Sonos Ace Ultra vs Beats 360: Which New Noise-Cancelling Headphones Should You Buy?

Two new flagship over-ear headphones launched a week apart this fall. The Beats 360 arrived on September 24 at $349.99. The Sonos Ace Ultra started shipping on September 29 at $449.

They look like direct rivals. They are not. Sonos built a pair of headphones for the living room, and Beats built one for the gym. Which one makes sense depends on where you will wear them and what you already own.

For full detail, see our Sonos Ace Ultra review and Beats 360 review.

The short answer

• Buy the Sonos Ace Ultra if you have a Sonos soundbar or speakers, want lossless or wired listening, or care most about home theater and long flights.
• Buy the Beats 360 if you want one pair for workouts and everyday use, switch between iPhone and Android, or want to spend $100 less.
• Buy neither if your only priority is the strongest noise cancelling. Several reviews still rank Sony and Bose ahead of both. See our noise-cancelling headphones roundup.

Specs side by side

Noise cancelling

Neither pair runs away with this category. Sonos claims up to twice the low-frequency ANC of the original Ace. Beats claims 1.75 times the cancellation of the Studio Pro. Neither figure tells you how they compare with each other.

Published testing puts both in the same place: good, not best. Reviewers praise the Ace Ultra’s improvement over the first Ace, but Gizmodo rated its ANC middle of the pack. Engadget found the Beats 360 effective against steady noise and weak against voices.

On a plane, the edge probably goes to Sonos. The extra low-frequency focus targets engine drone, and the wired cable lets you use the seat-back screen. Slight edge: Sonos.

Sound

The Ace Ultra has a balanced, warm tuning, and an 8-band EQ to adjust it. The Beats 360 is bass-forward and energetic, and you can’t change it beyond toggling Adaptive EQ.

The Ace Ultra also plays lossless, over aptX from a compatible Android phone or over USB-C from anything. The Beats 360 is limited to AAC and SBC, with no wired option. If audio fidelity matters to you, this is the biggest difference between the two. Winner: Sonos.

Comfort, weight and workouts

The Beats 360 weighs 294.5 g against the Sonos at 322 g. The Beats has a firmer clamp that keeps it in place while you move, and it is IPX4-rated against sweat and rain. Its breathable knit cushions are designed for heat, and you can swap in a leather-style set later.

The Ace Ultra has no water resistance rating and draws complaints about cup pressure in long sessions. Neither pair folds. For workouts and all-day wear: Beats. For a couch or a desk, it is closer to a draw.

Battery

Sonos rates 35 hours, Beats 32. Testers measured about 33 hours on the Sonos and were on pace to exceed 32 on the Beats. Sonos’s fast charge is better: three hours from three minutes, against one hour from five minutes.

Sonos also sells a $25 replacement battery kit. Beats has not announced one. Winner: Sonos.

Ecosystem: Sonos home vs Apple and Android phones

This is where your choice is probably made for you.

The Ace Ultra connects to Wi-Fi. Press the Content Key to move TV audio from a compatible Sonos soundbar to the headphones, with Dolby Atmos, head tracking and TrueCinema room tuning. Headphone Linking, still in Early Access, moves music between Sonos speakers and the headphones. If you don’t own Sonos, none of this is available to you.

The Beats 360 is built around your phone. On iPhone you get one-touch and iCloud pairing, Automatic Switching, Audio Sharing, Find My and Siri. On Android you get Fast Pair, Audio Switch, Find Hub and a full-featured Beats app. Few headphones work this well on both platforms.

Sonos homes: Ace Ultra. Everyone else: Beats.

Value

The Beats costs $100 less, and the money buys you sweat resistance and lighter weight. You give up wired audio, lossless, custom EQ, wear detection and some battery life.

The Sonos costs more, and the extra money buys the Wi-Fi features, wired and lossless audio, more EQ and replaceable batteries. That premium only pays off if you own Sonos gear to use it with. Without that gear, $449 puts the Ace Ultra up against Sony and Bose flagships.

Which should you buy?

Choose the Sonos Ace Ultra if:

• You have a compatible Sonos soundbar and want private late-night TV.
• You have several Sonos speakers and want music to follow you.
• You fly often and want a wired option, a long battery and fast charging.
• You want lossless audio or a custom EQ.

Choose the Beats 360 if:

• You want one pair of over-ear headphones for the gym and the commute.
• Your household mixes iPhone and Android, or you want Find My or Find Hub tracking.
• You want a lighter, more secure fit.
• You want to save $100 and you never plug headphones in.

Verdict

The Sonos Ace Ultra is the better headphone on paper: more features, better audio options, more battery and longer service life. But most of its advantage depends on a Sonos system. The Beats 360 does less, but it is designed for something no other premium over-ear pair handles well: hard workouts.

Pick the one that matches your home. A Sonos soundbar points to the Ace Ultra. A gym bag points to the Beats 360.

Where to buy