Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Sonos Ace Review (After Firmware 3.9.7)
The Sonos Ace had an update recently dubbed 3.9.7 that adds adaptive noise canceling, sidetone and improved mic pickup, as well as add features that you’ll need a Sonos Soundbar for, like TrueCinema spatial audio and TV audio swap to two Sonos Aces at once. But even after this update, how does this improved performance compare to the Sony WH-1000XM6?
Microphone Quality
In terms of microphone pickup, the Sony is better in quiet conditions, my voice is fuller, and has more body, but it is in noisy scenarios where the Sonos Ace seems to be more comparable to the WH-1000XM6. The Sony still cancels more background noise, but its noise gating is very aggressive, also cutting into my voice whereas the Sonos lets a bit of noise through, but my voice is also kept more intact.
👉 Have a listen to the mic quality
(Tested in both quiet and noisy conditions using really loud cafe noise and wind noise from a fan.)
Active Noise Cancelling
In terms of active noise canceling, even after the update, the XM6 is still ahead of the Sonos in certain areas. If we look at these measurements, we can see that the Sonos does cancel noise to a large degree, but the Sony cancels more in the sub bass, upper bass, mids and highs. This means you’ll get more silence in general as a result. Have a listen to the samples.
👉 Have a listen to the ANC quality
Transparency Mode
In terms of transparency, this is where they can both be considered quite comparable, but the Sony stands out in 2 ways, First, it has an airier feeling which makes transparency feel more like not wearing headphones.
From these measurements you can see that the Sony’s transparency is louder in the highs, and the Sonos has a dip here in the 4khz region which could affect the crispness of voice passthrough. And second, it deals with wind noise better.When my fan’s blowing in my face, the Sonos Ace seems to pick up more of the flapping noise of wind, whereas the Sony doesn’t, although you can still hear a bit of the wind.
Sound Quality
In terms of sound quality out of the box without any EQ-ing, the Sonos sounds a lot more laid back than the Sony, especially in the vocals. Definitely from this dip between 3-5khz which affects the crispness of vocals as well as presence. Bass is also more subdued, and for overall tuning the XM6 does sound more exciting. I can say for those who want a more non-fatiguing sound, the Sonos is better for that, but personally, I prefer a more v-shaped signature which is what the Sonys are.
👉 Have a listen to the sound quality
You can spice things up on the Sonos through the app, but EQ settings are limited to just treble and bass adjustments. Best I could do was pump up the treble all the way to make it sound airier and crisper, but nothing can be done to the mids. You can definitely do a lot more to the Sony’s EQ, and by doing so, I’ve managed to create a custom EQ that catapults it to hi-fi quality sound. As much as I tried, I couldn’t do that for the Ace on the Sonos app.
Why Buy the Sonos Ace?
The best arguments I can make for the Sonos Ace is that its mic quality in noisy conditions is better, and its build quality feels better, more premium, from the quality of the buttons to the magnetic earcups, to the hydraulics of the headband. And in terms of comfort, it feels a little nicer, there seems to be more space in the ear cups and the headband’s cushioning is plusher.
It’s also a more streamlined experience, so the likelihood of it having a feature you won’t use at all is smaller. It also has head tracking which I use for watching movies sometimes, whereas the Sonys don’t have head tracking unless it’s on compatible devices and apps that support actual 360 Reality audio.
Of course, with the new firmware update, it’s even more perfect for people who have Sonos soundbars because you can do TrueCinema spatial audio and audio swapping with the soundbar with two Sonos Ace headphones. That is perfect for couples who don’t want to wake up their sleeping kids.
Why Buy the WH-1000XM6?
As for the WH-1000XM6, they don’t feel as premium, and they’re a little less comfortable to wear at first, even did a whole video about it, but I can see them being more popular than the Sonos Ace. Simply put, the XM6 has an edge over the Sonos in terms of features, and the performance of the noise canceling, transparency, and sound.
They’re also far more customizable, and you can really make them sound the way you prefer whether through the many presets, the 10-band graphic EQ, or the automatic Find Your Equalizer feature. I’ve even made a tutorial on how to achieve the best sound quality from them, which I’m very proud of because the vast majority of you seem to love these settings.
It’s also got spatial audio upmix that works on any content, and background music mode when all you need is for some ambient sounds to set the mood. I use it a lot for lofi hiphop and I really enjoy that. And for audiophiles, although the Sonos supports aptX Lossless, it’s a far less common Hi-Res codec than LDAC.
And finally, though the Sony’s case is just a tiny bit more compact, if you’re just putting them away in your bag without the case, the XM6 can fold flat and inwards into a more compact form, whereas the Sonos can only fold flat.
Verdict
Suffice to say, I enjoy the Sonys a lot more, but there are still very compelling reasons to go for the Sonos Ace instead, reasons that have more to do with specific use case scenarios like audio swap. But based on what you’ve seen, do you think the Sonos Ace is a better purchase than the WH-1000XM6?
Check latest prices:
Sony WH-1000XM6 - https://amzn.to/4n6OcuL
Sonos Ace - https://amzn.to/442zrBK
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