Sonos decided to enter the headphone market in May with the launch of the Sonos Ace headphones. The $449 Sonos Ace headphones have some enticing design elements and features you won’t see in Apple’s headphones, so we thought we’d compare them against the $549 AirPods Max to see which is ultimately better.
In terms of design, both the Sonos Ace and the AirPods Max are over-ear headphones that have a premium look, but the AirPods Max feel neater because of the aluminum material. While Apple opted for brushed aluminum ear cups in different colors, Sonos opted for recycled plastic in black or white.
Both have a minimal aesthetic, but the lack of aluminum makes the Sonos Ace lighter and more comfortable to wear. The AirPods Max weigh 13.6 grams and the Sonos Ace weighs 11 grams. Two ounces may not sound like much, but it affects comfort. The AirPods Max also tend to clamp tightly against the head, which the Sonos Ace doesn’t, so it’s generally easier to wear the Sonos Ace with the softer fit.
The Sonos Ace’s earcups are made of memory foam covered in vegan leather, and Apple’s earcups are made of an acoustic mesh fabric that is said to conduct sound better than other materials. The soft Sonos Ace ear cups will likely be more comfortable for most people, but due to the nature of the fabric, breathability may be less. Apple has created a u-shaped mesh headband with telescopic arms, while the Sonos Ace uses the same vegan leather material, also with telescopic arms.
You can’t fold the AirPods Max, and you can’t fold the Sonos Ace either, but Sonos has made a better case. It’s slim, light and offers full protection, unlike the unpopular case Apple offers with the AirPods Max.
The sound quality is similar, but the Sonos app has an adjustable EQ that lets you tailor the sound to your liking, something that isn’t possible on the AirPods Max. Both support spatial audio and Dolby Atmos, and Sonos’ spatial audio is just as impressive as Apple’s. The active noise cancellation and transparency options perform much the same, and while Apple has the best transparency mode, Sonos is close behind.
You can connect the AirPods Max and the Sonos Ace to a TV, but for the AirPods you’ll need a $129 Apple TV, and for the Sonos Ace you’ll need the Arc Soundbar, which costs $719. Sonos plans to add Ace integration to its other soundbars, but none are cheap.
Both pair with the iPhone, iPad and Mac without any additional hardware, but you get better connectivity with the AirPods Max with quick switching and one-tap pairing. It’s trickier to pair the Sonos Ace because it uses standard Bluetooth without automatic pairing via iCloud, so if you switch devices you’ll have to manually reconnect.
Sonos’ headphones are currently several years newer than the AirPods Max and the battery technology has improved. The AirPods Max only offer 20 hours of battery life with ANC and spatial audio enabled, while the Sonos Ace offers 30 hours of battery. Apple also hasn’t updated the AirPods Max with USB-C, so they’re still using the Lightning port that’s being phased out. Unless you want to use a Lightning port for a few more years, your best bet is to opt for the Ace, another pair of headphones, or wait for the AirPods Max USB-C refresh that should arrive later this year.
Sonos priced the Ace $100 cheaper than the AirPods Max, but it’s pretty easy to find the AirPods Max at a discount these days. If you can live without quick pairing, auto switching, and the Apple aesthetic, the Sonos Ace offers the same sound quality and ANC, and they’re more comfortable.
Do you prefer the AirPods Max or the Sonos Ace? Let us know in the comments below.