Sonos Ace Vs. Apple Airpods Max: How Do The Two Compare?

Listening to music can prove to be a great escape from the mundane activities of everyday life. The right pair of headphones can take that experience to the next level, with features like active noise cancelation, Bluetooth multipoint, and enough battery to last long flights.

The AirPods Max sit at the very top of Apple's range of audio products, and consistently rank high as some of the best noise canceling headphones you can buy. Besides the premium build and brand value, the AirPods Max are quite infamous for the hefty price tag of $550. The recently launched Sonos Ace, on the other hand, have been gaining traction for all the features they have to offer for a comparatively more affordable $450.

When it comes to comparing the two, however, there is more than what meets the eye. In case you've been split between picking either of the two as your next go-to pair of headphones, read on to find out how the AirPods Max and the Sonos Ace differ in the departments of sound, design, features, and battery life. 

Design-wise, the AirPods Max have quite the polarizing look, with huge ear cups and a largely metallic build all around — making them the opposite of low-profile. All that aluminum covering the ear cups and the stainless steel headband adds to the overall weight of the AirPods Max, which at 384 grams are a tad bit heavier than the 312 grams of the Sonos Ace, thanks to its predominantly plastic build. However, both headphones are comfortable to wear for long stretches of time and excellent at distributing the weight evenly. 

The Sonos Ace do utilize stainless steel for the headband arms, which adds a good contrast to the design, no matter which color you pick — matte black or white. The AirPods Max come in slightly more exciting colors, including pink, green, and sky blue, in addition to the classic silver and black options. Additionally, you can add a custom engraving of your initials or emoji for free if you buy them straight from Apple. 

Both headphones sport comfortable over the ear style ear cups, that can easily be user replaced. The AirPods Max is devoid of any logos — but can be spotted from a mile away thanks to its iconic design. Regardless of which headphones you go for, you won't be disappointed when it comes to form and comfort. 

Both the Sonos Ace and the AirPods Max feature custom 40-millimeter drivers and produce crisp and detailed audio. As explored in SlashGear's review of the Sonos Ace, however, they lack the thumpy bass that some may prefer, at least out of the box. You can tweak the EQ using the Sonos app, unlike the AirPods Max, where you are at the mercy of the sound settings in the streaming app you're using. For Android phones that support the Qualcomm aptX HD codec, you can enjoy lossless audio over Bluetooth with the Sonos Ace — something that is restricted to the wired mode on the AirPods Max.

The Sonos Ace have excellent active noise canceling, and fared better than the Sony WH-1000XM5 in our testing when it came to silencing the more mid to high frequency sounds. The Aware mode is Sonos' way of offering ambient sound in scenarios where you would benefit from not being completely isolated from your surroundings.

When looking for AirPods with noise cancelation, the Max are your only option, besides the AirPods Pro 2 earphones. The good news is you get industry leading ANC with both the headphones, making them perfect for long flights, or the noisy streets of the daily commute. But if it comes to picking one, the AirPods Max are hailed as some of the best noise canceling headphones money can buy. Apple's ambient listening mode adds to this experience, making them easier to blend into everyday life. 

Apple claims up to 20 hours of music playback with active noise cancelation turned on, which pales in comparison to the 30 hours of listening time that Sonos promises. Both headphones can be charged decently quick, but the AirPods Max remain to be one of the last Apple products that still use the lightning port instead of USB-C. This glaring omission is also a pain when you try to connect the AirPods to devices with a 3.5-millimeter audio jack and realize that Apple only bundles in a USB-C to Lightning cable in the box.

The charging case that comes with the AirPods is every bit as unique in functionality as it is in its design — and not in a good way. While it protects the ear cups from scratches, it leaves the majority of the headset prone to damage from drops. Thanks to the lack of a power button, placing the AirPods Max into the Smart Case is also the only way to send them to sleep manually — the headphones, otherwise, remain on for hours before switching to the ultra low power mode on their own.

The Sonos Ace, on the other hand, come with a dumber, yet somehow more functional travel case that seats the headphones in comfortably and protects them from every angle. You also get access to more controls and buttons that let you turn the headphones on or off, adjust volume, take calls, and control music playback. 

Apple is known for crafting products with tight integration with one another, and the AirPods Max is no different. Despite not featuring Bluetooth multipoint, the AirPods Max automatically switch to whichever device you're using — as long as it's an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. The experience quickly falls apart when you pair either a Windows PC or an Android phone to these headphones.

The Sonos Ace does a much better job at providing a more uniform experience across different products and allows for seamless switching between paired devices. They, too, benefit from the growing ecosystem of Sonos' home audio products, like the Sonos Arc soundbar. Both the headphones come equipped with support for spatial audio, which unlocks a new dimension of sound when watching compatible movies or listening to music. 

While dynamic head tracking works with either of the two headphones, the AirPods Max require an Apple device as the source to spit out spatial audio. All of the features of the Sonos Ace can be accessed and tweaked using the companion app available for Android and iOS. You will also need an iPhone or Mac to update the firmware on the AirPods Max. In simpler words, if you use an Android phone or Windows computer, there is little to no incentive to picking the AirPods Max over the Sonos Ace.