After a long road of leaks and rumors, Sonos’s first over-ear headphones, the Sonos Ace, are finally official. Boasting an array of top-end features like custom 40mm drivers, Bluetooth 5.4, “world-class” noise cancelling, Sonos ecosystem integration, and more, the headphones look purpose-built to jockey for position in consumer audio gear best-of lists. Interested in the latest Sonos has to offer? You’ve come to the right place. Here’s everything you need to know about the new Sonos Ace.
Sonos Ace: design, hardware, and specifications
The Sonos Ace headphones feature a high-end design; Sonos said the headset was “obsessively crafted to look and feel as good as it sounds.” The headphones are made of plastic and lightweight stainless steel, with foam-filled earcups wrapped in faux leather. Sonos describes the fit of the 11-ounce headphones as “airy.”
The Ace’s aesthetic is decidedly modern, following in the footsteps of other recent premium over-ears like the Sony WH-1000XM5 and the Apple AirPods Pro. There are hardware buttons on the right earcup for controlling playback and ANC modes, along with power and pairing controls on the left. There’s also a USB-C port on the left side for both charging and wired audio, but no 3.5mm port.
Specifications
- Battery Life
- Up to 30 hours (ANC on)
Sonos Ace: audio and features
The Sonos Ace features custom 40 mm drivers that, according to Sonos, deliver “impeccable precision and clarity.” The headphones are also marketed as having “world-class” ANC. We haven’t had the chance to put those claims to the test just yet, but given Sonos’s pedigree in the consumer audio space, we’re inclined to believe they’re accurate. We’ll update this post with first-hand audio impressions soon.
Those sound quality claims are bolstered by the Ace’s support of the latest Bluetooth 5.4 standard, as well as the Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound AptX Lossless codec. The headphones are compatible with any Bluetooth-enabled audio source, but if you want high-fidelity audio out of a device that doesn’t have Snapdragon Sound built in, you can use the headphones’ USB-C port for a wired connection.
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In addition to delivering on the basics at a high level, the Sonos Ace features Sonos ecosystem integrations you won’t get with headphones from other brands. If you’ve got a compatible Sonos soundbar connected to your TV, you can swap your screen’s audio between the bar and the Sonos Ace with the touch of a button.
The headphones also support spatial audio with Dolby Atmos. Sonos says that later this year, an update will enable what the company is calling TrueCinema, which lets you map your listening environment to, Sonos claims, create a realistic virtual surround sound setup “for a listening experience so realistic you’ll forget you’re wearing headphones.”
Sonos Ace: pricing and availability
The Sonos Ace headphones are currently available for preorder for $449 from Best Buy or Sonos, with orders expected to ship the first week of June. Preorder isn’t yet available at Amazon, but we expect availability there, too.
Sonos Ace: a new competitor in the high-end consumer audio market
Sonos’s new Ace headphones could be an appealing option for anyone in the market for super-premium, wireless, consumer headphones, offering specs and features that should give heavyweights from the likes of Sony and Bose a run for their money — and at $449, they’d better be. The headphones are available for preorder now, with general availability beginning in June.
Sonos Ace
The Sonos Ace is the company’s promising first attempt at high-end over-ear headphones. Boasting features like Bluetooth 5.4, AptX Lossless, 30-hour battery life, “world-class” ANC, and exclusive Sonos ecosystem integration, the Ace tries hard to justify its $449 price tag.
