Sonos – the company best known for its premium wireless speakers, soundbars and multi-room audio systems – now makes headphones.
Well, it’s just one pair of wireless headphones for now, but Sonos’ first-ever design clearly has high-end noise-cancelling rivals in its sights.
I’ve been testing out the new Sonos Ace over-ears for the last week and they make for a genuine premium contender, up there with the likes of Apple’s AirPods Max, the Bose QuietComfort and Sony’s WH-1000XM5.
Their arrival isn’t one of the biggest shocks in tech, as a debut pair of Sonos cans has been rumoured for the past few years. Something that feels crucial, though, is that these don’t feel like a first-generation product.
It’s obvious they’ve been through multiple iterations and prototypes because they’re refined and full of considerate design decisions. For example, the hinge is hidden within the ear cups. Why? So it won’t snag on your hair.
The way I see it, if you’re considering buying Sonos Ace headphones, you’re either an existing Sonos user looking to add this to your setup or you want a premium pair of headphones and may get Sonos speakers in the future. Either way, there are plenty of features worth focusing on.
Pros
- Clear and detailed sound
- Exceptional comfort
- Thoughtful and stylish design
- Immersive Spatial Audio experience
- 30-hour battery life
- Bluetooth multipoint
- Special Sonos extra features for soundbars
Cons
- Expensive at £449
- Many rivals at this price with additional features
- Design features more plastic than other premium headphones
- Competitors can cancel more noise
- Most appealing only for Sonos speaker owners
- But, Sonos system integration is limited
Key specifications
| Noise-cancellation | Yes |
|---|---|
| Battery life | Up to 30 hours |
| Charging | USB-C |
| Weight | 312g |
| Colours | Black, Soft White |
Sonos Ace headphones: Design and comfort
As I’ve mentioned, the Sonos Ace has a thoughtful design. And the company has certainly prioritised weight and comfort.
These are 312g overall, making them slightly heavier than some of the key active noise-cancelling (ANC) competitors like the Sony WH-100XM5 (250g) and Bose QuietComfort Ultra (249g) but, crucially, lighter than a lot of the premium rivals I’ve tested like the Apple AirPods Max (385g), the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e (320g) and Focal Bathys (350g).
They’re made with matte plastic, soft memory foam cushions and metal accents, with a hidden hinge between the headband and earcups. They’re slim, sophisticated and stylish.
They do look like they’d pick up marks but the fingerprint-proof paint should easily wipe clean.
The only slight hint I ever felt that they’re a debut product was a momentary creak to the plastic when removing them from the case, but that is minor.
Getting the right fit with the adjustable arms is never a challenge, and once they were on my head they were comfortable enough for me to wear for an entire day at my desk.
The carry case is a relatively slim option made of a recycled felt material – it’s sturdy and feels protective. There’s also space in the case for the included cables (a USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to 3.5mm headphone jack) inside a detachable magnetic pouch – it’s a nice touch.
It’s also worth noting that the ear cups are replaceable if they wear out and that Sonos can access and replace the battery inside if it needs servicing.
Sonos Ace headphones: Controls
Brands can’t seem to agree on what the best way to control headphones is, but I think Sonos has been careful again and made the right choices here.
On the left side, there’s a button for turning them on and controlling Bluetooth pairing. On the right, there’s a separate button for switching between noise-cancelling and the “aware” mode.
And, above that, there’s a “Content Key” – press this in for play and pause, with a double press going to the next track and a triple press to the previous. Push this up and volume will increase, and down will lower it.
These are all physical controls, and there’s no sign of fiddly touch inputs here. As a result, controlling these during testing felt incredibly intuitive.
The fact that they’ve got a physical on and off button shouldn’t feel groundbreaking, but when you compare these to the AirPods Max – which lacks a button and instead goes into low power mode in its case – these are the clear winners for control.
Sonos Ace headphones: Sound quality
The sound quality from these custom 40mm drivers is impressive. Sonos advertises them as designed for clarity and smoothness, and that feels accurate based on the experience I’ve had while testing them out.
The audio is detailed and engaging, with impressive instrumental separation and a wide soundstage. There was a lot of precision and nuance in the test tracks I listened to, and the quality felt balanced without an overwhelming boost to either the bass or the high notes.
Unsurprisingly, these are excellent for a wide range of music genres, offering clear vocals and a dynamic sound overall. I played the likes of Dire Straits, Adele and the Our Planet II soundtrack and was impressed no matter what I listened to.
This does all happen through Bluetooth, though, so some Sonos users may be disappointed that the headphones aren’t designed for a wifi-based approach, at least in this iteration.
The other main audio sources I think these will be popular for are films and TV shows. To test the performance of the Ace, I watched the sci-fi drama Silo on Apple TV+ and Dune on an iPad Air, both with and without the head-tracking Spatial Audio enabled.
I can confirm the headphones make a terrific companion when watching series and films. They’re immersive with Dolby Atmos content and the approach to “spatial” content rivals the AirPods Max.
Sonos Ace headphones: Noise-cancelling
Sonos says the Ace boasts “world-class” active noise-cancelling. After my tests, I can confirm it’s up there with the best. It doesn’t beat the exceptional Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, but comes close to the likes of the AirPods Max and Sony WH-1000XM5.
In a side-by-side comparison, I think it matches the high-quality ANC you can experience from the Sennheiser Momentum 4, for example.
The Sonos Ace uses eight microphones – three on the outside and one on the inside of each ear cup – to deliver its ANC and its “Aware” mode, which enhances outside sounds. I tested the noise-cancelling in the office and on the London Underground during my commute.
The headphones are highly effective at silencing loud rumbles on the train. I checked the ambient sound levels using the decibel measurement app on my Apple Watch during the journey and found it’s able to capably limit sounds up to about 85 decibels. It also works well at providing quiet when there’s a lot of background chatter at the office.
This also means they are going to be brilliant for use on planes, in cafes, and at home. When you need to talk, the awareness mode is much more effective than I expected. It’s good enough that you can keep the headphones on and hold a conversation.
Sonos Ace headphones: Extra features
There are two key questions when you get to the additional features of the Sonos Ace. Firstly, is it worth it for users with nothing else from Sonos? And, secondly, if you’ve already got a Sonos system, how well do they integrate with existing Sonos setups?
I see these as a good introduction to the world of Sonos. So, if they’re your first product from the brand, you won’t have any trouble using them.
They’ve got wear detection, a basic equaliser for bass and treble, and a mode to boost frequencies at lower volumes (ideal if you’d prefer not to listen at the maximum level).
There’s also “Spatial Audio” with head tracking, which is subtle and works well when watching films and TV on your tablet, as well as Bluetooth Multipoint for maintaining two simultaneous connections. I tested this with my MacBook Air and iPhone, and it works as seamlessly as it should.
Yes, there are perks for those with a Sonos system, but not as many as you’d expect. The headline feature is the ability to “swap” the sound over from a Sonos soundbar to the headphones, engaging that head tracking and using a “TrueCinema” function to make it sound like the room you’re in when you switch over.
I’ve only experienced this in a controlled demo with the Sonos team, but I was able to switch audio over while watching clips from the Barbie movie and a David Attenborough nature documentary, and it was realistic and impressive. It’s supported on Sonos Arc soundbars at launch, with support for other models promised for the future.
Sonos Ace headphones: Verdict
So, overall, are these new Sonos Ace headphones worth it? Well, the first thing worth remembering is that the price is £449, so they’re not in the budget tier.
In comparison to rivals at around the same price, like the Bowers & Wilkins PX8, Apple AirPods Max and Bose QuietComfort Ultra, I find these a very convincing option.
They sound lovely and clear, the noise-cancelling is highly effective, the awareness mode is good and the comfort is some of the best I’ve experienced.
I’d suggest them to anyone looking for the most high-end noise-cancelling over-ears, but I’d recommend them even more if you’ve already got a Sonos soundbar or are hoping to build a Sonos speaker system in the future.
For Sonos owners, the ability to pass the audio in an instant from the TV over to the headphones will be invaluable in those times when you want to watch something on the big screen without disturbing others.
Simon Cocks is Good Housekeeping UK’s Technology Editor, overseeing tech shopping content and strategy for the title. He previously also worked across other titles including Esquire UK, Digital Spy, Men’s Health UK and Women’s Health UK.
Simon specialises in testing the latest smart gadgets, home entertainment gear, headphones, speakers, portable chargers, radios, e-book readers and smartphones. He's reviewed top tech products from brands including Google, Apple, Amazon, JBL and Bose.
A magazine journalism graduate from Kingston University in 2014, Simon also worked on the Discovery and Silkroad inflight magazines. He then gained experience writing about entertainment at SFX and Total Film. He also contributed reviews and interviews to TwitchFilm (later ScreenAnarchy), CultBox and Frame Rated.
He joined Good Housekeeping UK as the Editorial Assistant for Special Projects and was part of Good Housekeeping’s Consumer Affairs Team between 2014 and 2019. In this role, he conducted price comparison research, wrote detailed household and money-saving advice guides and edited thousands of in-depth reviews for the Good Housekeeping Institute.
He has focused on technology and gadgets since 2020, where he started by testing out power banks and instant cameras. He writes reviews, roundups, news articles and deals updates, and also covers top tech deals during sales like Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
When not testing out the latest gizmos, you’ll find Simon either catching up with the newest releases at his local cinema or out shooting with his beloved compact camera.
You can follow Simon on Instagram, on Bluesky, on LinkedIn and on Threads.
