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AKG N9 Hybrid vs Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen): which should you buy?

Specs, scores and condensed review verdicts for the AKG N9 Hybrid vs Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen), side by side. Where a product has no HearWiki score yet, not enough reviews have been aggregated to rate it.

Score breakdown

Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.

AKG N9 Hybrid leads on 5 of 7 measures.

  • AKG N9 Hybrid
  • Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)
HearWiki score
86
86
Sound
9.0
8.2
Noise cancelling
8.4
9.4
Battery
9.8
6.5
Calls
9.1
6.7
Value
9.0
7.5
Price (USD)
$290
$360

Generation & platform

The scores rank quality. This is the other question: is the newer one actually newer technology, or the same platform in a new shell?

Half a step newer

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) (2026) against AKG N9 Hybrid (2024). The Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) edges ahead on platform, but only just: Bluetooth 5.4 against 5.3.

  • N9 Hybrid2024
  • QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)20262 yr newer
What differsN9 HybridQuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)

Platform

Bluetooth
5.3
5.4

Level on: Top codec, Multipoint pairing, USB-C, Transparency mode.

Specifications

N9 HybridQuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)
Type
Over-Ear
Over-Ear
Price (USD)
$290
$360
HearWiki score
86
86
Released
2024
2026
Availability
Still sold new
Sold new
Driver
40 mm dynamic
40 mm dynamic
Driver type
dynamic
dynamic
Driver size
40 mm
40 mm
Drivers per side
1
1
Frequency response
10 Hz - 40 kHz
20 Hz - 20 kHz
Impedance
32 Ω
32 Ω
Sensitivity
98 dB/mW
110 dB/mW
Bluetooth
5.3
5.4
Codecs
SBC, AAC, LDAC
AAC, LDAC
Multipoint pairing
Yes
Yes
Battery life
100 h
24 h
Battery life (ANC on)
55 h
-
Full charge time
180 min
180 min
Quick charge
10 min → 6 h
15 min → 2.5 h
Wireless charging
No
No
Active noise cancelling
Yes
Yes
ANC type
adaptive
-
Transparency mode
Yes
Yes
Companion app
Yes
-
Custom EQ
Yes
-
Wear detection
No
-
Controls
touch
-
Voice assistant
Google Assistant, Siri
-
Weight
281 g
236 g
Water resistance
none
none
USB-C
Yes
Yes
Microphones
1
6

What reviewers said

AKG N9 Hybrid

The AKG N9 Hybrid is a versatile over-ear headphone that balances detailed, well-controlled sound with strong adaptive noise cancellation and an exceptionally long battery life. It offers modern connectivity including Bluetooth 5.3, multipoint, and LDAC support, plus a comfortable build suited for music, gaming, and movies. Its feature set makes it a practical choice for users who value both performance and endurance.

  • Pro:Very long battery life, even with ANC enabled
  • Pro:Adaptive noise cancelling with customizable options
  • Pro:Support for high-quality LDAC codec
  • Con:No water resistance rating
  • Con:No wireless charging support
  • Con:Only one microphone for calls

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)

These over-ear wireless headphones prioritize all-day comfort and top-tier noise cancellation, wrapping them in a lightweight 236-gram frame. They deliver a clear, balanced sound with support for high-quality LDAC and AAC codecs, plus handy features like multipoint Bluetooth and transparency mode. While the asking price is steep and some extras like Immersive Audio feel gimmicky, the core experience of quiet, comfortable listening is hard to beat.

  • Pro:Extremely comfortable for long wear
  • Pro:Excellent active noise cancellation
  • Pro:Improved sound quality with LDAC support
  • Con:Expensive for the feature set
  • Con:EQ controls in the app are limited
  • Con:Immersive Audio feature is underwhelming

Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.

Compare something else

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New comparisonAKG N9 HybridBose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)