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Left ear fluttering with ANC on. its like driving with the car window slightly open.

  • May 5, 2026
  • 7 replies
  • 74 views
J

Against my instincts due to the long works with the Sonos app and the history etc I purchased the Ace today in the airport. 

First use after updating to firmware 3.9.9 and the left ear is making a pulsing fluttering effect from the ANC. 

ANC switched off. No problem. It's exactly like driving on the highway with the window cracked open and you get that resonance. 

 

In short the headphones are useless in this state. The ANC can't be used so they are dud. Is there a fix?

Impossible to return to the shop as it's in the airport and I've flown to my destination. 

What didn't I listen to my gut?

Thanks. 

7 replies

K
  • kdowling
  • May 5, 2026

That certainly sounds like they aren’t functioning properly. I suggest you contact Sonos support and see what they have to say. Defective new headphones would be covered under warranty. They should make it right.

But first, I would try to reboot the headphones and see if that helps.

https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/reboot-sonos-products

    J
    • Jetmoo
    • Author
    • Contributor I
    • May 5, 2026

    I agree. Just hope there's a way they can resolve the matter quickly and without cost. Yet another hassle that modern life can do without though. 

    I feel like a sucker after so many issues with my home Sonos system; I hoped they had finally resolved the teething troubles with the headphones. 

    It's very disappointing and my flight without ANC was a cacophony of babies and hubbub. 

    I should also add that another symptom is that the left ear also emits a sort of white noise and pressure in aware mode. 

    Compared to my Sony xm5 the Ace's ANC (before I updated the firmware) was not near half as good.  But the sound quality I would argue is better than the Sony for my musical tastes. 

    J
    • Jetmoo
    • Author
    • Contributor I
    • May 5, 2026

    And I suppose for Sonos tech it's worth emphasizing that when I first tried the headphones, they worked just fine. This issue only arose after updating the firmware. 

    K
    • kdowling
    • May 5, 2026

    Yes, I would let them know that.

      Stanley_4
      • Stanley_4
      • Grand Maestro
      • May 5, 2026

      Try a factory reset of only the headphones, run an update check. Reboot and give it another try.

        P
        • PapaCharlie
        • Lyricist I
        • August 2, 2026

        Hi,
        I face that exact same problem since yesterday.
        Did anyone manage to fix it?

        J
        • Jetmoo
        • Author
        • Contributor I
        • August 2, 2026

        Well I reached out to customer support and they organised a warranty replacement (well they were only a few hours old). The representative on the phone said it was likely that my pair had older version hardware. The replacement pair do not suffer any such issue. 

        However, I would call the ANC ok at best. Compared to my Sony's it's a different league (despite being similar price). Best example is on take off in an airliner. Sony cope brilliantly with only occasional pops when they get overwhelmed. Ace lives on a state of overwhelmed and I had to take them off until well into the climb. Not very impressive tbh. 

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