I test headphones for a living — and my No. 1 pick for travel isn't Bose or Sony

(Image credit: Future)

When I'm doing short hops around the country, I tend to stick with my trusty Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones to keep the noise of the world at bay. Noise canceling is the name of the game, and there's little better than the best noise-canceling headphones for that.

When I go on longer trips, I want something extra to pass the time — and that means something that can give me the best movie sound possible. Whether that's on a lengthy ferry trip, a road trip that's going to last for hours and hours on end or a long-haul intercontinental flight, there's something extra that I want.

The Sonos Ace and their Dolby Atmos sound for movies on the go are my weapon of choice for getting through lengthier travel.

Getting my mobile movie fix

When a trip lasts longer than normal, I like to have a range of content to keep me entertained. I generally bring my iPad, so that I can do some light reading, but also to watch movies on a screen that's much bigger than my phone.

But no-one else wants to hear the sounds of the post-apocolyptia in Akira or the whining of Anakin Skywalker as the plot of Star Wars Episode II unfolds, just as no-one else wants to hear it when I crank Crowbar. Neither do I want to listen to my movies over the speakers built into my iPad. Clearly, something must be done to remedy the situation.

Enter the Sonos Ace from the top rope. They still block out the noise of the Greyhound bus/Boeing 787/Honda Prelude that I might be riding in, but they make sure that my movies sound their absolute best as I enter hour 11 of a long trip.

Dolby Atmos on the go

Sonos Ace headphones review image in black on a kitchen table — (Image credit: Future)

"Oh, but the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones have that Immersive Audio feature, why not use that?" For one, it's because the feature is designed for music rather than movies.

It takes the track you're listening to and uses some clever audio algorithms to stretch out the frequencies and make your music sound 'bigger' and more spacious. I'm still not entirely convinced about its musical abilities, even then, let alone if I were to use it to watch my favorite movies.

Any surround mix, be that an older PCM mix or a new Dolby Atmos one, has specific places that sounds should be coming from. The mix of the film tells your audio system where to place those sounds, whether you're using one of the best soundbars, best home cinema receivers, or, in this case, the best headphones.

That means things need to be more exact when you're watching movies or you'll find dialogue coming from somewhere that's less than ideal, or a car chase that jumps from ear to ear.

That's why you need headphones like the Sonos Ace, or even Apple's Spatial Audio-equipped AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 or AirPods Max.

They're built from the ground up to be good for Dolby Atmos and surround mixes, giving you spatial audio from specially mixed Atmos music tracks on the likes of Apple Music, but also when you watch movies on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.

They're solid headphones

Sonos Ace headphones review listing image in black with balloons in background — (Image credit: Future)

So we've established why I want headphones like the Sonos Ace, but why the Sonos Ace in particular? There are other headphones that support the Dolby Atmos standard, like the AirPods mentioned above, so why have I opted for the Sonos Ace and their specific application?

It's all down to the standard of their Dolby Atmos playback. The AirPods line are very good at playing back spatial audio mixes, placing sounds well in the virtual space around you. You can use them with an Apple TV as well, which is always a bonus, giving you Dolby Atmos playback if you don't have a capable soundbar or if you want to make sure you don't wake anyone up if you watch movies at 3am.

They're good, but thanks to Sonos' experience with spatial audio in its smart speaker and soundbar line, the Ace are just better. The sound feels bigger and more immersive, with better placement and more natural head tracking to make it feel like you're in your own home theater — whether you're in a coach seat on a flight or the back of your mom's station wagon.

So, every time I go on a longer trip (unless I'm driving, then everyone has to listen to my 24-hour death metal playlist — not sorry, I make the rules) I grab my Sonos Ace so that I can enjoy watching movies and make the journey go just that bit quicker.

Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.

More from Tom's Guide

TOPICS

Tammy and her generous collection of headphones have found a new home — Tom's Guide! After a two-and-a-half-year stint as iMore's resident audiophile, Tammy's reviews and buying guide expertise have more focus than ever on Tom's Guide, helping buyers find the audio gear that works best for them. Tammy has worked with some of the most desirable audio brands on the planet in her time writing about headphones, speakers, and more, bringing a consumer focussed approach to critique and buying advice. Away from her desk, you'll probably find her in the countryside writing (extremely bad) poetry, or putting her screenwriting Masters to good use creating screenplays that'll never see the light of day.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.