Odi Productions
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST Sonos Ace Ultra review for those who are wondering whether they are WORTH IT. I’ll also be comparing the Sonos Ace Ultra vs Sonos Ace, AirPods Max 2, Sony WH-1000XM6, Sennheiser Momentum 5, Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2, and more!
I’m going to do my best to share whether these headphones are worth it, and ideally who these headphones are for. I bought these headphones with my own money, and was NOT sponsored, paid, or received a free copy for review. All thoughts are my own.
I’ll be sharing my critical opinion with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, and tech journalist. I also run the RecordingNow YouTube channel with over 30,000+ subscribers and over 8 million views.
Let’s dive right in!
Sonos Ace Ultra Headphones review in short
The Sonos Ace Ultra is an overall improvement over the original Sonos Ace, but is pretty pricy for what you’re getting, making it not as strong of a dollar value. It’s arguably the best-looking and best-designed headphone in its class. Competes with the Apple AirPods Max 2, Sony WH-1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort 2, Beats 360, Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2, Sennheiser Momentum 5, and Nothing Headphone (1) Pro.
Watch this Full Review on YouTube!
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Pros and Cons
- Improved sound quality
- Great noise cancelling performance
- Premium look and feel
- Intuitive physical controls
- There’s better noise cancelling
- There’s better sound quality
- Not the strongest dollar value
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Sound Quality
Full Sound Quality Test
Starting with the technicals, the Sonos Ace Ultra supports the hi-res codec of aptX Lossless along with an advanced 8-band EQ inside the Sonos app.
Both iPhone and Android users will need a dongle like the one below to experience these in its fullest sound quality.
To conduct this test, I used my Questyle QCC Dongle Pro 2 to unlock aptX and LDAC support:
![Questyle QCC Dongle Pro2 [MFi Certified] USB-C Bluetooth Audio Adapter with LDAC, LHDC, aptX Lossless & aptX-Adaptive, Auracast](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/21jT-Cm5ZVL._SL500_.jpg)
If you’re an iPhone user, or if your phone doesn’t support aptX codecs, then I highly recommend you pick up the dongle above which will cover both LDAC and aptX Lossless/Adaptive high-res codecs. It’s the only one of its kind that supports both, to my knowledge.
My first impression of the Sonos Ace Ultra is immediately noticing a significant improvement in sound quality and fidelity across the board to the original Sonos Ace.
The sound profile is quite bass-forward, followed by fairly full mids and somewhat detailed treble response.
The bass is nearly overpowering, as it has a lot of quantity but is a bit boomy and uncontrolled, as an audiophile who prefers a tighter and cleaner bass response.
The mids are fairly warm-sounding and make for decent vocals and timbre.
The treble can be a bit peaky at times, but is nonetheless detailed enough.
When it comes to the audiophile technicalities, I don’t find the Ace Ultra to be anything special compared to fellow 2026 releases like the Sennheiser Momentum 5 and Nothing Headphone (1) Pro, to name a couple audiophile-friendly standouts.
Don’t get me wrong, the Ace Ultra has a pleasing consumer-friendly tuning that should be enjoyable and inoffensive for most listeners.
But as an audiophile, I am left wanting a bit more, as even the mid-tier 2026 releases like the Bose QuietComfort 2 (non-Ultra) and Sony WH-1000XM4C are very competitive for sound quality.
Overall, the Ace Ultra is a bass-heavy but enjoyable consumer-friendly headphone. Just don’t expect it to be audiophile-worthy.
Sound Quality Comparisons
vs Sonos Ace
I personally wasn’t a big fan of the original Sonos Ace’s sound quality or tuning.
I find the Ace Ultra to be a significant upgrade in sound quality across the board, and most notably in the bass response.
The bass of the original Ace was lacking, while the Ace Ultra has almost too much bass.
When it comes to the overall resolution and soundstage, the Ace Ultra is much more impressive than the Ace that has a tendency to sound compressed and 2D.
Overall, I’m happy with the Ace Ultra’s improvement from the original Ace.
vs Apple AirPods Max 2
The Sonos Ace Ultra is the more bass-forward and warmer headphone, while the AirPods Max 2 is neutral-bright and sounds more detailed and larger in soundstage.
These two do compete on the same level of sound quality, which is to say, not quite audiophile-worthy, but very good for being popular flagships.
The Ace Ultra may have more bass quantity than the AirPods Max 2, but I prefer the cleaner and more focused bass of the AirPods Max 2 that is punchier and tighter.
I really like the treble detail in the AirPods Max 2, that although can sound artificial at times, is more resolving than the Ace Ultra.
Overall, I slightly prefer the AirPods Max 2 for sound quality and music listening.
Sound Quality Score: 8.6 out of 10
Comfort
The Sonos Ace Ultra is heavier than average of the wireless over-ear headphones we’ve tested:
- Bose QuietComfort (2023 model) – 236.1 grams
- Bose QuietComfort 2nd Gen – 237.3 grams
- Sony WH-1000XM5 – 246.1 grams
- Sony WH-1000XM4C – 250.9 grams
- Sony WH-1000XM4 – 251.6 grams
- Sony WH-1000XM6 – 252.8 grams
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra (1st gen) – 254.4 grams
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen) – 262.2 grams
- Beats Studio Pro – 268.6 grams
- Sennheiser Momentum 5 – 288.8 grams
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 – 292.9 grams
- Beats 360 – 293.8 grams
- Sony 1000X THE COLLEXION – 311.2 grams
- Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 – 312.0 grams
- Sennheiser HDB 630 – 313.4 grams
- Sonos Ace – 318.1 grams
- Bowers & Wilkins Px8 – 320.1 grams
- Sonos Ace Ultra – 320.1 grams
- Bang & Olufsen H95 – 323 grams
- Nothing Headphone (1) Pro – 324.7 grams
- Nothing Headphone (1) – 328.3 grams
- Focal Bathys – 350 grams
- Focal Bathys MG – 365.5 grams
- Bang & Olufsen H100 – 375.6 grams
- Dali IO-12 – 379.4 grams
- Apple AirPods Max 2 – 384.4 grams
On paper, the Sonos Ace Ultra may be on the heavier side, but in actuality, it’s one of the most comfortable headphones we’ve tested.
When wearing the Ace Ultra (and the Ace which is fairly identical), it does a great job of hiding its weight with the plushness of the earpad and headband cushions.
The clamping force also isn’t too strong, but just the right amount of pressure from the factory.
The angled interior earcup space is fairly large in depth, so my ears are free inside.
I notice that my ears don’t get as warm as quickly as most of the other headphones in this class, which is perfect for the gym and traveling.
Overall, I find the Ace Ultra to be nearly-perfect for comfort, but just a tad heavy compared to Bose and Sony.
Comfort Score: 9.5 out of 10
Features / Battery Life / Build Quality / Practicality
Features
The Sonos Ace Ultra was released in September 2026 and has many modern wireless ANC headphone features:
- Native Apple and Android app support
- Bluetooth 6.0
- Multi-point connectivity
- Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos support
- aptX Lossless Support
- 8-band Custom EQ
- USB-C Lossless Wired Audio
- Physical buttons and controls
- Multiple built-in microphones for taking calls
- Active Noise Cancelling
- Transparency Mode
- Includes hardshell case
Battery Life
The Sonos Ace Ultra has 35 hours of battery life on a single charge with ANC on.
- Marshall Monitor III – 70 hours (ANC on), 100 hours (ANC off)
- Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 SE – 60 hours (ANC on), 100 hours (ANC off)
- Audeze Maxwell – 80 hours (no ANC included)
- Sennheiser HDB 630 – 60 hours
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 – 60 hours
- Sennheiser Momentum 5 – 57 hours
- Sonos Ace Ultra – 35 hours (ANC on), 50 hours (ANC off)
- Dali IO-12 – 35 hours (ANC on)
- Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H100 – 34 hours (ANC on)
- Beats 360 – 32 hours (ANC on)
- Focal Bathys MG – “Over 30 hours” (ANC on)
- Nothing Headphone (1) Pro – 30 hours (ANC on), 68 hours (ANC off)
- Sony WH-1000XM6 – 30 hours (ANC on), 40 hours (ANC off)
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) – 30 hours
- Sony WH-1000XM5 and WH-1000XM4 – 30 hours
- Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 and Px8 – 30 hours
- Sonos Ace – 30 hours
- Sony WH-1000XM4C – 27 hours (ANC on), 34 hours (ANC off)
- Bose QuietComfort 2nd Gen – 24 hours
- Sony 1000X THE COLLEXION – 24 hours
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra (1st Gen) – 24 hours
- Apple AirPods Max 2 – 20 hours
- Apple AirPods Max – 20 hours
In my testing, I found this figure to be accurate.
35 hours with ANC on is above average for the class, along with 50 hours with ANC off.
This is an improvement over the original Sonos Ace that only had 30 hours with ANC on.
Build Quality
The Sonos Ace Ultra has one of the best build quality and designs of the headphones in its class.
The feel of the Ace Ultra with its stainless steel hinges is one that is confidence-inspiring and just feels well-built.
From a style perspective, I personally find the Ace Ultra to be the most beautiful and sleek design, as the earcups are slim in profile and don’t stick out as much as bulkier headphones.
The earpad and headband cushions are also quite premium in look and feel.
Overall, the Ace Ultra is one of the best-looking and best build quality headphones in the class, which helps to justify the $449 retail price tag.
Practicality
The Sonos Ace Ultra is a decent daily driver due to its combination of comfort, build quality, and noise cancelling performance.
The battery life is slightly above average, but could be improved like the Sennheisers at 57-60 hours.
It could be a bit more compact, as it doesn’t have a collapsible design like Sony and Bose headphones, leading to its travel footprint being slightly larger.
Also, although comfortable, the Ace Ultra is on the heavier side versus some of the lightweight flagships from Bose and Sony, which is a factor for travel and bag weight.
Features / Battery Life / Build Quality / Practicality Score: 9.5 out of 10
Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) Performance
Let me first set some context by comparing the Ace Ultra to the original Sonos Ace.
When the original Ace came out about 2 years ago, I had it as one of the best noise cancelling performers for its generation, which at the time consisted of the original AirPods Max, Sony WH-1000XM5, and Bose QuietComfort Ultra 1st Gen.
But since then, all of those headphones released a newer generation that raised the standard across the board.
So when Sonos’ marketing claims that the Ace Ultra is “up to twice” the noise cancelling performance of the original Ace, I felt the Ultra had the chance to establish itself as potentially the new #1 ANC headphone overall.
To my surprise, I found the Ace Ultra to be more of an incremental improvement over the original Ace than a massive evolution.
On a positive note, the Transparency Mode is one of the best we’ve tested, thanks to the new 10-mic array.
The issue is that all of its competition has really stepped up from the last generation, most notably the “elite” best-in-class like the AirPods Max 2, Sony WH-1000XM6, or Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2.
I even found cheaper mid-tier contenders like the Bose QuietComfort 2 and Sony WH-1000XM4C to be very competitive with the Ace Ultra.
Don’t get me wrong, I think the Ace Ultra is still a Top 10 noise cancelling performer currently, but the expectations were closer to Top 3, based on the original Ace.
Noise Cancelling Score: 9.0 out of 10
Value
The Sonos Ace Ultra retails at $449 USD, and since it’s brand new, there are no discounts yet.
I find the Ace Ultra to be quite expensive and not as strong of a value as many of the competition today.
It has many positive qualities that do justify its belonging in this price range, but the competition is just a bit more enticing from a value perspective to me.
I actually made this same critique with the original Ace that was priced over $400, which I thought would be much more competitive around $300.
Sure enough, the original Ace eventually went down to as low as $239 to $279 on sale, and that became a much stronger proposition.
I’m hoping the Ace Ultra gets discounted in the near future, which would raise its Value score and make it more competitive.
Value Score: 7.0 out of 10
Is the Sonos Ace Ultra Worth it?
I personally find the Ace Ultra to be more of an incremental improvement to the original Ace than a complete revolution.
Whether it’s worth the full $449 is tricky, as there’s cases to be made for or against the Ace Ultra.
I do think the Ace Ultra is still a very solid overall package, I just think it underperformed in sound quality and noise cancelling compared to its competition.
I still think the Ace Ultra is one of the best-designed products in the market today, I just wish it performed stronger on the categories that matter most, as I’ve been more impressed by most of the other 2026 releases that happen to be cheaper as well.
Some very Strong Alternatives in this class of noise cancelling headphones are:
- AirPods Max 2
- Sonos Ace
- Sennheiser Momentum 5
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2nd Gen
- Nothing Headphone (1) Pro
- Sony WH-1000XM6
- Bose QuietComfort 2
- Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S3
- Beats 360
- Sennheiser HDB 630
- Sennheiser Momentum 4
- Sony WH-1000XM5
- Bose QuietComfort 1st Gen (2023)
Overall Scoring Breakdown
Sound Quality (50% of score): 8.6 / 10
Comfort (10% of score): 9.5 / 10
Features / Battery Life / Build Quality / Practicality (10% of score): 9.5 / 10
Noise Cancelling (20% of score): 9.0 / 10
Value (10% of score): 7.0 / 10
Overall: 8.70 / 10
Order the LATEST VERSION for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
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 🙂
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 almost all of 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. Noise cancelling performance is tested in the real-world, primarily on airplane flights, coffee shops, and walking around large metropolitan city environments.
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.
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