The holiday headphone fight has two new players.
Beats announced the Beats 360 on September 22, 2026. It costs $349.99 and reached stores on September 24. Sonos opened pre-orders for the Sonos Ace Ultra on September 1 and put it on general sale on September 29 for $449.
Both now go up against the Sony WH-1000XM6, which sells for about $460 according to Techwalla. That is the pair most shoppers use as the benchmark for noise cancelling.
These three are not the same kind of product. Beats is going after gym-goers and people who switch between iPhone and Android. Sonos is selling a headphone that plugs into its speaker system. Sony is the all-rounder. Here is how they compare.
Key dates
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| September 1, 2026 | Sonos announces the Ace Ultra; pre-orders open |
| September 22, 2026 | Beats announces the Beats 360; pre-orders open |
| September 24, 2026 | Beats 360 on sale in the U.S. and 100+ countries |
| September 29, 2026 | Sonos Ace Ultra on general sale |
| October 31, 2026 | Beats 360 cushion kit promo ($9.99 instead of $49.99) ends |
Specs side by side
| Beats 360 | Sonos Ace Ultra | Sony WH-1000XM6 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price (U.S.) | $349.99 | $449 | About $460 |
| On sale | Sept 24, 2026 | Sept 29, 2026 | Now |
| Noise cancelling mics | 8 | 10 | Not covered in our sources |
| Battery (claimed) | Up to 32 hours | Up to 35 hours with ANC on | About 30 hours (quoted by Techwalla) |
| Fast charge | 5 min = up to 1 hour | 3 min = up to 3 hours | Not covered in our sources |
| Weight | 294.5 g | Not stated by Sonos | 254 g |
| Water resistance | IPX4 | Not stated | Not stated |
| Wired audio | No (wireless only, per BGR) | USB-C (up to 16-bit/48kHz) and 3.5 mm | Not covered in our sources |
| Spatial audio | Personalized Spatial Audio with head tracking | Yes, plus TrueCinema with Sonos soundbars | Not covered in our sources |
| Colors | Black, Cloud, Pink, Sky | Not stated in the press release | Not covered in our sources |
A note on the battery numbers. Beats' product page says up to 32 hours with ANC and Personalized Spatial Audio on. BGR also says 32 hours with ANC on. But other Beats spec text ties the 32 hours to ANC and Transparency off. So the real ANC-on number may be lower. Wait for battery tests before you treat 32 hours as a fact.
The Bluetooth version on the Beats 360 is also unclear. Beats' own page lists Bluetooth 5.3, while Tom's Guide (as cited by Techwalla) lists 5.4.
What's new in the Beats 360
The Beats 360 replaces nothing directly. It sits above the Studio Pro, which Beats cut from $349.99 to $299.99 on the same day.
Check Beats 360 price on Amazon
- Swappable cushions. The ear and headband cushions come off. Beats sells extra kits in Performance Knit and UltraPlush. They cost $49.99, but are $9.99 in the U.S. until October 31.
- IPX4. It is the first over-ear Beats headphone rated for sweat and water.
- Stronger noise cancelling. Beats claims up to 1.75x more ANC than the Studio Pro. That compares against its own older model. Tom's Guide found that Sony and Bose still cancel more noise.
- Works well on both phones. iPhone users get one-touch pairing, Find My and hands-free Siri. Android users get Fast Pair, Find Hub and the Beats app.
- Replaceable battery. BGR reports the battery can be swapped.
The trade-offs: BGR found no wired audio over USB-C, no lossless support and no auto pause when you take them off. No 3.5 mm cable comes in the box.
What's new in the Sonos Ace Ultra
The Ace Ultra is a full redesign of the 2024 Sonos Ace, which also launched at $449.
- New 40 mm driver, designed by Sonos.
- Ten microphones for adaptive noise cancelling, up from eight. Sonos says the ANC is twice as strong as the original Ace, according to Acquire.
- Longer battery. Up to 35 hours with ANC on, versus 30 hours on the original Ace. A 3-minute charge gives up to 3 hours.
- Headphone Engine 2. This is the big one. The Ace Ultra can join your Sonos system directly over Wi-Fi. One press pulls what is playing on your Sonos speakers into the headphones, and another sends it back, without your phone nearby. Sonos labels this as Early Access. The original Ace does not get it.
- Wired options. USB-C audio up to 16-bit/48kHz and a 3.5 mm input.
Sonos did not list weight or colors in its press release.
Where each one wins
- Beats 360 wins on price and the gym. It is about $100 cheaper than the other two, it is IPX4, and the cushions can be swapped when they get sweaty.
- Sonos Ace Ultra wins at home. If you own a Sonos soundbar or speakers, no other headphone can grab audio from your system the same way. It also has the longest claimed battery of the three.
- Sony WH-1000XM6 wins on weight and noise cancelling. At 254 g it is about 40 g lighter than the Beats 360, and hands-on testing cited by Techwalla still puts Sony ahead of Beats on ANC.
Which should you buy?
- You train in your headphones or switch between iPhone and Android: get the Beats 360. It is the cheapest here and built for sweat.
- You own Sonos speakers or a Sonos soundbar: get the Sonos Ace Ultra. The system handoff is the reason to pay $449.
- You fly a lot and want the quietest ride: get the Sony WH-1000XM6. It is the lightest and has the strongest ANC reputation of the three.
- You want Beats for less: the Beats Studio Pro is now $299.99.
- Wait: if you can, wait a few weeks. Full lab tests on battery and noise cancelling are still coming in, and holiday sales could lower all three prices.
Check Sony WH-1000XM6 price on Amazon
For earbuds instead, see our Bose wired noise cancelling earbuds vs EarPods article. You can also line up specs with our compare tool.
Other tech news this week
- Meta starts shipping Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses on October 13. Read our Ray-Ban Meta Audio vs Gen 3 vs Gen 2 article.
- Apple holds its "Welcome home" launch on October 13. See our Apple October 13 event preview.
- Apple opens iPhone Duo pre-orders on October 16. Read our iPhone Duo pre-order guide.
Sources
- Sonos Newsroom: Sonos welcomes Beam Ultra and Sonos Ace Ultra to its system
- Beats: Beats 360 product page
- BGR: Beats 360 headphones review
- Techwalla: Beats 360 headphones launch at $349.99, rival Sony's flagship
- MacTrast: Beats 360 headphones announced
- HiFi.Fan: Sonos Ace Ultra released with Headphone Engine 2 and audio handover
- Acquire: Sonos launches the Ace Ultra
Image: Beats 360 with interchangeable cushions, via Beats by Dre.
