Sonos Ace Ultra vs AirPods Max 2: Which headphones should you buy?

As Sonos has just announced its latest pair of over-ear headphones, we’re keen to see how they measure up to Apple’s own flagship.

What really separates the Sonos Ace Ultra from the AirPods Max 2, which achieved a four-star rating and a spot on our best wireless headphones guide? Is one a better option depending on what phone you own? 

Ahead of our Sonos Ace Ultra review, we’ve compared its specs to the AirPods Max 2 and noted all the key differences between the two headphones here. Read on to learn more about the Sonos Ace Ultra and whether it stands a chance at making it into our best headphones guide. 

Price and Availability

At the time of writing, the Sonos Ace Ultra is currently available for pre-order ahead of its official launch towards the end of September, and has an RRP of £399. 

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The AirPods Max 2 is considerably more expensive than the Ace Ultra as it has an RRP of £499. While most Apple fans will know that deals on its products are pretty rare, we have seen the headphones drop in price occasionally since its launch. 

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Sonos Ace Ultra promises longer battery life, and a replaceable battery 

Sonos promises that the Ace Ultra can see up to a whopping 35 hours of battery life – even with ANC enabled. Not only that but the Ace Ultra also supports rapid charging that provides three hours of ANC-enabled playback with just a three minute charge, while its new power saver mode cleverly switches off certain features to help you eke out extra listening when you’re running low. 

Sonos has also stated that the Ace Ultra is “designed to last” and has a replaceable battery for easy refurbishment. You can either opt to get a professional to do this or, if you’re comfortable with DIY and have the appropriate tools to hand, you can sort this yourself too.

In comparison, the AirPods Max 2 promise up to 20 hours of listening with ANC and Spatial Audio enabled. Sure, that figure shouldn’t be sniffed at but it falls significantly behind the Ace Ultra, plus other flagship headphones like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen), Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3. 

Plus while the Ace Ultra gives three hours of power with just a three minute charge, the AirPods Max 2 needs five minutes to see 90 minutes of extra listening time. It’s still useful addition, but it’s just not as impressive as the Sonos Ace Ultra.

Sonos Ace Ultra has 10 microphones whereas the AirPods Max 2 has nine

Both the Sonos Ace Ultra and AirPods Max 2 offer active noise cancelling (ANC) which means each pair can detect and cancel outside noise, with their respective integrated microphones, resulting in an uninterrupted and more immersive listening experience. 

The AirPods Max 2 is fitted with a total of nine microphones, eight of which are for ANC – though two of those are shared for voice pickup. We found this set-up to be solid, as the Max 2 was able to cancel most noise well, although it did struggle sometimes on public transport. 

In comparison, the Sonos Ace Ultra is equipped with 10 microphones for noise control, calls and Sonos’ TrueCinema mode. As we haven’t reviewed the headphones yet, we can’t confirm how well they really perform, however Sonos promises you’ll see a more responsive ANC performance as its engineers have “fine-tuned every layer of the ANC process”. Considering we found its predecessor, the Sonos Ace, to offer strong ANC performance, we have high hopes for the Ace Ultra.

Although it can be paired with Androids, the AirPods Max 2 is made for Apple ecosystem

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the AirPods Max 2 works best when pairing with a compatible iPhone. While the headphones can be connected to an Android phone or any other device outside of Apple’s ecosystem, you’ll miss out on features such as Siri, spatial audio and seamless pairing too. 

In comparison, the Sonos Ace Ultra can pair with both iOS and Android devices.

AirPods Max 2 still doesn’t have a power button

One of the most frustrating things about the AirPods Max 2, and the original AirPods Max for that matter, is the lack of power button. That means instead of just being able to turn the headphones on or off, the AirPods Max 2 will power down when left untouched for a period of time, or placed into the included case. It’s a seriously weird and annoying choice. 

Otherwise, on-board the AirPods Max 2 is a Digital Crown that controls various functions including the volume, play/pause, answering and ending calls and more, plus the listening mode button.

The Ace Ultra, on the other hand, has a power button on-board and one for switching between ANC and Aware mode too.

AirPods Max 2 comes in more vibrant colour options

Although the Ace Ultra comes in more colour choices than the Sonos Ace, they are more muted options than the AirPods Max 2’s own. So, while the Ace Ultra comes in Black, Soft White, Agave and Sand, the AirPods Max 2 comes in either Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple or Orange. 

Early Verdict

At £100 less and sporting an extra microphone for stronger noise-cancelling, longer battery life and more intuitive controls, the Sonos Ace Ultra looks like a promising alternative to the AirPods Max 2. However, the AirPods Max 2 is still a brilliant pair of headphones that’ll suit those within Apple’s ecosystem.

We’ll update this article with a more conclusive verdict once we review the Sonos Ace Ultra.

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