The US audio manufacturer Sonos is known for producing some of the world’s best speakers. Now, the company has launched its first-ever headphone product, the Sonos Ace.
The Ace headphones (R12 999) leverage everything Sonos has learned over two decades to deliver a product that brings the brand’s signature cinematic theatre experience home in a compact, portable form.
The over-the-ear Bluetooth set features lossless and spatial audio, world-class Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Aware Mode, and an immersive home theatre experience using Sonos’ new TrueCinema technology.
Immersive and raw
The Ace features two custom-designed drivers that deliver really punchy, balanced, and clear audio that keeps the music as raw and unfiltered as possible. It’s almost as if you’re sitting in front of a really well-positioned home theatre system.
The spatial audio is notably impressive, as the headphones do a stunning job of positioning and locating sounds when you’re listening to a movie, giving you a really immersive experience.
Tactile buttons
The Sonos app can also be used to control the noise-cancellation and other features of the headphones, but one standout is the physical buttons on the cups themselves. Too often, modern headphones opt for touch controls which are sometimes hard to find or are pressed accidentally, so we appreciate the tactile buttons to control volume and power.
If you own a Sonos sound bar, then you can also make use of one of the headline features of the Ace headphones; the ability to instantly transfer TV audio from a Sonos soundbar to the headphones with the slide of a button.
So, if you’re listening to a podcast on your soundbar, and want to switch over to your headphones as you move to the kitchen to do some cooking, you can do so with one touch of a button, which is pretty handy.
When it does come time to charge the device, ultra-fast charging ensures you’ll never miss a beat. If you’ve forgotten to charge your headphones and are heading out the door to catch a flight, don’t stress. A quick 3-minute charge (using the included USB-C cable) will give you 3 hours of listening.
Conclusion and rating
The Ace is a fantastic foray into the headphone game from Sonos, porting their already excellent sound quality into a more personal and intimate product. The Ace is a must for any audiophile looking to take their listening sessions to new heights.
The Sonos Ace headphones cost R12 999 and score 4 out of 5.
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
