$450 is too high for what the Ace currently offers.
That wasnt the companys first time trying its hand at headphones.
The California-based audio company seems inspired by Apples flagship headphones and borrowed several design elements.
Photo: Dua Rashid / Gizmodo
Speaking of which, Sonos prides itself on the Aces lightweight body.
I wore these for a couple of hours daily for over a week and felt no ear/head fatigue.
I wish the extenders offered more range, though.
Photo: Dua Rashid / Gizmodo
I had to remove them and put them on again a handful of times.
The memory foam earcups are magnetic, making them easily removable and swappable.
I immediately become a fan of any headphones I see physical controls on.
It can be pressed once to play/pause and slid to its two sides for raising/lowering volume.
I think of volume as a sliding scale, so this control felt intuitive and easy to use.
The same cup sports an ANC button that cycles between noise cancelation and ambient mode.
Photo: Dua Rashid / Gizmodo
I liked having a dedicated ANC button but preferred more tactility.
It felt loose, and often, I wasnt sure if my press was registered.
I felt the same way about the power/pairing button on the other cup.
Photo: Dua Rashid / Gizmodo
It lacked a solid response and, often, didnt even produce a sound upon acknowledging my action.
The mids have lots of space, and the highs are particularly airy.
The treble sounds rich, clear, and sharp.
The overall sound profile leans more towards tinny.
I like how crisp my music and podcasts sounded on these.
I wouldnt call this bass-heavy like theSony Ult Wear.
The low-end doesnt carry that oomph.
I listened to a lot ofWVFRMat the Subway station and on the trains.
And Im talking about this low-end rumble, which is much easier to mute than high-end noises.
I could still hear the sound of the train engine on the track opposite mine.
But it doesnt scream $450 ANC.
Sony still does better ANC on theXM5s for $400.
Sonos claims the Ace lasts 30 hours with ANC and 25% more when ANC is disabled.
Press and hold the Control Key to seamlessly swap audio between the Ace and the Sonos Arc soundbar.
Its one thing to make a walled garden around your services; Apple always does that with its products.
But its crucial to be smart about it.
The current integration doesnt provide enough value to be the products USP.
Like every otherhalf-baked product released this year, the Ace is also unfinished regarding integration.
The swapping is seamless and instant.
It also features Dolby Atmos with head tracking.
I was told theyve been tested against water several times, though.
Multi-point connectivity allows you to connect these to up to two devices.
In terms of wireless connectivity, youre limited to Bluetooth only since these dont feature Wi-Fi.
Im happy about a 3.5mm to key in-C cable in the package, though.
Thatll be very helpful on long flights.
Oh, and they dont fold.
They lie flat in their big hard-shell zippered carry case.
I discussed this with the product team and was told it was done intentionally.
The ANC wasnt terrible, but it didnt impress me.
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