Sonos, a name synonymous with premium multi-room audio and sleek soundbar solutions for a decade, has turned its sights to the competitive – and lucrative – headphone market with the Sonos Ace.
Known for its commitment to design and sound excellence, this marks a bold expansion into a space dominated by established giants.
With a focus on blending superior hardware and wireless ecosystem integration, the Ace seeks to deliver the signature Sonos experience in a portable, personal form factor. But does it succeed in living up to the brand’s lofty reputation? Let’s dive in.
Minimalist Sophistication
Sonos has long mastered the art of blending aesthetics with functionality, and the Ace headphones are no exception. These headphones strike a balance between form and function, with a sleek and understated design that screams modern sophistication.
The matte-finished earcups are smooth to the touch, while the stainless-steel headband adds a sense of durability without sacrificing style. This is a device that feels as good as it looks, and lent a real sense of style to the Soft White model reviewed.
The Human Touch
Sonos delivers a refreshing tactile experience with the Ace’s physical buttons. Positioned along the edge of the earcups, these buttons blend seamlessly into the minimalist design while offering a satisfying click with every press.
Users can quickly adjust volume, playback, and noise cancellation without looking, thanks to the intuitive layout that makes each control easy to distinguish by touch.
By opting for physical buttons over touch panels, Sonos ensures precise and reliable operation, even in challenging conditions like cold weather or when hands are wet. This thoughtful design choice prioritises practicality without sacrificing elegance.
One point of note is that any interactions – from connection to changing audio profile – are met with a unique set of tones, as opposed to voice-based confirmations and guidance, which is a bit of a departure and can take a bit of getting used to.
The ear cushions, crafted from plush memory foam and wrapped in vegan leather, provide a level of comfort that makes extended listening sessions a pleasure.
They offer a snug fit that blocks out a massive amount of external noise – even before activating noise cancellation. That said, the earcups might feel a touch tight for users with larger ears, which could be a consideration for those seeking all-day wearability. In terms of replacing, a clever magnetic construction means a real ease of switching these out and adjustments for comfort.
Durability is a key consideration for premium headphones, and the Ace delivers in this regard.
The stainless-steel frame feels robust and well-constructed, capable of withstanding the rigours of daily use. The earcups and headband show no signs of creaking or looseness, even after extended testing. It’s clear that Sonos has designed these headphones with longevity in mind, ensuring they’ll remain a reliable companion for years to come.
Balanced Brilliance
If there’s one area where Sonos rarely falters, it’s sound quality. The Ace delivers an audio performance that’s nothing short of stellar, courtesy of its custom-designed 40mm dynamic drivers in each ear cup.
The sound profile is meticulously tuned, with bright, sparkling highs that bring vocals to life, and mids that are rich and immersive, ensuring instruments sound natural and distinct.
Bass lovers won’t be disappointed either. The low-end is full-bodied without being overpowering, creating a balanced mix that caters to a wide array of musical genres. Whether you’re diving into the lush orchestration of a symphony or losing yourself in the thumping beats of a hip-hop track, the Ace brings it all to life with precision and clarity.
A Quiet Triumph
The Ace’s Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) technology is another feather in its cap. It effectively drowns out environmental noise, whether you’re commuting on a noisy train or working in a bustling café. While the ANC is a real standout feature here, and combined with the secure fit, I found it both more than capable for most everyday scenarios and a fair bit more effective than the Bose QC Ultras I use at drowning out the din of a daily commute.
What sets the Ace apart is how natural the sound remains with ANC activated. There’s no noticeable distortion or loss of detail, which is a common pitfall for many noise-cancelling headphones. It’s clear that Sonos has put thought – and significant effort – into creating an ANC experience that complements rather than competes with the sound quality.
Ecosystem Integration Needs a Remix
For those already entrenched in the Sonos ecosystem, the Ace offers some truly impressive features.
The standout is the TV Audio Swap function, which allows you to transfer sound seamlessly from a compatible Sonos soundbar to the headphones.
This is particularly useful for late-night viewing, where you can enjoy immersive audio without disturbing others. With support for Dolby Atmos and dynamic head tracking, it elevates your home theatre experience to a whole new level.
The head tracking can be a little disorienting however, as it creates a virtual position for the TV’s audio in front of you as though listening without headphones, so turning to the left or right shifts the sound accordingly – definitely one to test to one’s own taste.
However, there are caveats. The TV Audio Swap feature is currently limited to newer Sonos devices, such as the Arc soundbar, and its setup initially required an iOS device.
Efforts to pair with my OnePlus 13 were unsuccessful in creation of a consistent connection, but was solved with another Android device. While the integration is a step in the right direction, it feels like Sonos hasn’t fully unlocked its potential just yet.
App Support
Sonos’s app has always been a selling point for its intuitive design and robust features, but with the Ace, it doesn’t quite hit the mark. The app is essential for initial setup and accessing features like EQ adjustment, but its functionality is surprisingly limited when the headphones are connected solely via Bluetooth.
Even features like auto shut-off or wear detection – pausing the audio when removing the device – was inconsistent or unavailable unless the Ace is directly connected via the app, a bit of an oversight, as I found times where the battery had drained, simply through forgetting to manually turn it off after use.
You can’t as deftly control playback or view currently playing audio through the app – a surprising oversight for a company known for seamless user experiences. These limitations create a disconnect between the Ace headphones and the rest of the Sonos ecosystem, making them feel more like an isolated product rather than an integrated part of the brand’s offerings.
Solid Battery Life Hits The Right Notes
The Sonos Ace boasts a respectable battery life, offering up to 30 hours of playback on a single charge with ANC activated. While this is competitive in the premium headphone market, it doesn’t quite push the boundaries set by some rivals.
Fast charging, however, is a saving grace – just 15 minutes of charging can provide an additional five hours of listening time, which is perfect for users on the go.
Front Row Pricing
At £449, the Sonos Ace firmly plants itself in the premium headphone category, competing with heavyweights like the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones. Its price tag reflects the level of quality and innovation on offer, but whether it represents value for money depends on your needs.
For users who already own Sonos products and can take advantage of features like TV Audio Swap, the Ace is a natural and worthwhile addition – even more so if you’re an iPhone owner.
Verdict
The Sonos Ace is an undeniably impressive debut in the over-ear headphone market. Its combination of stellar sound quality, premium design, and effective noise cancellation makes it a strong contender for anyone seeking high-end audio gear.
However, the shortcomings on the software side – particularly the limitations of the Sonos app and the selective compatibility of key features – are slight drawbacks to the overall experience. Sonos has built a remarkable piece of hardware, but to truly compete in this space, it needs to bring its software and ecosystem integration up to the same standard – based on the progress made in the intervening period since launch, we have every confidence in their commitment to evolving this experience as they gain learnings in this new category.
For now, the Ace is a headphone that shoots for the stars, but only needs a few software tweaks to take it to the limits of what it can deliver.
