Premium Sonos Ace headphones dropped to an absolute minimum! Never before below 5 thousand

When Sonos introduced the Ace Ultra successor this September, it was expected that the original model would drop in price. However, it has not been as affordable as it is now during Black Friday. Sonos Ace headphones now cost 4,990 CZK at Alza, and they had never before dropped below the 5,000 CZK mark. Just yesterday, they cost 5,690 CZK.

Quick summary:
✅ Makes sense mainly for Sonos soundbar owners and people who travel frequently and want strong noise cancellation.
⚠️ Consider that the sound performance disappointed some buyers and ears sweat faster under the leatherette earcups.
💡 At 4,990 CZK, they are 7,700 CZK cheaper than the new Ace Ultra model.

Strong ANC, 30-hour battery life, and an airplane cable included in the package

Each earcup features a 40mm dynamic driver, and eight microphones handle noise cancellation. In addition to ANC, there’s an Aware mode that, conversely, lets in ambient sounds, so you can hear announcements at the station without taking off your headphones. The manufacturer promises up to 30 hours of listening with ANC enabled; three minutes of charging should provide three hours of music. The headphones weigh 312 grams.

They are controlled by physical buttons, not a touch surface. Sliding the button on the right earcup changes the volume, pressing it controls playback and calls. The package includes a travel case, a USB-C to USB-C cable, and a USB-C to 3.5mm jack cable, which allows you to connect to in-flight entertainment. However, they do not have a classic jack directly on the headphones. One buyer also points out that even when listening via cable, you cannot do without a charged battery.

Sonos soundbar owners will get the most out of them

The main draw of Ace is switching audio from the TV. By pressing a button on the headphones, you can transfer sound from a compatible Sonos soundbar directly to your ears, typically when you want to finish watching a movie at night without waking the rest of the household. This works with Arc, Arc Ultra, Beam, and Ray models; the soundbar must be connected to Wi-Fi, and you need the Sonos app. You’ll only enjoy Dolby Atmos spatial audio with head tracking on your TV with a supported soundbar.

Without a soundbar, these are regular Bluetooth headphones. According to the manufacturer, Wi-Fi is only used for connecting to a Sonos home theater; you cannot play music from other Sonos speakers via Wi-Fi. A similar limitation applies to lossless audio. You’ll only get it via Bluetooth with an Android phone that supports Snapdragon Sound with the aptX Lossless codec. iPhone owners will not get it wirelessly and must use a USB-C cable for lossless listening.

Buyers praise the build and ANC, but disagree on sound

At Alza, the headphones have a rating of 4.4 out of 5 from 36 customers, 83% of whom recommend them, and over 500 units have been sold with a return rate of 1.68%. Reviews repeatedly praise the premium metal construction, comfortable wear, and strong ANC, which some compare to Sony WH-1000XM5. Arc soundbar owners appreciate how smoothly both products work together.

However, sound performance divides buyers. Some describe it as balanced and compare it to much more expensive headphones, while others complain about muted highs and lows and return the headphones. The equalizer in the app only offers bass and treble adjustments, leaving less room for fine-tuning. Several people also point out that ears sweat under the vegan leather earcups after extended use and that the earcups are a bit small for larger ears.

Without a Sonos soundbar, you miss out on the biggest draw

At 4,990 CZK, this is the cheapest way to switch audio from a Sonos soundbar that Alza has offered so far. If you have an Arc, Beam, or Ray at home, for this price, you’ll hardly find headphones that fit better into your setup. They will also serve well for anyone who flies frequently and wants strong ANC, long battery life, and a case that fits into a backpack.

Anyone who doesn’t have a Sonos soundbar and primarily wants headphones for music from an iPhone should be aware that they won’t get lossless audio via Bluetooth and that the sound signature might not suit everyone. In this case, it’s worth trying the headphones before buying, or at least considering the option of returning them.

Would you go for the original Sonos Ace, or pay extra for the new Ace Ultra?