Headphones and box Sonos Ace
9 Facebook x.com Reddit
On Tuesday, Sonos announced Sonos Ace headphones — its first product in this category. We got an early look and here are our first impressions.
There is something exciting about when a major player enters a new and adjacent market space. Yes, Sonos is historically an audio company, but they have never made headphones in the last two decades.
We only got to spend a few minutes with the headphones at a media-only preview event, but we were very impressed with them.
The Sonos Ace headphones have metallic accents and easy-to-use physical buttons
The new Sonos headphones use custom 40mm drivers to deliver rich sound with depth, clarity and range. Eight microphones provide active noise cancellation and clear phone calls. Sonos is partnering with Dolby to provide real-time head tracking, similar to Apple headphones.
When we received the headphones, we noted how lightweight they were while still maintaining the stylish stainless steel accents.
Matte black has an oleophobic coating
They are available in matte black and soft white. We preferred the latter, and I found the black color to be a bit generic.
Lighter colors use glossy metal that shines in the light. The black color at least has an anti-fingerprint coating that makes them look clean.
The content key is a great physical control
We were quickly amazed by what Sonos calls Content Key. This button is a spring-loaded multi-function button that can be moved up and down to adjust volume, but can also be pressed to access other functions.
Our listening experience was limited to a self-guided tour, as well as some time with a paired iPad mini. The sound sounded clear, dynamic and very detailed.
The Sonos Ace is light and comfortable
The same thing happened when we replaced the sound with the companion Sonos Arc. The Barbie clip highlighted the precision as we heard America Ferrara walking down the hallway.
The Dolby Atmos format was great in the Gravity video.