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Sonos has had a memorable few years, for better or worse. Following a much publicized app rollout in 2024 that
alienated longtime fans, the audio brand is getting back to what it does best — making great audio products. In spring, the brand dropped a new portable speaker, and this week released a new soundbar and a sequel to the Ace headphones, dubbed the Ace Ultra.
The Ace Ultra headphones feature some meaningful improvements over the O.G’s (which impressed us when we first tried them out), although whether they do enough to stand out in the crowded headphone market is another question.
The basics: they have up to 35 hours of battery life with a replaceable battery, adaptive ANC, spatial audio and Dolby Atmos, physical controls, a new driver, and they cost $449. They’re also meant to integrate seamlessly with your existing setup; you can send audio from your Sonos speaker to your headphones and back (this feature is still in early access).
Sonos Ace Ultra Headphones
Pros: Sleek design; satisfying and intuitive tactile controls; solid audio and ANC performance
Cons: Pricey; Non-Sonos users might not benefit from all of the features
Colors: Black, Soft White, Agave, Sand
Battery Life: Up to 35 hours
Design and Construction
Not much has changed on the outside of the headphones between the Ace and Ace Ultra, although there are a few new colors available. There’s black and white, as usual, plus “sand and “agave.” My review unit is agave, which kinda just looks gray to me, albeit a pretty nice shade of gray.
The headphones’ earcups rotate outward to lay completely flat, keeping the case fairly slim. The case has a felted exterior, and a magnetic pouch on the inside holds a 3.5mm to USB-C and USB-C to USB-C cable.
A big upgrade is the inclusion of a user-replaceable battery — it’s something more headphone brands have been doing, and it nods to the growing interest in right-to-repair and overall sustainability. You can already buy a battery kit for $25 on Sonos’ site, which hopefully shouldn’t be needed anytime soon. The earpads are also user-replaceable.
Out of the box, they’re very comfortable — the earpads and headband are thin, keeping the headphones from feeling too heavy, but they’re padded enough for all-day comfort.
Controls and Features
Everything runs through the Sonos app, which has been redesigned as part of the brand’s Sonos 27 platform. Sonos 27 includes some AI stuff, naturally, as well as improvements to how the speakers in your system interact.
As for the Ace Ultras, the aforementioned linking feature lets you seamlessly move your audio from your headphones to your Sonos speakers, making them a more integrated part of the brand’s ecosystem. You can also connect your soundbar to the headphones for private listening if you’re the type to watch movies late at night, although it’s not a new feature.
Many of these improvements are naturally targeted at Sonos enthusiasts who already have a number of devices in their home, but the headphones are still worth considering even if you’re not a Sonos superfan.
The app gets you features like customizable EQ and noise-canceling, and you can turn on head tracking for spatial audio. The headphones have tactile controls, which are intuitive, and have a satisfying response when you press them. There’s a button for power/pairing, a button to adjust ANC, and a slider for raising the volume and controlling playback.
Sound Quality and Noise-Canceling
In terms of noise-canceling, the gap is clearly narrowing between the Sonys and Boses of the world and their rivals, but it’s not all the way closed. The noise-canceling is solid, capably blocking loud noises, but some sounds still seep through. Aware mode likewise does a good job of letting outside sounds in while still letting you enjoy your music.
Sound quality is solid, if not quite as detailed as headphones from hi-fi brands like Sennheiser. There’s enough thump in the bass without going overboard, and vocals sound balanced and clear. You can listen over USB-C for a lossless connection, while the headphones support AAC, Apple’s default Bluetooth audio codec for iOS devices, and aptX, a high-resolution codec available on some Android devices. And if the stock sound isn’t to your liking, you can play around with the EQ in the app.
Verdict
Sonos’ Ace Ultra headphones deliver solid noise-canceling and crisp, engaging audio in a package that’s stylishly understated. If you have Sonos speakers, you can switch between them and your headphones with a tap. It’s a clever feature, although one that not everyone will need.
But even if you’re not deep in Sonos-world, the headphones are still a great option for everyday use, from long-haul flights to office use. Did Sonos do quite enough to stand out from the pack? That’s a harder call to make. But regardless, Sonos delivered an excellent pair of headphones, with the attention to detail the brand is known for.
Sonos Ace Ultra Headphones
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