5 upgrades that I love on the Sonos Ace Ultra headphones that make them worth buying

Date:
Wed, 23 Sep 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Description:
The Sonos Ace Ultra may look a lot like the original model, but its whats inside that counts and there are several substantial upgrades that Ive come to appreciate.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter The Sonos Ace Ultra are here, and theyre beautiful. Ive spent two weeks testing them, and to tell the
truth, they really exceeded my expectations.

See, I liked the original Sonos Ace, but the Ultra bring so many meaningful upgrades to the fore, be that their expanded microphone system, fancy new drivers, or new smart features. And as youll see in my Sonos Ace Ultra review , I think these updates establish Sonos as a major player in the world of wireless headphones. The standard Sonos Ace fell just short of greatness when they released due to their somewhat middling musicality, and with rivals like Sony and Bose releasing excellent iterations in the WH-1000X and QuietComfort Ultra series respectively, it felt like the multi-room giant couldnt quite go toe-to-toe with the best of them. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

But the Ultra have changed that, and Im here to share my five favorite improvements that make Sonos new headphones an excellent option for anyone looking to buy a top-tier pair of wireless headphones or make the step-up from the original Ace. And make sure to stick around for number five, which
is the most game-changing upgrade of them all. Today's best Sonos Ace Ultra deals voucher gift 399 View Deal 399 View Deal 399 View Deal Show more We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices 1. A more customizable listening experience (Image credit: Future) First of all, you have a lot more control over the listening experience with the Sonos Ace
Ultra compared to what the original Ace allowed. You may like Sonos Ace Ultra review: more musical, more feature-rich, much improved headphones Sonos sees your AirPods Max 2 and raises you an Ace Ultra, and the much-rumored second-generation headphones sound extreme The best headphones you can buy today, all tested by our experts

This is largely down to a far more fleshed-out equalizer, which lets users take a far more granular approach tuning-wise. Thats because the Sonos Ace Ultra feature an eight-band equalizer, letting you make adjustments to specific parts of the frequency range. Want to give those lower-mids a bit of a boost? Want to temper the upper-treble a bit? No problem you can do that here.

Meanwhile, the Sonos Ace had very basic two-band EQ options that only let you increase the bass or treble. Sure, theres the option to use a three-band equalizer on the Sonos Ace Ultra if you want a simpler way of making changes, but the more extensive controls on the audio specialists new headphones are welcome for someone like me, who wants to tailor sound to his specific
tastes. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

While were on this topic, its also worth flagging that the Sonos Ace Ultra have adaptive EQ. This automatically adjusts EQ to account for factors such
as fit, glasses, hair, and other elements that could cause leakage. This
works well and was something that the original Ace skipped. 2. Enhanced ANC (Image credit: Future) The Sonos Ace Ultra increase the number of microphones onboard to ten from the eight seen on the standard Sonos Ace. This results in a number of improvements, like enhanced calling, for instance. But the
biggest difference is heard when it comes to active noise cancellation.

This expanded microphone system helps the Sonos Ace Ultra to deliver
excellent ANC that competes with some of the best noise cancelling headphones on the market. When working in the office, sounds of typing were totally eliminated. When on walks, construction work and traffic passing by was subdued to incredible effect. And even when taking public transport, the rumble of engines and conversations surrounding me were silenced without hesitation. What to read next I've tested headphones full-time since 2019 here are top models of 2026 so far The best Sony headphones for all budgets, as tested by our audio experts The best wireless headphones, chosen by our experts for all budgets

It helps that the Ace Ultra also have a relatively secure (yet still comfortable) fit, providing a seal that keeps the world around you at bay.
Ive tried far more expensive cans that cant hold a candle to the Sonos Ace Ultra in this regard, so if you want great ANC, look no further.

ANC is adjustable, so you can decide whether you want full-blast silencing or a light bit of blockage if you find that disorienting. Of course, you also
get a transparency mode if you want to be more aware of your surroundings or to have a quick conversation. 3. More interplay with your Sonos system (Image credit: Future) The Sonos Ace Ultra offer even more interconnectivity with other Sonos products than the original headphones, in part thanks to the Ultras new Headphone Engine 2.

With the Ace Ultra, you unlock a new feature called Headphone Linking. This lets you seamlessly transfer audio from compatible speakers like the Sonos Play over Wi-Fi, directly to your headphones (or vice versa). Just a single press of a button, and you can easily transfer music or movie audio across; it's seamless and works like a dream.

Like the original Ace, you also get TV Audio Swap. This lets you connect the Ace Ultra to a compatible soundbar, like the Sonos Arc Ultra, and hear movie audio on your headphones instantly. Because the Ace Ultra support Dolby Atmos and head tracking, you get an incredibly immersive, rich listening experience here and it's ideal if you want to enjoy private listening without
disturbing anyone else in your household. 4. Better battery and its fully replaceable (Image credit: Future) First of all, I should say that the
battery life on the standard Sonos Ace is by no means bad. You get 30 hours
of playback with ANC on, which is basically the standard for headphones in
the premium price-bracket in fact, some rivals like the AirPods Max 2 and
the first-gen Bose QuietComfort Ultra fall short of this.

But the Sonos Ace Ultra provide a slight bump, with 35 hours of battery life with ANC switched on still nothing game-changing, but certainly a welcome improvement. You also only need to charge them for three minutes to get three hours of playback, which makes them incredibly convenient when youre on the
go and need some additional battery life in a pinch.

Perhaps more interestingly, the Sonos Ace Ultra feature a user-replaceable battery. Yes, youll need to get some specialist kit for this, but it means that the Ultra can live on, even if the battery degrades after years of listening. That only makes your investment more worthwhile in the long run.
5. New drivers provide a huge performance upgrade (Image credit: Future) And now for the largest upgrade of them all: the one that truly puts the Sonos
Ace Ultra head and shoulders above the first Sonos Ace. Of course, Im talking about the significant sound quality step-up, which comes, in part, thanks to new 40mm custom drivers.

When it comes to music, the original Sonos Ace are OK. They provide
relatively energetic audio, but they lack balance, often sound quite busy and disorganized, and lack the width and detail of some premium rivals. But the Sonos Ace Ultra take things up a notch. They deliver expansive, dynamic, and intricate audio, especially when using aptX codecs or wired listening.

The Sonos Ace Ultra also provide improved instrument separation, letting them handle more complex mixes with ease. Low-end sounds are more full-bodied and agile, never sounding lethargic or lacking rhythmically. Mids arent as overzealous as they were on the original Ace, taking a more natural, detail-oriented approach. And treble is expressive and articulate, giving higher-pitched percussion some seriously satisfying bite.

Like the standard Ace, the Ace Ultra sound impeccable for movies, delivering
a three-dimensional listening experience with convincing height effects and engrossing expansiveness, and theyre probably the best wireless headphones
you can buy for movies. But the Ultras improved musicality helps them attain greatness even more impressive when you consider that theyve launched at the same price as the original Ace did back in 2024. Today's best Sonos Ace Ultra deals voucher gift 399 View Deal 399 View Deal 399 View Deal Show more We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Follow
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