Sonos decided to enter the headphone market in May 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.
In terms of design, both the Sonos Ace and the ‌AirPods Max‌ are in-ear headphones that have a premium look, but the ‌AirPods Max‌ have a better feel due to the aluminum material. While Apple opted for brushed aluminum earcups in a range of colors, Sonos opted for recycled plastic in black or white.
Both have a minimal aesthetic, but the lack of aluminum makes the Sonos Ace lighter and more comfortable to wear. The ‌AirPods Max‌ are 13.6 ounces and the Sonos Ace weighs 11 ounces. Two ounces may not sound like a lot, but it does make a difference in comfort. The ‌AirPods Max‌ also tend to fit tightly to the head, which the Sonos Ace doesn’t, so overall it’s easier to wear the Sonos Ace with a slimmer fit.
The ear cups on the Sonos Ace are made of memory foam covered in vegan leather, and the Apple ear cups are made of mesh acoustic fabric, which is said to conduct sound better than other materials. The Sonos Ace soft ear cups will probably be more comfortable for most people, but due to the nature of the fabric, they may be less breathable. Apple created a U-shaped mesh headband with telescoping arms, while the Sonos Ace uses the same vegan leather material with telescoping arms as well.
You can’t fold the ‌AirPods Max‌ and you can’t fold the Sonos Ace either, but Sonos made a better case. It is thin, light and offers full protection, unlike the unpopular case that Apple offers for ‌AirPods Max‌.
Sound quality is similar, but the Sonos app has an adjustable EQ to tune the sound to your liking, something you can’t do on the ‌AirPods Max‌. Both support surround sound and Dolby Atmos, and Sonos’ surround sound is just as impressive as Apple’s. The Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency options work pretty much the same, and while Apple has the best Transparency mode, Sonos is close behind.
You can pair the ‌AirPods Max‌ and the Sonos Ace with a TV, but for the AirPods you’ll need an Apple TV at $129, and for the Sonos Ace you’ll need an Arc Soundbar, which is $719. Sonos plans to add Ace integration to its other soundbars, but none are cheap.
Both pair with iPhone, iPad and Mac without additional hardware, but with ‌AirPods Max‌, you get better connectivity with quick switching and one-tap pairing. Pairing the Sonos Ace is more of a problem because it uses standard Bluetooth without automatic pairing via iCloud, so you’ll have to manually reconnect when you change devices.
Sonos headphones are now a few years newer than the ‌AirPods Max‌ and the battery technology has improved. The ‌AirPods Max‌ only offer 20 hours of battery life with ANC and surround sound on, while the Sonos Ace offers 30 hours of battery life. Apple also didn’t update the ‌AirPods Max‌ with USB-C, so they still use the Lightning port, which is being phased out. If you don’t want to use the Lightning port for a few more years, it’s best to go with the Ace, another set of headphones, or wait for the ‌AirPods Max‌ USB-C update that should arrive later this year.
Sonos used to price the Ace $100 cheaper than the ‌AirPods Max‌, but these days it’s pretty easy to find the ‌AirPods Max‌ at a discount. If you can live without the quick pairing, automatic switching, and Apple aesthetic, the Sonos Ace offers the same sound quality and ANC, plus it’s more convenient.
Do you prefer ‌AirPods Max‌ or Sonos Ace? Let us know in the comments below.
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