Odi Productions
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST Sonos Ace review for those who are wondering whether they are WORTH IT in 2025. I’ll also be comparing the Sonos Ace vs Sony WH-1000XM5, Apple AirPods Max, Bose QuietComfort Ultra, Sennheiser Momentum 4, and Beats Studio Pro!
I’m going to do my best to share whether these headphones are worth it, and ideally who these headphones are for. I’ve owned these headphones for a while now and have quite a few thoughts.
I’ll be sharing my critical opinion with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, and tech journalist.
Let’s dive right in!
Sonos Ace Headphones review in short
One of the strongest overall packages in ANC headphones to date, but pricy. The combination of world-class comfort, build quality, and noise cancelling performance is nearly unmatched. The sound quality is very competitive with the top, and might be the best rock and metal headphones. Bass is lacking stock, but can be partly fixed with simple EQ. Competes well against Bose QuietComfort Ultra, Apple AirPods Max, Sennheiser Momentum 4, Sony WH 1000XM5, and Bowers and Wilkins Px8.
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Sonos Ace Pros and Cons
- Very good sound quality
- Top notch noise cancelling performance
- Incredible comfort and build quality
- Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos support
- Expensive!
- Bass is lacking without EQ
- Slightly compressed sound and soundstage
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Sonos Ace Sound Quality
Coming into this review, I was extremely curious and had fairly high expectations for the sound quality of the $449 Sonos Ace.
Having bought several Sonos speakers in the past, along with my current home theatre system consisting of a Sonos soundbar and Sub, I would say I’m a fan of the brand in general.
My very first initial impression of the Ace was… that I wasn’t exactly blown away.
Mind you, I’ve recently spent hundreds of hours testing it’s biggest competition like the Apple AirPods Max, Sennheiser Momentum 4, Bose QuietComfort Ultra, and Sony WH-1000XM5.
To start, the sound quality firmly belongs in this class – which is to say it’s pretty good for wireless ANC headphones, just not in a tier above.
I was sort’ve hoping it would be on another level, but the truth is, these flagship ANC headphones have gotten quite good, and the competition is stiff these days.
The Good
Let’s start with the good: Next to the AirPods Max, these have some of the most pleasing stock tuning that doesn’t require EQ to be enjoyed out of the box (unlike the Bose QC Ultra or Sony XM5, for example).
Actually, the Sonos Ace does some things better than any headphone in this class: vocal and instrument timbre (most realistic-sounding), vocal detail, crisp tight/fast treble, and drums.
Drums seriously sound amazing, with a ton of energy, dynamics, and detail.
Because of the above, I think the Sonos Ace might be the best rock and metal headphones in this class. It also handles Acoustic, Classical, and Jazz exceptionally well. Fairly realistic timbre of the various instruments in those genres.
Also, the vocal-forward nature of these (and Spatial Audio/Dolby Atmos support) is really great for other media like movies, TV shows, podcasts, and gaming.
The Bad
Now the downsides, and the main reasons why I wasn’t blown away on first impression…
First, the sub-bass was very light without EQ.
Second, the audiophile technicalities are somewhat mediocre compared to its competition. The soundstage is rather small with not a lot of depth, and I would like to hear more clarity and resolution overall. I’m getting a rather “compressed” sound.
Also, the treble can be a little peaky with some very slight sibilance on more modern songs. This could be smoother while pushing even more detail like the QC Ultra (with EQ) and Momentum 4.
The stock sound profile actually first reminded me of the Beats Studio Pro, no offense to the Beats, but that’s a sub-$200 headphone on sale compared to the $400+ Sonos Ace.
Very detailed, crisp, and “fast”, but overall thin-sounding and weak bass response that is almost “missing”.
So in short, it does some things at an elite level, but the bass is below average stock.
Thankfully, a little EQ is able to improve this situation to an enjoyable level, but increasing the bass too much exposes a sluggish, muddy bass response that still doesn’t include a lot of slam.
Basically, if you like to “feel” the music, these won’t be pushing enough air to compete with the likes of Sennheiser Momentum 4 or Bose QuietComfort.
That said, the boosted bass from EQ does create a very punchy, crisp upper bass that is satisfying in its own way. But the deeper sub-bass frequencies is going to be underwhelming as a whole.
Because of this, the Sonos Ace is not as impressive for modern genres like Pop and Hip Hop as its competitors.
Overall Thoughts on Sound Quality
I want to reiterate that I think these might be one of the better headphones for Rock, Metal, Acoustic, Classical, and Jazz genres, especially right out of the box. Drums sound very good, and guitars are sweet. Along with the vocals being pushed forward with some beautiful detail.
For the audiophiles out there, these might be the closest to the “Sennheiser house sound” in a wireless headphone, and certainly more than the Momentum 4 is.
But its fatal flaw is being pretty “bass light“, which can be salvaged with a bit of EQ. These might not satisfy the bassheads and perform as competitively for modern genres like Pop and Hip Hop.
Also, it’s not as audiophile and sounds a little “compressed” overall compared to the top of this class.
Overall, I actually have been enjoying listening to these, as the stock sound profile is close to my preference of neutral bright. Add in some bass with the EQ, and I’m personally pretty satisfied.
Sound Quality Score: 8.1 out of 10
Sonos Ace Comfort
The Sonos Ace is actually the 2nd heaviest headphone in this class, as weighed on my scale:
- Bose QuietComfort – 236.1 grams
- Sony WH 1000XM5 – 245.9 grams
- Sony WH 1000XM4 – 251.6 grams
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra – 254.4 grams
- Beats Studio Pro – 268.6 grams
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 – 292.9 grams
- Sonos Ace – 318.1 grams
- Apple AirPods Max – 387.8 grams
Only the AirPods Max is heavier, by about 70 grams.
That said, the Sonos Ace actually feels like a cloud.
Upon first wearing them, I was expecting their weight to measure around ~270 grams, just slightly heavier than the Bose QC Ultra.
I’m surprised at the actual number, but Sonos did a great job between the plush headband cushioning, earpad cushions, and minimal clamping force to make a seriously comfy headphone.
The leather on the headband and earcups just feels so nice and very premium.
I have zero complaints here. I can wear these all day no problem, and they actually kinda feel good to wear if you can believe it. Almost like an ergonomic pillow or something.
I’ve even tried working out in these and they might be my new favorite pair for the gym.
This and the Bose QC Ultra are at the very top for comfort right now.
Comfort Score: 5 out of 5
Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling
Features
The Sonos Ace is very feature-rich, and one of the only other headphones in this class to have true Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio support like the Apple AirPods Max.
This makes the Sonos Ace great for watching movies and TV as well.
Other manufacturers like Bose and Sony have their version of “Spatial Audio”, but it’s simply not as good in my experience.
Like all the other headphones in this class, they also feature multiple built-in microphones for taking calls, Active Noise Cancelling, and Transparency Mode.
These do also include a hardshell case that kind of has a strange exterior that feels like felt, and I’m assuming it might be recycled material. That said, it’s fine. It’s not the largest case but it’s also not as compact as Bose since the headphones do not collapse or fold.
Sonos Ace Build Quality
Picking up the Sonos Ace for the first time, I think these are the most premium feeling and well-designed headphones in the class.
Although the exterior is mostly plastic, the shape and feel of the headphones to the touch is in a class above the others, save for the AirPods Max.
The metal hinges remind me of the AirPods Max, while the rest of the headphone is similar to the Bose QC Ultra.
Overall, these headphones feel like the best build quality and inspire a lot of confidence when handling.
Sonos Ace Battery Life
The Sonos Ace is rated at 30 hours of battery life on a single charge, which is above average in this class.
This is more than the AirPods Max at 20 hours, and Bose QC Ultra at 24 hours.
Tied with the Sony XM5 at 30 hours, but dwarfed by the Sennheiser Momentum 4 at a class-leading 60 hours.
There is also a “Rapid Charging” feature that provides 3 hours of listening time with 3 minutes of charging.
Sonos Ace Noise Cancelling Performance
Initially, I wasn’t sure how the Sonos would fare against the world-class noise cancelling performance of long-standing brands in this space like Bose and Sony.
But to my surprise, the Sonos Ace’s noise cancelling performance is right there with the best of them.
I’m adding the Sonos Ace to the “world-class” level of ANC performance, on par with the Bose QC Ultra and Sony WH-1000XM5.
This is superior to the AirPods Max, Sennheiser Momentum 4, and others.
I think one factor that makes these so good at noise cancelling is the larger earpad cushions that create more passive noise isolation than the other headphones.
Seriously, even with the noise cancelling turned to OFF, it blocks a ton of external noise already.
Similar to the AirPods Max, there’s only 3 modes: Noise Cancelling, Transparency Mode, and OFF.
The Transparency Mode might be the best in this class, certainly better than the Sony XM5.
These might become my go-to headphones for flights moving forward, in a tight race with the Bose QC Ultra.
Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling Performance Score: 5 out of 5
Value
The Sonos Ace is still fairly new, and it carries a hefty retail pricetag of $449 USD.
That said, market price for brand new is currently around $429.
Used copies in “Like New” condition can even drop to as low as sub-$250.
Value is the one category where we have to take points off the Ace, although I do truly believe these are the most premium feeling and looking headphones in this class.
I do think they bring a LOT to the table, when factoring in the perfect comfort score, world-class ANC, and very competitive sound quality.
But when there’s some seriously great ANC headphones available for $250-300 like the Bose QuietComfort 2023 and Sennheiser Momentum 4, I’ll have to give the Sonos Ace an average score here for now.
Value Score: 3.5 out of 5
Overall Scoring Breakdown
Sound Quality: 8.2 / 10
Comfort: 5 / 5
Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 5 / 5
Value: 3.5 / 5
Total: 21.7 / 25
Is the Sonos Ace WORTH IT?
Honestly, I had fairly high expectations for the $449 Sonos Ace, due to both the pricetag and the brand name preceding it.
But I think the Sonos Ace does pass most of our metrics with nearly-flying colors.
The current market price and thus its value score is the biggest weakness, but if you can shell out the money, you’re getting one of the strongest overall packages in ANC headphones to date.
The combination of world-class comfort, build quality, and noise cancelling performance is nearly unmatched.
The sound quality is very competitive with the top, and might be the best rock and metal headphones period.
I must admit that I’ve taken a liking to the Sonos Ace, and could see it being my daily driver and go-to headphone for travel in the future.
If you’ve got the dough, the Sonos Ace has very little flaws and is overall a great, well-designed product.
Some very Strong Alternatives in this class of noise cancelling headphones are:
- Bowers & Wilkins Px8
- Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra
- Apple AirPods Max
- Sennheiser Momentum 4
- Sony WH-1000XM5
- Bose QuietComfort (2023 model)
- Beats Studio Pro
Some Relevant Comparisons in this class of noise cancelling headphones are:
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs Apple AirPods Max
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM5
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 vs Sony WH-1000XM5
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 vs AirPods Max
- Sonos Ace vs AirPods Max
I highly recommend you check those out next!
Lastly, if you’d like to save some money and keep supporting RecordingNOW.com’s 100% independent, unbiased reviews, do consider using some of our affiliate links below to shop and even just compare prices. We purchase all products we review with our own money to maintain the highest level of integrity, and your support goes into that plus a continuously improving site experience.
Order the Sonos Ace for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Want to save up to $100 or more?
Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
Sonos Ace Frequently Asked Questions
Does Sonos Ace have Lossless Audio?
Yes, the Sonos Ace supports lossless audio when connected to a device via USB-C cable.
Do Sonos Ace work with iPhone?
Yes, I’ve tested the Sonos Ace with iPhone and it works very well with no connection issues. There is a Sonos app on iOS that can control the headphones completely.
Is Sonos Ace a good gift for music lovers?
Yes! The Sonos Ace would be an excellent gift that any music lover would enjoy.
Can Sonos Ace connect to Apple TV?
Yes, Sonos Ace can connect to Apple TV but only in stereo.
How We Tested and Our Methodology
RecordingNOW.com is a 100% independent publisher with over 10 years of experience testing and reviewing consumer electronics and headphones.
We currently purchase the products we test with our own money, and are not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.
After purchasing the product, we conduct up to hundreds of hours of detailed hands-on testing in a controlled, acoustically-treated environment.
ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, tech journalist, and audiophile.
Read Next
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Review
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Headphone Review
Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S2e Review
Bose QuietComfort Review (2023 Model)
