It took Sonos 20 years to finally release its first headphones. So, was it worth the wait? Over that time, Sonos built a stellar reputation for high-quality wireless speakers and soundbars, but never ventured into headphones—until now. Enter the Sonos Ace, a premium Bluetooth headset designed to compete with the likes of Sony’s WH-1000XM5, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, Master & Dynamic MW75 and the Apple AirPods Max.
And by premium, I mean expensive. The Sonos Ace costs $700—a hefty price tag, especially for a first-time entry into a market dominated by Sony and Bose, while budget brands like Anker offer impressive alternatives at a fraction of the cost. So, the big question is: Does the Sonos Ace justify its price, or is it just hype? Let’s find out.
Design and Comfort
Sonos speakers are renowned for their minimalist, high-end aesthetic, and the Sonos Ace continues that tradition. Available in Matte Black and Soft White, the design is simple yet premium, with a steel headband connecting two large oblong ear cups. It’s nothing as flashy as the MW75 or AirPods Max and more like the Sony XM4 with a more understated look. The headphones come with a matching hard-shell case made from recycled materials. It’s compact, with a soft felt-like texture, though it tends to attract lint and pet hair. Inside, there’s a magnetic pouch for storing cables—a clever touch.
The stainless steel headband is padded with plush memory foam and wrapped in soft vegan leather. The adjustment sliders move smoothly and allow some tilt, helping the ear cups conform to your head shape. The fit is snug but not too tight, and while not designed for workouts, they could work for light exercise—just don’t expect them to stay put during high-intensity movement.
The ear cups are large and comfortable, with enough depth that my ears never touched the inside. They rotate flat for easy storage and are color-coded inside for quick left-right identification—grey on black and green on white. It’s a nice touch that makes setup effortless. The ear cushions attach magnetically, making them incredibly easy to remove and replace. Even better, the magnets are polarized, so you can’t mistakenly attach them to the wrong side. Nice!
At 312g, the Ace is fairly lightweight and easy to wear all day. I’ve worn them for close to eight hours daily for work and commuting. As far as comfort goes, Sonos nailed it.
Controls and Connectivity
Sonos opted for physical buttons over touch controls, which turns out to be the superior choice. While capacitive touch controls can be finicky, physical buttons provide more precise and reliable control.
On the left ear cup, you’ll find the power button, which also initiates Bluetooth pairing. The right ear cup houses two buttons: the Noise Control button for toggling noise-canceling modes and the Content Key—a spring-loaded switch that handles playback, calls, and Sonos’s unique TV Audio Swap feature (more on that later). The Content Key is intuitive and satisfying to use.
Like other premium headphones, the Ace has wear detection, pausing playback when you remove them and resuming when you put them back on. It can also answer calls by simply putting them on and end them when you take them off.
Further customization is available in the Sonos app, including firmware updates, simple EQ adjustments for bass, treble, and balance, and toggling noise-canceling modes. While not as detailed as Sony’s robust ANC customization, most users won’t need that level of fine-tuning.
The Ace uses Bluetooth 5.4 with Multi-point, allowing seamless switching between two devices. In testing with a MacBook Pro and iPhone 16 Pro, transitions—especially for calls—were smooth, with no signal disruptions.
Codec support includes SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive, and aptX Lossless. However, lossless audio is only available on select Android devices that support aptX Lossless, leaving Apple users out. If you’re an Apple user, you’ll need a wired USB connection for lossless audio. The included USB-C to 3.5mm cable also allows connection to in-flight entertainment or consoles.
TV Audio Swap and Spatial Audio
The Ace supports spatial audio with head tracking, which positions the sound at a fixed point in space, mimicking real-world listening. While I find this feature unnecessary—it just makes audio feel weird—spatial audio itself sounds great, especially with Dolby Atmos content.
One of the Ace’s biggest selling points is TV Audio Swap, allowing audio to seamlessly switch from a compatible Sonos soundbar to the headphones with the press of the Content Key. The soundbar transmits a calibrated Dolby Atmos signal to the headphones for private listening without sacrificing audio quality. I couldn’t test this since I don’t own a Sonos soundbar, but if you do, this feature could be a game-changer.
Sound Quality
With decades of speaker expertise, you’d expect Sonos to deliver great sound—and they do. The 40mm dynamic drivers produce a rich, balanced sound with a slight bass boost that’s present but not overpowering. It’s not an audiophile tuning, but it’s clean, detailed, and punchy. The sound stage is spacious, making everything from deep house to Ariana Grande’s “No One Mourns the Wicked” sound fantastic.
Out of the box, I only tweaked the bass to my liking. The lows are deep and controlled, mids are clean with clear vocals, and highs are crisp without being harsh. Importantly, sound quality remains consistent whether ANC is on or off—something not all premium headphones achieve. The Sonos app offers basic EQ adjustments for treble, bass and balance but lacks a parametric EQ. Purists might want more customization, but for most users, the app does the job.
The microphone is solid but not exceptional. Calls are clear, and voice quality is consistent, though it won’t replace a dedicated boom mic. It’s more than adequate for Zoom calls and phone conversations though and I got less complaints from my wife when chatting over the Ace than some other wireless headphones I’m currently testing.
Active Noise Cancellation, Awareness Mode, and Battery Life
Sonos nailed ANC on their first attempt; a feat hard to pull off with a first iteration product. But the ANC is good enough to easily rival Sony or Bose. Putting on the Ace effectively silences the world around you. I tested them walking about the busy streets of the city center and the Ace did such a great job drowning out people, cars and buses to the point of being surreal. Even better, there’s no annoying hiss or ear pressure, which can be an issue with some ANC headphones.
The Awareness Mode — more commonly known as Transparency mode — is also very good. This allows you to hear your surroundings more, rather than cancelling them out. It’s quite natural-sounding, amplifying ambient sounds without making them sound artificial. This is handy when you don’t want to miss out on train or flight announcements while listening to your favorite tunes.
Sonos claims 30 hours of battery life with ANC on, and my testing confirmed that. That’s solid but not class-leading—competitors like the Sennheiser Momentum 4 and Anker Soundcore Space Q45 push closer to 60 hours. At this price, I expected better. However, the 3-minute quick charge for 3 hours of playback is a nice perk, especially for when you forgot to charge the headphones before a workout or commute.
Verdict: Are the Sonos Ace Worth $700?
As a first attempt, the Sonos Ace is genuinely impressive. They sound great, feel premium, offer excellent noise-canceling, and have intuitive controls. I love them, and I think most people will too. But the price is a major hurdle. At $700, they’re a tough sell when Sony and Bose offer similar (or better) performance for $300 less. If you don’t own a Sonos soundbar, the TV Audio Swap feature is wasted on you.
As good as the Ace is, there’s nothing groundbreaking here to justify the cost. Had they launched at $500, they’d be easier to recommend. Given that they’ve been on the market for a while, discounts could make them more appealing. I’m curious to see what the Ace 2 brings—hopefully, a more competitive price.
Sonos Australia kindly loaned the Sonos Ace to PowerUp for the purpose of this review.
