target
1.5 dB
3.3 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
20 Hz
20 Hz
Low Bass
1.71 dB
2.59 dB
Mid Bass
1.08 dB
3.7 dB
High Bass
1.43 dB
3.61 dB
Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance
9.2
9.2
Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance
RMS Deviation From Target
1.27 dB
1.27 dB
Low Mid
0.42 dB
0.71 dB
Mid-Mid
-0.05 dB
-0.84 dB
High Mid
-1.35 dB
-1.19 dB
Treble Profile: Target Compliance
6.3
7.6
Treble Profile: Target Compliance
RMS Deviation From Target
4.91 dB
3.64 dB
Low Treble
-4.96 dB
3.27 dB
Mid Treble
-2.98 dB
-1.43 dB
High Treble
-2.68 dB
2.11 dB
Peaks/Dips
8.2
7.6
Peaks/Dips Graph
Peaks
0.96 dB
1.24 dB
Dips
1.65 dB
2.07 dB
Stereo Mismatch
9.1
6.7
Frequency Response Mismatch
Phase Response Mismatch
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
0.10 dB
0.69 dB
Weighted Frequency Response Mismatch
0.67 dB
1.83 dB
Weighted Phase Mismatch
0.6°
2.2°
Cumulative Spectral Decay
CSD
PRTF
4.4
5.6
PRTF
PRTF Accuracy (RMS Deviation)
4.28 dB
3.62 dB
PRTF Size (Avg.)
6.81 dB
6.52 dB
PRTF Distance
5.22 dB
8.49 dB
Harmonic Distortion
9.5
6.3
Harmonics Levels
THD Ratio
WHD @ 94 dB SPL
0.06%
0.22%
WHD @ 104 dB SPL
0.10%
1.99%
Electrical Aspects
Impedance
Sensitivity @1kHz-1V
N/A
114.4 dB SPL
Bluetooth Max SPL
103.2 dB
105.0 dB
Virtual Soundstage
2.9
0.0
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
Test Settings
Firmware
6A326
1.0.3-2674+ee3f55e
Power
On
On
Connection
Bluetooth
Bluetooth
Codec
SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz
SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz
Test Instrument
Audio Precision APx517B
TP-Link BE9300 BT 5.4
EQ
Adaptive EQ
No EQ
ANC
On
On
Tip/Pad
Default
Default
Microphone
Integrated
Integrated
Design
Style
Design Picture 2
Type
Over-ear
Over-ear
Enclosure
Closed-Back
Closed-Back
Wireless
Yes
Yes
Transducer
Dynamic
Dynamic
Comfort
7.0
8.5
Comfort Picture
Weight
0.85 lbs
0.52 lbs
Clamping Force
1.2 lbs
0.7 lbs
Controls
7.9
8.1
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
Portability
6.0
6.6
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
Case
6.0
8.0
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)
Build Quality
8.0
7.5
Build Quality Picture
Stability
6.5
7.0
Stability Picture
Headshots 1
Angled Picture
Side Picture
Headshots 2
Front Picture
Rear Picture
Top
Top Picture
In The Box
In The Box Picture
Isolation
Noise Isolation - Full Range
9.4
9.0
Noise Isolation - Full Range Graph
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
Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios
9.0
9.1
Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios Graph
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
Noise Isolation - Voice Handling
Female Voice 1
Male Voice 1
Female Voice 2
Male Voice 2
Leakage
7.1
6.3
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
38.88 dB
43.53 dB
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
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
Noise Handling
5.0
5.3
SpNR
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
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
App Support
6.0
8.0
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
Connectivity
Wired Connection
9.3
7.4
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
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
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
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
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
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)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Eclipse Grey
QuietComfort 45/QC45
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Green
AirPods Max (Lightning)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Midnight Blue
QuietComfort 45/QC45
SEARCH
Amazon.com
Midnight
AirPods Max (USB-C)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Triple Black
QuietComfort 45/QC45
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Orange
AirPods Max (USB-C)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Triple Black
QuietComfort SE
SEARCH
Amazon.com
Pink
AirPods Max (Lightning)
SEARCH
Amazon.com
White Smoke
QuietComfort 45/QC45
SEARCH
Amazon.com
Purple
AirPods Max (USB-C)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Silver
AirPods Max (Lightning)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Sky Blue
AirPods Max (Lightning)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Space Gray
AirPods Max (Lightning)
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Starlight
AirPods Max (USB-C)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
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Apple AirPods Max
Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless
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Apple AirPods Max vs Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless: Main Discussion
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