Sonos Ace Headphones Review: A New Contender in the High-End Market
When it comes to high-end noise-cancelling headphones to buy in 2024, the market has several strong contenders like Sony headphones, Bose headphones, and the Apple AirPods Max. Now, there’s a new player in the game: Sonos Ace headphones. Known for their premium soundbars, Sonos has introduced their Ace headphones. Priced at $450, these Bluetooth noise-cancelling headphones raise the question: are they among the best headphones to buy now?
Design and Comfort
The Sonos Ace headphones are a top choice for those seeking comfortable headphones that are lightweight. Their plastic construction, which is typical in this price range, makes them easy to wear for extended periods. The flexible design accommodates various head sizes and shapes, featuring a soft top headband and magnetically attached ear cups. The ear cups are color-coded inside to distinguish between left and right, which is a thoughtful touch. However, they could benefit from deeper ear cups, as the current design might cause your ears to touch the inside.
Aesthetically, these Sonos headphones blend elements from Sony and Microsoft Surface headphones, with a matte off-white finish and stainless steel bands similar to the AirPods Max. The minimalistic design, with subtle branding, ensures they look and feel premium.
Functionality and Features
Buttons and Controls
Unlike many modern Bluetooth headphones, the Sonos Ace features real buttons. The left ear cup has a single power button, while the right side hosts a button for switching between noise cancellation and transparency modes, as well as a rocker switch for volume and media controls. This straightforward design is effective and user-friendly.
Battery Life and Connectivity
With over 40 hours of battery life and multi-point Bluetooth connectivity, allowing connection to two devices simultaneously, these headphones offer impressive performance.
Sound Quality and Noise Cancellation
Audio Performance
The Ace headphones are equipped with custom 40mm drivers and eight microphones for noise cancellation and passthrough mode. They deliver a full sound with strong bass and crisp highs. Initially, they might sound a bit muddled compared to the AirPods Max, but tweaking the EQ settings in the Sonos app can enhance the audio quality. However, the app’s EQ options are limited to bass and treble sliders.
Noise Cancellation
The noise cancellation on these Sonos headphones is outstanding, effectively eliminating white noise, air conditioning hums, and road noise. Their transparency mode, called Aware Mode, is also impressive, allowing you to hear your surroundings naturally, ideal for conversations without removing the headphones.
Case and Portability
The Sonos Ace headphones come with a recycled material case, which, despite its clever magnetic pouch for cables, falls short in terms of practicality. The zipper often snags, and the headphones must be fully collapsed to fit inside, making them less portable than some competitors.
The Sonos Ecosystem
A significant expectation from Sonos fans was the integration of the Ace headphones into the existing Sonos speaker system. Unfortunately, these headphones do not connect via Wi-Fi to stream directly from services like other Sonos speakers. They are strictly Bluetooth headphones. While you can quickly switch between the Sonos Arc soundbar and the headphones with a single tap, the lack of full ecosystem integration is a disappointment.
Conclusion: Are They Worth It?
In conclusion, the Sonos Ace headphones are a solid choice with excellent noise cancellation, great sound quality, and premium comfort. However, at $450, they face stiff competition from established brands like Sony and Bose, which offer similar features at a lower price. The Ace headphones are best suited for those who already own Sonos products and can take advantage of the seamless switch feature or those who value the exceptional transparency mode.
If you’re a die-hard Sonos fan with the budget to spare, the Ace headphones might be worth it. Otherwise, you might find better value in other high-end options on the market.
