The popular audio brand is finally entering the headphone market. The Sonos Ace are set to compete with flagship models from Bose, Apple, and Sony.
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Sonos
Sonos is one of the most popular audio brands around and it makes some of our favorite wireless speakers and soundbars. However, the company's lineup has been missing one notable category: headphones. That is, until now.
For the first time, Sonos is set to launch a pair of wireless headphones. Called the Sonos Ace, the new over-ear headphones are poised to compete with similar flagship offerings from Bose, Sony, and Apple. They promise all the essential features found on other top headphones, like Bluetooth support and noise-canceling, along with a few cool perks geared toward home theater fans, including Dolby head tracking and easy swapping between Sonos soundbars.
Below, we've broken down all the ins and outs of the Sonos Ace, including pricing and specs to help you decide if they're worth considering.
Sonos
The Sonos Ace are now available to preorder for $449 from Sonos' online store and Best Buy. Color options include black and white. Preoders are expected to ship by June 5. We'll add more retail options once they become available.
Sonos
The Sonos Ace are packed with all the core features that we've come to expect from a pair of flagship wireless headphones. They use an over-ear design and integrate a custom 40mm dynamic audio driver in each ear cup. Active noise-canceling with eight microphones is included, along with an Aware mode that lets in outside sound when you want to hear your surroundings. Aware modes, sometimes called Transparency modes, have become handy on many of the best noise-canceling headphones, including the Bose QuietComfort, so we're curious to hear how natural Sonos' implementation sounds.
For wireless playback, the Sonos Ace support Bluetooth 5.4 and they're compatible with the aptX codec on Android devices for higher quality transmission. You can also use a wired connection via the included 3.5mm to USB-C cable to get full lossless audio.
Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality spatial audio formats are also supported via services like Amazon Music, Apple Music, Tidal, and Deezer. These formats use object-based mixing to create a 3D soundstage for music and movies. The Ace also support optional Dolby Head Tracking technology, which maps playback to your head movements as if you were in the middle of an actual surround sound system. This feature can cause an echo effect on some headphones we've tested, so it remains to be seen how well the Ace can pull it off.
One of the most unique features listed for the Sonos Ace is an intriguing option that allows you to seamlessly swap audio playback between the headphones and a Sonos Arc soundbar. By pressing a button, you can go from listening to movies and TV shows through a Sonos Arc in a home theater setting to a private listening mode that's perfect when you don't want to disturb others.
Best of all, this mode supports full lossless Dolby Atmos through the headphones, so you still get a fully immersive surround sound experience. In addition to the Arc, this feature is set to expand to the Sonos Beam and Sonos Ray in the future. It's disappointing that this feature doesn't work with devices from other brands, but it sounds like a cool perk for buyers who are already plugged into Sonos' ecosystem of speakers.
Sonos says the Ace can last for up to 30 hours and they support a quick-charge feature that can provide three hours of battery life from just three minutes of charging. This is something that the Sony WH-1000XM5 also offer, so it's nice to see Sonos match one of its top competitors here.
Sonos
On paper, the Sonos Ace headphones look like worthy rivals to other top options in this space, like the Sony WH-1000XM5, Apple AirPods Max, and Bose QuietComfort Ultra. And their ability to swap playback between Sonos soundbars makes them uniquely suited for buyers already invested in the brand's ecosystem of wireless audio products.
Though their $449 price veers toward the higher end of the market, the Sonos Ace cost about the same as what you'll typically find Bose and Apple flagships selling for. That said, they're about $50 to $100 more than the usual street price of Sony's XM5, our current top pick for the best over-ear headphones you can buy.
Despite their promising specs, we can't recommend the Sonos Ace until we've had hands-on testing time. We'll begin testing the Sonos Ace soon, so check back for our full review with detailed thoughts about their performance. Our judgement will have to wait until then, but we're excited to see how Sonos' first pair of headphones stack up to the competition.
