Ace – that’s not only the name of Sonos’ just-announced wireless headphones, but also how good they seem to be. Should their biggest rivals, namely the Sony WH-1000XM5, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and Apple AirPods Max, be concerned? They would be stupid if they didn’t.
The Ace has a lot in common with one or more of their rivals, such as spatial audio with head-tracking technology, like the AirPods and Bose, and a similar premium price tag (£449 / $449 / AU$699). There’s Bluetooth multipoint support for connecting two devices at the same time, like on the Sony and Bose, and physical (as opposed to touch) controls, which can also be found on the AirPods. Like all three rivals, the Ace offers real-time ANC adjustment based on the environment, the increasingly universal companion app for settings adjustments and replaceable ear pads.
It’s too early to say how the Ace fares in terms of sound and noise cancellation compared to their peers (watch this space), but based on the specs and our first impressions from our short time with them already, as detailed in our hands- from the Sonos Ace review we can see where they are already gaining on their rivals – and where they are falling relatively short.
So let’s start with their assets…
1. Better Bluetooth support
There are two ways in which Bluetooth quality can be measured (at least theoretically): in standards/specifications and codecs. The Ace is one of the latest and greatest in both respects, with support for Bluetooth 5.4 (specification) and aptX Lossless (codec).
For comparison, the Bose supports 5.3 and aptX Adaptive, the Sony 5.2 and LDAC, and the AirPods 5.0 and AAC.
Okay, so granted, 5.4 doesn’t deliver at many practical advantages over previous variants in the 5.0 standard, while maintaining the all-important figures for speed (2 Mbps) and range (250 meters); but it offers improvements in safety, energy efficiency and stability.
The real trump card, however, lies in the codec department. aptX Lossless is technically superior to the aforementioned codecs supported by the Ace’s rivals, and at its peak can pass CD-quality lossless audio thanks to its greater bandwidth than the ‘next-best’ LDAC and aptX Adaptive. AAC is quite low on the list. (You can get to know your aptX from your AAC in our handy Bluetooth codec walkthrough, if you’re interested.) That said, aptX Lossless isn’t supported by many phones or other audio devices (yet), so for now the advantage of its support over aptX Adaptive and LDAC is quite debatable.
Despite the Bluetooth spec and codec wins here, we’re a little surprised the Ace doesn’t support this Bluetooth LE audio (low power consumption).the terribly latest version of Bluetooth technology that promises more energy-efficient, higher quality audio compared to the Classic Audio version we have had for years, because two years ago the company bought a Kentucky-based startup company that specialized in its implementation. Maybe Sonos will save that for its next pair.
2. Enable USB-C listening
The Bose and Sony both have USB-C connections – but only for charging; they offer wired listening through their analog ports, usually to phones these days via 3.5mm-to-USB-C dongles.
However, the Ace’s USB-C connection is for charging And wired listening, allowing lossless digital audio transfer via the USB-C to USB-C cable between them and your audio source. That leaves the Sonos Ace to do all the digital-to-analog conversion in place of the connected phone or dongle – which should offer an improvement as it’s potentially higher quality and less susceptible to noise interference along the cable.
3. Unique soundbar integration
The Ace was rumored to support Wi-Fi playback (in addition to Bluetooth), which didn’t happen. But they do have a Wi-Fi chip inside them to enable unique integration with the company’s Arc soundbar.
Sonos’ TrueCinema calibration, rolling out later this year, is similar to TruePlay on Sonos speakers, using new software to tailor the Ace’s acoustics to your room when viewing Dolby Atmos soundtracks (or upmixed stereo to 7.1.4 channels) via a Sonos Arc and TV system, in an effort to provide a more immersive experience so it sounds like you’re not wearing headphones.
Secondly, there’s the Swap feature, which will be available at launch and will let you send sound from your Arc (other Sonos soundbars will be supported later) to the headphones at the touch of a button, and vice versa.
4. Excellent battery life
Okay, so the Sonos Ace technically matches the Sonys in terms of battery life, with 30 hours (with ANC and Bluetooth on) and three hours of playback on a three-minute charge. But the numbers are far enough ahead of the AirPods (20 hours) and Bose (24 hours) that we think they’re worth highlighting here.
Sonos hasn’t published any battery life claims for when these modes are turned off, so we’ll look forward to seeing how they fare compared to Sony’s claimed 40 hours with ANC turned off.
Regardless, the Ace and Sonys are still a long way from the class leaders – the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless offers 60 hours.
But they are heavy…
Both ways the Ace may fall behind at least one of their closest rivals involve design. We actually like the sleek, sleek aesthetic of the Ace and found them comfortable during our short demo period, but what will the comfort level be like over a longer period of time? Only proper time in their company will tell, but the Ace’s 312 gram weight suggests the headband padding has done its job.
Although they are lighter than the AirPods at 385 grams, they are significantly heavier than Bose (253 grams) and Sony (250 grams).
…and don’t fold
While the earcups of the Ace and its rivals all fold flat, allowing them to sit comfortably on your collarbone when worn around the neck and fold neatly into a carrying case, the Bose is left with a design element that has unfortunately been lost in recent years. from the headphones has disappeared: the ability to fold. The inward folding hinge has probably fallen out of favor due to the complexity of a hinge mechanism (it’s just something that can break) and an overwhelming preference for sleek designs, but it’s useful for curling up headphones in a pocket and ultimately something we would like. Ace had.
One minor shortcoming that’s worth only a minor mention is that the Ace only offers two colors – black or soft white – compared to Sony and Bose’s three and the AirPods’ five.
MORE:
We describe our first impressions in our Hands-on review of Sonos Ace
Everything you need to know about the Sonos Ace headphones
Sonos Ace vs. AirPods Max: how the two rivals stack up
Sonos Ace vs Sony WH-1000XM5: Are the Ace worth the premium?