Hear
Good technology is what helps solve day-to-day problems in a natural way, making the lives of users simpler and more comfortable, while giving them a new experience as a result of constant innovation. Therefore, when a brand enters your home and you enjoy it daily, it is always easier to be attracted to its new products.
We wanted to start the review with this brief reflection to analyze what sense the launch of the first Sonos headphones and their weapons makes in the face of the tough competition in this market, where Sony, Bose or Apple have a leadership position. Sonos reaches this product category with its new Sonos Ace and we have been able to test them for a week to share with you our first impressions.
Beyond its notable sound and comfort, which we will delve into later, the Sonos Ace cannot be understood without the brand’s ecosystem of products and that is because The connection of the headphones with the television is its differential characteristic. Those who have a Sonos Arc sound bar at home (this feature could soon be available for other sound bars from the company) can Switch TV listening between the sound bar and Sonos Ace with the touch of a button.
The immersive listening offered by headphones makes this transition as natural as possible and closes a perfect circle of home sound experience. Those who choose Sonos for their Home Cinema sound or their speakers will find in the Sonos Ace the natural leap when it comes to having wireless headphones to use both at home and away. Their 450 dollars or 499 euros price They will not be a barrier for this type of users.
The brand aims to “revolutionize the consumption of content from television” through these wireless headphoneswith new features surround sound and spatial audioin addition to an innovative option for dynamic tracking of one’s own head to have “a private cinema” without disturbing the rest of the tenants of the house.
At launch, Sonos Ace will only work with Sonos Arc, its most premium model, but the company has indicated that They hope to soon offer compatibility with Beam (Gen 2), Beam and Ray. This jump will be key to really see how the reception of this product is among the brand’s users.
Beyond this commitment to connectivity with the TV, Sonos headphones seek to accompany users throughout the day. To do this, it is supported by an elegant design, which reinforces the comfort of the device during long days of use, and a battery that promises up to 30 hours of autonomywith fast charging that provides 3 hours of listening with just 3 minutes of charging.
This new device also has a active noise cancellation that locates and neutralizes external sounds for maximum immersion, although the user can also activate the ‘Aware’ mode to hear what is happening around you when you are, for example, walking around the city. Likewise, Sonos Intelligent Motion Processing technology, with Dolby Head Trackingdynamically follows the movement of your head to envelop the user in a hyper-realistic listening experience.
Design is one of the hallmarks of the brand and the Sonos Ace were no different. The brand has taken care of all the details of the product, which is marketed in two colors: black and white, in both cases with a matte finish and stainless steel. We say that it lacks the icing on the cake because a product with these characteristics, with the connection to the TV as one of its claims, It cries out for a support at the height to place them in the living room at home. And if it has a ‘wireless’ charging, much better. Hopefully this add-on will arrive later.
Another key aspect of this type of device is the quality of the audio in calls, so that each word reaches the interlocutor as clearly and clearly as possible. And here the Sonos Ace comply with note. In total, it has eight built-in microphones and lossless audio quality thanks to Bluetooth 5.4 or USB-C (Supports Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound AptX Lossless and Apple Lossless Audio Codec).
Meanwhile, built-in sensors detect when the user is wearing the Sonos Ace, so Playback pauses when you remove them and resumes when you put them back on. As for the physical buttons, it has a button dedicated to noise cancellation and another movable button to raise and lower the volume or control playback. The voice assistant is also available after a long press.
Lastly, it is possible highlight how light they are and how thin the fabric case in which they are stored is to be able to transport them without damage. This is key, especially on longer trips, where every millimeter in the backpack is key. In short, we are looking at a very complete product that meets the Sonos quality seal, but we will have to see how it performs in a very competitive market. Therefore, the first thing will be to see if it manages to attract the brand’s users. The rest will arrive little by little.
Europa Press
