Odi Productions
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST experience with the Sonos Ace vs Sony WH-1000XM5 and tell you which is better, after personally owning both products. I have thoroughly tested each of these headphones for hundreds of hours, and aim to offer a critical opinion from the perspective of an audiophile and professional music producer.
I’ll be comparing these two head to head on categories like price, comfort, features, battery life, noise cancelling performance, and sound quality.
Then at the end, I’ll share which is the best overall value for the money, and my overall recommendation on which you should buy.
I’ve also conducted a separate in-depth Sonos Ace Review and Sony WH-1000XM5 Review, for those who are interested in reading more detailed thoughts about each headphone after. (Links open in a new tab.)
Key Takeaways
- Sonos Ace has superior comfort, much better build quality, and equal noise cancelling performance.
- Sony WH-1000XM5 has slightly better sound quality after EQ, and is a better value.
- The Sonos Ace is typically around $100 more expensive than the Sony WH-1000XM5, depending on sales.
Watch this Comparison on YouTube!
Have any QUESTIONS for me?
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Sonos Ace vs Sony WH-1000XM5 Price Compared
Overall, the Sonos Ace is anywhere from $60 to $100 cheaper than the Apple AirPods Max at current market prices for brand new. They can be much closer in price depending on current sales, and whether you’re buying new, renewed, or used.
Sonos Ace Prices
Sony WH-1000XM5 Prices
- Retail: $399.99
- New: $328
- Renewed: $220 (save up to $178!)
- Used: $264 (save up to $134!)
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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 🙂
Comfort
These are two of the more comfortable headphones I have tested to date.
On my scale, the Sony WH-1000XM5 is 72 grams lighter than the Sonos Ace:
- Sonos Ace weight: 318.1 grams
- Sony WH-1000XM5 weight: 246.1 grams
Wearing these two back-to-back, the Sonos Ace jumps out to me as the more comfortable headphone.
It simply feels like a cloud.
Not only is it a fair bit lighter, but I really like the premium leather and cushioning on the headband and earpads. I feel very little top-of-head pressure or clamping force from the Sonos Ace. It feels just right.
Comparing to the Sony XM5, which is lighter by over 70 grams, the lesser weight is felt and appreciated.
However, the Sony suffers from having the skinniest headband in this class, creating a slight bit of top-of-head pressure. The clamping force can also be a tad on the strong side for some people, but this loosens up over time.
Also, there is very little interior space inside the earcups and my ears press against the fabric inside the Sony XM5.
Still, I personally find the XM5 to be one of the more comfortable headphones in this class, but the Sonos Ace wins here its all-day comfort.
Sonos Ace Comfort: 5 out of 5
Sony WH-1000XM5 Comfort: 4.5 out of 5
Winner: Sonos Ace
Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling
Features
These are both modern headphones with roughly the same features such as built-in microphones for calls, Active Noise Cancelling, and Transparency Mode.
One standout feature that the Sonos Ace has over the Sony XM5 is true Dolby Atmos support with its Spatial Audio.
Sony instead features their own “360 audio”, which is similar but not Dolby Atmos, the standard in Spatial Audio.
Both the Sonos Ace and Sony XM5 include a hardshell case, although these headphones doesn’t fold or collapse so they’re bulkier than Bose, for example.
Build Quality
The Sonos Ace has clearly better build quality than the Sony WH-1000XM5, mostly due to the Sony’s “weak hinge issue“.
Many have reported online that the hinge has broken on their nearly $400 headphones, and if you handle these headphones with their plastic hinges, it’s not hard to see why.
In contrast, the Sonos Ace feels very premium and durable, featuring AirPods Max-inspired metal hinges that are a clear advantage over the Sonys.
No question, the Sonos Ace looks and feels more worthy of a $400+ pricetag for a headphone.
So the XM5 loses some points here for its build quality.
Looks
I’m generally not a fan of how the Sony XM5 looks, due to its disproportionately skinny headband matched with some of the blockiest earcups in this class.
They simply don’t look that great when worn, like some oversized earmuffs.
Meanwhile, the Sonos Ace is a sleek fashion statement on par with the AirPods Max.
The metal hinges exude a bit of luxury, with the pleasing form of the round earcups looking great when worn.
Sonos Ace vs Sony WH-1000XM5 Battery Life Compared
The Sonos Ace and Sony XM5 are tied for battery life at 30 hours on a single charge.
- Sonos Ace Battery Life: Up to 30 hours
- Sony WH-1000XM5 Battery Life: Up to 30 hours
In my testing, I found both of these manufacturer’s battery ratings to be accurate.
Both of these figures are above average for the class, but are half of the class-leading Sennheiser Momentum 4 at 60 hours.
Sonos Ace vs Sony WH-1000XM5 Noise Cancelling: Which is better?
Prior to the Sonos Ace, I had put the noise cancelling of the Bose QC Ultra and Sony XM5 in a tier of their own, that being world-class and the current best available.
To my surprise, the Sonos Ace seems to be about on par with both the Bose and Sony in its debut.
I think one factor that contributes to the Sonos Ace’s effective noise cancelling is a very tight physical seal due to the fatter earpad cushions and oval shape.
My ears are snug inside and even with ANC turned OFF, the passive noise isolation is already effective at blocking out a lot of external noise.
The Transparency Mode is better on the Sonos Ace, but the ability to select between 20 levels of a mix between ANC and Transparency Mode on the Sony XM5 is nifty.
Sonos Ace Features / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 5 out of 5
Sony WH-1000XM5 Max Features / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 4.5 out of 5
Winner: Sonos Ace
Sonos Ace vs Sony WH-1000XM5 Sound Quality Comparison
On the Stock Sound…
Comparing the sound quality of these two headphones completely stock, I slightly prefer the Sonos Ace. They actually have a somewhat similar sound profile that comes off a little muffled/muddy, but the Sonos Ace has the treble pushed forward for a bit more detail.
The Sony XM5 benefits greatly from applying some custom EQ from the smartphone app, which I’ve spent a lot of time dialing in 2 of my own personalized settings below, to get the most out of the XM5 possible.
The Sonos Ace only has a very basic 2-band EQ that only allows you to alter Bass or Treble, and honestly it’s not an ideal solution. Modifying this doesn’t have near the same impact as the Sony’s 6-band EQ (including Clear Bass). So I’m testing the Sonos Ace stock.
Best Equalizer Settings for Sony WH-1000XM5
Pop / Hip Hop / EDM
- 400: -6
- 1k: +1
- 2.5k: +5
- 6.3k: -4
- 16k: +3
- Clear Bass: 0
Rock / Metal
- 400: -3
- 1k: 0
- 2.5k: +3
- 6.3k: -2
- 16k: +2
- Clear Bass: 0
After testing a bunch of EQ settings I found online, I decided to dial in my own preference that aims to be more balanced and less “hyped”, while still opening the XM5 up and reducing the stock muddiness.
Result: Less muddiness, much more clarity, detail, airiness, and dynamics. A fun, clear, energetic, “in your face” sound signature that is consumer-friendly.
First Impressions and Overall Sound Signatures Compared
I’m not going to lie, I’ve spent hundreds of hours testing this class of premium wireless ANC headphones, and more recently, some of the more budget options like the JBL Tune 770NC and Sony WH-CH720N available under $100-$130.
After performing all of that, and now revisiting the Sony XM5 and Sonos Ace, I’m not particularly impressed by either of them.
Custom EQ definitely saves the XM5, and turns it into a pretty decent one-trick pony for modern music like Pop, Hip Hop, and EDM. This 2nd EQ setting is definitely consumer-friendly and hyped in the bass and treble.
The Ace manages Rock, Metal, Acoustic, Classical, and Jazz better, even stock without EQ. It’s more of a treble-focused sound signature, with some mids, but also some wonkiness in the frequency response. The bass is a bit lacking depending on the track, especially the sub-bass and slam.
Bass
The Sony XM5 has a more powerful, but looser bass response. There’s definitely more bass quantity and slam than the Sonos Ace, but it’s not nearly as clean or crisp as the Ace.
Simply put, you’ll feel the music more with the XM5, but I had to work in some EQ to try to clean it up, as it’s quite unfocused and boomy.
On the other hand, the Ace could use more slam and bass quantity to be satisfying for the more modern genres, so this is where it falls a bit short. It is clean bass, however, which I do appreciate.
Mids
I prefer the Sonos for the Mids, although the vocal-forward EQ in my 2nd EQ for the Sony XM5 can flattering for vocals as well.
The Sonos has a much more realistic timbre for drums, instruments, and vocals than the XM5.
The XM5 has detail, but it sounds really artificial.
Treble
The Sonos Ace has a sharpness and sibilance to its treble than doesn’t seem to go away even with EQ. This is much more apparent on modern Pop songs than older music.
This is the issue with having such a simple 2-band EQ like the Sonos, whereas I can tune out a lot of sibilance by using the 6k band on the Sony XM5.
The Sony is the more detailed, open, and airy headphone after EQ.
Audiophile and Overall Thoughts
Interestingly, I actually think the Sonos might have better, or equal, hardware than the Sony XM5.
But the difference-maker is the Sony XM5’s 5-band EQ (+1 with Clear Bass acting as the 6th band). If the Sonos had an equivalent EQ, it could possibly turn the tide in its favor.
There are parts of the Ace that I prefer like the more realistic instruments (especially drums) and natural timbre. This is why the Ace is more pleasing for Rock/Acoustic music.
There’s really a strong artificial sound to the Sony XM5 that can’t be resolved with EQ. It can be quite nicely detailed at times, but never quite believable.
If you listen to more modern genres like Pop, get the XM5 and throw on my EQ settings. Most casual listeners would probably be quite pleased.
I don’t find either of these headphones to be that impressive with soundstage, clarity, separation, or imaging.
Frankly, I think these both belong firmly in a tier below the Momentum 4, AirPods Max, QC Ultra, and Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e.
Sonos Ace Sound Quality: 8.1 out of 10
Sony WH-1000XM5 Sound Quality: 8.3 out of 10 (after EQ)
Winner: Sony WH-1000XM5
Value
The newer Sonos Ace retails at $449 USD, while the older Sony XM5 retails at $399.99.
At the time of this writing, the market price brand new for the Sonos Ace is around $429, with the Sony XM5 regularly found for $328 USD.
So the Sonos Ace is typically around $100 more expensive than the XM5 today.
The XM5, with better sound quality, is the better value between the two.
The premium you pay for the Ace gets you much better build quality, Dolby Atmos support, slightly better comfort, and equally-effective noise cancelling performance.
Sonos Ace Value: 3.5 out of 5
Sony WH-1000XM5 Value: 4.0 out of 5
Winner: Sony WH-1000XM5
Sonos Ace Overall Rating
- Top notch noise cancelling performance
- Incredible comfort and build quality
- Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos support
- Expensive!
- Sound quality is average for the price
- Slightly compressed sound and soundstage
Sony WH-1000XM5 Overall Rating
- Fun, excellent sound quality (after EQ)
- All-day comfort and lightweight
- Elite noise cancelling performance
- Stock sound without EQ is mediocre
- Poor build quality on hinges
- Expensive
Overall Winner: Sonos Ace
The Sonos Ace wins today’s overall comparison on account of its top-notch comfort and superior build quality, while equalling the Sony on noise cancelling performance.
The Sony XM5 still wins on its slightly better sound quality and being a slightly better value at around $100 cheaper.
Personally, sound quality is my #1 priority so I may still prefer the XM5, but it’s hard to ignore the build quality issues for a $300+ headphone.
For this price, the Sonos Ace truly looks and feels like a $400+ headphone, while being more comfortable and competitive in noise cancelling.
Some very strong alternatives in this class of noise cancelling headphones are:
- Sennheiser Momentum 4
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra
- Apple AirPods Max
- Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e
- Bose QuietComfort (2023 model)
- Beats Studio Pro
Some Relevant Comparisons in this class of noise cancelling headphones are:
- Sonos Ace vs Apple AirPods Max
- Sonos Ace vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra
- Sonos Ace vs Sennheiser Momentum 4
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM5
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra
I highly recommend you check those out next!
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Order Here for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Want to save up to $100 or more?
Want to save up to an additional $100?
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 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, audio engineer, musician, tech journalist, and audiophile.
Read Next
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Review
Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S2e Review
Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM5
Apple AirPods Max vs Sony WH-1000XM5
Bose QuietComfort Review (2023 Model)
