Sonos Sonos - Ace Wireless Over-the-Ear Headphones with Active noise Cancellation (Each) - Soft White Review
The Sonos Ace headphones look the part but deliver surprisingly average performance. For the premium price, you can get better sound, ANC, and battery life elsewhere.
The 30-Second Version
The Sonos Ace is a premium-priced headphone with mid-tier performance. Unless you live and breathe the Sonos ecosystem, your money is better spent elsewhere.
Overview
The Sonos Ace is a beautiful pair of headphones that feels like a first draft. Sonos is famous for its home audio, so the hype for their first headphones was huge. But after testing them against our database, the one thing you need to know is this: they're a premium-priced product with mid-tier performance. The sound is good, but it's not the best. The noise cancellation is fine, but it's not class-leading. You're paying for the brand and the promise of that slick TV audio swap feature, not for top-of-the-charts specs.
Performance
What surprised us was how average the performance is across the board. For a $450+ headphone, we expected to see some standout scores. Instead, the Ace lands squarely in the middle of the pack for sound and ANC, and it actually falls into disappointing territory for battery life and comfort. The battery life, at just the 14th percentile, is a real letdown compared to competitors offering 40+ hours. The comfort score is also a weak spot, which is a shame because they look so plush.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- The TV audio swap with Sonos soundbars is a genuinely cool and unique trick. 67th
- Build quality feels premium and the design is sleek.
- Controls are intuitive and the wear detection works well.
- Call quality is solid and clear for meetings.
Cons
- Battery life is mediocre at best for the price. 9th
- Comfort is underwhelming; they get heavy after a while. 16th
- Noise cancellation and sound quality are just okay, not great. 18th
- You're paying a Sonos tax for features you might not even use. 34th
Specifications
Full Specifications
Design
| Weight | 0.3 kg / 0.7 lbs |
Connectivity
| Wireless | Yes |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 |
Microphone
| Microphone | Yes |
Value & Pricing
At $399, it's a tough sell. At $549, it's a hard pass. The value just isn't there. You can get better sound, better ANC, and way better battery life from Sony or Bose for the same money, or even less. The only way this makes sense is if you're deep in the Sonos ecosystem and that TV swap feature is your holy grail.
Price History
vs Competition
This is where it gets rough for the Ace. The Sony WF-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones absolutely smoke it in noise cancellation and sound quality, and they both offer significantly better battery life. Even the Technics EAH-AZ80 earbuds, which are a different form factor, deliver a more compelling audio experience. The Ace's only real counter-punch is its Sonos-specific feature, which is useless if you don't own a compatible Sonos soundbar.
| Spec | Sonos Sonos - Ace Wireless Over-the-Ear Headphones with Active noise Cancellation (Each) - Soft White | Apple AirPods 4 Active Noise Cancellation Apple - AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation - | Sony Sony WF-1000XM5 Noise-Canceling True Wireless | Technics Technics EAH-AZ80 Noise-Canceling True Wireless | Bose Bose QuietComfort Ultra True Wireless | Sennheiser Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Form Factor | - | True Wireless | In-Ear | In-Ear | In-Ear | In-Ear |
| Driver Type | - | Dynamic | Sony WF-1000XM5 Noise-Canceling True Wireless In-Ear Headphones (Black) | Dynamic | Dynamic | Dynamic |
| Wireless | true | true | true | true | true | true |
| Active Noise Cancellation | - | true | true | true | true | true |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.4 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.4 |
| Battery Life Hours | - | 5 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7.5 |
| Case Battery Hours | - | 25 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 22.5 |
| Water Resistance | - | Water-Resistant | IPX4 | IPX4 | IPX4 | IP54 |
| Multipoint | - | true | true | true | true | - |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
Common Questions
Q: Is the TV audio swap feature worth it?
Only if you own a compatible Sonos soundbar (like the Arc) and watch a lot of movies alone. It's a neat party trick, but it's not a reason to buy mediocre headphones.
Q: How's the battery life really?
It's not great. 30 hours is below average for this price range. Competitors are hitting 40+ hours easily, so you'll be charging these more often.
Q: Should I get these for travel?
No. Our data shows travel is their weakest area. The case is big, the battery life isn't long enough for flights, and the ANC isn't strong enough to drown out plane noise effectively.
Who Should Skip This
If you're looking for the best sound or the strongest noise cancellation, this isn't it. Go get the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Bose QuietComfort Ultra instead. They're the established champs for a reason.
Verdict
We can't recommend the Sonos Ace to most people. It's a first-generation product that feels like it's still figuring itself out, and it's priced like a finished masterpiece. If you're a Sonos superfan with a recent Arc or Beam soundbar and you must have that seamless swap, you might tolerate the compromises. For everyone else, there are better, more complete headphones on the market right now. Wait for the Ace 2.