Summary
- Sonos enters the headphone market with the release of the Sonos Ace, designed for all users, not just audiophiles.
- Priced at $449, the Sonos Ace features premium materials, custom 40mm drivers, Dolby Atmos, and active noise cancelation.
- TrueCinema technology coming soon will offer a home theater-like experience, making the Sonos Ace a top contender in wireless headphones.
If you’re in the market for the best wireless headphones that are comfortable to wear, sound great, and look a certain way, you’d go the usual route, looking at offerings from Bose, Sony, Sennheiser, Audio Technica, and even Apple’s AirPods Max for those in Cupertino tech giant’s ecosystem. Potential buyers in more than 30 countries will soon, however, have a new option to consider.
Sonos, a brand that is synonymous with premium smart home sound systems, has finally entered the headphone market.
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Santa Barbara, California-based speaker manufacturer Sonos has finally revealed its long-rumored Sonos Ace headphones, marking the company’s entry into the segment. The headphones, which will be available starting Wednesday, June 5, will cost $449, putting them in a price range close to the likes of the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Wireless, Shure’s AONIC 50 Gen 2, and Master & Dynamic MH40.
Sonos has shown its audio prowess in the speaker sector, so we’d expect its first headphones to reflect the experience. However, the Sonos Ace appear to be targeted towards all users, and not just audiophiles.
According to the company, the Sonos Ace series was “obsessively crafted to look and feel as good as it sounds,” with a fit that “hugs your head.” It features lightweight materials for the body, paired with memory foam earcups that are wrapped in vegan leather to ensure comfort for extended use.
The headband is foam-cushioned too, while the rest of the body is made of stainless steel with a matte finish in Black and Soft White colorways.
The right earcup features buttons that let you control volume, play/pause/skip tracks, answer/decline calls, or switch between ANC and Aware mode, while the left earcup features buttons to power on/off the headphones and to pair devices. For reference, these are physical buttons, and not capacitive. The Sonos Ace can also be folded flat, which allows it to fit snugly in its travel case.
A home theater-like experience with Sonos’ TrueCinema
Sonos says that it is using two custom-designed 40mm dynamic drivers in each cup, that allow the Ace to reproduce “each frequency with impeccable precision and clarity,” be it for calls, music, or podcasts. Users would also be able to swap audio from playing on other compatible Sonos products to the Ace by pressing a button. The regular features are all there as expected, including active noise cancelation, an awareness mode, lossless audio and adjustable equalization (EQ).
Spatial audio support with Dolby Atmos allows the headphones to replicate a surround sound experience paired with head tracking. Building on top of that, Sonos says that it will roll out a new TrueCinema technology later this year, allowing the Ace to map its surroundings and replicate a home theater-like surround sound experience. “Sonos’ all-new TrueCinema technology precisely maps your space then renders a complete surround sound system for a listening experience so realistic you’ll forget you’re wearing headphones,” said the audio giant. From the looks of it, the technology seems to be novel, and I can’t think of any other headphone brands that offer a similar feature, barring the regular spatial audio that uses software to mimic a surround sound experience.
Other noteworthy information includes support for wear detection, which will essentially play/pause playback when you put on or take off the Sonos Ace, an average 312g weight, Bluetooth 5.4 support, and a 1,060mAh lithium-ion battery that offers roughly 30 hours of listening time with ANC or awareness mode enabled. The Sonos Ace comes with a USB-C cable. Charging from 0-100% takes roughly two hours, while a three minute charge can offer roughly three hours of playback.
The Sonos Ace will be available in the US, Canada, the UK, and 30+ markets starting Wednesday, June 5, for $449.
Sonos Ace
With memory foam earcups and a lightweight, ergonomic, fold-flat design, the Sonos Ace headphones have a premium build to match their price point. With custom-made 40mm dynamic drivers in each ear, paired with spatial audio via Dolby Atmos and active noise cancelation, the listening experience should be a premium one, too. And for those already in the Sonos ecosystem, you’ll be happy to know there’s a button that lets you seamlessly switch audio playback from your speakers to the new Ace headphones.
