Disclosure: The Ace was provided by Sonos for the purpose of this review. Please read more about our product review disclosure here.

Many have been eagerly anticipating the release of the Sonos Ace wireless headphones, the first headphones released by Sonos, and they’ve finally arrived. These cutting-edge headphones promise to deliver exceptional sound quality, world-class Active Noise Cancellation, integration with the Sonos ecosystem, and Dolby Atmos support with head tracking.

In this review, I investigate if the Sonos Ace can stand out in the crowded wireless headphone market. I explore their design and comfort, examine the active noise cancellation (ANC) performance, and put their sound quality to the test. l also look at how features like spatial audio and Dolby Atmos support perform on the Ace and evaluate the battery life and connectivity options. By the end, you’ll have a clear picture of whether the Sonos Ace lives up to the hype and deserves a spot at the top of your audio gear wishlist.

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• Sonos Ace headphones
• Travel case with magnetically attached cable pouch
• 1.2m USB-C to 3.5mm
• 0.7m USB-C to USB-C cable
• Manual

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Materials

The Sonos Ace boasts a sophisticated and understated design that blends elements from some of the best in the business. I noticed a resemblance to both the Sony 1000XM5 and Apple’s AirPods Max but with Sonos’ unique touch. The headphones feature a stainless steel headband that looks sleek and provides durability and precise fit adjustments.

What caught my eye was the laser-etched Sonos logo on the right ear cup. It’s subtle yet stylish, which I think adds to the overall premium feel. The matte finish gives the Ace a modern look, and while the white version seems to resist fingerprints well, it appears that the black model can show some marks, similar to the Sony XM5s.

Comfort and Fit

Comfort is crucial for headphones, and I’m happy to report that the Sonos Ace excels in this area. The ear cups are wrapped in plush memory foam and soft vegan leather, minimizing contact with your ears, and the padding on the headband is just enough to be comfortable and not too plushy. At just 312 grams, they’re noticeably lighter than some competitors like the AirPods Max (384 grams).

I found that the Ace sits comfortably on my head with just the right amount of clamping force to create a good acoustic seal without causing discomfort. The slim profile of the ear cups gives them a neat look when worn, and they stick out less than many other premium headphones in this category.

Sonos has clearly put a lot of thought into the comfort aspect. They’ve engineered a mechanism in the ear cup that adjusts to equalize pressure, enhancing both comfort and sound isolation. I was able to wear the Ace for several hours without any discomfort, even while wearing glasses. There was also minimal heat buildup, meaning there seemed to be decent ventilation.

The Sonos Ace may be the most comfortable ANC headphones I have ever worn.

Controls and Buttons

I am a fan of physical controls, and Sonos has nailed it with the Ace. The buttons are ergonomically placed, easy to find, and quick to learn. Here’s a breakdown of the controls:

• Right ear cup:
  • Content Key: A slider for volume control (up/down), play/pause (single press), next track (double press), previous track (triple press)
  • ANC modes button
• Left ear cup:
  • Power on/Bluetooth pairing button

The Content Key is particularly clever. Its sliding mechanism for volume control is intuitive and precise, and the clickiness is stiff enough so that you won’t accidentally press it. As well, it has a small raised ridge at the center of it and is large enough so that your thumb can find and press/slide it with ease, but not so large that it’s obtrusive.

The earpads are magnetically attached to the earcups and can be easily removed to be cleaned or replaced. The inside of the ear cups have slightly different colors, as well they have an L or R etched inside to help identify each side. However, I found the colors and etching to be very hard to see in most lighting conditions. It’s easier to remember that the Content Key slider is always on the right side.

The Sonos Ace impresses with its premium build quality, exceptional comfort, and well-thought-out controls. The combination of sophisticated design and practical features makes these headphones a joy to put on your head.

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Noise Control Modes

Active Noise Cancelation (ANC)

The Active Noise Cancelation on the Sonos Ace is nothing short of impressive. I found that it effectively pinpoints and neutralizes external sounds, creating a bubble of silence around me. This level of noise reduction is perfect for immersing yourself in your audio content, whether you’re in a noisy office, on a busy street, or during a flight.

To get the most out of the ANC, I recommend ensuring a snug fit. The Sonos Ace’s passive noise isolation works in tandem with the active cancelation, enhancing the overall effect. I noticed that even with ANC turned off, the headphones do a decent job of isolating you from background noise. It also compensates very well if there is a break in the seal, such as when you wear glasses.

The ANC can be easily toggled using the dedicated Noise Control button located on the right ear cup, just below the Content Key. This placement makes it convenient to switch modes without fumbling around.

Aware Mode

Sonos has included an Aware Mode, which is their take on the ambient or transparency sound feature. This mode uses the headphones’ microphones to let in environmental sounds, allowing you to stay aware of your surroundings without removing the headphones. It works exceptionally well, with ambient noises such as voices or sudden sounds (car honks, alarms) coming through clearly. I found this feature particularly useful when I needed to hear announcements on the train or have quick conversations without taking off the Ace.

Switching between ANC, Aware Mode, and Off is also quick and easy. By default, pressing the Noise Control button cycles between these three modes. However, if you prefer more control, you can customize these settings in the Sonos app.

I appreciate the flexibility this three-level system offers. It allows one to adapt to different environments quickly. For instance, I can use full ANC in noisy settings, switch to Aware Mode when needing to interact with my surroundings or turn both off to save battery when in quieter environments.

Battery Life and Charging

The Sonos Ace boasts a 1060 mAh battery and promises up to 30 hours of listening time with either ANC or Aware mode active. My testing reflects this. One week of listening to them for 3-5 hours a day resulted in 11% battery remaining at the end of day 7. This is with either ANC on or Aware mode on. Also, I never babied the battery and I let them auto power off after use (after 30 minutes of inactivity). Those results are honestly incredible and mean you would have no issues with using them on a long flight or train ride. Testing the rapid charge feature, Sonos says the Ace will provide 3 hours of listening after a 3-minute charge using a USB-C PD charger (at least 15W) and cable (the included USB-C cable supports this). After 3 minutes of charging the charge went from 11% to 24%, so I think the promise rings true. The Sonos Ace takes about 3 hours to go from 0% to a full battery.

The battery level can be checked either in the Sonos app or on your device (where it shows depends on your device).

Bluetooth Codecs

The Sonos Ace supports Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound AptX for Lossless. Meaning, if you have a supported Android or Windows device (sorry Apple users) you will be able to enjoy the following aptX codecs:

• aptX (16-bit/48kHz support, 352kbps bitrate)
• aptX HD (24-bit/48kHz support, 576kbps bitrate)
• aptX Adaptive (24-bit/48kHz support, 276kbps or 420kbps bitrate)
• aptX Lossless (16-bit/44.1kHz support, 1200kbps (1.2Mbps) bitrate)

The Ace also supports AAC and SBC, so if you have an Apple device AAC is what will be used.

Sonos App Integration

The Sonos app serves as the control center for the Ace headphones, offering a user-friendly interface to customize your audio experience. I find the app to perform decently and offers many options to fine-tune settings on the Ace.

The one area that is lacking is EQ. The app offers three filters: Bass, Treble, and Balance, as well as a Loudness option that boosts bass and treble (see the Sound Quality section for my thoughts on these options). Quite simply the EQ control here is terribly lacking and is unfortunately the norm for companies when it comes to ANC headphones. So far only Sennheiser has gotten it right (Sony has recently made improvements as well), offering customizable EQ profiles and even a guided EQ creation tool in their app. Three filters and a toggle are absolute nonsense for EQing a headphone, and I really hope that Sonos listens to the complaints of the community about this (and there are many) and updates the app accordingly.

On a more positive note, the EQ changes you make are stored in the headphones and can be used even in wired mode. Contrast this to the Sony WH-1000XM5 which requires the app to be launched to apply the EQ changes, and they can only be used when connected via Bluetooth.

TV Audio Swap

One of the most innovative features of the Sonos Ace is its TV Audio Swap capability. This function allows you to instantly switch the audio from a compatible Sonos soundbar to your headphones, creating an immersive personal listening experience. As of this review, the only soundbars this feature works with are the Arc and Arc SL, and you need to use an iOS device to set it up (Android support “coming soon”). Support for the Beam (gen 1 and 2) and the Ray is “coming soon”. Why am I using quotes around “coming soon”? Because, as I have said many times before in reviews, do not buy a device based on future promises, buy it based on what it can do today. Update (August 6, 2024): Sonos has released an update allowing TV Audio Swap on both Android and iOS for the Beam (Gen 2), Beam (Gen 1), and Ray, in addition to already supporting the Arc and Arc SL.

I don’t have a compatible Sonos soundbar so I was not able to test this feature, but I would encourage you to check out GearPatrol and RTINGS reviews of the Ace as they test this feature, and I trust their impressions.

The whole idea with TV Audio Swap is that, with a push of a button, you seamlessly transition from listening through the soundbar to private listening on the Ace headphones. This feature would be particularly useful for late-night viewing or when you don’t want to disturb others at home.

Spatial Audio

The Sonos Ace takes your listening experience to the next level with its support for spatial audio, specifically Dolby Atmos. This technology places you at the center of the sound, creating a three-dimensional audio environment that’s truly immersive. I’ll go into my impressions of this in the Sound Quality section, but to enable the features it’s rather simple. Make sure your device and streaming service settings have Dolby Atmos enabled. For head tracking, enable the option in the Sonos app.

What really sets the Ace apart is its dynamic head tracking feature, which Sonos calls “Sonos Intelligent Motion Processing”. When enabled, this function adjusts the spatial audio playback as you move your head, creating an even more realistic soundstage. It can be used with music, movies, and video games.

Wear Detection

Just like many other ANC headphones, including the Apple AirPods Max, the Sonos Ace can detect when you remove the headphones from your head and stop playing music until you put them back on. The AirPods Max does this perfectly. Other headphones, such as the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Sennheiser Momentum 4 also have this, but the feature doesn’t work as smoothly as the AirPods Max. The Sonos Ace, though, are the only headphones I have tried that do this feature as well as the AirPods Max. It’s fast and seamless, and there are no false positives. It just works.

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Sources I used:

• Sony NW-WM1AM2 (Bluetooth aptX HD and wired 3.5mm)
• HiBy R4 (Bluetooth aptX HD and wired 3.5mm)
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 (Bluetooth aptX HD and wired 3.5mm via iFi GO link)
• 2020 iPad Pro 11″ (Bluetooth AAC, Dolby Atmos)
• iFi Zen DAC V2 (wired 3.5mm)

I put the Sonos Ace through its paces, testing it with a variety of music genres (using my headphone-testing playlist), podcasts, movies, and even games. My findings reveal a headphone that delivers a compelling audio experience, though it’s not without its quirks. I have a lot of thoughts about the sound quality, and what you get in various situations with the various features, but let’s talk about the frequency response first.

All sound impressions, unless otherwise stated, are with the EQ set to default settings, except Loudness which I disabled.

Bass Response

The Sonos Ace offers a tasteful bass response that’s punchy yet mostly clean. I found the low-end to be nimble and natural, providing just enough impact to energize tracks without becoming bloated or overpowering.

Interestingly, I noticed that the mid-bass lacks detail and punch, and instead comes out somewhat muddy. Using the Sonos app’s EQ to lower the bass to -2 and even -3 helps a bit. It’s not noticeable in most tracks I listen to, and I gather the majority of listeners won’t even notice. From an audiophile standpoint though this is an area that can be improved.

Midrange Clarity

In the midrange, the Sonos Ace presents a dynamic and forgiving balance. I found the low-mids to be present enough to give fuller mixes a satisfying body, while the upper-midrange remains lively without becoming harsh or fatiguing.

Vocals, in particular, stand out with the Ace. They consistently sound intimate and emotive, making vocal-centric tracks a real pleasure to listen to. This quality also makes these headphones well-suited for podcasts and audiobooks.

From the audiophile’s point of view though there’s a lack of detail and clarity due to the over-emphasis on the bass. Once the bass is lowered via the app’s EQ the mid-range is able to breathe a bit more and some detail is restored.

Treble Performance

The treble performance of the Sonos Ace is where things get interesting. While there’s sufficient clarity and extension in the high frequencies, I found that strings and vocals in this range have a smooth, almost silky quality. This makes for a very pleasant listening experience, but it might not satisfy those looking for ultra-crisp, sparkling highs, such as audiophile listeners.

Speaking of audiophiles, if I put on my critical listening hat I did notice a mid-treble peak that some might find bothersome, particularly with percussion and some vocal tracks. This peak can sometimes obscure clarity in the treble region and sound a bit bright and fatiguing. However, the overall treble presentation remains forgiving and easy on the ears. In an effort to bring out a bit more of the upper mids and the treble, I increased the treble in the Sonos app’s EQ by +2 and it seemed to give it more life and not become drowned out by the bass.

Earlier I mentioned the Loudness option in the EQ settings. When enabled, this feature boosts the bass and treble frequencies at low volumes. In practice, it makes the bass overbearing, essentially drowning out detail in the bass and mid-range. I genuinely thought the Ace was unlistenable until I turned this off. I recommend turning off this feature as the first thing you do when getting the Sonos Ace.

Overall, the stock sound profile will please many mainstream listeners who are used to the default sound of ANC headphones, particularly those who have used Sony headphones. For the rest who are interested in doing more critical listening using the Sonos Ace, or are accustomed to the sound profiles of audiophile headphones, these are my EQ recommendations to use within the Sonos app:

Soundstage, Imaging, and Dolby Atmos

The soundstage is reasonable for an ANC headphone. Instruments have good separation and the stereo imaging gets the job done. The Ace performs well even when playing games such as Call of Duty multiplayer. Skyrim also felt immersive. When I enabled Dolby Atmos support and listened to Dolby Atmos-supported tracks a new level was unlocked. The sound is incredibly immersive, and I think Sonos has really nailed the spatial audio aspect here. The head tracking feature works a bit better than on the AirPods Max, maybe due to the spatial implementation being slightly better here. I’m not someone who is interested in spatial audio for music, but I have to say the Ace does make me rethink that a bit. It’s that good.

Microphone Performance

The microphone performance is excellent. It works well in most situations, even when windy, and everyone who was on the other end of a call thought I sounded better than when using my phone.

Other Sound Quality Thoughts

A few other things I noticed in my time with the Sonos Ace:

• The DAC within the Ace itself supports up to 16-bit/48kHz sampling rate when connected to a computer or device via USB-C. I’ve confirmed this limitation also affects the 3.5mm connection.
• The microphone can be used on a PC in both wired and Bluetooth modes.
• As mentioned earlier the EQ settings are stored in the headphone. This is important as it means you can use the Ace with a wired connection and still keep the EQ settings.
• The wired connection sounds much better than Bluetooth. Notably, the dynamic range is improved, and the music sounds a bit more open and not as condensed or processed.
• The ANC compensates for any breaks in the earcup seal, such as when you wear glasses. Due to this, turning off ANC and aware mode can make music sound rather flat. I would recommend against turning off either of the noise control options as you will most likely get an inferior sound profile, so keeping either Active Noise Cancellation on or Aware Mode on will give you the best result.
• The Sonos Ace cannot be used when powered off.
• When being used in wired mode, the volume on the Ace operates independently of the source device, meaning you must turn the volume all the way up on the Ace or be faced with very low overall volume.

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The Sonos Ace headphones have proven to be a remarkable addition to the wireless audio market. The elephant in the room here though is the price. At $449 USD only the Apple AirPods Max, Bowers & Wilkins Px8, and Focal Bathys surpass them in price. It’s a lot of money to ask for when there’s room for improvement in areas like EQ customization and aspects of the sound profile. And if you have invested in the Sonos ecosystem, the lack of support for the TV Swap feature for their various speakers, and not being able to use the Android app to configure it, definitely stings. Update (August 6, 2024): Sonos has released an update allowing TV Audio Swap on both Android and iOS for the Beam (Gen 2), Beam (Gen 1), and Ray, in addition to already supporting the Arc and Arc SL.

That being said, the Sonos Ace boasts a lot of positive aspects, such as being one of the most comfortable ANC headphones I’ve ever used, as well as having what I would now consider industry-leading noise cancellation performance. The fantastic spatial audio performance, excellent battery life, and thoughtful design with intuitive controls also add a lot here.

If you are immersed in the Sonos ecosystem and are looking for a good-sounding and performing ANC headphone, I will highly recommend the Sonos Ace. If you are not part of the Sonos ecosystem, I would still recommend you consider the Sonos Ace if you feel you will get enough value from them. There are more than enough positive things here to love about them, the only thing holding them back in my opinion is the price.

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We are not always able to cover all the details of a product, both hardware and software, in our reviews. If you have any specific questions you’d like answered about this product please feel free to leave a comment or contact us directly.