Full Breakdown
Sonos Ace Ultra Headphones: A Detailed Look at the Updated Model
By Drooid · · How we work
Background – The Original Ace and Its Shortcomings
Sonos introduced the Ace headphones as a comfortable option that could reroute audio from a Sonos soundbar to the earbuds for silent TV listening. At launch the feature only worked with the $1,000 Arc soundbar and supported a single pair of headphones; the headphones could not stream music from the broader Sonos system. A later app redesign was widely criticized, further dampening the original Ace’s impact.
Key Personnel
Andrew Sutherland – Senior Director of Product Management, Sonos.
Specifications and Design
- Price: $449 (the original Ace now retails for $349).
- Weight: 0.71 lb.
- Colors: Black, White, Agave, Sand.
- Drivers: New 40 mm units with an adaptive 8-band EQ that adjusts for fit and obstructions.
- Battery: User-replaceable; replacement kit $25, requires tools.
- Ear Cups: Magnetic, removable; spares $39.
- Controls: Physical tactile buttons and a “Content Key” slider that also functions as a button.
- Audio Support: Lossless playback over USB-C; Wi-Fi-based headphone linking streams a high-quality, lossy-compressed stereo signal during early access.
Integration with the Sonos Ecosystem
The Ace Ultra adds “headphone linking,” allowing the headphones to appear in the Sonos system list. Pressing the slider button moves any audio source—TV, music, or other inputs—from any speaker or group to the headphones and back. The transfer uses Wi-Fi rather than Bluetooth, offering higher bandwidth, though the current implementation remains lossy.
When audio is pulled from speakers to the headphones, the return path defaults to the nearest speaker, requiring manual reassignment in the Sonos app. The headphones cannot be grouped with speakers, a design choice Sonos justifies by assuming users do not need simultaneous playback on both devices.
Performance Assessment
The 40 mm drivers deliver richer bass without overwhelming vocals, with strong stereo separation on tracks like Queen’s “Killer Queen.” The adaptive EQ improves midrange clarity, though busier tracks still reveal limitations.
Active noise cancellation (ANC) is stronger than on the original Ace and now includes an adaptive mode, but it trails the ANC performance of Sony’s XM6, Bose Ultra, and Apple AirPods Max 2, especially in the mid-range and higher frequencies. In calls, the Ace Ultra isolates the speaker’s voice effectively, though outdoor street-noise reduction is less robust than competing models.
Limitations and Early-Access Concerns
Headphone linking is still in early access, and occasional failures required multiple button presses. The lossy Wi-Fi stream means the promised hi-res benefit is not yet realized. Sonos has not disclosed the duration of the early-access period.
Future Outlook
Because headphone linking relies on the broader Sonos ecosystem, the Ace Ultra is most valuable to existing Sonos users who already own compatible soundbars (e.g., the $219 Ray) and speakers. For newcomers, competing headphones such as Sony’s WH-1000XM6 or XM5 offer stronger ANC and comparable sound quality at lower price points.
The Ace Ultra’s early-access status suggests further software refinements, potentially moving from lossy to lossless Wi-Fi streaming and improving transfer reliability. Until those updates arrive, the headphones represent a solid, comfortable upgrade over the original Ace but remain a niche product tied closely to the Sonos ecosystem.