Sonos finally got it right with the Ace Ultra headphones. The original Ace headphones attempted to bring Sonos sound into your living room, but the feature barely worked. The Ace Ultra corrects that mistake, adds Wi-Fi streaming, and keeps the comfort the originals got right.
What The Original Ace Got Wrong
When the Sonos Ace headphones first came out, they included a standout feature called TV audio swap. That function allowed users to redirect audio from a Sonos soundbar to the headphones, letting people watch TV without disturbing others nearby. The feature had significant limitations, though. It only worked with the $1,000 Arc soundbar, it only supported a single pair of headphones at once, and it couldn’t link to the rest of the Sonos system for music streaming. Plus, it was glitchy.
The issues were resolved eventually, yet the harm had already occurred. The Ace were eclipsed by Sonos’s disastrous app redesign at launch, with the feature that should have been the centerpiece arriving instead as a mess.
The Ace Ultra Fix It
The Ace Ultra cost the same $449 as the original Ace at launch, though the original is now down to $349. They improve on what the Ace did well, and finally add the ability to pass audio from your Sonos system to the headphones and back. That’s the core difference.
Your system list will now include the headphones, and pressing the slider button lets you send music between them and any Sonos speaker or speaker group. The source material doesn’t matter — a record player, a CD player, or anything else — it all moves through. TV audio swap and headphone linking both rely on a Wi-Fi connection.
Comfort And Design Carry Over
The reviewer notes that the Ace Ultra keeps the exact appearance of the original, and they find that fact pleasing. Comfort lasts for long stretches, including while wearing glasses. The ear cups are soft and roomy, magnetic and easy to take off, and Sonos offers replacements for $39 a pair. Swapping the battery is possible, but a replacement kit costs $25, and the listing warns that the process demands tools, patience, and time.
The headphones carry over the physical buttons and the Content Key volume slider from the Ace rather than going with capacitive buttons like the Sony XM series or Bose QuietComfort Ultra. The reviewer was pleased with this choice and glad Sonos stuck with the actual buttons on the Ace Ultra. The Content Key responds fast and is simple to reach even when the headphones are on.
The Sonos System Now Works
The early Sonos system didn’t include much beyond TV audio swap, and that was all the original Ace offered. The Ace Ultra changes that, though it comes with a warning attached, by adding headphone linking. Your headphones will appear in your system list, and you can switch music between speakers and headphones with a press of the slider button.
The system isn’t perfect. Occasionally you need to press the button more than once for the transfer to work. When you move audio from speakers to headphones and then try to send it back later, it returns to the nearest speaker in your setup, not necessarily the one or group that was playing originally. Restoring it to a speaker group must be handled through the Sonos app. The headphones themselves can’t be added to any speaker groups either.
A pleasant feature is that when music plays on separate speakers, moving the sound to headphones from one speaker leaves the others untouched. Sonos says headphone linking is still in early access, which means the experience might not stay the same.
Wi-Fi Audio Still Has Room To Improve
Wi-Fi audio streaming offers a major benefit: its greater bandwidth supports hi-res and lossless audio. The Ace Ultra isn’t using that capability at the moment, though. During the headphone linking early access period, the audio streamed over Wi-Fi with headphone linking is compressed.
Andrew Sutherland, who serves as senior director of product management at Sonos, explained to The Verge via email that the company’s current priority is ensuring the core listening experience is truly solid and reliable. That goal is pursued through a high-quality, lossy-compressed stereo audio stream optimized for delivery over Wi-Fi. “We’ve been really happy with the results,” He said that. “We’ll continue to build out its capabilities from there.”
It makes sense to proceed carefully, but it’s disappointing that Sonos released a product with one of its flagship features still in beta.
Bluetooth Is The Place To Get Hi-Res
The Ace Ultra only support lossless audio over Bluetooth with aptX Lossless and a compatible device, or over USB-C. The wired USB-C or 3.5mm connection maxes out at 16-bit/48kHz, so there’s no high-res audio. There will surely be lots of debate on the forums about the lack of high-res support, but the reality is most people won’t be missing anything.
Sound And ANC Have Improved
The redesigned drivers measure 40mm and outperform the ones found on the original Ace, and an adaptive EQ continually makes changes based on how well they sit in your ears and anything blocking them, like glasses’ temples or earrings. The bass is richer without overpowering vocals, most evident in songs with a thumping low end, like Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy.”. The kick drum carries real weight through the verse and chorus, pushing the energy along, while the bass line underneath keeps supporting the singer’s voice.
There’s also good stereo separation on “Killer Queen” by Queen.
Comparing The Two Headphones
| Feature | Original Ace | Ace Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Price at launch | $449 | $449 |
| Current price | $349 | $449 |
| TV audio swap | Glitchy, limited to Arc soundbar | Fixed, works with any Sonos system |
| Headphone linking | None | In early access |
| Wi-Fi audio | None | Lossy during early access |
| Hi-res support | None | Over Bluetooth/aptX Lossless, no wired high-res |
| Comfort | Yes | Yes |
The Bottom Line
These headphones correct the flaws present in the original Ace from the very beginning. They repair the TV audio swap issue, add headphone linking, and preserve the comfortable design. The sole real complaints concern the lossy Wi-Fi audio during early access and the inability to group headphones with speakers.
The headphones Sonos should have made the first time are the Ace Ultra. If comfort paired with Sonos system compatibility is what you’re after, these are the ones to get.
Source material: “The Sonos Ace Ultra are the headphones Sonos should have made the first time,” The Verge.
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