Sonos Ace

Measured

Four rigs agree on the shape with noise cancelling on and Loudness off. On RTINGS' B&K 5128 the response runs 5–6 dB above RTINGS' own target from 80 to 150 Hz (about 3 dB above it in the deepest bass), close to target at 2–3 kHz, about 2 dB under at 4–5 kHz and 7 dB over at 6 kHz. Against a Sennheiser HD 600 on the same rig it carries 7–8 dB more at 100 Hz and about 6 dB more at 6 kHz on RTINGS', Kuulokenurkka's and DHRME's rigs alike. The Headphone Show's GRAS and 5128 measurements and an ASR member's show the same mid-bass hump and treble peak. RTINGS labels the result 'Warm'. Sonos ships the app's Loudness setting switched on, which adds roughly 3–7 dB more bass below 100 Hz depending on volume (Kuulokenurkka, DHRME); What Hi-Fi? recommends turning it off.

vs. listeners — The split follows who measures: the sources that publish a graph mostly land in the critical camp, while listening-only reviews mostly call the same headphone balanced. Few reviews say whether Loudness was left on, and RTINGS notes that glasses or thick hair can cost bass, so two listeners may not have heard the same low end.

Measured

The lift is a mid-bass hump rather than a sub-bass shelf: on RTINGS' rig it is about 3 dB over target at 20–50 Hz but 5–6 dB over from 80 to 150 Hz, and Kuulokenurkka's rig reads the same within a decibel. Against rivals on RTINGS' rig the Ace has about the same deep bass as Sony's WH-1000XM5 and 5–7 dB less than Sennheiser's Momentum 4 below 50 Hz, while carrying 6 dB more than the AirPods Max at 100 Hz. Loudness (on by default) adds 3–7 dB more below 100 Hz. Switching noise cancelling off changes the low end too, though the rigs disagree on the direction, and The Headphone Show found the headphone only compensates for a leaky seal with ANC or Aware mode on.

vs. listeners — Both complaints fit the curve: plenty of energy at 80–150 Hz reads as bloat against a neutral reference, and the modest sub-bass reads as 'light' next to bass-heavier rivals. RecordingNow's 'almost missing' bass goes further than any rig shows and is more likely a seal or settings difference.

Measured

SoundGuys measures an under-emphasis between 1.25 and 2 kHz; RTINGS' and Kuulokenurkka's curves dip 1.4–3 dB at 1.5 kHz and 2–6 dB at 4 kHz against their targets; The Headphone Show and Loud and Wireless both point to relaxed ear gain between 3 and 5 kHz, which softens vocal presence.

Measured

Every rig shows a peak around 5–6 kHz: about 7 dB over target at 6 kHz on RTINGS' rig and 8 dB on Kuulokenurkka's, about 6–7 dB above an HD 600 at 6 kHz on three rigs, and SoundGuys measures an over-emphasis from 5 to 8 kHz. The Headphone Show found the peak considerably worse on its GRAS head than on its B&K 5128, so its size varies with the ear. An ASR member measured a distortion peak at the same frequency. Above about 8 kHz the rigs disagree (−2 dB at 10 kHz on RTINGS', −14 dB on Kuulokenurkka's), so no top-octave figure is reliable. The app's treble slider lowers the whole range rather than flattening the peak (Kuulokenurkka).

vs. listeners — Both camps are describing the same 5–6 kHz peak: it is the 'sparkle' and 'sharpness' one side praises and the 'shrill' the other side objects to.

Measured

RTINGS' pinna-response test finds the Ace's interaction with the outer ear doesn't resemble angled stereo speakers, so spatial cues won't sound particularly natural. Kuulokenurkka attributes the sense of space to the tuning itself — slightly quiet 1.5–3 kHz with the 6 kHz region pushed forward. What Hi-Fi? found the congestion eased with noise cancelling off. Reviews of Dolby Atmos and TV Audio Swap playback are far more uniformly positive than those of plain stereo.

Measured

RTINGS reports excellent left/right driver matching in amplitude, phase and frequency. SoundGuys' praise came after turning the bass slider down to −5.

Measured

RTINGS finds no audible coloration from harmonic distortion; an ASR member measured a distortion peak around 5–6 kHz that rises at loud volumes. Kuulokenurkka notes that the 6 kHz emphasis makes the Ace seem more detailed 'in its own way', and The Headphone Show describes the same region as blurring cymbal hits.

Measured

Sonos lists 312 g — heavier than Sony's WH-1000XM5 (about 250 g) and lighter than the AirPods Max (about 385 g), as several reviews note. RTINGS adds that glasses or thick hair can break the seal and cost bass.

Measured

Sonos states the ear cushions are replaceable and the headphones are not rated for wet conditions. The owner headband reports found here number three — one on Sonos's own forum after about 22 months of daily use, a second member there who re-seated the same liner, and one SoundGuys reader — so this is a watch item, not an established fault.

Measured

After the June 2025 firmware SoundGuys measures about an 88 % reduction in the loudness of bus, train and aircraft noise, against 85 % for Bose's QuietComfort Ultra and 88 % for the AirPods Max, and cautions that a point or two means little. RTINGS rates the isolation outstanding and the leakage low. Loud and Wireless's post-update measurements still show Sony's WH-1000XM6 cancelling more across the range.

Measured

Launched at $449 in June 2024; as of this writing Sonos lists it at $349, beside the $449 Ace Ultra, and owners report open-box units far lower. TV Audio Swap needs a compatible Sonos soundbar and the Sonos app.