A Year Later, The Sonos Ace Is Finally Fulfilling Its Potential

2024 was an atrocious twelvemonth for Sonos. Its long-awaited entry into a crowded headphones marketplace was eclipsed by a bungled app launch which had a knock-on effect that impacted everything nan institution had planned to do for nan remainder of nan year. Plus, those Ace headphones were missing a awesome feature.

One twelvemonth later, that TrueCinema spatial audio enhancement is yet ready. And pinch that update, Sonos added a fewer much improvements to nan Ace, including two-person TV Audio Swap, adaptive sound cancellation and amended calls. I spent immoderate clip testing each facet of nan update that arrived successful June to find if Sonos’ headphones really are amended aft nan tweaks.

TrueCinema is yet here

The first clip I tried nan Ace astatine a property arena past spring, TrueCinema was 1 of nan main parts of nan demo. From nan jump, Sonos was clear this wouldn’t get erstwhile nan headphones first went connected sale, but I besides didn’t expect nan institution to return a afloat twelvemonth to person it ready.

As a refresher, TrueCinema is simply a characteristic for nan Ace that takes into relationship nan acoustics of nan room wherever one of its soundbars is located. It past creates spatial audio for nan headphones based connected that info erstwhile TV Audio Swap is active. According to Sonos, it supposedly “understands nan dynamics of your space, acoustically treats it and makes it sound for illustration you person a beautifully tuned 3D audio strategy correct successful your headphones.” It’s akin to nan company’s TruePlay tuning that calibrates its soundbars to your surviving room aliases location theatre space.

Sonos has championed TrueCinema arsenic a much realistic listening experience. Since it simulates nan characteristics of nan room, it’s expected to make it look for illustration you aren’t wearing headphones astatine all. I’m not convinced connected that point, but nan characteristic does importantly heighten nan spatial audio capabilities of nan Ace for TV Audio Swap.

For example, subtle specifications successful movies — things for illustration footsteps, arsenic good arsenic various beeps, clicks and taps successful Rogue One — are a batch much evident pinch TrueCinema. There’s much wide extent and guidance to nan sound arsenic well, which makes this nan optimal mode for watching TV aliases movies pinch Sonos’ headphones. I’m assured my reappraisal people would’ve been higher if this was portion of nan original package since it makes specified an evident betterment to sound quality.

TV Audio Swap for two

The marquee characteristic for nan Sonos Ace for nan past twelvemonth has been TV Audio Swap. This allows you to nonstop nan sound from a compatible Sonos soundbar to nan headphones for an individual listening experience. Of course, this intends you tin watch an action flick astatine afloat measurement aft your family goes to furniture aliases to tune successful to a sporting arena without annoying your partner. This has worked good for maine some during my reappraisal and successful nan clip since.

Unfortunately, I don’t person a 2nd brace of nan Ace, truthful I can’t vouch for really good TV Audio Swap now useful pinch a companion. But since nan expertise to nonstop soundbar audio to 2 sets of Ace headphones is 1 of nan main items successful nan caller package update, I can’t talk nan wide authorities of nan instrumentality without mentioning this feature’s availability.

Improved ANC and clearer calls

Another facet of nan Ace’s update is improved progressive sound cancellation (ANC), but not successful nan measurement you mightiness expect. The institution didn’t fig retired a measurement to artifact much sound per se, but it does relationship for immoderate sound leaks that whitethorn effect performance. Sonos says its refined ANC setup tin accommodate to changes successful fresh caused by hair, glasses and hats successful existent clip utilizing nan sensors wrong nan Ace. With that tweak, I noticed nan slightest quality successful ANC capacity erstwhile sunglasses aliases a chapeau kept nan receptor pads from sitting flush connected my face, but it’s not rather arsenic bully arsenic a tight seal. I’d qualify this update arsenic a humble improvement, but it’s still an betterment nonetheless.

Sonos besides claims that this package update offers an improved telephone acquisition acknowledgment to higher solution audio. The institution besides added Sidetone, aliases nan expertise for you to tube successful your sound during calls erstwhile ANC is enabled. Plenty of companies person this, to varying degrees, and nan effectiveness depends connected really earthy nan sound is and whether aliases not you’re capable to make immoderate adjustments. In nan lawsuit of nan Ace, Sidetone acts arsenic an enhanced ambient mode, and it decidedly improves nan telephone experience. Since I could speak usually and didn’t consciousness nan request to outcry to perceive myself, video and sound calls felt much natural.

Wrap-up

A twelvemonth aft their debut, nan Sonos Ace is surviving up to nan lofty expectations nan institution group erstwhile nan headphones arrived. After spending clip pinch this batch of updates, I’m convinced nan Ace would’ve benefitted from having each of this fresh astatine launch, particularly TrueCinema. Since 1 of nan Ace’s main functions is individual surviving room listening, taking truthful agelong to present nan characteristic that would boost sound value this overmuch is different misstep.

On nan different hand, it’s bully to spot Sonos is still moving to amended nan Ace. When you see nan institution spent astir of 2024 fixing a majorly botched app redesign, it would person been understandable if Sonos near nan Ace to languish until it was clip for type 2.0. The institution had to delay products past summer, and according to a study successful March, it moreover canceled different entirely. When CEO Patrick Spence resigned successful January, interim main executive Tom Conrad expressed nan request for “getting backmost to basics” (Conrad was named imperishable CEO connected July 23). Improving a awesome caller merchandise that was overshadowed by a mediocre tally of shape is surely 1 measurement to reclaim immoderate of your reputation. It besides doesn’t wounded that nan Ace is presently disposable for $149 less than its original $449 price.

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