
Apple
A great-sounding chip upgrade trapped in a six-year-old body

Bose
Excellent
Apple AirPods Max 2
Apple AirPods Max 2
Apple AirPods Max 2
The clearest win of this generation. The H2 chip and a new high-dynamic-range amplifier give the AirPods Max 2 a noticeably cleaner, more detailed and better-controlled sound than the original — though the tuning leans bright and there is still no manual EQ.
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Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
Rich, warm sound signature that most listeners will enjoy, though audiophiles may want more neutrality.
Apple AirPods Max 2
ANC is one of the headphone's strongest cards. Apple's claimed '1.5x better' cancellation is hard to A/B but reviewers consistently rate it near the top of the class, with measured ~89% average attenuation and especially powerful low-frequency suppression.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
Bose reclaims the ANC crown with the best noise cancellation available in consumer headphones.
Apple AirPods Max 2
The build is genuinely premium — aluminium cups, a steel frame and a breathable knit-mesh headband that outclasses rivals' plastic. But Apple changed nothing in six years: at 386g these are heavy, reviewers split on whether they are comfortable past 45-90 minutes, and the Smart Case is still widely disliked.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
Premium build and excellent comfort, though slightly heavier than the previous generation.