Sonos Ace in the test: first-class over-ear headphones, perfect for Sonos fans

With Sonos Ace, US multiroom audio pioneer Sonos is breaking new ground. Until now, the Californian has been known mainly for its high-quality speakers such as the Era 100 (test report), Era 300 (test report) or Sonos Move (test report) as well as sound bars such as the Sonos Arc (test) Let’s go. Report), which can easily fill the entire house with sound. Now the best high-end sound can be offered on the go – with the first over-ear headphones, Sonos Ace.

The Sonos Ace has everything you expect from a premium headphone in this price range: excellent active noise cancellation, long battery life, Bluetooth 5.4, multipoint support, high wearing comfort and first-class workmanship. On top of that, there’s Dolby Atmos for an immersive 3D sound experience as well as seamless integration into Sonos systems. In our test report, we examine the question of whether Sonos can catch up with the headphone elite with its ambitious debut headphones. First up: the bar is now very high for the Apple AirPods Max (test report), Bose QuietComfort Ultra (test report) and Sony WH-1000XM5 (test report).

Sonos stays true to itself with its first headphones and relies entirely on a simple, unassuming design in matte black or white. At first glance, the Ace, with its oval ear cups and wide, padded headband, is somewhat reminiscent of the Sennheiser Momentum 4 (test report) or the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (test report).

The quality of workmanship is at the highest level. Both the ear cups and headband are mostly made of sturdy plastic. Strong metal hinges are used at the connection between the shell and bracket, allowing infinite size adjustment. This means that the Ace adapts to virtually any head size.

At 312 grams, the Sonos headphones are comparatively heavy. It’s still very comfortable to wear on your head thanks to the generous padding made of soft faux leather on both the headband and ear cups. There is no pressure here even during listening sessions that last for several hours. Great: The ear pads can be easily removed and replaced thanks to the magnetic holder.

Overall, the Ace looks very high quality and elegant with its matte black plastic housing and subtle logo. Here understatement is clearly in the foreground. The ear cups are also pleasantly flat. Even when worn, the headphones retain their slim, modern appearance.

It’s a shame: Ace can’t be folded. Included in the delivery is at least one compact felt protective bag with a separate storage compartment for the cables. The felt bag makes a high-quality impression with its strong zipper.

As a high-end specialist, Sonos sets the bar high when it comes to sound – and meets your needs. The Sonos Ace shines with first-class, perfectly balanced sound that leaves nothing to be desired.

Dynamic 40mm drivers in each earcup, which cover a wide frequency spectrum, are responsible for this. Whether bass-heavy EDM, guitar-driven rock or complex jazz – Ace masters every genre. Instruments can be clearly positioned, voices sound natural and present. Even at high volumes, the sound remains clean and defined, and there is practically no distortion. The bass performance is also pleasing. The low notes are rich and powerful, but always appear precise and understandable.

In the distance of sound we see some weaknesses in the sound. The music sometimes seems as if the stage is too small and the sound too close to the ear. If Sonos manages to expand the sound space for the Ace’s successor, we’ll have nothing to complain about.

SBC, AAC and aptX lossless are supported as Bluetooth codecs, enabling lossless transmission even without cables. Alternatively, the Ace can also be connected via USB-C or jack;

A special sound highlight is Dolby Atmos support. Once you pair the Ace with a compatible Sonos soundbar like the second-generation Sonos Arc (test report), Sonos Ray (test report) or Sonos Beam (test report), it transforms into surround headphones at the push of a button. goes. , Thanks to head tracking, surround sound effects are simulated. This gives films the impression that noise is literally coming from everywhere. In practice it feels exceptionally spatial and thrilling. With the Intelligent Sonos System, sound switches seamlessly between the soundbar and headphones. Great for those who want to enjoy their favorite blockbuster at night without disturbing their neighbours/kids/wife.

Sonos Ace in the test: first-class over-ear headphones, perfect for Sonos fans

As usual with Sonos, the Ace is set up and controlled through the Sonos app. After registration you will find some useful functions here. For example, you can set up the voice assistant for Dolby Atmos or activate head tracking.

We would like the equalizer included in the app to be a bit more comprehensive. Only bass and treble can be adjusted here; You won’t get the mids. However, the sound is already well tuned, so you don’t really need to tinker with it much.

The rest of the functions can be controlled directly on the headphones. On the left side there is a button for power and Bluetooth pairing, and on the right side there is a button for ANC mode. If you press and hold the latter, the voice assistant already set up in the app is activated. A pressure-sensitive slider on the right earcup is also used to control volume and playback.

Overall, the operation is easy. It’s great that Sonos has abandoned error-prone touch surfaces altogether and instead relied on physical buttons and sliders. Wear detection for automatic stopping also worked reliably in testing.

The Ace can be paired with almost any modern smartphone, tablet or laptop via Bluetooth 5.4. It also supports multipoint, which means it can be connected to two devices at the same time, like a cell phone and a notebook. Automatic switching works reliably and without interruptions – exemplary.

With a capacity of 1060 mAh, the battery size of the Sonos Ace is quite large. Sonos promises a runtime of up to 30 hours or 24 hours with noise cancellation active. And indeed: In testing, even with ANC permanently on and medium to high volume, it took 25 hours for the headphones to go into power-saving mode. An excellent value!

Sonos relies on fast charging via USB-C for the Ace. According to the manufacturer, just three minutes of plug-in is enough for three hours of musical enjoyment – ​​this information has been confirmed in practice. It took about three hours to fully charge.

The Sonos Ace supports Bluetooth 5.4, which is the highest version of the wireless standard currently. In practice, this means a higher range and a latency-free, hassle-free connection for the player. Exemplary: Sonos leaves no stone unturned when it comes to codec support. In addition to the standard codecs SBC and AAC, aptX lossless is also supported – high-resolution audio is also possible without cables. Still, you can of course also connect the Ace to a source analog using the included USB-C to jack cable.

The eight integrated microphones work reliably, and in testing we could well understand the person we were talking to on the phone, even in loud ambient noise.

A special feature of Ace is support for Dolby Atmos. Using head tracking, the headphones detect head movements in real time and spatially optimize playback. In combination with an Atmos-enabled Sonos soundbar, it creates a realistic 3D sound effect that goes far beyond traditional stereo sound. It worked surprisingly well in testing and should please movie and gaming fans in particular.

Although it was rarely possible to find cheap prices on Sonos in the past, the quality offered justifies the high price. After all, you get one of the best ANC headphones with excellent sound, exemplary workmanship, and a wide range of functions.

The surcharge on Bose & Co.’s similarly equipped model is especially worthwhile for owners of compatible Sonos products, as the Ace fits seamlessly into an existing system.

With the Ace, Sonos is making a notable foray into the headphone segment. Beautiful looks, great wearing comfort, excellent sound and well-thought-out smart features leave no stone unturned. Small weaknesses like the high price and rudimentary EQ alone tarnish the very good overall impression somewhat. Still, the Sonos Ace can hold its own in the premium segment and is an exciting new choice – and not just for Sonos fans.