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AirPods Pro 2 vs QuietComfort 45

Reddit rates both Risky Buy. The split is what you want: the AirPods Pro 2 — buy only if you value top-tier sound and noise cancellation and are comfortable with Apple's replacement process. The QuietComfort 45 — buy only if you prioritize all-day wearing comfort and reliable noise cancellation over sonic precision.

Apple AirPods Pro 2
Apple · Audio

AirPods Pro 2

Risky Buy$225
51% of 1,331 owners recommend
~1 in 4 failure rate — ~1 in 4 long-term reports describe a failure, most surfacing between 1 and 13 months of ownership. Microphone and transparency mode are the most-cited components. Warranty outcomes lean slightly unresolved: 33 cases were made right, 39 were not. Among the 4 wireless earbuds we track, this ranks 2nd by failure rate.

Buy only if you value top-tier sound and noise cancellation and are comfortable with Apple's replacement process.

+ Repeatedly mentioned as the reference point other wireless earbuds get compared against.

− Some owners report ANC inconsistency or degradation, often tied to firmware updates.

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Bose QuietComfort 45
Bose · Audio

QuietComfort 45

Risky Buy$169.99
47% of 868 owners recommend
~1 in 6 failure rate — ~1 in 6 long-term reports mention a failure, most commonly audio output (8 reports), Bluetooth audio (5), and microphone issues (5), typically appearing within the first 5 months of ownership. Of 45 warranty contacts, 27 were unresolved — so failures here usually land outside warranty. That said, at 14% serious failure, the QC45 is more reliable than most wireless headphones we track, where the baseline sits at 27%.

Buy only if you prioritize all-day wearing comfort and reliable noise cancellation over sonic precision.

+ The most repeated praise by a wide margin — owners cite all-day wearability repeatedly across threads.

− A vocal minority finds the sound overly processed or lacking detail compared to rivals at this price.

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Questions people keep asking

Which is better, the AirPods Pro 2 or the QuietComfort 45?

Reddit rates both Risky Buy. The split is what you want: the AirPods Pro 2 — buy only if you value top-tier sound and noise cancellation and are comfortable with Apple's replacement process. The QuietComfort 45 — buy only if you prioritize all-day wearing comfort and reliable noise cancellation over sonic precision.

Is the Apple AirPods Pro 2 worth it?

Reddit's verdict is Risky Buy. Buy only if you value top-tier sound and noise cancellation and are comfortable with Apple's replacement process. The most-recommended wireless earbuds on our board, but ~1 in 4 long-term reports describe a failure — great sound with a real reliability asterisk.

Is the Bose QuietComfort 45 worth it?

Reddit's verdict is Risky Buy. Buy only if you prioritize all-day wearing comfort and reliable noise cancellation over sonic precision. Comfort and ANC land well; audio output failures hit ~1 in 6 long-term owners and warranty resolution leans unresolved.