Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) are $339 on Amazon, down from a $449 list price. That’s $110 off, and it puts Bose’s flagship over-ear pair $110.99 under the $449.99 Amazon price of AirPods Max 2 and $210 under the $549 Apple charges for AirPods Max 2 on its own store. If you want serious noise cancelling for an iPhone or Mac and you don’t need Apple’s own headphone features, this is the deal to look at first. Two cheaper Bose pairs are discounted as well.
We checked the price, seller and stock on Amazon on November 14, 2026. Amazon.com is the seller for all three Bose models in this post, so you’re not buying from a third-party store, and returns run through Amazon.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2nd Gen costs $210 less than AirPods Max 2 at Apple
The Ultra 2nd Gen product page lists Bluetooth 5.4, five listening modes (Quiet, Aware, Immersion, Cinema and Off) and CustomTune, which tunes the sound to your ears. You also get wired USB-C audio, which Bose describes as lossless at 16-bit and 44.1 or 48 kHz from a compatible source. A 15-minute charge gives you up to 3 hours of listening.
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Battery life needs a footnote. Bose’s spec table lists 30 hours, but the footnote on the same page says its testing reached up to 24 hours with Immersive Audio off and 18 hours with it on. Plan around the lower number. Even that beats AirPods Max 2, which Apple rates at up to 20 hours with Active Noise Cancellation on.
You’ll feel the weight difference more than the battery gap. Bose lists the headphones alone at 0.583 lb, about 264 grams. Apple’s AirPods Max 2 spec page lists 386.2 grams, so the Bose pair is roughly 120 grams lighter on your head. That counts on a long flight or a full workday at your Mac.
What you give up is Apple’s software. Apple lists an H2 chip in each AirPods Max 2 ear cup, plus Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation and Loud Sound Reduction. Bose runs its settings through the Bose app on the App Store and connects to your iPhone over standard Bluetooth.
QuietComfort Headphones 2nd Gen add Immersive Audio and lossless USB-C for $279
Bose announced the QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) on August 6, 2026 at $359. The QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) are already $279 on Amazon, $80 off. Bose rates them at up to 24 hours, or 18 hours with Immersive Audio on, and a 15-minute charge adds up to 2.5 hours.
This is the model to pick if you plug into a Mac. Bose lists lossless USB-C input up to 24-bit and 48 kHz, two-way USB-C audio for calls and video meetings, multipoint for two devices at once and Bluetooth 5.4. Bose also says a new six-microphone system copes better when glasses or hair break the earcup seal.
The original QuietComfort Headphones are $254.10, $104.90 off their $359 list price. Bose rates them at up to 24 hours with noise cancelling on, and they also connect to two devices at once. Bose’s own comparison table marks Immersive Audio as missing, and lossless USB-C audio is one of the additions Bose credits to the 2nd Gen. For $24.90 more, the 2nd Gen is the better buy unless you only ever listen over Bluetooth.
| Headphones | Amazon price | List price | Saving | Battery (maker figure) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) | $339 | $449 | $110 | Up to 24 hours in Bose testing (30 in spec table) |
| Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) | $279 | $359 | $80 | Up to 24 hours |
| Bose QuietComfort Headphones (original) | $254.10 | $359 | $104.90 | Up to 24 hours |
| Apple AirPods Max 2 | $449.99 (Apple: $549) | $549 | None at Apple | Up to 20 hours |
Which Bose pair to buy instead of AirPods Max 2 for your iPhone and Mac
- Buy the Ultra 2nd Gen if you want Bose’s top model, Cinema and Immersion modes, and the biggest saving against AirPods Max 2.
- Buy the QuietComfort 2nd Gen if you want lossless USB-C on a Mac and Immersive Audio for $60 less than the Ultra.
- Buy the original QuietComfort if you only use Bluetooth and want the lowest price of the three.
- Stay with AirPods Max 2 if Adaptive Audio and Conversation Awareness are the features you use every day.
Our pick is the QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) at $339. It’s lighter than AirPods Max 2, it lasts longer on Bose’s own numbers, and it costs $210 less than Apple’s store price. If you’d rather stay with Apple, our AirPods Max 2 Amazon deal covers that price, and the Beats Studio Pro deal is the cheaper Apple-owned option.
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