I've Worn These Headphones Longer Than Any Sony Or Bose Pair In 2026 - Here's Why

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Sonos Ace were released successful mid-2024, but they're not nan aforesaid headphones today.
• They'll entreaty astir to Sonos fans who request a backstage TV-watching solution successful their home.
• Those extracurricular nan Sonos ecosystem will find much enjoyment from Sonos' competitors. 

It's been a twelvemonth and a half since Sonos released its first brace of user headphones, and though they made waves erstwhile they first dropped, really person they fared erstwhile nan hype died down? I've worn nan Sonos Ace often since their June 2024 release, and I person a overmuch sharper knowing of their strengths and weaknesses.

Also: The champion headphones of 2026

If you're successful a earnestly committed narration pinch Sonos' location theatre products and often find yourself incapable to usage them erstwhile your partner, kids, roommates, aliases neighbors discontinue for nan night, you'll find nan astir worth successful nan Sonos Ace, some wrong and extracurricular your home. 

If you person Sonos soundbars but don't scheme to usage nan TV Audio Swap feature, aliases if you don't person Sonos soundbars astatine all, you'll miss retired connected these headphones' champion feature, and you'll beryllium amended disconnected buying from Apple, Sony, aliases Bose.

Sonos gave nan Ace headphones a awesome package update for their first day past summer, addressing nan biggest complaints I had astir them. With nan caller updates and complete a twelvemonth of usage successful mind, here's nan champion proposal I tin springiness you to thief you make a buying decision.

A thoughtful creation and immense comfort

Jada Jones/ZDNET

The Ace are a good-looking brace of user headphones; they're much elegant than nan utilitarian Sony WH-1000XM6 aliases nan sporty Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2, defined by cleanable lines and slimmer earcups. They abide by Sonos' ethos of modern, elemental design, pinch subtle yet meaningful choices that make them easy to deterioration and perceive to.

One of my favourite creation elements is nan Ace's Content Key, a multifunction fastener you tin property aliases descent to execute a bid of commands. I for illustration it to Apple's integer crown because it's placed successful nan mediate of nan backmost of nan correct earcup, making it easier to reach. 

Also: I tested Bose and Sony's flagship headphones for months - really each wins (or falls flat)

Also, it's textured otherwise from nan powerfulness button, making it easy to place by touch, compared to different headphones pinch aggregate multifunction buttons that consciousness nan same.

The Sonos Ace are easy nan astir comfortable headphones successful my armada; they're lighter than Apple's AirPods Max, connection a much relaxed clamping unit than Sony's WH-1000XM6, and person wider earcups than Bose's QuietComfort Ultra 2. I tin deterioration them for hours erstwhile moving astatine my desk, traveling, and binge-watching "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" precocious astatine night.

Dynamic and vibrant sound

Jada Jones/ZDNET

The Sonos Ace person a vibrant, lively, and move sound characterized by a salient bass and treble response. They person a wider soundstage than the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, and Dolby Atmos compatibility provides amended entity imaging erstwhile watching TV shows and movies.

The Ace's breathtaking sound floor plan makes them astir compatible pinch genres of a akin character, specified arsenic pop, electronic, and hip-hop. Their bass consequence tin muddle astatine precocious volume, but there's an enjoyable treble shine. The Ace aren't nan champion action for captious listening, but they tin easy get you successful nan groove.

Also: I listened to earbuds pinch Bose's AI sound cancelling, and can't spell backmost to regular ANC

The Ace don't sound arsenic elaborate arsenic nan Sony WH-1000XM6, but their bold sound floor plan has a cinematic consciousness primed for enjoying podcasts, movies, and TV shows. If you want headphones tuned to activity good pinch a wide scope of genres, you should see what Sony has to offer. The Sonos app has a constricted equalizer for nan Ace, truthful if you want greater power complete your headphones' sound, spell pinch Sony.

TV Audio Swap: gimmick aliases axenic genius?

TV Audio Swap is nan Ace's standout feature, allowing users to easy link their Ace headphones to a compatible Sonos soundbar. During my first testing, I didn't spot a immense request for it, but now I usage it each nan time. My partner useful overnight, and connected a lazy Sunday, I tin watch TV successful afloat clarity while cooking aliases doing laundry, each without disturbing his sleep.

Also: I changed 3 settings connected my Sonos soundbar to instantly amended nan audio performance

I person to beryllium fair; Bose did nan "connect your headphones to your soundbar" point first, but Sonos does it amended by utilizing Wi-Fi. Bose's exertion uses a specialized Bluetooth connection, while nan Ace pass pinch your soundbar via your location network. Using Wi-Fi alternatively than Bluetooth provides much unchangeable connections, little latency, and greater state to move astir your house. 

Jada Jones/ZDNET

I often ran into bugs erstwhile engaging nan Ace successful TV Audio Swap, but since their package overhaul past summer, my issues subsided. The Ace's package update besides allows 2 Ace headphones to link to a azygous compatible Sonos soundbar, enabling 2 users to watch TV together privately. This characteristic is akin to Apple's, which allows 2 pairs of AirPods aliases Beats headphones to link to 1 Apple TV. 

Also: I tried a Bluetooth Auracast receiver successful my location theater, and it's a near-perfect setup for me

Sonos offers TrueCinema, a characteristic that measures nan room acoustics successful nan abstraction wherever your soundbar is and applies them to nan spatial audio from nan headphones. This characteristic wasn't disposable until a twelvemonth aft nan Ace's release, but its preamble strengthens TV Audio Swap's allure. Once I calibrated my Ace headphones, I noticed an betterment successful their Dolby Atmos pinch caput search performance.

What I'd for illustration to spot successful nan adjacent model

There's a captious area Sonos needs to amended pinch nan adjacent procreation of nan Ace headphones: microphones. The Ace's noise-canceling and sound pickup abilities (two jobs that high-performing microphones and noise-canceling algorithms are responsible for) are subpar for $400 headphones. Although nan Ace's summertime 2025 package update improved sound clarity and sound cancellation, nan improvements are astir noticeable erstwhile wearing them indoors.

Also: Why I'm recommending Google's Pixel Buds successful 2026 (after years of passing connected them)

A caller adaptive sound cancellation algorithm did amended my at-home listening experience, wherever blankets, hoodies, and pillows tin interfere. Additionally, nan Ace are astir effective astatine canceling noises successful nan mid-to-low frequencies, specified arsenic a container instrumentality aliases aerial conditioner. The Ace struggle pinch real-world distractions, specified arsenic traffic, conversational chatter, and sudden, crisp noises. Bose and Sony are amended equipped here.

Jada Jones/ZDNET

The package update besides introduced SideTone, a characteristic that lets you perceive yourself amended while talking pinch nan headphones on. SideTone is different characteristic that performs good successful a controlled environment, specified arsenic your surviving room, but its contemporaries usage mics and voice-isolation algorithms amended successful uncontrolled environments.

Also: Bose's QuietComfort Ultra shows nan institution still outperforms Apple successful 1 cardinal area

If their noise-canceling abilities were better, their $400 value tag would beryllium much justified, and nan Ace would beryllium much competitory to consumers extracurricular of nan Sonos ecosystem. While domiciled wrong nan ecosystem, nan Ace are wonderful. Yet, erstwhile you time off it, you don't summation overmuch successful return. For an other $50 to $60, you tin get much powerful, intuitive sound cancellation from Sony aliases Bose.

ZDNET's buying advice

The Sonos Ace are a awesome action for Sonos fans and those looking to participate nan company's ecosystem. They excel successful quiet to moderately noisy environments, are highly comfortable to deterioration for hours astatine a time, and play their domiciled good arsenic your in-home, backstage hold of your Sonos soundbars. If you person a Sonos soundbar successful astatine slightest 1 room successful your location and request a backstage listening solution, you can't spell incorrect pinch nan Ace.

If you can't envision yourself utilizing TV Audio Swap, aliases you don't person Sonos soundbars, you'll find that nan Ace autumn level for their price, and you should see different options. The Apple AirPods Max person autochthonal integration pinch your iOS devices, nan Sony WH-1000XM6 person much elaborate sound and equalizer settings, and nan Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) connection reliable capacity successful each environment.