Apple AirPods Pro 3 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): which noise-cancelling earbuds are better?

The Apple AirPods Pro 3 were a long time coming – three years, in fact – but they were worth the wait.

Our AirPods Pro 3 review praised their advances in sound quality and active noise cancellation (ANC), tweaked design and upgraded roster of features.

But the world of wireless earbuds is a tough place to be. Bose's flagship QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) stand tall as some of the best noise-cancelling earbuds we've heard, and they too offer plenty for the discerning music listener thanks to their detailed, entertaining sound and excellent fit.

So how do these two pairs square up against each other? And which should you buy? Let's find out.

Apple AirPods Pro 3 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): price

Both of these are flagship pairs, so neither comes cheap.

The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) cost £299 / $299 / AU$450. That's a lot of coin, but the same price as their predecessors cost when they launched two years prior, so it's not too unreasonable. We have seen some discounts of around £30 too, though only occasionally.

The AirPods Pro 3 are cheaper, with a launch price of £219 / $249 / AU$429. That's actually £30 cheaper than their predecessors, and still £10 cheaper than when Apple cut the price and switched from a Lightning port to USB-C in 2023. Reason to celebrate if you're in the UK, then.

We have also recently seen a discount on the AirPods Pro 3, dropping £30 to £199. Even more reason to celebrate.

** Winner: Apple AirPods Pro 3 **

Apple AirPods Pro 3 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): build & comfort

Bose's earbuds tend to be some of the most comfortable around, and that's certainly the case with the brand's cannily designed QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen).

Their unconventional design fits perfectly in the ear, aided by the stability bands and flatter eartip designs that offer a nice, secure experience. They stay put whether you're crunching out a 5K or head banging to Motörhead, an impressive feat considering these aren't specifically conceived as workout buds. The Bose buds fit everyone on our review team comfortably and with no issue.

Their touch controls are responsive and intuitive, and you can customise them to your liking. You do only get three sizes of ear tips though, which seems a bit stingy – the AirPods Pro 3 come with five, including a new XXS size – but the second-gen QC Ultra Earbuds' stability bands keep them from tumbling out of your ears.

The Bose are much more colourful than the AirPods, coming in four finishes, including the rather fetching Deep Plum. As you'll know with Apple, any AirPods that aren't the over-ear Max only come in one colour: pristine, iconic white.

The Pro 3 are every inch a pair of AirPods, but Apple says their fit has been optimised using more than 10,000 3D ear scans, boasting a slightly smaller size than their predecessors and a design shaped to match the geometry of the ear.

Apple claims these are the "most stable and best fitting AirPods ever", but our testing was not without issues. Only certain members of our reviews team achieved a snug, secure fit – and that was those who couldn't get the same from the AirPods Pro 2. Those who did get on well with the Pro 2 found that the Pro 3's new shape protruded a little too far out.

We did, however, find more leeway with the ear tips. We got on just fine with both M and L sizes, with no noticeable variation in sound quality or ANC from either. The AirPods Pro 3's touch controls are a breeze to use, and we particularly like the touch-capacitative control on the stems that let us change volume on the fly.

Fit is such a personal thing that we would recommend you try any pair of wireless earbuds for yourself before buying. But for the more universal fit (despite being heavier), the Bose take this round.

** Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) **

Apple AirPods Pro 3 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): features

The Bose buds give you six hours of use, or 24 hours total when using the charging case. That's less from the buds than the AirPods Pro 3, which last for eight hours, but the same total battery life, so the AirPods edge this one.

The Bose support aptX Adaptive for streaming in 24-bit hi-res lossless with low latency via compatible sources, along with the standard AAC and SBC codecs, while the AirPods lack aptX or any kind of hi-res support. As was the case with the AirPods Pro 2, Apple is sticking with the AAC codec and considers the buds' intrinsic qualities to be sufficient to negate the need for any particularly fancy codecs.

Both support spatial audio with dynamic head tracking – Bose Immersive Audio and Apple Spatial Audio respectively – though we're less keen on Bose's take on this format than Apple's. Apple also includes a more personalised spatial audio feature for iPhone users.

The Bose buds support Bluetooth Multipoint connectivity for easier switching between two connected devices. Apple has its own take on this tech, but it only works with iOS devices – but it is very seamless in use.

The new AirPods now support Live Translation, which can translate live speech in real time. They lower the volume of the speaker and boost the audio translation so you can focus on what's being said without distraction, and can provide on-screen transcripts directly to your iPhone. Increíble!

This feature has also come to the AirPods 4 with ANC and AirPods Pro 2, but note that you'll need to pair them with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iOS device running iOS 26 to get it to work.

Apple has added health and fitness skills to the AirPods Pro 3. Heart rate tracking is now possible thanks to a small photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor that measures light absorption in blood flow within your ear.

Using your iPhone, you can set the AirPods Pro 3 to track 50 different types of workout, and there's a new Workout Buddy to give you personalised insights while you're huffing and puffing. There are also hearing tests and hearing health-related features in the AirPods Pro 3 that are useful.

The AirPods Pro 3 are more weather-resistant than the Bose, offering an IP57 rating to the QC Earbuds' IPX4. That means they're more dust- and water-resistant – ideal for exercising in the great outdoors.

Overall, the AirPods have more features and the better battery life, not to mention the superior spatial audio feature. But the Bose buds work just as well with Android devices as iOS, and support the higher-quality aptX Adaptive codec.

The AirPods edge this one, but if you use an Android device you'll be better served by the feature set of the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen).

**Winner: Apple AirPods Pro 3**

Apple AirPods Pro 3 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): noise cancelling

ANC is the feather in Bose's cap. The firm invented the tech, and it continues to excel in its implementation for both its in-ear and over-ear headphones.

Bose's latest flagship earbuds offer smoother changes in levels of noise cancellation to deal with sudden spikes like sirens or car horns than their predecessors. They're quick to adapt to whatever we throw at them during our review, proving effective at softening harsher sounds while also dispatching lower-level rumbles.

You can choose from three levels of ANC: Quiet, Aware and Immersion (which involves Bose's spatial audio tech), plus you can add your own custom presets with the amount of noise cancelling dialled in to your liking.

In their Quiet mode, the buds suck all of the sound away, cocooning you in an eerie vacuum of silence. It might be a bit unnatural for some people, but if it's pure silence you crave, there's none better out there at this level.

"Noises across the sonic spectrum, be they clacking keyboards, chattering colleagues or cars beeping their horns on the street, simply dissolve into near-insignificance, with harsher and more intrusive sounds shut out even more effectively than before," we wrote in our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) review.

So Apple has its work cut out, but it's coming out swinging, claiming that the AirPods Pro 3 offer the “world's best active noise cancellation of any in-ear wireless headphones". Fighting talk.

Apple claims that the Pro 3's ANC is up to twice as effective as the Pro 2's, and four times as effective as the original AirPods Pro. This is thanks to ultra-low noise mics and advanced computational audio, plus new foam-infused ear tips for greater passive noise isolation (i.e. better blocking of your ear canal).

In our review, we found the ANC a step up from the AirPods Pro 2's, and that was true across the frequency range, and it deals with sudden loud 'spikes' of noise just as well too. The Adaptive and Transparency modes blend the outside world and your music in a natural, non-mechanical manner, too.

The effect was also pleasingly consistent with that of their predecessors. "As we found with the Pro 2, we really like the natural, airy way that the Pro 3 employs its noise-cancelling. We are a little more aware of the more powerful ANC effect being employed in the Pro 3, but it never feels overbearing."

It's certainly a more natural effect than the Bose, but not quite as effective. Bose Ultra 2 are simply able to cut out even more noise across the frequencies compared with the AirPods Pro 3, which are good enough for daily use.

If it's complete silence you crave, however, you can't top the Bose. But if you find the 'vacuum' effect a bit much, the Pro 3's airier feel will suit you better.

**Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)**

Apple AirPods Pro 3 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): sound

Sound quality makes or breaks a pair of earbuds, so we were a little surprised that the latest Bose buds don't have a new driver. Rather, Bose fine-tuned the audio to improve the bass response and smooth out higher frequencies, something that sounded like it might not be enough to keep up with more 'ambitious' rivals.

However, it worked out well, offering a noticeable boost in sound quality over the first-gen models.

The 2nd Gen Ultra Earbuds reach "impressive new depths while retaining the requisite tautness and agility of their lower-end reproduction," we wrote in our review.

"Mournful strings plunge deeper than before, but across all frequencies there's satisfying body and texture to notes that goes beyond what the original QC Ultra Earbuds could muster".

"It’s a clearer performance, too, and improved levels of crispness help to delineate where each note starts and finishes with a sharper, keener focus."

The newer buds sound richer and whatever we throw at them, we're impressed with how composed, full-bodied and punchy the second-gen buds sound.

Given that the original QC Ultra Earbuds were five-star performers, it seems a little tweaking was all that was needed.

For the AirPods Pro 3, Apple is sticking with the same H2 chip as their predecessors, but has looked at other ways of tweaking the sound quality.

Apple is touting a new multiport acoustic architecture that controls the airflow that carries sound into the ear. Along with next-gen Adaptive EQ, we are promised deeper bass and a widening of the soundstage so you can hear every instrument in a track. Apple also claims to bring "vivid vocal clarity to higher frequencies".

In our AirPods Pro 3 review, we found them to be "clearer and more detailed... more spacious-sounding and more dynamic" that their predecessors. They're well-judged tonally, and their neutral sonic balance works well across a range of genres, as our eclectic listening proved:

"There is bite and attack to the crunchy, brash highs of Fontaines D.C.’s Starburster, while the basslines in Forgot About Dre are taut, agile and tuneful, and punch with quite a good deal of depth and power in Billie Eilish’s Blue," we noted.

In comparison, we rank the AirPods Pro 3 above the Bose in terms of sound quality. They're more balanced across the frequencies, more rhythmically cohesive, and even more precise and detailed. Voices especially sound far more detailed, natural and focussed than with the Bose.

The Bose are punchy and entertaining, with a rich and full-bodied bass, but the AirPods are clearer, more precise and more agile. You'll certainly get a lot of entertainment value from the Bose, but the AirPods take this round.

** Winner: Apple AirPods Pro 3 **

Apple AirPods Pro 3 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): verdict

Two five-star pairs of earbuds, but which is best? It really depends on your priorities.

The Bose have the better fit for most people, and the more effective noise cancellation (though note that not everyone likes the extreme feeling of having the sound sucked out of their ears). The AirPods are cheaper, have a longer battery life and have the more natural-feeling ANC. Though of course, if you have an Android device, a lot of the AirPods features won't work and you would be better off with the Bose.

Neither pair is light-years ahead of their predecessor, but Apple has made the bigger step up in the most important area: sound quality.

**Winner: Apple AirPods Pro 3**

MORE:

Read our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) review

And our Apple AirPods Pro 3 review

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