The long-awaited Sonos Ace wireless headphones are finally here
Made for on-the-go listening and personal home theater surround sound
Sonos has announced its first-ever pair of wireless headphones made to be both worn outside for everyday listening and to create a dynamic surround sound experience at home.
These long-awaited Bluetooth headphones use a pair of custom 40mm dynamic drivers that Sonos claims will deliver precision and accuracy. The Sonos Ace also features Noise-Cancelling technology and an “Aware” hear-through mode when you need to know what’s going on around you.
The Sonos Ace uses an array of six beam-forming microphones on the outside of the headphones to actively counter outside noises in addition to isolating your voice for calls.
These headphones look absolutely gorgeous with a rounded frame made of recycled plastics. The matte finish of the Sonos Ace is paired with vegan leather and stainless steel touches. And, in a huge shift compared to other premium wireless headphones, Sonos has chosen to use only physical controls with a content slider that you can slide up/down to change the volume while pushing the button to change playback.
For comfort, the headphones rest on your head with a lightweight memory foam headband. Meanwhile, its stainless steel arms allow the Sonos Arc to fold flat similar to the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Apple AirPods Pro.
The Sonos Ace also packs plenty of new technology. While they can connect wirelessly to your mobile devices over Bluetooth like any wireless headphones out there, they can also swap TV audio from a Sonos Arc sound bar. From there you can enjoy Dolby Atmos audio with Dolby Head Tracking to dynamically keep you centered in the action.
Additionally, Sonos promises it will update the Ace within the year with a new TrueCinema feature that precisely maps your space to create a surround-sound experience in the headphones themselves.
As for battery life, the Sonos Ace is rated for up to 30 hours with Active Noise Cancellation. These headphones also feature fast charging to give you three hours of battery life after just three minutes of charging.
The Sonos Ace will be available starting June 5th and they will retail for $449.
Kevin Lee is The Shortcut’s Creative Director. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam.