Sonos Ace Ultra Review: Is It Worth $599 in Canada?

I’ve been using the new Sonos Ace Ultra headphones for a couple of weeks, and after spending some time with them, I can say they’re a noticeable upgrade over the original Sonos Ace, especially when it comes to sound quality and noise cancellation.

Comfort remains excellent on the head. The Ace Ultra feel just as comfortable as the original headphones, even though they’re slightly heavier on paper by a smidgeon. I’ve always liked how the Ace fit, and Sonos hasn’t messed with that formula. The ear cups are removable and very soft. They are not a burden on your head like AirPods Max after long periods of time.

Sound quality is better, too. Music sounds great on the Ace Ultra, with rap and R&B tracks offering punch and satisfying bass with a nice soundstage. Watching movies is also excellent, offering an experience I find comparable to Apple’s AirPods Max.

At $599 CAD, the Sonos Ace Ultra launches at the same price as the original Ace did back in 2024. The first-generation headphones now cost $479, making the Ultra $120 more expensive, but with noticeably better sound, stronger noise cancellation and longer battery life.

The Soft White pair sits in the travel case with the controls on the outside of the cups. The right cup has a silver slider and a button below it. Sonos calls the slider the Content Key, which controls volume and playback, while the noise control button sits on the same cup.

On the left cup, there’s a status light above the power button, with a microphone grille and USB-C port below. The physical controls are easy to find by touch and are a must-have versus touch controls.

Sound and noise cancellation

The biggest improvement I’ve noticed is Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). It’s better than on the original Ace, and the difference is noticeable when listening to music and streaming movies.

With ANC enabled and music playing, I’ve found the Ace Ultra can easily block out people trying to speak to me nearby. Someone can be talking directly to me, and I won’t necessarily hear what they’re saying. It’s a great way to ignore someone and just block out the world. You can feel a bit of pressure on the ears when ANC is on.

ANC is absolutely necessary if you’re travelling on an airplane or trying to concentrate. Of course, that also means you’ll want to switch to Aware mode when you actually need to hear someone.

Sonos says its new Adaptive ANC system now uses ten microphones, compared with eight on the original Ace, and delivers up to twice as much noise cancellation at frequencies up to 65 Hz.

The Ultra also uses redesigned 40mm drivers and introduces Adaptive EQ, which automatically adjusts the sound to account for changes in fit, including glasses and hair. There’s now a more detailed eight-band equalizer in the Sonos app, compared with the original Ace’s basic bass and treble adjustments.

Both headphones support Dolby Atmos spatial audio, dynamic head tracking and lossless listening with compatible connections. Watching movies that support Dolby Atmos really is great still with the Ace headphones.

Sonos Ace vs. Sonos Ace Ultra: Specs compared

Here’s how the two generations compare, based on Sonos’ published specifications and Canadian pricing.

Prices are in Canadian dollars before tax. ANC performance varies by frequency, while battery ratings depend on usage and listening conditions. Source: Sonos.

Handoff, battery life and what’s in the box

One interesting addition is headphone linking. Unlike the original Ace, which primarily integrates with compatible Sonos soundbars through TV Audio Swap, the Ace Ultra can also receive audio from compatible speakers in a Sonos system over Wi-Fi.

It’s nice to have the option to move music from a Sonos speaker to the headphones, but I honestly don’t see myself using it very often. For me, the more practical feature is still TV Audio Swap. If I want to listen to music with the Ace it’s just easier to play tracks from my iPhone and not rely on what’s playing on a nearby Sonos speaker.

Being able to move sound from a compatible soundbar to the Ace Ultra is useful when watching movies or TV at night without disturbing anyone else. That’s especially appealing with something like the Sonos Beam Ultra.

Sonos calls the newer speaker-to-headphone feature Headphone Linking, and it’s currently in Early Access. It requires compatible Sonos speakers, Wi-Fi and setup through the Sonos app, so it’s not yet a universal handoff feature for every speaker.

Battery life is another improvement. Sonos rates the Ace Ultra for up to 35 hours of listening with ANC enabled, compared with 30 hours on the original Ace. That’s five additional hours, or roughly 17% more listening time on paper. This extra battery life makes all the difference when you have a busy travel day.

Sonos also quotes up to 50 hours with ANC turned off. There’s rapid charging as well, with a three-minute charge from an empty battery providing up to three hours of playback, which comes in handy just before your flight departs. You can also turn off the Ace Ultra, unlike AirPods Max which needs the case to really be in a lower power mode right away.

The Ultra now uses Bluetooth 6.0 instead of Bluetooth 5.4, although both generations support wireless listening and lossless audio with compatible devices and connections.

Another welcome change is the availability of an official replacement battery kit for the Ace Ultra. That’s a useful improvement for anyone planning to keep these headphones for several years, although replacing the battery requires tools rather than simply popping off a cover. But it’s nice to see the option is there. Apple doesn’t offer that for the AirPods Max (and they likely never will).

The ear cushions are also replaceable so if you workout with the Ace, you can replace them after they get gross from sweat over time. Sonos uses magnets to hold them in place (yep, a satisfying click), so they can be removed with a gentle pull. The original Ace also offered replaceable cushions. I also like how each ear cushion is a different colour (the right side is green), so you can quickly determine which side is right or left.

Inside the box, Sonos includes a travel case, USB-C to USB-C charging cable and USB-C to 3.5mm cable for wired listening. The case offers a convenient way to keep everything together when travelling.

Are the Sonos Ace Ultra worth $599?

From my time with the Ace Ultra, I’d say Sonos has made some worthwhile improvements without changing what made the original headphones comfortable to wear.

For me, the two biggest reasons to choose the Ultra are the improved sound quality and much stronger ANC. The ability to block out nearby conversations while listening to music has been particularly impressive, and the headphones remain excellent for movies and TV (what’s that honey? I can’t hear you!).

The longer battery life, expanded EQ controls and replaceable battery are welcome additions, although I wouldn’t upgrade just for Headphone Linking.

At $599 CAD, they’re up there for quality headphones with noice cancellation, especially with the original Ace now priced at $479. But if you’re buying a new pair and want better noise cancellation, I’d lean toward spending the extra $120 for the Ultra. If you’re deep into the Sonos ecosystem, it makes sense to jump on these to take advantage of the seamless speaker handoff features to the Ace Ultra headphones.

You can order the Sonos Ace Ultra from Sonos in Soft White, Black, Agave and Sand.

Would you spend an extra $120 for the Sonos Ace Ultra, or stick with the original Ace?