Sonos Ace HONEST Review and Comparison to AirPods Max!

Sonos in May decided to get into the headphone market with the launch of the Sonos Ace headphones. The $449 Sonos Ace headphones have some enticing design elements and features you won't see in Apple's headphones, so we thought we'd compare them to the $549 AirPods Max to see which is ultimately better.

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⏱️ CHAPTERS
00:00 - Intro
00:27 - Design & Comfort
01:24 - Buttons and Headbands
02:46 - Magnetic Ear Cups
03:21 - Sound Quality
04:00 - ANC & Transparency Modes
04:29 - Home Theater Experience
07:09 - Carrying Case, Battery Life, etc...
08:14 - Price & Availability

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[Natak]

Man, appreciate you just saying which you prefer straight off the bat. Im'a watch the full video anyway to see how you got to that conclusion but really appreciate that

[Johnnyhaag]

I'll just wait for the airpods max been waiting awhile already anyways..

[BerryStraw]

Just to add that the AirPods Max have 4 years old technology…
Mine work as good as day 1 and I love them.

[lucafrancis]

I won’t lie, if you have an Apple phone it changes everything. The ease of use is much better with the AirPods Max and the transparency mode is far far better along with better noise cancelling. I personally prefer the feel of the AirPods Max but each to their own

[blakephotographytexas]

There is zero reason to buy the AirPods Max right now unless they come down in price. They were released four years ago and are still the same price they were the day they released. Supposedly they are releasing AirPods Max 2 later this year, so if you are wanting the Apple ecosystem, just wait.

[TacoXL]

AirPods use a lightning port still. That makes them a no for me.

[dhkgkgf]

The Sonos Ace seems like a good product but it's still being compared with older headphones.
We'll have to wait and see how they stack up with upcoming ones.
Also, products evolve these days with new software updates and Sonos Ace seems like it could get some pretty decent ones.

WIth that said there is a reason why the Sonos Ace is high in my list versus the upcoming Airpods Max 2.
Compatibility.

The Airpods Max are great....when they are connected to other Apple products. And we all know the Airpods Max 2 will be great as long as they are connected to other Apple products.

Even if many of us here have Apple products, we also have decent number of non-Apple products.
We may have an iPhone but decided to get a Samsung Galaxy Tab. Perhaps we have a Mac but also an office PC laptop.
We might have a PS5 or Xbox and set-top box from our TV provider that runs on some other random system. Or a Google TV connected to a bedroom tv.

As cool as the quality-of-life features in the Airpods Max are, it sucks that when I connect to an Android device, spatial audio and headtracking are gone.
Watch a movie on an Android tablet while on holidays? No Spatial audio.
Count the number of devices you have and see how many you can't fully take advantage because Apple doesn't do much to support other products.

I like Sonos solution because it removes the barrier. Whatever is connected to the Arc gets the same spatial audio + headtracking treatment.
Be it iOS or Android they take advantage of all the features. I can even use a BT 5.4 usb dongle lke the FMA120 connected to my iPad or PC/Mac and get Aptx Lossless. Apple will never release a USB dongle to support their audio technology in a 3rd party product.

And their products work well with Apple as well. They have Airplay 2. Sonos has apps for most systems. iOS, Google, Windows, Mac.

[cdavidhord]

If you are flying, you can connect your Sonos to the display in front of you with the included usb c to 3.5 mm connector and enjoy a long flight with their entertainment. I don't think the Apple can do this and there would be no other way to connect it to the inflight TV system.

[MrDexterSr]

As someone who is invested in both ecosystems, I’m torn. I will wait to see the next iteration of AirPods Max before making a decision 👍🏾.

[FPSWizard]

Torn here. I have Apple TV’s on every TV with some form of Sonos sound bar lol. Decisions decisions. Been holding out for the Max 2’s. Just no telling how long. Great review!

[mbs]

What about comparing them to Bose Quietcomfort ultra headphones?

[michaelrenfro]

Great and concise comparison video of probably 2 best headphones on the market. I am a Sonos user with about 9 speakers and an Arc in my house. But I am also an Apple user with 3 Apple computers and 3 Apple TV boxes. So, I decided to pop for the AirPods Max on Prime Day at $394 to work with my broad Apple ecosystem including iPad and Phones.  

I may still buy the Sonos Ace as I love their products and have an Arc but am disappointed that they did not choose to define the headphones as a separate speaker to be used within the ecosystem. It can only be used with the Arc (which I have) and then everything else is bluetooth. Doesn't make sense for a wifi based system. 

Depending on my experience with the Max, I may not even buy the Ace, but we'll see and I'll try to update my post with my decision in the near future.

[Ezeani]

Insane how a 2024 device is still neck to neck with one that was released in 2020

[KerryBuchanan]

THANK YOU for giving your ultimate decision right at the start, but I'm still watching the whole things because I want to here your thoughts

[stevenstutz]

Hello Dan, thank you for another wonderful video, I always enjoy your balanced and realistic perspective on Apple’s products. I appreciate that you do not pressure your viewers/listeners (MacRumors Show) to purchase every new iteration of products Apple releases. As far as Headphones go I definitely would like to give the Sonos Ace a listen but, the fact that you need to have other Sonos gear is a dealbreaker for me since I do not have a Sonos Soundbar. There are three reasons for that:

1. None of Sonos’s current Soundbars have an HDMI Input, this means that they do not support Dolby Vision nor Dolby Atmos pass-through. Although my TV does support Dolby Vision, it does not support Dolby Atmos pass-through since the Generation M-Series TV that I purchased does not have a compatible HDMI connection. This means that I cannot plug my Apple TV 4K through a Sonos Arc where I could get Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos at the same time. Maybe Sonos will update the Arc to have an HDMI Input but at the moment, Sonos is not an option for me.

2. I know that most manufacturers have all switched to having metal grills on their Soundbars but to me, metal grills give any speaker a more shrill, artificial and tinny sound which I personally do not particularly care for. The last Soundbar Samsung made that had a fabric grill/cover, the HW-Q950A sounded absolutely amazing! But when Samsung switched to having a metal grill with the HW-Q960 ”?” things went down hill. The Samsung HW-Q990C last year finally improved upon that to some extent and hopefully this year’s Samsung HW-Q990D will improve on that even further. The Samsung Soundbars do in fact support Dolby Vision + Dolby Atmos pass-through since they have HDMI Inputs. The current iteration of the Sonos Arc sounds shrill, tinny and artificial to me and I don’t really care for it. Again, that’s just my personal feeling and I’m not trying to hate on Sonos or on anyone who has a Sonos Arc and absolutely loves it.

3. I already own AirPods Max and an Apple TV which means not only do can I enjoy Spatial/Dolby Atmos Audio with supported content when I use my AirPods Max, but I also enjoy Dolby Vision on my TV. The entry price to get the Sonos Ace would be cheaper for the headphones, but the overall cost would be way more expensive since I’d have to get a Sonos Soundbar to get all of the benefits from Sonos’s ecosystem. The entry price as you mentioned to get into Apple’s ecosystem is a $129 Apple TV, and a pair of AirPods Max which you can get for $449 brand new very often, and sometimes cheaper than that if you get a pair from Best Buy in Open-Box Excellent Condition.

I will say this, the Sonos Five, the Sonos Move (Generations 1 & 2), are all very good sounding speakers! The Era 300’s, which do support Dolby Atmos, and the Era 100’s, which do not support Dolby Atmos, sound pretty good as well. Not as good as the Sonos Five or Move speakers but good nonetheless. If someone wants a Soundbar system because that’s all they have room for or they prefer the esthetics of having a streamlined sound system, I would definitely recommend giving the Samsung HW-Q990D a listen. Best Buy currently has it for $1, 699.99 on sale and with it you get two Atmos capable surround speakers, the soundbar, and a subwoofer. To get the same kind of setup with Sonos you’re looking at having to spend $2, 076 on sale which is $376 more.

Thanks again for your video and I hope this comment is helpful to you and your viewers. 😊

[ChipDizard]

Just got Sonos Ace and I am glad with my purchase.

[jonshearer]

How does the Sonos Ace work with Dolby Atmos from iOS Apple Music app?

[SwatBeatsOfficial]

The plastic build and bulky case make the Sonos a no go for me. I’m heavily invested in the Sonos ecosystem, but these headphones don’t seem travel friendly. I also prefer the ear-cup fabric and general design on the AirPods Max.

[jackstephan]

Very good review. What is the transparency feature you mentioned?

[thebrycerodgers]

This may be obvious - can I use my Sonos Ace with an Apple TV and still get Atmos, Spatial, and head tracking? Or can I only get those features with an Arc?