Sonos Ace vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones: Neck-and-neck

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  Wireless perfection

  Sonos Ace

  This is why the world loves Sonos

  The Sonos Ace are incredible noise cancelling headphones from one of the most respected audio brands in the business. Available in black and white, the Ace headset is equipped with two custom 40mm drivers that deliver exceptional sound quality. Additional features include USB-C device playback, head tracking audio, and up to 30 hours of battery life.

  Pros

  • Rich, balanced sound quality
  • Sonos soundbar inter-operability
  • USB-C port supports playback

  Cons

  • Very expensive
  • Head tracking can get a bit weird

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  Also great

  Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra

  Noise cancelling done right

  The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra comes with spacial audio and CustomTune technology for the perfect listening experience. While the ANC and sound quality are impeccable, the comfort of this headset goes above and beyond with soft ear cushions and a band that distributes pressure, so there are no sore spots. 

  Pros

  • Amazing sound quality
  • Superior noise cancelling
  • Solid customization options

  Cons

  • 2.5mm port is annoying to work with
  • Almost as expensive

Noise-cancelling audio products are more popular than ever, which also means that the lion’s share of audio companies have come up with some kind of noise-cancelling headphones or earbuds. But when it comes to the best in the business, it’s best to stick with well-vetted brands like Sonos and Bose. Wait a second, doesn’t Sonos just make speakers? Not anymore!

The Sonos Ace, a beautiful pair of ANC headphones, is the company’s first foray into on-your-ears tech. From the sleek design to the terrific sound quality and effective active noise-cancelling, the Ace is a stunning addition to Sonos’ portfolio of world-class audio devices. But when it comes to a tried and true headphone-maker like Bose, and a set of ANC cans like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, how well does the Ace hold up? Let’s find out.

Price, specs, and availability

The brand-new Sonos Ace headphones are available in black and white colors, and sell for $450. The headphones are available from major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Crutchfield, Target, and directly through Sonos.

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra is available in Black, White Smoke, and Sandstone, and retails for $430. Similarly, it’s available at all major retailers and directly through Bose.

• 	Sonos Ace	Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
  Battery Life	Up to 30 hours (ANC on)	Up to 24 hours with ANC
  Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.3
  Noise Cancellation	Yes	Yes
  Microphones	8	Built-in microphones
  Weight	312g	250g
  Colors	Black, Soft White	Black, White Smoke
  Foldable	No	Yes
  Charging type	USB-C	USB-C
  Multipoint	Yes	Yes
  Carrying case	Yes	Yes
  Price	$449	$429

Design and fit

Can’t go wrong with either

As far as cosmetics go, the Sonos Ace fits in nicely with other flagship ANC headphones, and the overall fit is equally satisfying — well, almost. The foam-padded earcups and headband, combined with the plastic and stainless steel framing, can feel a bit heavy at times.

In terms of buttons and connections, the left cup includes all your power and pairing controls, along with a USB-C port, while the right cup features playback controls and a button to switch between ANC presets.

It’s a similar story with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra: a modern aesthetic and comfortable fit. In fact, we thought the QC Ultra felt plushier and easier to wear than previous QuietComfort versions. Our reviewer did make sure to mention that the headband padding may not feel firm enough for folks with smaller heads though.

For controls and connections, the left cup is where you’ll find the USB-C charge port and a 2.5mm audio jack. No, that’s not a typo. Unfortunately, Bose went proprietary with its wired audio connection, forcing folks to use the 2.5mm to 3.5mm cable when connecting the headset to audio devices.

Meanwhile, the QC Ultra’s right earcup is where you’ll find playback/listening mode and pairing/power buttons. The former includes play/pause, track skipping, call-answering, call hang-ups, and a listening mode toggle. There’s also a touchpoint volume slider on the right cup that works very well.

ANC, sound, and call quality

You won’t struggle to hear a thing

Sonos and Bose are two audio companies that consistently deliver solid-sounding hardware. But what kind of listening experience do you get from the Ace and Ultra?

The Sonos Ace is equipped with custom 40mm drivers that are engineered for detail and precision. In our opinion, Sonos’ good word holds up, but it’s important to mention how effective these cans are at upholding mids and treble, while also highlighting the sub-bass frequency range. It’s hard to strike the balance, but Sonos managed to pull it off with a first-gen product.

Bluetooth and codec-wise, Bluetooth 5.4, SBC, AAC, and aptX Lossless support make the Ace ideal for Android owners, which is kind of funny when you consider that Sonos’ speakers and soundbars are a bit friendlier towards the iOS crowd. Still, iPhone and iPad owners can use the Ace’s USB-C, or 3.5mm-to-USB-C cable, for aptX Lossless over a wired connection.

The Bose QC Ultra is no straggler when it comes to Bluetooth and codec support. Running on Bluetooth 5.3, the Ultra supports SBC, AAC, and aptX Adaptive, but is missing the Sonos Ace’s aptX Lossless decoding. And the Ultra’s USB-C port is for charging only.

As for sound quality, the Bose QC Ultra is simply incredible. From one music genre to the next, we were blown away by the impeccable presentation. Crystalline highs were balanced perfectly against pulse-pounding lows, making the headset a natural evolution of older Bose QC products.

Both the Sonos Ace and Bose QC Ultra deliver some of the best noise-cancelling in the business, too. You’ll be hard-pressed to hear annoying HVAC systems and loud restaurant chatter, but you can just as easily tap a button to enter each headset’s transparency mode. Call quality wasn’t too shabby either, even though the Ace and Ultra are a bit compression-heavy when talking on the phone.

Battery life

They’ll both keep going and going

The Sonos Ace is the clear winner for overall battery life, though the Bose QC Ultra is a close runner-up. Fully charged, the Ace delivers up to 30 hours with ANC or transparency enabled. And charging the headphones for just 3 minutes will get you an extra 3 hours of playback.

As for the Bose QC Ultra, you can expect up to 24 hours of playback with ANC or Aware Mode turned on. Like the Ace, the QC Ultra brings quick charge capabilities to the table, as recharging the cans for 15 minutes gives you an extra 2.5 playback hours.

App and software

Plenty to play around with

When it comes to downloadable apps, both Sonos and Bose have long-offered mobile-friendly software with plenty of settings and customization options to sort through. Such is the case for the Ace and Ultra, though there’s not a lot in the way of user personalization provided by either app.

For the Sonos app, configuring the Ace is relatively simple. After onboarding the cans, you can access a basic EQ, cycle between noise-cancelling modes, enable Bluetooth Multipoint, and set up a unique feature called TV Audio Swap, which allows certain Sonos soundbars to hand off audio to your Ace headphones. Right now, the feature is only available for iOS, but Sonos claims Android support is coming soon.

The Bose Music app has a fairly intuitive layout and more customization options than the Sonos Ace. These include noise-cancelling adjustments, an EQ, volume controls, and Bluetooth Multipoint settings.

Which one is right for you?

It’s the little things that really set the Sonos Ace and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones apart. The most important criteria, like sound quality, fit, and ANC performance, are neck-and-neck for both products. That being said, we’re recommending the Sonos Ace over the Bose QC Ultra — for a few reasons.

One is that the Sonos Ace has better overall battery life and quicker charging capabilities than the QC Ultra. You’re also able to use the USB-C port to connect an external audio device, as well as for recharge purposes. It’s impressive how well Sonos absolutely nailed its first attempt at a pair of premium headphones.

As for the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headset, we still highly recommend it. Longtime Bose fans will love the all-encompassing sound that the QC Ultra delivers, and the feature-packed Bose Music app scores higher for us than the Sonos app. If you find yourself with a pair of these, don’t fret, because they’re simply incredible.