Sonos Ace vs AirPods Max: Which is the best wireless headphones?

---

---

The high-end headphones market is booming, with the recent arrival of the Sonos Ace, which goes head-to-head with Apple’s already well-established AirPods Max.

What makes these premium devices different? And how do you choose the headphones that will perfectly meet your needs?

Sonos Ace vs AirPods Max comparison

In this article, we will compare AirPods Max vs Sonos Ace. We will focus, among other things, on their design, their functionality, their sound quality and their price.

In doing this, we hope to help you determine which one is best suited to your needs in 2024.

Design

The Sonos Ace stands out for its minimalist and clean design, with straight lines and premium materials. Its stainless steel headband is adjustable and adapts to all head shapes. As for the ear cushions, these are made of memory foam and covered in vegan leather, which promise optimal comfort for long listening sessions.

The AirPods Max adopt a more voluminous and enveloping design, with an aesthetic that can be described as futuristic. Just like the Sonos Ace, its stainless steel headband is adjustable, and its ear cushions are also made of memory foam. The main element that sets it apart is a breathable mesh fabric headband that aims to reduce pressure on the skull.

On the pure aesthetic side, the Sonos Ace is available in two sober and effective colours: Black and White.

AirPods Max offers a wider choice of colours, with five options: Space Grey, Silver, Pink, Sky Blue and Green.

Features

The Sonos Ace has an active noise reduction (ANC) function with an Aware mode which lets surrounding sounds pass through. It also features spatial audio with dynamic head movement tracking. This feature helps create an immersive listening experience by adapting the position of the sound source based on your head movements.

The Sonos Ace is compatible with Lossless sound, that is to say “without loss”, which allows all the quality of the original recording to be preserved.

In terms of connectivity, the Sonos Ace provides sound transfer from a Sonos soundbar and the “Headphone port detection” option.

Just like its competitor, the AirPods Max offers active noise reduction (ANC), transparency mode and spatial audio with dynamic head movement tracking.

In contrast, Apple’s headphones include adaptive equalisation. This is a technique used to automatically adjust the frequency response of an audio system based on its acoustic environment. In other words, the sound is adapted depending on the location you are in, such as an empty room, or on public transport.

Battery

One of the crucial aspects when looking to buy headphones is their battery life. In fact, many people are looking to acquire a device that can follow them throughout their day, or even for several days if they have to travel or go on a trip.

AirPods Max guarantees up to 20 hours of listening time on a single charge with Active Noise Cancellation or Transparency mode enabled. The Sonos Ace goes further and announces a battery life of 30 hours under the same conditions.

Sound

The Sonos Ace delivers rich, detailed sound, with deep bass and clear highs. It features a custom-designed 40mm dynamic driver in each earbud and 8 mics are dedicated to noise management and voice targeting.

AirPods Max feature a 40mm dynamic driver from Apple offering excellent sound quality, with precise and balanced sound. Each earphone is equipped with a powerful H1 chip from Apple and each of them has 10 audio cores.

The Max provides 9 microphones in total. These are distributed as follows: 8 microphones for active noise reduction (ANC), and 3 microphones for voice detection (two of which are shared with Active Noise Reduction). However, some users find that its treble is a little too sharp.

Numerous accessories for the Sonos Ace

In addition to the Sonos Ace headphones, you will find the following items inside its box:

• 1x Carrying case with cable pocket
• 1x USB to USB-C Cable
• 1x USB-C to 3.5mm Jack Cable

With the purchase of the AirPods Max headphones, you will also get:

• 1x Smart Case
• 1x Lightning to USB‑C cable

Sonos Ace: A lower launch price than that of AirPods Max

The Sonos Ace is priced at £449 at launch, which is on 5 June, 2024. The Apple AirPods Max is slightly more expensive at £499, but some places have them on offer for £479 (but not always).

These prices are those charged by Sonos and Apple at the time of publication of the article. You can certainly benefit from lower prices offered by many high-tech resellers. If you plan to buy Sonos headphones or Apple AirPods Max, check on hotukdeals before making the move, as there might be a voucher or deal.

Where to buy the Sonos Ace and AirPods Max in France?

You have several solutions to buy Sonos Ace or Apple AirPods Max in the UK.

The Apple Store is one of the options available to you for purchasing AirPods Max. You will find all the available colours there, as well as accessories. Likewise for the Sonos Ace headphones, you can order them directly from Sonos.

But, many high-tech retailers also sell the Sonos Ace and AirPods Max and you can potentially take advantage of lower prices. Among the most reliable merchants, you will find:

• Amazon
• Argos
• Currys
• John Lewis

AirPods Max vs Sonos Ace comparison

Characteristic	Sonos Ace	AirPods Max
Design	Stainless steel headband, memory foam earpads + vegan leather	Stainless steel headband, memory foam ear cushions, mesh headband
Colours	Black, White	Space Grey, Silver, Pink, Sky Blue, Green
Main features	Active noise reduction (ANC), aware mode, spatial audio, Lossless sound	Active noise reduction (ANC), transparency mode, spatial audio, adaptive equalisation
Her	40mm dynamic driver, 8 microphones	40mm dynamic transducer, 9 microphones, H1 chip
Autonomy	Up to 30 hours	Up to 20 hours
Dimensions (cm)	19.1 x 16.0 x 8.5	18.73 x 16.86 x 8.34
Weight (g)	312	384.8
Price (£)	449	499
Release date	June 2024	December 2020

Sonos Ace vs Airpods Max – Comparison table

Sonos Ace vs AirPods Max: Which should you buy in 2024?

Choosing between Airpods Max vs Sonos Ace headphones depends on your priorities and budget.

If you’re looking for headphones with a minimalist design, great sound quality, long battery life, and advanced features, the Sonos Ace is a great choice.

If you’re an Apple user and value seamless integration with your other Apple devices, then the AirPods Max is an option worth considering. However, its higher price might tempt you to look at the Sonos Ace.

Ultimately, the best way to choose is to test both headsets for yourself. Whether you choose the Sonos Ace or the AirPods Max, you are sure to acquire high-end headphones that will provide you with a premium listening experience.

https://youtu.be/y8KNzP_Y9vY

---

For more deals on wireless headphones, visit hotukdeals — the community of expert deal hunters will surely have found something perfect for you.