When Dolby made a play for the headphone market in 2018, it was full of technology Size model offered excellent sound quality, but the $599 price tag was too high to bear. Now Sonos, another major player in living room audio over the past decade, has ventured into similarly uncharted territory. after years hints and rumours, Sonos Ace (449 dollars) arrives this week, and the company delivers the sleek design you’ve come to expect, along with some impressive sound quality. The integration with the speakers of these headphones is not what many would expect, but the feature works well. However, one thing that could have made an otherwise perfect debut is the limited support for Ace at the start.
Sonos Ace sound quality and ANC performance
Given Sonos’ sonic prowess, I had high expectations for the sound quality of the Ace. Indeed, the company’s first set of headphones offers the same sound quality with its high-end speakers as some home theater features. The 40mm dynamic drivers deliver both the power and clarity that put the Ace at the top of our list. best wireless headphones when it comes to sound performance. Bass is big and powerful for the drum beats on Bilmuri’s post-hardcore “Talkin’ 2 Ur Ghost,” but it’s appropriately restrained on Wyatt Flores’ “Milwaukee,” where the quieter rhythm section still has plenty of detail. .
Sonos
The first Sonos headphones are extremely impressive and the soundbar sync feature is easy to use. However, Ace is expensive and it will be a while before it reaches its full potential.
- Excellent sound quality
- TV Audio Swap works fine
- Elegant design
- Comfortable fit
- expensive
- ANC performance
- Some compatibility still works
- The competition has more features
Like many Sonos speakers, the Ace excels with Dolby Atmos content. This applies to both music and TV/movies. There’s an Apple Music Live set from Luke Combs, most of these sessions were recorded in a country venue while he was in the studio. With Ace, you feel like you’re at the show. Reverb, singing crowd, loudness of spatial mix and natural qualities of a live band are enhanced in these headphones. When I look Drive to survive or the last siege Rogue One, Ace shined with directional zooms of F1 cars and spaceships.
Sonos Ace supports lossless audio in two ways. The first is through a wired USB-C connection. The second one is exclusive to the latest Android devices. If you own one of these, you’ll be able to use aptX Lossless from Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound platform, which enables high-quality sound over Bluetooth. This second option wasn’t available at the time of review, so I wasn’t able to test it, but Sonos says it will be available when the Ace ships on June 5.
Not many companies come close to Apple with a surround sound mode, but Sonos delivers AirPods Max some competition. Apple has mastered natural-sounding transparent audio, and the Ace pretty much achieves it, providing one of the few setups where I can hear my voice adequately without having to shout. This is great when you need to use the Ace for a quick chat or call. It also means you have a solid perception of your surroundings, not a slightly muted version of them.
Active noise cancellation (ANC) is another area where Sonos doesn’t have much experience, and it’s one of the Ace’s few stumbles. The constant noise, although silent, is still noticeable unless you turn up the volume. You should also set it high enough to drown out human voices. It’s probably enough to get the job done in many scenarios, but it’s not on par with the Bose or Sony.
TV Audio Swap and True Cinema
Where Ace Sonos flexes its muscle is the ability to receive audio from one of the company’s soundbars. A feature called TV Audio Swap lets you do this with the push of a button on your headphones or in the Sonos app. Basically, the tool creates private listening in your living room when your family goes to bed or other times when you don’t want to disturb them. After a quick setup to pair your Ace with your Sonos soundbar, TV Audio Swap really is as quick and easy as pressing a button. Because the Sonos soundbar connects to your TV via HDMI ARC, it works with streaming devices and game consoles that are passed through the speaker.
When you enable TV Audio Swap, the Wi-Fi chip inside the Ace takes over to receive signals from the soundbar. Bluetooth low energy stays connected to your phone for controls and settings, but you won’t be able to switch the device like you can with multipoint Bluetooth. This means that if you get a call, you’ll need to cancel the swap to reconnect Bluetooth (which also means your phone won’t ring in the headset when TV Audio Swap is on).
Spatial audio and Dolby head tracking are only available when TV Audio Swap is enabled. You can turn one or both of these off, but surround sound does a good job of blending stereo content into something more impressive. A prime example of this is TNT’s broadcast of the NBA playoffs. Regularly the commentary trio is clear with a bit of crowd noise in the background, but once Sonos does its tricks, the announcers are much more prominent and dynamic. Plus, the cheers from the crowd make you feel more in the arena.
Dynamic head tracking works well on the Ace, and Sonos implements it uniquely to make it less annoying when you need to move. First, it’s not overly sensitive, so subtle movements like looking down at your phone won’t displace the sound. Second, if you leave the connected soundbar, head tracking will be disabled until you return to the vicinity. This means that whatever you’re listening to while you’re away isn’t left behind and constantly spinning around in your head during a quick trip to the kitchen.
The main caveat here is that TV Audio Swap only works with Sonos Arc soundbar for now. Says support for Sonos both generations of Beam and Ray is on the way, but there is no exact timeline for it yet. Moreover, there are no plans to allow a similar feature for users who have a pair of speakers for home entertainment purposes. The company hasn’t ruled it out as part of a future update, but for now, if you have two Era 300 units on the side of your TV, you’re out of luck. Audio swapping is also currently only available on the iOS version of the app, so Android users will have to wait.
If you’re hoping to send audio to the Ace as a speaker in your Sonos multiroom setup, you’ll be disappointed. The speaker also doesn’t have a handover feature to easily transition from your commute to your home for listening. According to Sonos, some duplication of these would rely more on Wi-Fi, thus impacting battery life. Instead, the company opted for this smart voice replacement that only uses Wi-Fi when you leave the soundbar.
If you’ve ever used a Sonos speaker, you’re probably familiar with TruePlay, which shows the room acoustics with the microphones on one of the company’s devices. There is a version of this called True Cinema for Ace, but it works differently. True Cinema virtualizes surround sound for the room inside the headphones to make it look like you’re not wearing the Ace at all. Sonos claims that if you replicate your living room acoustics for the headphones, it increases immersion. Unfortunately, this is another thing that isn’t ready yet, so I haven’t been able to test it.
Sonos Ace design
Given Sonos’ attention to detail in its speakers, it’s no surprise that it also took an interest in the design of its first headphones. The shape of the ear cups takes inspiration from devices like the Move 2, and the company opted for a mix of matte finishes, stainless steel and vegan leather to complete the premium look. To me, given the contrast of the silver metallic accents compared to the tone-on-tone aesthetic of the black version, the white version looks a bit more premium.
A key design choice that contributes to the Ace’s elegance is the hidden hinge. While many headphones fold up into themselves for storage, Sonos opted to simply flip the headphones flat to fit in the carrying case. It’s a move that Apple uses for the AirPods Max and that companies like Sony have used in the past. Thanks to the slim silhouette of the headphones and Ace in general, these headphones do not take up much space in the bag. Plus, Sonos has included a magnetic cable pouch for the box and both USB-C and USB-C to 3.5mm cables. Move over, Apple.
Ace is also very comfortable. The memory foam ear cushions, cushioned headband and shape that fits big heads like mine really help. They feel light and there is no constrictive pressure around my ears. While I didn’t get to test these on a flight, I could see the Ace being a great companion on a long-haul trip, especially since they stayed comfortable for an entire movie using TV Audio Swap.
Battery life
Sonos promises 30 hours of use with the Ace with ANC. That’s on par with flagship models from the likes of Bose and Sony, and 10 hours more than the AirPods Max. During my test with loop volume at 60-70 percent volume, I managed 30 minutes longer than the company promised. Sonos is clear that TV Audio Swap affects its displayed figure, so you’ll want to keep that in mind if you have a binge session coming up. However, during my evaluations, I did not notice any sharp discharge. If you find yourself at zero, the quick charge function gives you three hours of listening time in just three minutes.
Sonos Ace Contest
The main competition for the Ace at this price is the AirPods Max. Apple’s over-ear headphones are $100 more than full price, but we’ve seen them drop to $450. as recently as this month. Since they’re AirPods, they sync with iPhone, iPad, and Mac to offer even more convenience than the Ace. This includes automatic pairing with devices you connect to iCloud, seamless switching when you receive a call, silent Siri and Adaptive EQ sound adjustments. Spatial sound with head tracking is also available on the Max, and despite the high-quality materials, it’s comfortable to wear for long periods of time.
A cheaper option and best ANC headphones For most people looking for active noise cancellation Sony WH-1000XM5. Simply put, no other company offers the long list of features that Sony does in its flagship model. In addition to excellent sound and powerful ANC, the company’s tools such as Speak-to-Chat, Adaptive Sound Control and DSEE Extreme audio upscaling expand the capabilities of the 1000XM5. Spatial sound through 360 Reality Audio is limited to certain services, but Sony has built a comfortable device that’s easy to enjoy hours of any content. Of course, the 1000XM5 is also significantly cheaper than the Ace at its current price of $330.
Collection
After years of waiting, Sonos has unveiled its headphone debut Ace. There’s room for improvement in some areas, and it’s disappointing that updates to the Android software, support for all of the company’s soundbars, and basic home theater functionality have yet to arrive at an unspecified date. There’s no doubt that Sonos has created a great-looking set of headphones that sound great, but a little more polish could have gone a long way.
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