Making the most of the Sonos Ace’s incredible battery life
The battery and performance was a delight, but it was something else that really surprised me
Sonos is one of the most respected names in home sound, but audiophiles have been waiting patiently for the company to expand into headphones. The wait is finally here, and the Sonos Ace are now available to buy.
With Sonos’ long heritage, I knew to expect great sound quality, but the 30-hour battery life also intrigued me. As someone who always seems to be charging his headphones, it sounded a bit too good to be true. So I decided to put it to the test: a day spent wearing the headphones around London – a city where noise cancellation is put to the test every day.
I sketched a loose plan where I’d take the rush-hour Tube into central London, and then walk all the way back home to do a bit of work and then watch a Dolby Atmos film to test the Sonos Ace in multiple environments. I’d make a note of the battery level intermittently to see how it’s holding up. Can Sonos’ 30-hour battery life claim be true?
The dreaded commute
As a freelancer who hasn’t had a real job in six years, the ‘pleasures’ of a rush-hour Tube journey are thankfully a distant memory… which is perhaps why I managed to leave late, setting off on a 20-minute walk to Colliers Wood station at 8.25am.
Early impressions of the headphones are fabulous. The padded earcups are a good fit, feeling extremely comfortable and light. The smooth, premium feel of the cans is obvious every time I go to adjust the volume and they look stylish whenever I catch myself in a mirror.
I have them on ‘Aware’ mode – where sound from the outside world is let in – which happens to be a sensible precaution if you live in South London, as I do. Sirens from three police cars and an ambulance on my walk to the station prove this was the right choice.
As I board the train, it’s clear that ‘Aware’ mode isn’t going to cut it, so I tap the button to switch on Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). Immediately, the rumble and metallic shrieking of the train at full speed is silenced and I can hear everything with perfect clarity – no small feat, considering I’m now listening to a podcast where a man with a strong German accent is being interviewed.
I periodically check the Sonos app to see the battery life, and it finally drops to 99% at 9.05am. So that’s 40 minutes to lose 1%. Wow.
The long walk home
Inspired by an Apple Music playlist highlighting the best in spatial audio, I take time out to explore London’s record shops once I reach Leicester Square. The way the sound surrounds you, no matter where you move your head, is kind of magical, and the playlist has introduced me to new music I’m keen to hear more of.
But it’s also true that I’m putting off the three-and-a-half-hour walk back home, and eventually I conclude that I have to do it. After taking a brief break to call the vets for a prescription (I don’t think even the Sonos Ace could enhance the crackly hold muzak I know is coming), I set off back home at 10.08am.
It turns out three and a half hours is going to be optimistic, as I reach Buckingham Palace just in time for the Changing of the Guard, which blocks all the crossings. Still, the Sonos Ace is completely unfazed: I’ve been listening with ANC enabled since boarding the train at 8.45am, and at 10.35am, it’s down to 96%.
Despite this unscheduled delay, I cross over the River Thames to Battersea at 11.09am with 94% battery remaining. It drops to 92% when I hit Clapham Common 40 minutes later, and it’s clear that the “will I make it home in time” drama is going to be reserved for my iPhone 14 Pro – which is now down to 22%.
Having exhausted my tolerance for new music, I’ve switched to my familiar favourites now, which mostly aren’t mastered for spatial audio. All the same, hearing them through the Sonos Ace is a wonderful experience. I’m picking up details I’ve never heard before, thanks to the crisp, detailed audio. I slightly worry that these headphones are spoiling me for my regular cans.
At 12.37pm, with my Sonos app still showing a massive 90% battery remaining, I reach Tooting Market and reward the long walk with some lunch. To order food, I turn Aware mode back on, and am astonished by how loud it is around me. I didn’t even notice music was playing in the covered market, thanks to the power of the Sonos Ace’s ANC.
At 1pm, I resume the walk home for the final stretch, crossing the finish line at 1.32pm, over 21,000 steps later.
After four and a half hours outside the house, the Sonos Ace has dropped to just 87% battery remaining. My iPhone has fared less well, and immediately needs a charge, as it’s down to 6%.
Work and a movie
While I let my iPhone charge up, I settled in to do some work – all still accompanied by the Sonos Ace, running through a selection of spatial audio tracks. It certainly helps with my productivity – though possibly not my sociability, as it turns out the ANC is effective enough for me to completely miss my partner tapping on the door behind me. She’s been dancing on the spot, waiting to see how long it would take for me to notice her – “quite a while”, it turns out. Whoops.
At 4.11pm, with all my work done and the Sonos Ace playing constantly, my phone is up to 98% and my Sonos Ace is down to 80%. It’s time to test Dolby Atmos surround sound with a movie.
Rather cleverly, if you have a Sonos soundbar, you can switch between surround sound output from your soundbar or headphones – perfect for late-night movies when you don’t want to disturb the neighbours. Unfortunately, I don’t have one to hand, so I will be doing my watching on the iPhone.
I scout lists of the best Dolby Atmos films to test it with, and pay up £3.49 to watch Baby Driver. Like me, the protagonist also keeps his earphones on at all times.
As I ponder that irony, a thought occurs: I’ve been wearing these headphones for nearly eight hours straight and my ears aren’t feeling it at all. This is highly unusual – I’ve worn plenty of headphones branded as comfortable for extended periods, and they always feel a bit sore after a few hours. But not the Sonos: I’m feeling no discomfort whatsoever.
That’s just as well, as I’m about to settle in for two hours of movie magic. I’ve not seen Baby Driver before, and I really enjoy it – with the Dolby Atmos audio clearly enhancing things.
The sound is sensational, from the brilliant music that matches the scenes and surrounds the viewer perfectly, to the directional audio that immerses you throughout. I actually find myself looking behind me in the post office scene, because I heard faint voices – it turns out this was just background chatter from other customers. Amazing.
The credits roll at 6.18pm, and I check in on the app. Nine hours and 53 minutes of constant use, and the Sonos Ace is down to 74% battery. Phenomenal.
Worth the price
So, what have we learned? Chiefly that the Sonos Ace is well worth the £449 price of admission. They’re the most comfortable headphones I’ve ever worn, the audio is sensational and the ANC is extremely effective at blocking out London at its noisiest.
And that’s not even mentioning the battery. Sonos promises 30 hours battery life, but after nearly ten hours of use, I’ve only used a quarter. Scale that up, and it looks more like 40 hours to me.
In short, if you take your sound seriously, and you value your comfort and the convenience of barely having to charge your headphones, then take a look at the Sonos Ace – you’ll definitely not be disappointed.
