I switched from the Sony WH-1000XM5 to the Sonos Ace and was surprised

[Fringe Try]

I was excited when the Sonos Ace wireless headphones finally broke cover back in May.

They were originally rumoured back in 2021, and seeing the finished product for the first time had me wondering if the brand could just waltz into the wireless headphones market and bloody the noses of the likes of Bose and Sony at its first attempt.

I was also interested because my current dailies are the Sony WH-1000XM5, one of our long-time favourites and still, arguably, the premium wireless headphones to beat. So it's been out with the old and in with the new to see how Sonos's first-ever headphones shape up for everyday use...

 

You have to hand it to the Ace: side by side, I think they are the fresher design. The Sony’s large earcups are fairly non-descript and certainly bulkier than their Sonos counterparts. I’m always conscious of how far the cups stick out from the sides of my head and the Sonos blend in much better thanks to their shallower profile.  I do, however, like the more rounded headphone band on the Sonys. And, to me at least, it feels that there is a bit more cushioning with the Sony earpads. I also find my ears warming up slightly quicker when wearing the Sonos compared with the Sony – that could be due to the larger ear openings on the Sony allowing for a bit more breathing space. Having said that, the Sonos are comfortable enough to wear and the clamping pressure is well-judged.

 

Another area where the Ace have the edge in my eyes is the on-headphone controls. The Sony’s right surface is touch sensitive – you swipe up and down to change volume, forward and back to skip track and tap the middle to play and pause.

On the Ace, all this is distilled into the single content key, a shiny chrome button on the edge of the right earcup which you can slide and press. It’s more precise than the Sony’s touchpad which is vague in comparison.

 

I also like the way the jumps in volume level are nicely judged when you slide it up (or down) and hold it there – it’s a very gradual shift with no sudden big jumps. My only slight criticism is I don’t think it looks or feels particularly premium given it’s your key point of contact with the headphones.

Sonos also nails multipoint Bluetooth just as well as Sony. I’m impressed with not just how quickly the Ace power up and pair to my two devices (an iPhone 14 Plus and MacBook Pro) but how quickly the headphones switch over when moving from listening to music on my iPhone to watching a YouTube video on my laptop. It’s a feature I find myself using more and more during the work day and when it isn’t quick and seamless, it can be quite jarring. Great job, Sonos.