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Battery life and power management are crucial yet overlooked strengths, but they’ve always been one of Bose’s weaknesses. Its 2019 flagship headphones, the NC700, delivered about 20 hours of battery life, and its 2023 QuietComfort Ultra headphones maxed out at 24 hours.
Review: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (Gen 2)
Bose’s new QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) borrow one of the AirPods Max’s best power management features — but execute it better. Although the new headphones’ expanded 30-hour battery capacity is great, their efficiency is more valuable.
Aside from Bose’s undeniable strength in producing best-in-class noise cancellation and comfort, the novel low-power feature may be the most significant and useful improvement Bose has implemented in its latest flagship headphones. Here’s why.
Intuitive auto-standby for the win
Jada Jones/ZDNET
Most premium headphones feature gyroscopes or motion detection systems that enable their wear detection capabilities. Wear detection pauses audio content when the headphones detect that you’ve removed them from your head, and resumes content when you put them back on.
Apple’s AirPods Max and Bose’s QC Ultra 2 perform this feature best by pausing content when you remove the headphones and disconnecting them from your phone’s Bluetooth. This allows you to switch audio from the headphones to your phone without pressing a button. Both headphones enter a low-power mode when idle for a specified period.
Also: I wore the best headphones from Sony, Bose, Apple, and Sonos: Here’s how the AirPods Max wins
However, Bose’s QC Ultra 2 enter a low-power state faster than Apple’s AirPods Max, and you don’t need to put them in a case to achieve it. Simply lay the QC Ultra 2 flat — earcups face-up or face-down — and they’ll begin conserving battery.
Conversely, the AirPods Max have Find My compatibility, which requires the headphones to remain on to find their real-time location. This feature must be disabled for AirPods Max to conserve as much power as possible.
As a result, the AirPods Max eventually enter the same low-power state as Bose’s headphones, but that doesn’t occur until either 72 hours outside of the Smart Case or after 18 hours inside of it. Apple allows you constant access to your headphones’ nearby location, but this comes at the cost of slowly draining their battery.
To power button, or not to power button
Jada Jones/ZDNET
The AirPods Max’s lack of a power button was a hot topic shortly after their 2020 release, as many people prefer to have full control over their devices. Bose noticed this feature gap, offering users an intuitive auto-standby mode and a dedicated power button.
The specs also show Bose’s power advantage, promising 30 hours of playback with ANC on and 45 hours with it off. On the other hand, Apple’s headphones have a maximum battery life of 20 hours, regardless of the audio mode.
Also: I tried Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds’ AI noise cancelling, and can’t go back to regular ANC
The QC Ultra 2’s immediate low-power mode, coupled with its generational battery life improvements, means you’ll likely spend fewer days out of the week plugging them into the wall. For commuters, in-office headphone wearers, and frequent flyers, this smarter power-saving design could be a game-changer.
The auto-standby feature is my favorite thing about both the AirPods Max and the Bose QC Ultra. I love taking my headphones off and answering a phone call without having to fiddle with the power button.
Bottom line
I’ll admit that I’m impressed by Bose’s execution of this feature — I’ve always appreciated Bose’s brand aesthetically more than I’ve ever applauded the company for its software and firmware prowess. But the feature works well; there’s a brief delay after a few hours of idling and a slightly longer one after a few days.
Also: Should you buy AirPods Max in 2025? A long-awaited upgrade will entice professionals
Although Bose doesn’t offer advanced Bluetooth codecs like Sony or as many convenient device features as Apple, the second generation of the QC Ultra headphones and earbuds demonstrates the company’s strides in producing more practical flagship products. What’s most impressive is that it does so without imposing a single device ecosystem barrier.
