Sonos has just released its first-ever pair of headphones, the Sonos Ace. It’s about time given that Sonos has so much audio expertise — its array of soundbars, WiFi speakers and portable speakers are some of the best in the business.
I’ve been lucky enough to get my hands on a pair and have been rigorously testing them over the last week or so.
At £449, the Sonos Ace sit towards the premium end of the market, offering a slick lightweight design, noise-cancelling, spatial audio and some cool features to slot them into your Sonos home cinema set-up.
So are the Sonos Ace the best wireless headphones for TV viewing? And how do they fare against the top noise-cancelling headphones from the likes of Sony, Bose and Apple? You're in the right place to find out.
Pros
- Lightweight, comfortable design
- 30 hours of battery
- Clean-cut, detailed sound
Cons
- ANC not as good as Bose
- Pricey
Sonos Ace key specs
| Battery life | 30 hours with ANC |
|---|---|
| Weight | 312g |
| Water resistance | No |
| Noise cancelling | Yes |
Sonos Ace review: design and comfort
My first thought on the Sonos Ace is that they look strikingly modern. They're stripped-back and simple, premium and lightweight. You can buy them in two colours: black and soft white. I tried out the white version.
When I opened the box, I was met with a white felt-covered hard-shelled case which unzips to reveal the headphones. Inside, the case has a muted green design and a small pouch to store the cables (a USB-C to USB-C cable and USB-C to 3.5mm audio cable are included). The case is quite big, but it's nice and flat which I found made it easy to carry around in my bag.
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The Sonos Ace headphones use a soft matte plastic for the earcups which have been laser cut with a subtle Sonos logo. The earcups are relatively low profile which I am a big fan of — more often than not, over-ear headphones are too bulky for my head and make me look like a helicopter pilot, but these don't protrude too far out and I liked how they looked on me.
Silver stainless steel accents, controls and buttons contrast the white. Using the same shiny stainless steel, the headband joins to the earcups without hinges. Memory foam and vegan leather cushion the headband, evenly dispersing the weight and making these very comfortable for long-term listening. I used them continuously on a three-hour train journey and felt no discomfort, I could have carried on wearing them for a lot longer.
The ear cushions use the same memory foam and vegan leather combo, and what's great is that they are replaceable, so if they suffer from wear and tear over time, you'll be able to switch them out for a fresh set. To make sure you put them on the right way around the inside of the left earcup is white and the inside of the right earcup is green.
Sonos has thought long and hard about the design of the Ace headphones and the buttons are a great example of that — they're all different styles and shapes so it takes no effort to distinguish between them.
A small strip on the left earcup controls the Bluetooth, and there's a small round button on the right cup to control the noise-cancelling modes. Then, there's the content key. You can slide the content key up and down to adjust the volume, and press it once to pause or play the music (or answer a call). To skip to the next song, you need to press it twice, or press it three times to go back to the last track. If you have a Sonos Arc soundbar, holding the content key down will switch the TV audio between the headphones and the soundbar.
Thanks to sensors built into the headphones, another quick and easy way of pausing the music is simply by taking the headphones off, and the track will continue when you put them back on.
Sonos Ace review: performance and noise-cancelling
Unsurprisingly given Sonos' track record, the Sonos Ace headphones sound fantastic — the magic is in the details and these headphones deliver clean-cut audio with an incredibly well-balanced soundstage.
I listened to lots of different tracks with the Sonos Ace. Erykah Badu's jazzy neo-soul track 'Didn't Cha Know' comes across with clearly defined layers, the vocals are crisp and smooth and there's an energetic punch to the track, but the mid-range still manages to push through with ease, creating a wide, warm sound. Similarly, in 'Pencil Full of Lead' by Paolo Nutini, these headphones deliver prominence to the brass section that carries the rhythm of the song without forgetting the more muted piano and backing vocals.
Then slowing things down, tracks like 'Oscar Winning Tears' by Raye show how clear of a separation you can get, in this case between the assertive vocals and the powerful drum.
If you aren't on board with the default tuning of the Sonos Ace, you can adjust the EQ in the app across the bass, treble and balance. Some apps provide much more detailed controls, but unless you're an audiophile, that would only overcomplicate things.
As well as EQ controls, you can also choose to turn on Loudness, which boosts the bass and treble when you're listening at low volumes.
Noise-cancelling is a must-have feature for anyone who intends to use their headphones outside the house. Some people will want an impenetrable wall between them and the world so no sound is let through, while others will be happy with headphones that simply dull down distractions.
The Sonos Ace's ANC sits somewhere in between the two. It doesn't entirely cut out your environment, but it does make outside noise a lot less annoying. With these on, I could hear a faint murmur of my surroundings like the rumble of the train and the chatter happening in the carriage, but it didn't overpower the music.
As well as the standard noise-cancelling mode, there's the Ambient mode which allows some sound in so you can hear what's happening around you, like if there's an announcement on the train or you've reached the checkout at the supermarket. It works fine, but like the ANC, it isn't class-leading.
As well as the two ANC modes, Sonos has included Spatial Audio in the Ace headphones which uses “Intelligent Motion Processing with Dolby Head Tracking” to adjust the audio according to your movements. What that means is the sound always seems like it's coming from in front of you, even if you move or tilt your head.
I used Spatial Audio to listen to music and to watch shows from the best streaming services like Eric on Netflix and Prime Video movies like The Idea of You. Despite the Spatial Audio being much more subtle than elsewhere, my playlists sounded almost like I was hearing them live, and the TV I streamed made me feel really involved in the action.
If you have a Sonos soundbar at home, there are a few extra features worth knowing about too.
Firstly, you can switch your TV's audio between the soundbar and the headphones simply by pressing the button on the earcup. This is available for Beam (Gen 2), Beam (Gen 1), and Ray users. It's available to set up and initiate using both Android and iOS devices.
To add to that, TrueCinema technology (coming later this year) will use the soundbar to map out the room and deliver surround sound through the headphones. I couldn't try this at home, but I did get the opportunity to give it a go at an event in London. It was very cool. I switched it on and off a few times to hear the difference and it completely changed the overall experience. If you need to watch TV quietly, like after you've put the kids to bed, but still want to feel involved in the on-screen action, the Sonos Ace headphones will be a game-changer.
The TrueCinema feature could have a huge impact on gaming too. For instance, in FPS-style games, you should be able to pinpoint exactly where sounds are coming from in relation to you giving you a better shot of success.
Sonos Ace review: battery life and connectivity
With ANC switched on, the Sonos Ace last about 30 hours of continuous music. That's pretty good going, and for comparison, the Apple AirPods Max only give you about 20 hours of playback.
The Sonos Ace will need to be plugged in for three hours for a full charge, but if you're in a hurry, a quick three minutes hooked up to power should provide around three hours of use.
Bluetooth 5.4 provides a strong and stable wireless connection to your devices, and there's multipoint connectivity so you can have these headphones hooked up to two gadgets at once. I use my phone to stream music on Spotify, then pause the song to switch to my laptop for video calls or to watch videos. There were occasional blips where the sound was interrupted, but it never lasted longer than about a second.
If you'd rather listen to your playlists through a wired connection, there's the choice of a USB-C to USB-C cable or a USB-C to 3.5mm audio cable. You can also charge and listen at the same time.
Unfortunately, there's no way of using the Sonos Ace with WiFi, so you can't use them alongside your Sonos multiroom setup. Hopefully, this will be something Sonos adds into the mix further down the line.
Sonos Ace review: verdict
There's a lot to like about the Sonos Ace — these over-ear headphones are stylish, lightweight and modern with crystal clear sound, solid noise-cancelling and long-lasting battery life. I also really enjoyed using the Spatial Audio feature. While it's not as noticeable as other brands' equivalents, it does make a difference, particularly for TV viewing.
The Sonos Ace will expand your Sonos home cinema setup in a useful way, allowing you to switch your TV's audio seamlessly between the soundbar and the headphones. When it finally arrives, the TrueCinema feature will be cool too, delivering surround sound that doesn't disturb anyone else. If you own a Sonos Arc, Beam or Ray soundbar, these are the best headphones for TV viewing.
On the flip side, it's a shame that the Sonos Ace can't be used with Sonos WiFi speakers, because it seems like a natural addition to the multiroom system. Sonos hasn't managed to deliver top-of-the-class ANC either, which is a shame given how pricey these headphones are.
Sonos Ace review: also consider
If your priority is noise cancellation, you will be better off buying the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, because they block out more distractions than the Sonos Ace. They are still Digital Spy's top choice for ANC.
Another pair to consider are the Sony WH-1000XM5. They are jam-packed with useful features such as speak-to-chat which pauses the music when you start talking. The ANC is in a similar league to the Sonos Ace, but you can buy them for a lot less. We've seen them on sale for £350.
If you're looking to save some cash, you could also try out the Sony WH-1000XM4, which you can now get for under £200 in some deals.
Pros
- Lightweight, comfortable design
- 30 hours of battery
- Clean-cut, detailed sound
Cons
- ANC not as good as Bose
- Pricey
Sonos Ace key specs
| Battery life | 30 hours with ANC |
|---|---|
| Weight | 312g |
| Water resistance | No |
| Noise cancelling | Yes |
