Headphones have long ceased to be just sound products and have become tech accessories. Since then, prices have soared, and we increasingly rely on reviews from non-specialized individuals who lack the experience to reliably assess the quality of these devices. And these headphones are precisely intended for such users/reviewers. Therefore, we have a self-sustaining system. Not many years ago, paying $450 for a pair of headphones was something reserved for people who truly understood sound and were willing to spend a significant portion of their salary on a product with above-average sound quality. Today, this has practically become the norm for anyone who values some software features and is content with a sound filled with bass and reasonably clear highs. Nothing that hasn't been done for years with headphones that cost a quarter of the price of these models.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Sonos Ace Headphones vs. AirPods Max
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
The competition is definitely leaving it behind. We should be getting more than a USB-C update this year.
Sonos has now set the bar with noise cancellation hands down. It’s stunning in action. And why wouldn’t the Ace sound better than an old af AirPods Max, every music engineer you can shake a stick at tuned the Ace. Now Apple is forced to add more than a usb c in their updated max, hallelujah Tim has to wake up now, I bet Apple even lowers the price to match the Ace just to kick Sonos in the nuts.
"Two ounces might not sound like a lot" I'm not from America so I need some more modern context here: can someone convert that to pecks of goat milk or square cubits of barleycorn?
I just sold my AirPods Max for these. I’d had the AirPods Max since 2021, but I just didn’t wear them much because the headband wasn’t comfortable for me. I tried third party accessories to soften the headband to varying degrees of success. In the end I was frequently just grabbing my Beats Fit Pro for the comfort and portability.
I do have a Sonos Arc. I’m happy that I will be able to replicate the quick connecting of AirPods Max with my Apple TV. The only thing I know will not be as good is the device switching, but there is Bluetooth multipoint which supports two devices as once. That won’t be as good as the H1 chip probably but in the end if I’m not wearing them they were not working for me. I also was getting tired of the lightening cable and the battery draining sleep mechanism.
I will say my AirPods Max did hold up well and had great construction. They looked just like when I bought them. But again I did not wear them as much as they deserved.
I do have a Sonos Arc. I’m happy that I will be able to replicate the quick connecting of AirPods Max with my Apple TV. The only thing I know will not be as good is the device switching, but there is Bluetooth multipoint which supports two devices as once. That won’t be as good as the H1 chip probably but in the end if I’m not wearing them they were not working for me. I also was getting tired of the lightening cable and the battery draining sleep mechanism.
I will say my AirPods Max did hold up well and had great construction. They looked just like when I bought them. But again I did not wear them as much as they deserved.
Last edited:
I mean, it’s not Sonos’ fault that Apple hasn’t released an update. What else are you supposed to compare it to then on an Apple site?
I've also started seeing more of them around, maybe even more than Sony XMs. But to be fair, the price has come down quite a bit from most resellers with discounts and such.
The APM is built like a tank and doesn't really need a hardshell case. I've been putting them without protection in loaded backpacks and bumping them on walls and door frames for a few years now and the aluminum ear cups still look brand new. I would not do the same with a plastic headphone.
I have the Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones which also support multipoint and even though I have three devices I would theoretically use them with - iPhone, iPad, and MBP - I don't find the two device limitation to be overly burdensome (I admittedly don't use the iPad to listen to music as often). The app for the headphones lets me switch between additional connections with a single tap. Is it as smooth as what AirPods can do? No, but the Momentum 4s cost significantly less and by most reviews deliver comparable if not better sound quality.
NEW NEW MORE MORE BETTER BETTER I NEED GNOSTIC SALVATION THROUGH MATERIAL MEANS AND TECHNOLOGY MORE MORE I WILL ACHIEVE NIRVANA THROUGH MATERIAL MEANS HEAR ME ROARRR!
It could be for you. People are concerned about noise cancellation, the type of connection used for charging, software features, and support for high-fidelity codecs, assuming they can hear significant differences between AAC 250k and Lossless. We're in an era with an immense list of features, and the sound quality should be at least good enough for users to notice that it sounds good.
Forget the technical details; these headphones are made for the masses who are not audiophiles but are willing to pay a premium for a piece of technology. Look, for example, at the number of people buying Wi-Fi speakers like JBL, Apple, and Sonos at prices equal to or higher than bookshelf speakers from KEF, Revel, Warfedale, etc.
LOL, everything is disposable, just depends on the timeline 😉
My AirPods Max have been on my head probably 2000 hours since I bought them in early 2021. Got battery replaced last year and they're going strong again. No word in this brief review of whether the Sonos has a serviceable battery or not. I've gotten just a ton of really good use out of the Max and would not hesitate to buy another pair down the road.
I wouldn't say "leaving it behind". The only really outdated tech on the APM is not having USB-C but you can buy a cheap USB-C to Lightning adapter for $10.
When it comes to sound, I've tested pretty much all of the wireless bluetooth headphones on the market above $100 and the APMs still standout as the best - better than the more expensive Focal Bathys and Mark Levinson 5909s. Also noise cancellation and transparency mode is still the best on the AirPods Max.
Obviously wired is a different story - a pair of wired $120 beyerdynamic DT 770 Pros with lossless audio sound better than any wireless set, including the APMs.
AirPods Max are overpriced (now), but are still amongst the best wireless sets you can buy today.
I was not aware they were already out for you to try. Cool. I wouldn’t bet on Apple lowering their price :j
Apple needs to do more than switch from lightning to USB-C. They need to reduce the weight, give it a significant battery boost, give it the H2 or maybe the upcoming H3 and ditch the useless case for a case worthy of the price. Now, that would be a real upgrade. It’s possible that Apple could surprise us with a real upgrade next year, making this year’s update the iPad 3 equivalent.
Still wouldn't say competitors are leaving Apple behind. If the first gen AirPods Max launched tomorrow for the first time they'd still have the best build quality and feel the most expensive amongst the entire field, as well as have the best sound, noise cancellation and transparency modes. It's still the class leader. Not many would care about whether it had H2/H3 or not, just Apple devotees.
The only things it's screaming out for is to get rid of the bra case and give it a proper protective case, USB-C and Lossless audio support via cable. That would be a big enough upgrade. Even the battery life is manageable, although not great but I'd live with it if we got all of the other features.
The way to really stand out would be to bring in wireless Lossless audio. We know they can do it as they have it working with Vision Pro + AirPods Pro 2. 40-50+ hour battery life would be nice too.
Right, but the timeline is always shorter when batteries are involved. How convenient!
I guess you skipped the part where I had the battery replaced?
I'm in agreement on non-replacable batteries, and I agree it's pretty reckless how many things are built in such a way that once the lithium battery dies, the device goes to landfill. My wife bought a bunch of little solar powered lawn lights that charge up during the day and light up after dark. Within 6 months they'd cycled through their batteries and now they only light up for an hour or two. So many mice and speakers and countless other gadgets are made this way and it's insanely wasteful.
But what you're overlooking is that the AirPods Max are built with a replaceable battery -- which was my entire point. If they hadn't, my pair would be down to 5 hours of battery time by now. But since I was able to get them serviced, that's another few years of solid daily use. Of course, eventually they will die one way or another, but so will my MacBook, and my coffee maker, and my car.
Last edited:
The AirPods Max were overdue for an update before they were released.