Given its prowess in home speakers, fans of Sonos – ourselves included – have been asking for years when the brand will bring its expertise to the headphones category. The answer: they are now here.
Named the Sonos Ace, these premium over-the-ear Bluetooth headphones feature incredible lossless and spatial audio, world-class Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Aware Mode, as well as the most precise and immersive home theatre experience possible using Sonos’ new TrueCinema technology.
Ape to Gentleman was gifted a pair of Sonos Ace headphones for review; however, the words and opinions are Ape’s own.
Stylish Design And All-Day Comfort
The first thing we noticed upon unboxing was the Ace’s distinctive, slim profile, which blends premium metal accents with a stylish matte finish. They are sure to be an instant style hit for menswear enthusiasts.
These strong visuals do not come at the expense of comfort, either. A pillowy-soft memory foam interior and airy, lightweight fit provide all-day comfort without irritation. This is just as well, seeing as the Sonos Ace delivers up to 30 hours of listening on a full charge and an impressive 3 hours of battery life with just a quick 3-minute charge using the included USB-C cable.
Superior Personal Sound
Beyond aesthetics, Sonos pulls on its extensive technological prowess with the Ace headphones. They include high-fidelity sound via two custom-designed drivers, which render our favourite songs with the precision and clarity to take our past listening experiences to new levels of hearing and ‘feeling’.
This feeling of escapism is only further enhanced with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), which delivers a truly isolating experience. We can see them really coming into their own on those long-haul flights. There are times when you need to be more in tune with your surroundings, though—be it a busy London street or working in the office—and Aware mode allows these ambient noises to filter through so you don’t miss a thing.
Perhaps the most Sonos-ey feature of these masterful headphones is the ability to instantly swap TV audio from a compatible Sonos soundbar to Ace with the tap of a button. Spatial audio with Dolby Atmos enveloped us in dramatically detailed sound from all directions, and dynamic head tracking kept us centred in the action, whatever our movements.
Conclusion, Pricing And Availability
During our extensive testing, the innovatively designed Ace headphones cradled us in comfort, all while delivering the highest-quality audio and a groundbreaking home theatre experience that could only come from Sonos.
Sonos Ace is available now – in Black or Soft White – for £449/$449. For more information and to buy, visit sonos.com.
