Where the Apple AirPods Max Say, “Look at Me!” Where the Sonos Ace Say, All-Day Comfort in Your Over-Ear Headphones
It’s true that “before the pandemic” is a hazy time, an era in which it’s difficult to pin down chronology with any certainty. The rumors about Sonos headphones started a while ago, and who knows how long we have been waiting for them? Four years? Ten?
The combination of memory foam, vegan leather, and stainless steel is equally beneficial where comfort and aesthetics are concerned. Branding is restricted to one ear cup, and it’s laser-etched, so it manages to be understated while still catching the eye. The Sonos ace quietly and precisely said, Where the Apple AirPods Max say, “look at ME!”
Visually, you get an elegant and notably slim pair of over-ear headphones in either a black or “soft” white matte finish. Thanks to a light 312-gram weight, and with some very well-judged clamping force and a clever hanger arrangement that conceals the hinged yoke inside the body of the ear cups, it means all-day comfort.
The Ace are supplied in a slender, nicely tactile travel case that features a magnetically attached pouch for a USB-C and 3.5-mm cable. The case is made from 75 percent recycled plastic bottles.
As far as performance is concerned, you get all the bells and whistles you’d expect. Wireless connectivity is via Bluetooth 5.4, and they have SBC and AAC codecs, allowing the Ace to be compatible with ALAC and Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound aptX Lossless. There are two custom- designed 40-mm dynamic drivers that deliver sound. It’s not clear if it’s the frequency response or something else, but from what I heard at the London event, they were full-range enough for real bass. Maximizing low-frequency extension is possible with ported acoustic architecture.
It’s possible to use spatial audio in streaming services, like those that have support for Sony and the like, or to use intelligent motion processing that can follow your head movement.
Of course, we have yet to see how their overall sound, ANC, and transparency modes stack up against rivaling headphones from Bose, Sony, and Apple over extended listening sessions. We will be publishing our review in the near future, and here is how to be one of the first to own a set of Sonos headphones.
Preorder the Sonos ace at Best Buy for $449 in black or white before their June 5th release date. You can also preorder them at Amazon and B&H Photo starting on May 28th or sign up to receive release updates from either retailer now.
