Sonos Ace Wireless Headphones: The Complete Breakdown
The premium headphone market in 2025 is more competitive than ever. Sony, Apple, Bose and Sennheiser continue to dominate the space, so the big question is simple: can the Sonos Ace genuinely compete?
As one of Sonos’ most anticipated launches, Ace arrived with huge expectations and immediately found itself up against some of the strongest all-rounders in the category. In this review, we’re putting the Sonos Ace through their paces and answering three key questions:
- How do they stack up as everyday, high-end wireless headphones?
- How well do they integrate into the wider Sonos ecosystem
- And most importantly, should you pick them over the big hitters in 2025?
Let’s dive in...
Sonos Ace Review: SHS 60-Second Summary:  RRP: £399 (see latest pricing) The Sonos Ace are, hands down, the comfiest headphones we’ve tested. They’re lightweight, perfectly balanced and built with genuinely premium materials that look and feel more high-end than most rivals in this price range. Sound quality is a real highlight too warm, detailed and spacious, with enough punch to keep things exciting across all genres. The feature set is strong as well: Bluetooth 5.4, multipoint, wear detection, spatial audio and TV Audio Swap all make them super versatile for day-to-day listening. ANC isn’t quite class-leading, but it’s still very good, and the Aware Mode is one of the most natural we’ve heard. What’s most impressive is how well the Ace stand on their own. They’re not just “good for Sonos users” they’re a genuinely well-rounded premium headphone option in their own right. | |
| Pros: ✓ Premium, comfortable design with superb build quality ✓ Excellent sound with warm, detailed tonality ✓ Superb comfort for everyday listening | Cons: ✖ ANC isn't class-leading ✖ Premium price tag |
Want to see these headphones in action? Watch our full Sonos Ace review on YouTube to hear them for yourself!
Sonos Ace Review: Price & Availability
Sonos wasted no time making waves in the high-end headphone market. The Sonos Ace headphones launched globally on June 5th 2024 with an RRP of £449 ($449 / AU$699) however they have since dropped to £399.
This strategic pricing positions them as a compelling alternative to the pricier Apple AirPods Max (£549 / $549 / AU$899). But more importantly, it positions them to compete with giants like the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultras (2nd Gen).
Sonos Ace Review: Design & Comfort
From the first glance, Sonos Ace deliver the sense of quality you’d expect from a pair of £449 headphones. The build utilises stainless steel for the headband, hidden hinges for a clean look, and plush vegan leather memory foam cushions for long-lasting comfort.
Available in both black and white finishes, these headphones sport a sleek matte finish with a laser-etched Sonos logo on the right ear cup.
They're designed to be fingerprint-resistant, and although this holds true for the white colourway, the black finish does fare a little worse, performing similarly to the Sony XM5s in this department.
In terms of functionality, the Sonos Ace prioritises user-friendliness with physical buttons on the ear cups rather than touch controls. These buttons offer convenient control over volume, playback, noise cancellation, and power. The magnetic ear cups are also a thoughtful touch, ensuring easy cleaning and removal for potential replacements, which are sold separately at £49.
Now, when it comes to headphones, comfort is paramount and the Sonos Ace excels in this area. The lightweight design and a pressure-equalising mechanism within the cups create a secure fit that isn't overly clamping. Although those of you who wear glasses might experience some pressure after extended use, most users will find these headphones comfortable enough for long listening sessions.
For us, the Sonos Ace strikes a nice balance between the bulkier Sony XM5’s and the flashier Apple AirPods Max. The overall design is sleek and stylish, with a slim profile that sits comfortably on your head.
Sonos Ace Review: Durability
Technically speaking, the Sonos Ace might lack an official IP rating (the industry standard for water resistance). This isn't uncommon in the premium headphone market; the Apple AirPods Max share this characteristic. While some users might shrug and wear them at the gym regardless, the lack of a rating does raise a question: how do they fare with a bit of exertion?
We put the Sonos Ace through its paces with light gym sessions and a 5K run in our testing. Comfort remained excellent throughout, thanks in part to their lightweight design. However, after around 4 kilometres of running, we noticed a build-up of sweat on the ear cups. Thankfully, unlike some rivals, the magnetic design of the Sonos Ace allows for easy earcup cleaning with a quick wipe.
Naturally, the missing IP rating might be a concern for some, particularly those who favour intense workouts. However, for lighter workouts and more casual exercising, the Sonos Ace should hold up just fine.
Sonos Ace Review: Features
The Sonos Ace headphones are built for effortless, premium listening, and the latest software updates have noticeably elevated what was already a very capable pair of wireless headphones.
Bluetooth 5.4 ensures a stable, low-latency connection, and you can use them straight out of the box without relying on the Sonos app if you prefer. Wear detection and multipoint pairing are included, allowing you to move between devices with ease.
For wired listening, the Ace come supplied with both a USB-C to 3.5 mm cable and a USB-C to USB-C cable. They support full lossless audio over USB-C, and Android listeners with Snapdragon Sound devices can also enjoy lossless playback via aptX.
Recent updates have added several significant features. TrueCinema is the standout, using your Sonos soundbar to analyse your room and recreate that acoustic profile inside the headphones.
The result is a more spacious, cinematic presentation that works brilliantly for late-night viewing. SideTone is another thoughtful addition, feeding a natural amount of your own voice back into your ears during calls so you avoid over-projecting when ANC is active.
TV Audio Swap has also been expanded. You can now connect two pairs of Sonos Ace headphones to the same Sonos soundbar and enjoy perfectly synced TV audio together, each with independent volume control. It is simple, seamless and surprisingly useful.
Noise cancellation has received a meaningful improvement too. The Ace now adjust in real time to small changes around your ears, such as hair, hats or glasses, which helps maintain stable and consistent ANC performance throughout the day.
As before, the headphones support Dolby Atmos, Spatial Audio and optional Dynamic Head Tracking, which can add an extra sense of immersion in compatible content.
For those who want full control, the Sonos app remains an excellent companion. It allows you to adjust the EQ, fine-tune noise cancellation, toggle spatial audio modes and tailor the Ace to your own listening preferences.
Read More: Sonos Ace Just Got a HUGE Update… Here's What’s New
Sonos Ace Review: Battery Life
In terms of battery life, the Sonos Ace boasts an impressive 30 hours of battery life with ANC enabled. This translates to multiple days of casual use without needing to reach for the charger.
For context, this puts the Sonos Ace on par with the Sony WH-1000XM5 (also 30 hours), surpassing the AirPods Max (20 hours) and Bose (24 hours).
The included quick-charge function provides three hours of playback time with just a 3-minute charge, a lifesaver for those unexpected low-battery situations.
Sonos Ace Review: Sound Performance
Internally, Sonos have gone for a pair custom-designed 40-mm dynamic drivers which is the same size drivers as the Bowers & Wilkins PX8’s & Airpods max but larger than the Quietcomfort Ultras at 35mm & XM5’s 30mm drivers for context.
There’s no doubt that the Sonos Ace delivers a sound profile that holds its own against their high-end rivals. Their well-balanced tonality translates to a pleasant listening experience across various genres, whether you prioritise clear vocals or impactful bass.
The bass response is generally good, but some might find it slightly strong in certain bass-heavy genres. This isn't a major drawback, as the Sonos app's EQ allows you to adjust the bass level to your preference, ensuring a personalised listening experience.
We tested the Sonos Ace with a diverse range of music, from energetic dance tracks like Peggy Gou's "Lobster Telephone" to the intricate orchestration of Leon Bridges' "River." The headphones performed great in both scenarios. The kick drum in "Lobster Telephone" packed a punch, while vocals and instruments in "River" remained distinct, creating a clear and immersive soundstage.
For listeners who appreciate detail, the Sonos Ace is a treat. They reveal subtle nuances in recordings that add to the overall listening experience and the sound profile itself is warm and spacious, particularly with spatial audio content.
Podcast fans will appreciate the Sonos Ace as well. They offer warm vocals with excellent midrange clarity. We were even surprised by the immersive quality of spoken-word content, that made you feel like you're right there with the host.
To give you a better picture of the Sonos Ace's sound quality, we also spoke with Kurt Martinez, a leading Dolby Atmos mixing engineer at Dean Street Studios in London. For context, he typically uses Apple Airpods Max as his reference headphones for mixing. However, he recently had the chance to test the Sonos Ace and even used them on his latest mix for Central Cee’s “Band4Band”.
Curious to hear his full breakdown? Head over to our YouTube channel, where we delve deeper into the Sonos Ace with Kurt in our full review.
Sonos Ace Review: Noise-Cancelling
Naturally, there's always a healthy dose of scepticism when a company throws around "world-class" claims. However, when it comes to ANC, Sonos Ace is genuinely impressive.
While some competitors offer adjustable ANC levels, the Ace relies solely on an automatic system. Despite this, in various environments—the office, a busy road, even windy conditions—the noise cancellation performed really well and ranks among the best we've tested.
"Aware Mode" on many headphones feels like an afterthought. Most people just pause their music or take them off altogether when they need to hear what's going on around them. But the Sonos Ace's Aware Mode actually impressed us.
With a single button tap, it amplifies ambient noise, making it surprisingly useful for situations like staying aware in the office. While the AirPods Max have a great Aware Mode too, the Sonos Ace definitely delivers a similar experience that feels just as effective.
Sonos Ace Review: Sonos Ecosystem Integration
Many Sonos users, ourselves included, were hoping the Sonos Ace would seamlessly integrate into the existing Sonos ecosystem. The vision was a pair of headphones acting as another zone, leveraging the well-established Sonos WiFi connectivity.
However, currently, the only connection to your Sonos system is through a Sonos soundbar using a feature called 'TV Audio Swap' (See Below). On release, this feature only worked with the flagship Sonos Arc but following a series of post-launch updates, Sonos Ace will offer full compatibility with the Sonos Arc Ultra, Sonos Beam (Gen 2), Sonos Ray as well as the older Sonos Beam (Gen 1).
We contacted Sonos to understand their reasoning for the slightly limited integration, and it turns out they’re prioritising a seamless listening experience first and foremost. (Wi-Fi connectivity could lead to audio dropouts and reduced battery life.).
The idea is that they're focusing on a strong home cinema connection for now, with the possibility of further enhancements in the future based on user feedback.
TV Audio Swap
As mentioned, the Sonos Ace does integrate into a Sonos home cinema system with a handy feature called ‘TV Audio Swap’ which lets you send the sound from your Sonos soundbar straight to your Sonos Ace headphones with a single button tap.
You can connect two pairs of headphones to a single soundbar (though only one pair can listen at a time) and the sound is sent to the headphones, not played simultaneously on both the TV and headphones.
Setting up and using TV audio swap is as simple as a quick app interaction or a dedicated button on the headphones themselves.
Want to hear for yourself? Watch our full TV Audio Swap walkthrough and demo below:
While we initially questioned the need for headphones with a soundbar, the Sonos Ace creates a personal cinema experience, perfect for those of you who want a more intimate listening experience. The sound is so spacious, and we often forgot they were even on our head when we were testing it out.
Sonos Ace also really impressed with Atmos movies. The soundbar creates a special spatial audio mix for the headphones, that forms a surround sound experience for Atmos or surround sound content, and a virtualised stereo mix for regular content. It's all designed for immersion without feeling closed in.
Dynamic head tracking further enhances the experience, ensuring sound appears to come from the correct place even as you move your head.
One minor issue we found was that the volume for TV audio was quieter than music playback. Sonos is aware, and a software update will address this soon. Considering how impressed we have been otherwise, a volume boost will make things even better.
Admittedly, this sort of private listening experience with headphones might not be ideal for social situations, but for those quiet moments alone, they offer a truly immersive experience that has us very excited for future possibilities.
Read More: How to Connect Sonos Ace to a Soundbar with TV Audio Swap
Sonos Ace Review: Our Verdict
Sonos has come out swinging with the Ace. These are, without question, some of the comfiest headphones we have ever tested. The lightweight build, premium materials and balanced fit make them the kind of headphones you forget you are wearing, in the best possible way.
That comfort is backed up by performance. Sound quality, battery life and everyday usability all stand confidently alongside the market leaders, and the latest software updates only strengthen the package. TrueCinema, SideTone, dual TV Audio Swap and the smarter adaptive ANC all help the Ace feel more complete and refined than ever.
The Ace are not a full Sonos zone and do not integrate into the wider multi-room system, which may disappoint some long-time Sonos users. Even so, their home cinema features work brilliantly, and as a standalone product, you'll struggle to fault them.
Overall, the Sonos Ace are a very well-rounded pair of high-end wireless headphones. They look great, feel fantastic and deliver a confident, enjoyable sound that places them firmly among the best options at this price. If you want a premium, comfortable and capable all-rounder, they absolutely deserve a spot on your shortlist.
Other Useful Content
Blog: How to Connect Sonos Ace to a Soundbar with TV Audio Swap
Watch: The BEST Headphones of 2025: Sonos Ace, AirPods Max, Sony XM6, Px8 S2 and More!
Blog: Sonos Arc Ultra & Sonos Sub 4 Announced: Everything We Know So Far
For more information about the Sonos Ace or any other Sonos products, get in touch and one of our Tech Guides would be happy to help!
