Apple AirPods Pro 3 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2

When it comes to premium earbuds, you have a lot of options. They usually cost around $250 or more, offer great sound, fantastic ANC, and great battery life. There are quite a few earbuds that offer all of these features, but the one we really want to focus on is active noise cancellation.

Right now, there are two premium sets of earbuds, each of which offers phenomenal ANC: Apple's AirPods Pro 3 and the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra (Gen 2). Both are within $50 of each other in terms of price and offer similar features and controls. But they also have some distinct differences that may guide your wallet, so we wanted to break those down for you. I have been using the AirPods Pro 3 earbuds for about one week, paired to my Apple devices, and the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra 2 earbuds paired to my laptop and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 for about three weeks (both samples provided by their respective companies), and these are my thoughts.

Platforms and ecosystems

One key difference between these sets of earbuds relates to what device you're using them with. Both earbuds can pair with any operating system, but the AirPods Pro 3 do so with one hand tied behind their back. Meanwhile, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2 have full app support on either Android or iOS, allowing you to adjust equalizer settings and controls. AirPods offer similar functionality, but only when connected to an Apple device like an iPhone, iPad, or iMac.

The AirPods Pro 3 can connect to a Windows laptop or Android phone, but only as a Bluetooth receiver of audio, and that's it. You can still use on-device gestures for playback controls, turning ANC on and off, and the like, but you can't adjust any of those settings. For some, that's enough.

But you only get full functionality when pairing the AirPods to another Apple device. That means seamless switching between devices, hearing tests and hearing aid functionality, heart rate sensing, and more. On the flip side, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2 don't have any of those features, regardless of your device's operating system, but its app works on both mobile platforms.

One major benefit that the AirPods Pro 3 have is Apple ID connectivity. Once you pair your AirPods — any AirPods — to any Apple device, they'll automatically work on any other Apple device with your Apple ID signed in. While the Bose earbuds support Google's Fast Pair, it's just not quite the same. This is the advantage you get by controlling the entire ecosystem, as Apple does, so Apple gets the nod in this category.

Winner: Apple

Sound quality

Both sets of earbuds sound great with default settings, which is a major benefit, but the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2 hold one key advantage — an equalizer. Unfortunately, that EQ is only three bands. You can adjust low, mid, and high frequencies, and that's it. In my world, something is better than nothing.

Meanwhile, the AirPods Pro 3 don't have an EQ at all. iPhones have system EQs that you can set, but that's not the same as being able to fine-tune your sound to your taste. Of course, only being able to adjust three ranges of frequencies is borderline laughable from a premium sound company like Bose, so there isn't as clear-cut a winner as you might expect. 

Both sets of earbuds have a nice flat sound profile, which doesn't overly emphasize any frequencies. The AirPods skew just a tad toward a bassy sound, but it's not extreme. Meanwhile, the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds 2 have a flatter sound profile that I enjoy. It's close, but I'd have to give this one to Bose.

Winner: Bose

Active noise cancellation and transparency

Active Noise cancellation is a vital part of the listening experience today. Not only does it put you in a personal bubble of silence and allow you to shut out the world around you, but it also helps your hearing health long term. Around one in eight Americans has some form of hearing loss due to listening to music at high volumes. ANC allows you to listen to your music and podcasts at a lower volume, which helps to preserve your hearing.

Both the AirPods Pro 3 and the QC Ultra Earbuds 2 offer outstanding ANC. It really is like hitting mute on the world around you, including people talking next to you, traffic, and airplane noises. It's lovely.

As for transparency mode — that lets the world in when you need it — the AirPods allow in some extra high-end frequencies that make the outside world sound a little hissy. Meanwhile, the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds 2 have outstanding sound quality with no side tone. Neither earbud handles this category badly, but I have to award this category to Bose as well.

Winner: Bose

Wind noise

I love riding electric bikes and do so as often as possible. One thing that absolutely plagues cyclists is wind noise, especially from ANC-enabled earbuds. The rush of wind traveling past the ANC microphones is incredibly hard to filter out, but both of these earbuds do it surprisingly well. Of course, before we go on, I should mention that riding a bike with ANC enabled is a terrible idea — it's important to pay attention to the outside world. That being said, I still ride my bike with ANC on, and I would not be surprised if that is my cause of death someday. Please don't be like me.

But if you are, and you've stayed alive thus far, both earbuds do a great job at eliminating wind noise. Of the two, the QC Ultra Earbuds 2 allow a slightly higher pitch of wind noise than the frequencies that squeak through on the AirPods Pro 3. Music and podcasts are still very listenable, even when biking at 20mph along a suburban street. They're both scary good, so there's no clear winner here.

Winner: Tie

This category is an easy win for Apple, simply because their integration with iOS allows for extra features like touchless acceptance of calls (just nod your head) and Live Translate. I tested the latter in my full review of the earbuds, and I found the translation to be pretty accurate. 

The Bose QC Ultra Earbuds 2 don't offer any additional features like that, and it's mostly because those are baked into operating systems. Something like this might be possible down the road, but for now, this is a clear victory for Apple.

Winner: Apple

Fit and controls

Both sets of earbuds are designed to go into your ear canal. The Bose QC Ultra Earbuds 2 have full silicon eartips, while Apple's AirPods Pro 3 use a combination of foam and silicon for their tips. The latter allows for a more comfortable fit than their predecessors, the AirPods Pro 2. Meanwhile, the conical shape of the Bose QC Ultra 2 ear tips means they don't go as far into your ear canal, so it might be more comfortable for some users.

As for the controls, Apple uses a series of squeezes on the stems to adjust music playback and controls. The Bose earbuds rely on taps and swipes. The former is easy to get used to and more versatile, while the latter is simpler to learn and less likely to knock the buds loose. Grabbing the stems to pinch them can knock them loose from your ears if you're not careful.

On the flip side, the taps the Bose earbuds rely on aren't great either. Pushing on the earbud stems to make them fit better can accidentally pause your music, for example. I personally prefer the taps and swipes you can use on the Bose earbuds as opposed to the squeezes Apple calls for. This category goes to Bose, but it's mostly a personal preference.

Winner: Bose

Battery life and charging cases

In terms of battery life, both sets of earbuds are very good, but neither is great. The advertised battery life for the AirPods Pro 3 is around seven hours of listening time, while Bose says it's closer to six hours for the QuietComfort Ultra 2 buds. I flew from Chicago to Hawaii with both sets of earbuds, and neither died on me. While most people will not listen to music constantly for six to seven hours per day, it's more about the frequency of charging on a day-to-day basis. I found both of these do very well in that category. During my trip to Hawaii for a tech conference, I went the entire flight to Maui and spent the week there without plugging in either set of earbuds, but I topped both off on my way home, just in case.

Generally, I found the AirPods Pro 3 charging case to be the less bulky of the two. The Bose QC Ultra case isn't a lot bigger, but its squared-off shape felt more unwieldy. I have big sausage fingers, so I found it could be hard to get a grip on the Bose earbuds to take them out. It's a minor annoyance, but it adds up over time. The AirPods Pro 3, meanwhile, are a lot easier, likely because the design has remained largely unchanged over the years from generation to generation.

Winner: Apple

The final verdict

Overall, both sets of earbuds offer a great, premium experience — you won't be disappointed if you buy either set. They're even similar in pricing, with the Apple AirPods Pro 3 going for $249 and the Bose QC Ultra checking in at $299. Personally, I prefer the versatility and ANC of the Bose QC Ultra 2s, but there is no wrong choice here.

If you value simplicity and you're in the Apple ecosystem, the AirPods Pro 3 are the easy choice. That's especially true if you want earbuds that can do more, like Live Translate or act as hearing aids. The fact that they're $50 cheaper doesn't hurt either.

If you don't like the feel of earbuds in your ear canal, or you're an Android/PC user, go with the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds 2. Multipoint connections are great for people with multiple ecosystems and can be controlled from within the app. It's less automatic than with the AirPods, but again, that's a benefit you get when a company controls the entire ecosystem from soup to nuts.

So, ultimately, which set of earbuds you should go with will likely be determined by the thing you want to pair them to. Fortunately for everyone, there are two great options here, but they're both good at different things.