Apple AirPods Pro vs Bose QuietComfort 25 Noise Cancellation Test on a flight
By: Ayush Jain
Tags: Headphones, Qc25, Bose, Airpods, Earphones

Where i am coming from?

Having owned a Bose QC 25 set of headphones for about 2 years now, i was posed with a choice whether i should go for the ultra-cool, ultra-trendy 2019 Apple AirPods Pro. I eventually did buy the Apple AirPods Pro, and the reason I made this post is because this is the information I was looking for but couldn’t find. If you have any questions that you want answered or any tests done but can’t find, I’ll be happy to try my best and contribute what knowledge and experience I can bring back out to the internet.

The Flight Test

So I took a 2 hour flight few days back and was excited to try the AirPods Pro active noise cancellation. I am used to my wonderful Bose QC 25’s that I have had for years on flights. I know they aren’t the newest model, but they were the newest model when I got them couple of years ago. They are still going strong and have been my go to for flights ever since. If you haven’t tried them, they block out everything while you have music playing. Anyways, I took both on my flight today to compare them back to back. I have always had to wear around ear headphones because those are the only ones I have found comfortable. I have never, ever, been able to wear in ear earbuds. I have even tried high end audiophile headphones with custom foam tips and still couldn’t wear them for more than 15 minutes because of the discomfort. The original AirPods fit me so I decided to give the pro’s a shot. To my surprise, the large eartips that came in the box (not the ones that came preinstalled though) fit me comfortably and provided a good seal in both ears per the test in the app.

And the Results

Anyways, on to the noise cancellation. With my choice of the large tips for the AirPods Pro, I wore them for about an hour on the flight with no issues or complaints. I listen to my music about 50–75% volume and could not hear the engine (I was sitting window seat 3 rows behind the under wing mounted engine. So if there was a loud place on the plane, I was sitting in it). I also tried some audiobooks and movies and they were great. The only exception is when the audio gets very quiet or pauses for a bit, a low rumble can sneak in. Transparency mode worked great with hearing the people next to me and the flight attendants announcements. After that hour was up and I was satisfied with them, I gave my QC25’s a test. To my surprise, with NO music playing and ANC turned on for both headphones, the AirPods pro blocked out more noise. As said before, neither blocked out 100% when there was no audio playing, but the AirPods Pro did a better job. With music playing it was about equal for me. The Bose may have had a slight edge but nothing noteworthy for sure. After my test, I continued to use the AirPods pro for the remainder of the flight.

Final thoughts

I would feel comfortable, and probably will, leave my Bose at home next time and just use the AirPods Pro simply because of the portability factor. I know Bose battery last longer, but for a 2 hour flight both will last no issues. Even for a cross country flight (India here) it should be fine. They recharge quick enough in the case.

TL;DR:

Bose QC25 vs AirPods Pro for noise cancellation-it’s a tie (maybe slight edge to Bose…maybe). But I will be leaving the Bose at home because of the size next time. AirPods Pro are more portable, comparable ANC that worked perfectly on a 2 hour flight. And comfortable for a person who has previously never been able to wear in ear headphones. Next flight, AirPods Pro will be with me and Bose will be at home.

Hope this helps!