Sonos, a leader in the audio accessory industry, has officially unveiled its first foray into the wireless headphone market: the Sonos Ace.
These headphones boast a combination of meticulously engineered components and advanced software, promising an unparalleled listening experience. But with a €499 or $449 price tag reflecting this premium quality, can the Ace stack up against the competition such as the Apple AirPods Max and Bose QuietComfort Ultra?
The Sonos Ace Wireless Headphones Have a Lot Going Under the Hood
Although the price tag of the Sonos Ace is on the upper end, there are a lot of things under the hood that justify the expensive tag. Let’s give you a rundown:
Finely-tuned Audio
Sonos has integrated a tuned audio setup into the Ace. With this, the company promises to offer the deepest connection to sound. Each of the components is custom-designed. Combined with the advanced software, the Bluetooth headphones aim to deliver a surround sound that’s filled with details.
What’s more important is that the audio setup of Sonos Ace offers a balanced sound profile. The company has positioned the drivers in a specific way to make sure that there’s little to no distortion on the playback. These drivers also excel in terms of precision and accuracy.
Sonos has also thought of the bassheads out there. The Ace wireless headphones come with a ported acoustic architecture. This enhances the bass response of the drivers and ensures that you get all the depth from the playback.
Immersive Listening With Dolby Atmos with Dynamic Head Tracking and ANC
To further enhance the listening experience, Sonos Ace come with industry-leading Dolby Atmos. Paired with dynamic head tracking, the wireless headphones can offer you a realistic, immersive listening experience. The elements within the music will move alongside you.
There’s a top-notch ANC tech as well. Sonos has put a properly placed array of microphones to pinpoint and eliminate external sounds. This results in distraction-free listening, and you also get the maximum immersion. Of course, you would want to stay aware of your surroundings while you’re outside.
For that, the Sonos Ace Bluetooth headphones have Aware mode. This lets the ambient sounds in, which allows you to stay connected with your surroundings while enjoying your favorite tunes.
Versatile Connectivity and Calling Performance of Sonos Ace
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The calling performance of Sonos Ace is great too. With beamforming microphones, the wireless headphones can suppress the background noise and feed your voice in. So, you can expect to enjoy a crystal-clear calling experience with these on.
Besides, these wireless headphones offer you the option to listen the way you want. There’s Bluetooth for hassle-free wireless listening. But if you want more details from the playback, you have the option to switch to USB-C or 3.5 mm. What’s more important is that the pair works with both Apple and Android devices.
Design, Battery, and Other Highlights of Sonos Ace
With a fully charged battery, you can get up to 30 hours of battery life out of the Sonos Ace headphones. That’s more than enough for jamming to your favorites all day long. With all-day listening, you get all-day comfort, as the build of the wireless headphones prioritizes it. Other highlights include intuitive controls, easy pairing, Bluetooth multipoint, and wear detection.
How Does Sonos Ace Compare to AirPods Max and Bose QuietComfort Ultra?
The Sonos Ace enters a crowded high-end wireless headphone market, facing established players like Apple’s AirPods Max and Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra. Here’s a breakdown of how they compare:
Audio Quality: Sonos emphasizes a balanced, detailed sound profile with its custom-designed drivers. Both AirPods Max and QuietComfort Ultra are known for their excellent audio quality, though Bose focuses more on bass-heavy sound signatures.
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): All three headphones offer ANC, but their approaches may differ. Sonos highlights its microphone placement for effective noise cancellation, while Bose has a long-standing reputation for industry-leading ANC technology. Apple’s ANC is generally considered very good, but not quite on par with Bose.
Special Features: The Sonos Ace boasts Dolby Atmos with dynamic head tracking for an immersive listening experience, something the other two lack. AirPods Max excel in seamless integration with Apple devices, while Bose offers a more customizable EQ through its app.
Battery Life: Sonos Ace offers a competitive 30 hours with ANC on, matching Sony’s WH-1000XM5 and surpassing both AirPods Max (20 hours) and QuietComfort Ultra (24 hours).
Price: All three headphones fall in the premium price range, with the Sonos Ace priced at $449, AirPods Max at $549, and QuietComfort Ultra at $379.
Ecosystem: The Sonos Ace integrates well with the Sonos ecosystem, potentially offering additional features with future updates. AirPods Max excel for Apple users, while Bose offers a more platform-agnostic experience.
Ultimately, the best choice depends on your priorities. If you value balanced sound, immersive features like Dolby Atmos, and long battery life, the Sonos Ace is a strong contender. If seamless Apple device integration or industry-leading ANC are your top needs, AirPods Max and QuietComfort Ultra might be better options.
