Apple AirPods Pro 2 vs Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

By Tinh Lee, March 6, 2023

If you're trying to decide between AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II which one should you buy. They are great true wireless earbuds, and both support ANC feature. 

AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) vs. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II at a glance

Product name AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
Price*199$199$
Photo AirPods Pro (2nd generation)[node:field_product_b:entity:field_product_image]
Rating/5
Bluetooth versionBluetooth 5.3Bluetooth 5.3
CodecAACAAC, SBC
Battery lifeRated up to 6.00 hoursRated up to 6.00 hours
Weight5.30 grams6.20 grams
Water-resistantIPX4IPX4
Driver11mm drivers9.3mm dynamic driver
Noise reduction TechDual beamforming microphones; Inward-facing microphone4 mics for noise reduction and ANC
Fast charging5min = 1 hour20min = 2 hours
Wireless chargingYes, Qi Wireless ChargingNo
Transparency modeYesYes
ANCYesYes
MultipointAuto-switching between Apple devicesNo
Personalized hearingYesYes
Spatial AudioApple's Spatial AudioN/A
HR Tracking
Dynamic head tracking

AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) vs. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II: Fit and Comfort

In terms of design Bose did some adjustment on their buds, compared to the predecessor, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II now have stem like the AirPods Pro (2nd Gen). The AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) are lighter than the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II at 5.30 grams versus 6.20 grams. 

Though both models are sweat and water resistant, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II fit more securely and their design could make them more appealing than the AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) for those who want to wear them during exercise. 

Winner: Draw

AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) vs. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II: App and Control

The touch controls work the same on both sides (L, R), basically you can do like, to adjust the volume swipe up/down to increase/decrease the volume, tap to play/pause/accept an incoming call, double tap to skip forward/decline an incoming call, triple tap to skip back. Tap and hold to toggle back and forth between ACN modes. Basically, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II offer two modes: Quite and Aware, and you can create up to two custom modes to your liking depending the environment your're in.

It's more fun to interact with touch control on AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), you can press the touch control to play/pause the music, double-press it to skip forward, triple-press it to skip back, swipe up/dow the touch control to increase/decrease the volume, press and hold the stem to activate Siri. The AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) offers three modes: Noise Cancellation, Transparency, Adaptive, or Off to switch to your desired mode, just press and hold the stem. 

Winner: AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)

AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) vs. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II: Voice call quality

AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have better call quality with more natural sound when other ends hear your voice.

Winner: AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)

AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) vs. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II: Sound quality

Both pairs have active noise cancellation and transparency mode.

You are craving for getting active noise cancellation and transparency mode. Both does a great job. AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have Apple H2, they can cancel up to 35dB of ambient noise, according to Apple's claims. The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have Qualcomm QCC517x they can cancel up to 40dB of ambient noise.

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II sound slightly better than AirPods Pro (2nd Gen).

The AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have balanced sound, and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have balanced sound too.

AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) vs. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II: Battery life

The AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) provide up to 6 hours of listening time, while your just get 6 hours of listening time for Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II .

AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) vs. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II: Codecs

The AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support AAC while Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II support AAC, SBC

AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) vs. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II: Immersive Sound

The AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) supports spatial audio with dynamic head-tracking, the feature applies to Dolby Atmos content. The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II don't support Spatial audio or any kind of immersive sound.

Winner: Apple

AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) vs. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II: Noise Cancelling Performance

After conducting some test in harsh conditions (intense noise background) we can conclude that the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II's ANC is superior to AirPods Pro (2nd Gen). Both pairs dont' require a refined adjustment for best ANC performance. 

Winner: Bose

AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) vs. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II: How to choose

The $199 Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are for those who want premium ANC feature, more secure and comfortable fit. You'll also get some other perks, like excellent noise cancelling performance, thanks to the Qualcomm QCC517x chip. The $199 AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) are a more suitable choice if you are Apple users, they have multipoint support for Apple devices, spatial audio with dynamic head tracking which Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II is lack of.

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