Sonos Ace Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM6

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Ace Ultra compared with WH-1000XM6

	SonosAce Ultra	SonyWH-1000XM6
Overview
Released
Released	September 2026	May 2025
Sound
Type
Type	Over-ear	Over-ear
Noise cancelling
Noise cancelling	Yes	Yes
Transparency mode
Transparency mode	Yes	Yes
Spatial audio with head tracking
Spatial audio with head tracking	Yes	Yes
Driver size
Driver size	40 mm	30 mm
Bluetooth codecs
Bluetooth codecs	SBC, AAC and aptX Lossless	SBC, AAC, LDAC and LC3
Lossless over USB-C
Lossless over USB-C	Yes	No
Chip
Chip	–	QN3
Drivers
Drivers	Custom-designed 40 mm dynamic driver in each cup	30 mm driver unit with a high-rigidity carbon fibre composite dome and neodymium magnet; 4 Hz to 40,000 Hz (wired, switched on); sensitivity 103 dB/mW switched on, 102 dB/mW switched off; impedance 48 Ω switched on, 16 Ω switched off (1 kHz)
Chip
Chip	–	HD Noise Canceling Processor QN3 (Sony says seven times faster than the WH-1000XM5's) and Integrated Processor V2
Noise cancelling detail
Noise cancelling detail	Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation adjusts to changes in fit and surroundings; Aware mode with optional Voice Boost; sidetone lets you hear your own voice during calls	Twelve microphones for noise cancelling; Adaptive NC Optimizer tunes noise cancelling to the fit, surroundings and air pressure; Ambient Sound Mode with Auto Ambient Sound; Quick Attention Mode; Speak-to-Chat; Adaptive Sound Control
Audio features
Audio features	Dolby Atmos and dynamic Dolby Head Tracking with compatible content and devices; TrueCinema tunes playback to your room and compatible Sonos soundbar; TV Audio Swap supports two pairs, with head tracking available for one pair. Adaptive EQ plus 3-band or 8-band EQ and Loudness controls	LDAC up to 990 kbps (Hi-Res Audio Wireless); Hi-Res Audio over the headphone cable; DSEE Extreme upscaling; 10-band EQ and Game EQ; 360 Reality Audio; 360 Upmix for Cinema; spatial sound with head tracking; BGM effect; LE Audio with a low-latency mode and Auracast broadcast audio
Battery
Listening time (maker's claim)
Listening time (maker's claim)	Up to 35 hours	Up to 30 hours
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Replaceable 1060 mAh lithium-ion battery; up to 35 hours with ANC or Aware mode on, or 50 hours with ANC off in the maker guide	Up to 40 hours with noise cancelling off (AAC, SBC or LC3); with LDAC, 26 hours with noise cancelling on or 36 hours off; talk time up to 24 hours (28 hours with noise cancelling off); up to 28 hours on the headphone cable with noise cancelling on (38 hours off); can be used while charging
Fast charging
Fast charging	Three minutes from empty provides up to three hours of listening; full charge from empty in up to three hours. USB-C power adaptor sold separately	3 minutes gives about 3 hours of playback with a USB PD adaptor (9 V/2.3 A or more), or about 1 hour with a 5 V/1.5 A adaptor; full charge in about 3.5 hours
Design
Weight
Weight	322 g	254 g (better)
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	6.0	5.3
Two devices at once
Two devices at once	Yes	Yes
Headphone cable
Headphone cable	Yes	Yes
Controls
Controls	Content Key slides for volume and presses for playback, calls and audio swapping; Noise Control button cycles noise modes or activates the connected device's voice assistant; Power/Bluetooth button; wear detection pauses and resumes playback	Touch sensor control panel (double-tap to play, pause or answer calls; swipe forwards or backwards to skip; swipe up or down for volume; hold for the voice assistant; cover with your hand for Quick Attention Mode); power and NC/AMB buttons on the left unit (double-press NC/AMB to mute the microphones during calls, once enabled in the app); nod or shake your head to answer or reject calls; proximity sensor pauses music when the headphones are taken off and switches them off after 15 minutes
Microphones
Microphones	Ten microphones for noise control, calls, Aware mode and TrueCinema	Twelve microphones for noise cancelling; six-microphone AI-based beamforming for calls; MEMS, omnidirectional
Fit and ear tips
Fit and ear tips	Adjustable stainless-steel headband; rotating ear cups with magnetically attached replaceable cushions; contrasting right-cup interior. Current UK page gives 322 g, while the maker guide gives 325 g	Closed, over-ear; wider soft-fit headband in synthetic leather; stretchable earpads; folds flat and folds up to fit the supplied carrying case, which has a magnetic closure
Dimensions
Dimensions	Current UK page gives 193 mm height, 163 mm width, 90.8 mm ear-cup width and 45 mm ear-cup depth; maker guide instead lists overall depth 84 mm	–
Water resistance detail
Water resistance detail	No IP rating published; maker guide says the headphones are not waterproof	No water resistance rating; Sony says the headphones are not waterproof
Works with
Works with	Bluetooth multipoint to two devices, disabled by default; USB-C digital audio and supplied USB-C to 3.5 mm analogue cable, with Bluetooth disabled during cable use. Maker guide specifies aptX Lossless; SBC and AAC are listed by What Hi-Fi. Headphone linking over 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi on 2.4 or 5 GHz requires a compatible Sonos speaker and the Sonos app; opt-in Early Access, provided as-is and subject to change	Sony | Sound Connect app for iOS and Android; multipoint connection to two devices; LE Audio and Auracast with compatible devices; the headphone cable also works with the headphones switched off, without noise cancelling
Colours
Colours	Black, Soft White, Agave, Sand	Black, Platinum Silver, Midnight Blue, Sand Pink, Sandstone (Sony US; colours vary by region)
In the box
In the box	Headphones, travel case with removable cable pouch, 0.75 m USB-C to USB-C cable, 1.2 m USB-C to 3.5 mm cable, setup and warranty documentation; analogue cable is not compatible with third-party replacements	Headphones, USB-C cable (USB-A to USB-C), headphone cable (about 1.2 m, gold-plated L-shaped stereo mini plug), carrying case, documents