£449, sonos.com
To sum up SONOS in a sentence, the long-running firm pairs high-quality audio with comfort. Via a variety of residence speaker setups and soundbars, it introduced competent wi-fi audio to loft residences all over the place when AirPlay was nonetheless a glint in Apple’s eye. The California model’s fame for excellent-sounding audio system and a closed wire-free ecosystem that ‘simply works’ (more often than not), has made them a staple sound answer for properties and companies all over the place. Its customers, although, have lengthy been on the lookout for an answer to take their beloved SONOS sound and companies with them on the highway and, after a sequence of leaks and teasers, SONOS’s first headphones have arrived. Meet the Ace.
Headphone tech has developed quickly over the previous decade after being pretty static for the earlier three. Dependable Bluetooth audio gave technique to a brand new vary of client cans, with each Beats and the following AirPods turning into ubiquitous equipment virtually in a single day. Throw in high-quality ANC, the continuing improvement of spatial audio and the shift in client expectation of what good headphones sound, feel and look like meant that SONOS needed to wait to get it proper. In consequence, regardless of them being its “most requested product” the Ace headphones arrive 19 years after the primary SONOS product launched. However are they well worth the wait?
SONOS Ace in black colourway. Picture: Press
The Ace exhibits up in a reasonably unremarkable case, however for a cause – SONOS has constructed the Ace with a concentrate on sustainability, with the case being constructed from recycled supplies. Inside, you’ll discover the headphones, USB-C charging cable and USB-C-to-3.5mm cable in a helpful pouch. The headphones look nice – they’re obtainable in a black or white colourway, and our matte black pair appears very smooth and feels lighter than their 312g would counsel. They’re supremely comfy, the reminiscence foam earcups offering a satisfyingly enclosed really feel with out being too claustrophobic. They really feel gentle in your head whereas nonetheless gripping on solidly: a robust begin.
SONOS Ace in black colourway with equipment. Picture: Press
As soon as you start to attach your Ace to your machine of selection, the primary shock kicks in: the Ace doesn’t connect with the SONOS ecosystem. It may’t be added as an output within the app, and you may’t change out of your speaker setup to the headphones as you stroll out the door or transfer the soundtrack of your commute to your flat when you get residence, one thing that we really feel is an apparent use case.
These are Bluetooth headphones, and though they do have a Wi-Fi chip it’s not used to make them an extension of any current speaker setups you may need. SONOS explains the technical cause behind this on its Subreddit, which is value a learn for those who’re a long-term SONOS speaker consumer. Lengthy story quick, they’d be too huge, the battery wouldn’t final lengthy and so they’d get too sizzling if the Linux laptop that runs SONOS audio system was built-in into their headphones. The Wi-Fi chip as a substitute is used for a function referred to as TV Audio Swap which we’ll get to later.
SONOS Ace in use. Picture: Press
Wi-Fi apart, as soon as the Bluetooth 5.4 chip is linked, the Ace sounds implausible. SONOS has managed to keep away from the temptation of an EQ curve that hypes key frequencies to impress on the primary pay attention however finally results in fatigue. They’re not flat like studio headphones, however extra refined of their sound stage, bringing highs to life with out sizzle, and emphasising lows with out oomph. In the end, they’re an gratifying pay attention and when straight in contrast with one in all their best suited opponents – the Apple AirPods Max – they’re loads much less tiring over lengthy listening periods.
However, as they’re Bluetooth and lossless isn’t supported on iOS, you’ll have to succeed in for the USB-C cable in your cellphone and laptop computer to expertise them in all their glory. And if you do, the distinction is hanging. Utilizing TIDAL lossless over USB-C, the sound shines additional, and though it goes towards the wi-fi ethos of the SONOS model, it’s one of the simplest ways to expertise the Ace. Nonetheless, the mics don’t work over USB-C-to-3.5mm cable, which may be irritating for avid gamers.
We wouldn’t advocate utilizing these headphones for mixing however they’re lots of enjoyable for producing and creating. The USB-C cable additionally does away with many of the dreaded Bluetooth latency — they don’t work in passive mode over 3.5mm, although, they all the time must be on and charged. There’s a two-band EQ within the SONOS app if you wish to tweak additional, though, as soon as you’re linked, they now not seem within the SONOS app, presumably as a result of Bluetooth is switched off. That must be fastened. The cable will even cost them as you’re employed so that you’ll be totally charged when you do set off once more.
Talking of battery, SONOS declare a powerful 30 hours even with ANC on. In testing, they final even longer. True to the sustainability mission, the battery is replaceable, as are the earcups, reassuring for the longer-term dedication the value would counsel. SONOS makes an enormous deal of the standard of the ANC and it’s wonderful. Examined towards the AirPod Max, they don’t take away the surface world to the identical extent, but it surely’s extra constant as you flip your head and transfer round. Conscious mode permits you to let the surface world in, the place required.
SONOS Ace in white colourway. Picture: Press
Exterior of music, one of many really distinctive promoting factors of the Ace is TV Audio Swap, its capacity to hot-swap between SONOS soundbars and headphones. That is the one manner it really integrates with current SONOS setups and to be honest, it is rather cool and really helpful.
When you’re watching a film, for instance, and somebody goes to mattress, press and maintain the management change on the Ace and the audio will magically transfer to your headphones you possibly can proceed to pay attention in full Atmos glory.
The headphones help Spatial Audio and Head Monitoring away from the soundbar, but it surely’s much less related for music listening. It involves life for TV, movie and gaming although, and you may flip it on individually for every mode, which is helpful. It was just a little buggy earlier than a firmware replace solved our points. This solely works with Sonos’ flagship Arc soundbar to this point, however help for the Beam and Ray is forthcoming.
One other fancy function is TrueCinema. It permits you to mirror the soundbar’s Trueplay room acoustics tuning, to make the change from room to headphones extra sensible. It takes the acoustic profile of the room, tuned utilizing sine sweeps from the soundbar, and reapplies that profile to your headphone audio to make it look like you’re nonetheless sitting in your couch listening from the audio system. Revolutionary, cool, perhaps a bit odd, but additionally not prepared at testing. SONOS say it’s coming later this yr.
SONOS Ace earcups. Picture: Press
SONOS’ Aces aren’t low-cost headphones, in any respect. They don’t combine with the present SONOS ecosystem past hot-swapping from a soundbar, and it requires a cable to listen to it at its greatest lossless high quality (identical as most Bluetooth headphones, to be honest). However they’re nonetheless a powerful success.
The sound is addictive — we discover ourselves re-listening to albums to listen to them on the Ace, not as a result of there are new particulars or components we didn’t spot earlier than, however as a result of they’re so gratifying to put on and to expertise. They’re essentially the most comfy over-ears we’ve tried over lengthy durations and, for this new world of distant work and limitless Zooms, that’s as vital as anything in a headphone this costly. It needs to be an all-rounder, and it’s.
For producers, DJs and music makers, the TV Audio Swap could also be extra novelty than necessity however it’s enjoyable and helpful for those who personal a SONOS soundbar. Basically these are stellar-sounding headphones, with wonderful battery life and travel-friendly ANC that may additionally double up as beatmaking cans as soon as cabled in – until you’re blissful programming drums with Bluetooth latency, by which case we salute you.
Key Options
TV Audio Swap helps you to hot-swap between headphones and soundbarThat heat, balanced SONOS sound30 hours of listening time, charged through USB-CLossless and spatial audio capabilities with head monitoring and Dolby AtmosBluetooth 5.4Adjustable EQCustom-designed 40 mm dynamic drivers
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