Sonos Ace Wireless Headphones Taps ANC, Offers Soundbar Integration

The personal audio space is about to become a bigger battleground with the Sonos Ace wireless headphones entering the fray. Leading incumbents in the space are split between audiophiles, business travelers, or folks who love specific ecosystems with Bose, Sony, and Apple ruling their domain.

With the Sonos Ace angling itself as a solid mobile alternative, it’s not that hard to achieve considering their experience in the home environment. Working in tandem with their existing Sonos Arc soundbar, the Sonos Ace can switch between soundbar audio to headphone audio with a touch of a button. It’s a feature we’ve seen again with other devices but they tend to tether the user to the home. In addition, the Sonos Ace offers up spatial and head-tracking Dolby Atmos audio to put users at the heart of the action.

The rest of the Sonos Ace features are a list of key requirements to put on par (and attempt to surpass) the alternatives in the market. Having briefly tested the headphones at a closed-door preview, the headphones felt light to wear with minimal clamping force with a fairly aggressive Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). Lowering the music volume did help alleviate the pressure caused by the ANC while keeping outside sounds blocked out.

When it comes to aesthetics, the Sonos Ace opts for a slim profile with a blend of metal accents and a sleek matte finish. Comfort is king here, with lightweight materials, plush memory foam ear cups, and a vegan leather finish ensuring these headphones won’t feel like a vice after extended listening sessions. The ear cups are replaceable and snap on easily via magnets.

An underrated aspect of wireless headphones would be the carrying case they come in. Avoiding any bulk is key, and the Sonos Ace’s case is as slim as they come.

With the headphones folding flat, all the additional wires and accessories are tucked into a small case within the main shell that can be removed as well.

Touting a 30-hour listening time, the Sonos Ace can be juiced up for an extra 3 hours with a 3-minute charge and will be available for S$699 from 5 June 2024 onwards.