AirPods Max vs QuietComfort 35 II
Audio · 4,161 owner opinions across both productsBuy the QuietComfort 35 II.
Reddit's answer is the Bose QuietComfort 35 II. Buy only if you prioritize all-day comfort and reliable noise cancellation on a budget. The AirPods Max is a Stay Away — don’t buy it — get the AirPods Pro instead. At $379 against $419 today, the AirPods Max costs $40 more and carries the weaker verdict.
Built from 4,161 owner opinions across both products · 542 long-term reports · how we decide
What owners say
42% would buy againof 2,774 owners
First 6 months 76% → long-term 44%−32of 272 long-term owners
58% would buy againof 1,387 owners
First 6 months 55% → long-term 74%+19of 270 long-term owners
The AirPods Max's record runs 2,774 owners against 1,387 for the QuietComfort 35 II — weigh the thinner side accordingly.
What you’ll regret
No single component dominates
~1 in 2 long-term owner reports describe a failure, overwhelmingly connectivity and battery-related, typically surfacing between 12 and 37 months of ownership. That is well above the 24% baseline serious-failure rate for the 15 wireless headphones we track. With 147 unresolved cases versus 86 resolved, most of these failures land outside warranty or go unmade right.
Typically reported months 12–36 · 272 long-term owners
No single component dominates
~1 in 3 long-term owner reports describe a failure — primarily the power switch, Bluetooth connectivity, and battery — typically surfacing between 12 and 73 months in. Of tracked warranty outcomes, 89 were resolved and 69 were not, so results lean resolved but a meaningful share lands outside coverage. Failure rate is about typical for wireless headphones: the category baseline is 24% serious failures versus 25% here.
Typically reported months 12–72 · 270 long-term owners
These are the share of long-term owner reports that mention a failure, not the share of units that fail — owners with working units mostly don’t post.
Price and value
Gap today: $40 — QuietComfort 35 II is the cheaper buy.
Price links carry an affiliate tag. It never changes the verdict.
sound quality and noise cancellation matter more to you than long-term reliability.
long-haul travel comfort and build durability matter more than pristine audio fidelity.
Long-term durability is your first priority — both carry a real failure record, and the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 (77% would buy again, $749) does not.
Questions people ask about this matchup
Which is better, the AirPods Max or the QuietComfort 35 II?
Reddit's answer is the Bose QuietComfort 35 II. Buy only if you prioritize all-day comfort and reliable noise cancellation on a budget. The AirPods Max is a Stay Away — don’t buy it — get the AirPods Pro instead.
Which is more reliable, the AirPods Max or the QuietComfort 35 II?
The QuietComfort 35 II, by the numbers: 25% of its long-term reports mention a serious failure against 47% for the AirPods Max. Warranty outcomes differ more: 56% of QuietComfort 35 II claims were resolved against 37% for the AirPods Max.
Is the AirPods Max worth $40 more than the QuietComfort 35 II?
At $419 against $379 today, the AirPods Max costs 11% more and carries the weaker verdict (Stay Away against the QuietComfort 35 II's Risky Buy) — the extra money buys features, not a better ownership record.
AirPods Max full verdict →QuietComfort 35 II full verdict →All Audio verdicts →