ACE OF BASS Sonos Ace

Sonos' first-ever headphones are here, offering comfort and quality that crushes the competition

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From £449 sonos.​com

Years in the making, and surrounded by so much hype, the Sonos Ace headphones are finally here. They're the audio brand's first-ever pair of headphones, but does this long-awaited debut truly deliver on that hype?

The first thing to mention is the Sonos Ace's not inconsiderable asking price: at £449, these headphones make a clear statement of intent, lining up Sonos' entry against similar high-end rivals, such as the Bose QC Ultra Headphones, or Apple's AirPods Max; the Sonos offering may actually seem like a relative bargain by comparison.

SPECIFICATIONS

Drivers Custom-designed 40 mm dynamic driver in each cup Microphones Eight for noise control and voice targeting Audio features Lossless audio, active noise cancellation, spatial audio, dynamic head tracking, Dolby Atmos, adjustable EQ, TV Audio Swap, aware mode, wear detection

Colours Black/Soft White

Connectivity Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C (cable included), 3.5mm audio cable Dimensions 191x160x85mm

Weight 312g

Given that the Ace has been built from the ground up, making everything about Sonos over-ears brand new to the brand's product catalogue, a more pertinent question would perhaps be 'what's unique?' That's where the new Sonos TrueCinema and TV Audio Swap feature the ability to switch sound from your Sonos Arc soundbar and into your ears (TV Audio Swap), but in a way that mimics the specific in-room sound profile (TrueCinema) - is something no other headphones can offer. It's Sonos ecosystem-specific, of course, but if you're a Sonos user then it might be an ideal solution for those low volume at-home movie sessions.

BASKET CASE