Sonos’ first over-ear headphones look absolutely stunning. The Sonos Ace pack noise cancellation, an ergonomic fit and plenty of forward-thinking features into a simple, clean design that’s typically Sonos. If they’re anything like the rest of the Sonos range, we’re in for a treat.
But they are a first-gen product. And for all their years of development, they are still Sonos’ first entry into the highly competitive world of over-ear headphones. So how do they stack up against what else is available?
We’ve thrown them in at the deep end, pitting them against the Sony WH-1000XM5 – our favourite over-ears of recent years. Sony has a proven track record of Award-winning headphones, of which the XM5 are the finest.
No pressure Sonos…
Sonos Ace vs Sony WH-1000XM5: price
The Sonos Ace go on sale on 5th June for £449 / $449 / AU$699. Sonos gear is never cheap, and this is about what we were expecting for its first headphones. Still, it’s a lot of money.
Certainly more than the Sony WH-1000XM5. These launched at £380 / $399 / AU$550, but are often discounted, especially in the bigger sales like Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday. They’re currently available for less than £300. Sonos gear, on the other hand, is rarely discounted, so expect the Ace’s price to stay high for the foreseeable.
** Winner: Sony WH-1000XM5 **
Sonos Ace vs Sony WH-1000XM5: design
We’ve only gone hands-on with the Sonos Ace, so haven’t conducted a full review. As such, these are first impressions rather than a set-in-stone verdict. But from a design point of view, we’re impressed.
Like Sonos’ other products, they’re pleasingly minimalist in a way that doesn’t draw attention to themselves. The earcups’ anti-fingerprint coating keeps them free from blemishes, while the subtle Sonos logo shimmers when it catches the light.
They’re mighty comfortable. The headband and memory foam earpads are coated in vegan leather (polyurethane) that feels soft and plush. The headphones are lightweight, don’t clamp too tightly and the headband is smooth to adjust. The earcups are more slimline than the Sony XM5’s (which can protrude too far from the head), and while they look a little small, they fit over the ears with no issues.
The fact the hinges and joints are concealed within the headphones’ casing not only gives them a pleasingly minimalist look, it also means your hair doesn’t get caught. The earcups swivel flat for storage, and the earpads are replaceable for swapping out should they become damaged or wear out.
Also like other Sonos devices, the Ace come in black or ‘soft white’. One nice touch is that the earcup mesh is of different shades for left and right, so you can tell from a glance which way to put them on.
Sonos may well have taken design inspiration from the Sony XM5, whose ‘noiseless design’ pioneered the junking of visible hinges and joints in favour of smoother edges and sweeping lines. They too fold flat, and while they’re made from recycled plastics, they retain a premium feel – the headband uses ABS sliders, while the headband and earcups are comfortable thanks to their memory foam padding.
** Winner: Sony WH-1000XM5 **
Sonos Ace vs Sony WH-1000XM5: features
The Sonos Ace feature physical buttons. This might seem a bit of a backwards step, but buttons are more reliable than touch-capacitive controls, plus it’s easier to tell when your press has registered. It’s reassuring to see Sonos going for functionality over the more aesthetically pleasing touch panels. Plus the multi-functional slider is lovely to use.
As expected, the Ace have a compelling feature set. Bluetooth 5.4 is onboard, and lossless audio is supported via Snapdragon Sound’s aptX Lossless and Apple’s ALAC codecs. There’s no support for next-gen codecs like Auracast and LE Audio, but Sonos isn’t ruling it out in future. Wi-fi also isn’t supported (that was one of the most persistent rumours). It’s a shame, as it would mean tighter integration to a home Sonos system, but again, Sonos isn’t ruling it out for a future pair.
Battery life is an XM5-matching 30 hours with both Bluetooth and ANC activated. A fast charge gives you three hours of juice from a three-minute charge.
You get spatial audio with dynamic head tracking across music and movies with apps that support Dolby Atmos – so Dolby Atmos and 360 Reality Audio tracks in Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal and Deezer. Wear detection pauses/resumes playback when you take off/put on the headphones respectively, just like on the Sony XM5.
But Sonos has an ace up its sleeve: TV Audio Swap. This feature lets you play the sound from your Sonos Arc soundbar through your Sonos Ace headphones, so you can enjoy it in private. Swapping is done with one button press (in the app or on the headphones’ earcup), and is both seamless and instant. TrueCinema calibration adjusts the audio to your room layout so it sounds like you’re not listening through headphones, though this feature will launch at a later date.
The Sony XM5 use a 30mm carbon fibre composite driver that’s lightweight yet rigid. They share a lot of the same features as the XM4, including Sony’s DSEE Extreme engine to upscale compressed music to near hi-res quality, compatibility with Sony’s LDAC high-quality format, Quick Attention (which lets you lower the volume and have a conversation by covering the right earcup with your hand), and Speak to Chat (which pauses playback and lets in ambient sound when you start talking).
The XM5 also have Bluetooth multipoint, which lets them wirelessly connect to two devices simultaneously and switch between them seamlessly. Which is very handy if you’re listening to music from your phone but need to take a Zoom call on your laptop.
** Winner: Sonos Ace **
Sonos Ace vs Sony WH-1000XM5: sound
Our listening with the Sonos Ace has been limited to a brief demo, so we’re reserving final judgement on their sound quality for now. But our initial impressions are very good. Sonos has gone for clarity above all else in the presentation, with promises of crisp dialogue, and natural, intelligible voices.
Our demo suggested a clear, open sound that’s immediate and focused. Basslines seem snappy, while an orchestral piece seemed to revel in the headphones’ airy spaciousness. But these are all only first impressions – stay tuned for a full review.
We’ve had the Sony XM5 in as part of our comparative testing arsenal for two years now, so we’re very well acquainted with their sound. In terms of clarity and openness, they’re the ones to beat, while they have a precision in their low end that’s quite masterful in its execution. There’s more detail than their predecessors, and greater differentiation between notes, too.
** Winner: Sony WH-1000XM5 **
Sonos Ace vs Sony WH-1000XM5: noise cancellation
Again, we have to preface this section on the Sonos Ace with the same caveat: first impressions only, need a thorough test, etc. But we at least know how the ANC works. You can toggle between full ANC and Aware modes using the button on the right earcup. To turn ANC off, you need to use the mobile app.
We haven’t seen a final version of the app, and there’s no word on whether there will be different levels of noise cancellation. Our demo involved an artificial noise generator, and the different modes were obvious, but it’s no replacement for testing in the real world.
Sony’s headphones have long been among the best noise-cancellers around, and the XM5 are some of its finest yet. They feature eight mics (as do the Sonos Ace), and can automatically optimise the noise cancellation as your surroundings change, so it will adjust when you step from a quiet street into a busy cafe, and vice-versa. And you can switch between ANC and Ambient mode at the tap of a button.
** Winner: Sony WH-1000XM5 **
Sonos Ace vs Sony WH-1000XM5: early verdict
It’s early days yet – we have to withhold judgement until we’ve fully tested the Sonos Ace, so for now, out of the two pairs we can only recommend the Sony WH-1000XM5. As multi-Award winners, the XM5 are a fine pair of headphones, and if you can bide your time there are some awesome deals to be had.
But the Sonos Ace certainly look like strong challengers. They offer some unique features, and plush build quality with real attention to detail. Let’s hope that approach extends to the sound quality.
We’ll update this once we’ve reviewed the Sonos Ace.
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