Just Ace: Sonos launches its first headphones
The new Sonos Ace headphones look to be a groovy addition to the swell Sonos lineup.
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There have been rumours about Sonos launching its first pair of headphones for years now, but today the rumour becomes reality. The Sonos Ace is a premium pair of over-ear headphones that promise exceptional audio playback and some unique integration with Sonos soundbars.
As you would expect from a high-end pair of headphones, you get features like active noise cancellation with an "aware" mode, eight beam-forming microphones for clear voice calls and built-in sensors that pause the music automatically when you remove the headphones.
You'll also get spatial audio from supported services and devices, with head tracking for the full immersive listening experience. For the audiophiles, you'll get lossless audio over both Bluetooth and USB-C thanks to compatibility with both the Snapdragon Sound AptX Lossless and Apple Lossless codecs.
Custom designed 40 mm dynamic drivers in each earcup deliver the high quality audio, while the new Sonos app allows you to set custom EQ settings for the headphones.
Swell home theatre features
The most interesting selling point of the Sonos Ace is the promise of direct integration with Sonos soundbars.
Launching with the Sonos Arc, and with compatibility coming to both the 1st and 2nd generation Beam and the Sonos Ray, the Ace will let you swap TV audio from the soundbar to your headphones with a single button press.
Because they support spatial audio and Dolby Atmos, this means a private cinema for one, without any complicated setup.
Sonos is also promising an update later this year called TrueCinema technology. While details are limited, Sonos has promised that it will "map your space" to render a "complete surround sound system for an audience of one".
That sounds to me like a version of Sonos's Trueplay technology, except for a much more individual listening scenario.
Pricing and availability
The Sonos Ace will be available in both black and white colours from June 5 2024. In Australia, it will have an RRP of $699.
I'm looking forward to testing this one out – after reviewing the Sonos Roam and the Move 2, I expect it will be an impressive product.
