Sonos Ace vs AirPods Max vs Sony WH1000XM5: which one is right for you?

The Sonos Ace is now officially available in the Netherlands. It is the first headphone from the well-known speaker brand. If you are curious about how the Sonos Ace compares to the Apple AirPods Max and the Sony WH1000XM5, read on!

Sonos Ace or the Sony WH-1000XM5?

Sonos has launched its own headphones for the first time, the Sonos Ace! Are you still unsure whether these are headphones for you? iPhoned compares the new Sonos with two other leading models, the Apple AirPods Max and the Sony WH-1000XM5. We have summarized the most important differences between these headphones for you!

Sonos Ace

The Ace is the very first headphones from Sonos and it weighs only 312 grams. With a sleek design, similar to that of the Apple AirPods Max, and equipped with features we know from the Sony WH-1000XM5, the Sonos Ace is a powerful combination of the two. With a suggested retail price of 499 euros, it is at the top of the price segment.

Sound

In terms of sound, the Sonos Ace is certainly not inferior to the Apple AirPods Max or the Sony WH-1000XM5. The 40mm drivers provide a clear sound without too much bass. The active noise cancellation (ANC) is excellent. Unfortunately, there is no adaptive noise reduction, so you have to switch between the different modes yourself.

While the AirPods Max and WH-1000XM5 use touch controls, Sonos has chosen to use fully physical buttons. There is a button on the right ear cup that allows you to easily switch between ANC or Aware mode. If you want to make the sound louder or softer, you can do so with the slider on the left ear cup.

What really makes the Ace special is the integration with Sonos speaker systems. With the TV Audio Swap function you can send the sound from your Sonos soundbar to the headphones at the touch of a button. This function currently only works with the Sonos Arc, but support for the Beam and Ray will follow soon.

Battery

With ANC or Aware mode enabled, the headphones last up to 30 hours on a full battery charge. Charging is done via USB-C, where 3 minutes of fast charging gives you 3 hours of battery life. Is the battery completely empty? It then takes 3 hours to fully charge the headphones again.

Apple AirPods Max

The AirPods Max are Apple’s first over-ear headphones. Due to its unique design, these headphones immediately stand out among the other brands. With a weight of 385 grams, it is a lot heavier than the Sonos Ace (312 grams). The recommended retail price of 579 euros also makes it quite expensive. The AirPods Max work seamlessly with your other Apple products.

Sound

The headphones especially excel in noise cancellation. The AirPods Max have six microphones on the outside and two on the inside. These microphones continuously listen to the ambient sound and adjust the audio settings accordingly. In addition, the AirPods Max are equipped with spatial audio, a feature that we know from the AirPods Pro. Once you turn on this feature, you can enjoy great surround sound.

Battery

The AirPods Max last 20 hours on a full battery, which is considerably shorter (as much as 10 hours) than the battery life of the Sonos Ace. Thanks to the low-power mode, the battery of the AirPods Max hardly drains when you are not using the headphones.

Sony WH-1000XM5

The WH-1000XM5 is the latest addition to Sony’s headphone range and, just like its predecessors, it impresses. Although the design has largely remained the same, a number of improvements have been made. With a suggested retail price of 420 euros, the WH-1000XM5 is considerably more expensive than the previous models, but cheaper than the AirPods Max and the Sonos Ace. At 250 grams, the Sony is the lightest headset in this comparison.

Sound

The latest variant is equipped with four microphones on each ear cup. This ensures, among other things, that the active noise cancellation is even smarter. This continuously adapts by analyzing the ambient sounds. When the Speak-to-Chat function is activated, the WH-1000XM5 immediately switches to ambient sound and automatically pauses the music.

Battery

On a full battery, the headphones last about 30 hours, just like the Sonos Ace. If you do not use the noise reduction, the battery will last another 10 hours longer. Have you forgotten to charge the headphones and do you have to leave quickly? No stress! It is charged within three minutes, so you can listen to your favorite music for another 3 hours.

Do you have these headphones in mind? The recommended retail price of the Sony WH-1000XM5 is 420 euros. However, at the moment you can get it from Ochama at a considerable advantage. It now only costs 269 euros there! (you can find the headphones when you type ‘Sony’ into the search bar of the Ochama website).

Conclusion: Sonos Ace, AirPods Max or Sony WH1000XM5

Now the question remains which headphones suit you best. This depends on several factors. With the Ace, Sonos has undoubtedly brought powerful headphones to the market. The excellent sound quality, comfortable design and easy integration with their own speakers make the Sonos Ace attractive for real audio enthusiasts. The price is with 499 euros on the high side.

The Apple AirPods Max has its own 529 euros quite an investment. However, for Apple enthusiasts who prioritize noise cancellation, these headphones are the ideal choice. The AirPods Max can easily be connected to all Apple devices, allowing you to effortlessly switch between, for example, your iPad and iPhone to listen to music.

Are you looking for powerful noise-canceling headphones that are comparable to the AirPods Max, but you don’t want to pay the top price for them? Then the Sony WH-1000XM5 with a price of 420 euros highly recommended! The active noise cancellation (ANC) is even better than that of the WH1000-XM4, which is especially nice when you are on the road a lot on public transport, by plane, or in the office.