When I see Sonos Ace, I think of Apple AirPods Max. Both are flagship headphones, with Lossless Audio+ANC+Dolby Atmos+Head Tracking Spatial Audio – but after a detailed comparison, I found that Sonos Ace has more advantages in design.
Sonos Ace specs and features:
- Bluetooth 5.4 with SBC/AAC/aptX Adaptive/aptX Lossless codec
- 30 hours playback of per charge (ANC ON or Ambient mode)
- Head tracking spatial audio & Dolby Atmos
- Bluetooth connection & Wired connection mode
- Wearing detection & Multipoint connection
- $311 – Check latest price on Amazon US, Amazon Germany or other Amazon countries
Appearance Design and Comfort: Environmentally friendly materials; no pressure on the head
The design and material of Sonos Ace really surprised me. From the packaging box to the headphones, all are made of recyclable materials, and the workmanship and texture are also very good. For example, 75% of the storage case is made of recycled felt made from recycled plastic bottles. The headphones and replaceable earpads are also made of recyclable recycled materials.
The appearance design of Sonos Ace is very simple and stylish, with no other colors except a chrome-plated multi-function button. The headphone weigh 312g, which is 73g lighter than Apple AirPods Max. Plus, the headbeam has a special design, making it more comfortable to wear. It should be noted that Sonos Ace only supports parallel folding, not inward folding.
The earcups and headbeam are made of fine artificial leather, and the memory foam is filled inside – it is very soft and can be adjusted according to the shape of the head and ears to provide a good closed environment. At the same time, it will not compress the head and ears, and you will not feel uncomfortable when wearing it for a long time. It should be noted that it will feel stuffy when worn outdoors for a long time in summer.
The earcups use a magnetic design similar to AirPods Max, and users can remove them for replacement or cleaning. The earcups have strong suction and there is no need to worry about accidental falling off. Plus, the left and right earcups are distinguished by different colors, so users can wear them correctly without looking at L/R.
Sonos Ace does not use the touch control solution, but uses physical buttons with good damping. The left headphone has a power/bluetooth pairing button and a USB-C port, and the right headphone has a sliding multi-function button and a noise cancelling button.
The multi-function button supports sliding to adjust the volume, single-tap to answer/end calls and play/pause music, double-tap to play the next track, and triple-tap to play the previous track. Single-tap the noise cancelling button can cycle between ANC ON, Ambient Mode, and ANC OFF. Long press to activate the voice assistant (supported by Android and iOS).
Connectivity, App Support and Battery Life
The headphone support Bluetooth 5.4 connection and USB-C wired connection mode. Plus, Sonos Ace supports multipoint connection, meaning you can connect it to two devices at the same time and switch between them when you receive a call, or when you pause on one device, and play on the other.
Sonos Ace supports the Sonos App for Android and iOS. The app provides noise cancelling control, wearing detection, multi-point connection, head tracking, EQ adjustment, firmware updates, and more.
The battery capacity of the charging case is 1060mAh, and the battery life is up to 30 hours after turning on ANC mode or ambient mode – 50% increase in playtime compared to AirPods Max. Sonos Ace also supports fast charging function, charging for 3 minutes and listening to music for 3 hours.
ANC Performance, Transparency Mode and Calls
Sonos Ace supports Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) and ambient mode (transparency mode), with a noise cancelling depth of up to 41dB. In the subway, it can block most of the mid- and low-frequency sounds, and the high-frequency noise can be felt a little but not obvious. In the office, there will be better noise cancelling effect, which can block most of the surrounding sounds, unless you speak very close to hear subtle sounds.
Another major improvement of the noise cancelling function is that it eliminates the sense of enclosure that can confuse your five senses. It is not clear how Sonos Ace achieves this.
The ambient mode deliberately suppresses some sound, not making it too transparent but more appropriate. When the ANC mode is switched to the ambient mode, it will be much more comfortable in a noisy environment. The listening effect in this mode is real and natural, allowing me to be aware of the surrounding environment.
Sonos Ace also has microphone intelligent noise cancelling technology, which can block out most of the surrounding noise in the external environment, and the sound heard by the other party on the call is relatively clean and clear – although it cannot be completely clean.
Acoustic Configuration, Sound Quality and Spatial Audio
Sonos Ace uses a customized 40mm dynamic driver, which, together with the digital signal processing (DSP) circuit, can present each frequency band with very high accuracy and clarity. Additionally, it supports aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, AAC, and SBC codecs, and can transmit lossless audio via high-bitrate bluetooth with mobile phones/players that support Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound technology, or transmit lossless audio via USB-C cable connection.
The low-frequency quantity is sufficient, with deep extension, good elasticity, and no sense of drag. Even at a higher volume, Sonos Ace still maintains excellent control. Whether it is the surging bass or the delicate vocals, there is no distortion or blur. The high-frequency is clear, natural and real, the sound is delicate and rich in details; the vocals and instruments are clear and accurate, and the sense of space is very good.
The soundstage is wide, the layers are clear, the sound of the instrument is accurately restored, and you can even hear the reverberation of the instrument. If you prefer bass or treble, you can adjust the EQ to get a personalized effect.
Overall, the tri-frequency is relatively balanced, the sound is relaxed and natural, the vocals are warm and smooth, and the low-frequency quantity is sufficient. The vocals are relatively forward, and there is no deliberate emphasis on the vocals or the bass.
For players who like head-tracking spatial audio, Sonos Ace is definitely one of the most comfortable playback devices. It not only supports spatial music and Dolby Atmos from Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, and QQ Music, but also supports Sony 360 Reality Audio.
Additionally, when Sonos Ace is connected to a compatible Sonos Soundbar, the Soundbar can be used as a decoder to obtain Dolby Atmos sound effects up to 7.1.4. At the same time, Sonos Ace also has a new technology – TrueCinema. By allowing the headphones to measure the overall acoustic effects of the room, the acoustic characteristics are applied to the spatial audio engine of Sonos Ace, thereby enhancing the sense of space and immersion, and obtaining a better Dolby Atmos sound experience. Unfortunately, this technology is still under testing and has not been launched online.
Conclusion
What I am most satisfied with Sonos Ace is its wearing comfort and excellent sound quality. With the support of spatial audio, it provides rich details and infectious vocals. In terms of noise cancelling, ambient mode, dual-device connection, etc., Sonos Ace’s performance is also very stable.
Check the Sonos Ace price:
- Check latest price on Amazon US
- Check latest price on Amazon Germany
- Check latest price on other Amazon countries