Sonos could be preparing to make its second attempt at the premium headphone market more competitive, with a new leak suggesting the upcoming Ace Ultra will launch in Europe at a lower price than the original Ace.

According to reports, the Ace Ultra is expected to be priced at €449 in Europe, €50 below the €499 (around A$815) launch price of the original Ace. The US price is reportedly set at US$449, matching the original model’s launch price.

The pricing leak comes just days after an FCC filing exposed details of a new Sonos wireless headphone, identified as model S52A, with documentation apparently referencing the Ace Ultra name. The filing also points to support for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless networks, potentially giving the headphones a much deeper connection to the Sonos ecosystem than the original Ace.

For Australian retailers, the pricing will be closely watched. The original Sonos Ace launched in Australia at A$699, but struggled to establish itself against other premium headphone brands like Sony, Bose and Apple. Channel News previously reported that Sonos sold around 200,000 Ace units against an internal target of one million, with surplus stock subsequently discounted.

The Ace Ultra leak suggests Sonos may be taking a different approach the second time around, combining a more competitive price with hardware upgrades.

Leaked specifications suggest the noise cancelling performance will be up to twice as better than the original Ace. Other reported features include an Aware mode and battery life of up to 35 hours with ANC enabled, compared with 30 hours on the first-generation model. Fast charging is also reportedly capable of delivering three hours of playback from three minutes of charging.

Other reported changes include touch controls, replaceable ear pads and battery, improved microphones and enhanced integration with Sonos soundbars, including Dolby Atmos features.

The headphones are also expected to introduce a new Agave colour alongside black and white, while FCC documentation lists additional potential finishes including Greige, Blush and Sand.

Sonos has already confirmed a September product launch event, although it has not officially confirmed the Ace Ultra, its specifications or pricing.

For Australia, the key issue will be whether Sonos can combine a more aggressive price with the ecosystem integration consumers expected from the original Ace.

The company has acknowledged that the first-generation headphones did not offer enough whole-home integration to justify their premium positioning.

Sony and Bose are also competing aggressively in the premium headphone market, so the Australian pricing could determine if the Ace Ultra represents a genuine second chance for Sonos.