The Sonos Ace is the first headphone from Sonos and it's highly anticipated by audiophiles. I've been using the Sonos Ace for three weeks and I can say now that it's the best headphone I've reviewed so far. So is it still worth owning at its very premium selling price in Malaysia?
SPECIFICATIONS
Sonos Ace
Type Closed back earphones
40mm driver
Microphones Eight microphones
1060 mAh battery
Up to 30 hours with ANC
USB-C charging port
Wireless charging None
Bluetooth 5.4 connection
3.5mm cable
All operating systems are supported
Virtual assistant support None
Control buttons Voice control
Power
ANC/Passthrough Mode
Waterproof ability None
Sale Price RM 2299
DESIGN AND USE
The Sonos Ace are some of the most stylish headphones on the market and they do look like a premium pair of headphones. The headband has a soft memory foam padding with vegan leather that makes it comfortable to wear. A metal stem connects the headband to two ear cups made of plastic with a matte finish. It is similar to the finish used on the Sony XM5 which does not easily trap dirt.
The ear cups can be rotated 90 degrees to store flat in the provided storage case. The process of adjusting the size of the head caliper is very simple. It's not too tight or loose. Throughout the review period the Ace was very comfortable to wear with the head not feeling pinched after long periods of use.
Because it is not so tight, sound from the outside can still enter the ear cup chamber. This is not the most ideal but it is necessary to allow the ear to "breathe". What's the point of being completely blocked out but your ears sweat?
The power button and USB-C charging port are placed on the left ear cup. Then the audio adjustment button that doubles as a media controller as well as the ANC/translucent mode button are placed on the right ear cup. All control buttons are of the physical type on the Sonos Ace. I have to admit to not liking the position of the audio adjustment button on the right ear. It is so high that often when I want to change the audio volume or skip music (this button can also be pressed) I press the ANC button that is below it.
I'm used to the ASUS ROG Delta S, Razer Black Shark V2 Pro and SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 which put the audio buttons/adjustment wheel in a more ergonomic position. Because the Ace is Sonos' first headphone, I can forgive this oversight. Hopefully in the next headphones the position of this button will be changed.
It is very easy to distinguish the right and left ear cups on the Sonos Ace because the right cup is given a liquid green color on the inside. No need to look for the "R" logo which is sometimes too small on the stem like other headphone manufacturers do.
In both ear cups there are air pressure sensors to detect when the headphones are removed. It's hidden so it doesn't look too obvious like on the Sony XM4. The detection system is quite good with the music pausing in less than a second when the headphones are removed.
On the outside of the ear cup there are several holes like a speaker grille for 8 microphones. This microphone is used for the ANC noise cancellation system and also for making voice calls using the Sonos Ace. Because of the existence of this audio lattice, the Sonos Ace does not have any waterproof capabilities.
The headphones support wireless bluetooth 5.4 tethering with SBC, AAC, ALAC and aptX Lossless codec support. A little disappointing there is no LDAC support either. Wired connection is also possible for the highest audio quality using the USB-C to 3.56mm audio jack cable included with every purchase.
A storage case is provided with every purchase with a rugged outer finish. I like the design of this case because it's not too thick making it easy to store the Sonos Ace in a backpack. Also on the inside there is a small storage place for the charging cable and audio jack. The storage is magnetic so it can be removed when not needed.
Although the design of this Sonos Ace storage case is beautiful, I feel that the materials used for it are a little less practical. After only a week of use, I can see a noticeable stain. If you want to buy a Sonos Ace I recommend buying a black one for a storage case in the same color that can hide dirt marks better.
AUDIO QUALITY
The audio quality of the Sonos Ace is on par with their audio systems I've reviewed before. My first compliment is the wider audio stage compared to other headphones I've reviewed such as the Sony XM5. Forgive me if I'm going to use the XM5 a few times in this review because in my opinion it's the champion of the category that other headphones have to beat.
When listening to jazz genre music, every instrument can be heard clearly. Audio channel separation is very good and even at the loudest audio settings they don't get mixed up. Clear and loud treble matched with bass that is not too prominent to drown out other audio frequencies.
After testing for a few days I feel these are the best headphones to use for listening to classical, jazz, instrumentals and 70s/80s classics. I say this because music in this decade/genre can be enjoyed well without having to dive into the EQ settings included in the Sonos app. It's not that you can't enjoy the music of Metallica, Prodigy, Massive Attack, Pearl Jam, Megadeth or Soundgarden, it's just that the EQ needs to be changed to give a more satisfying bass beat.
In the song No Excuses by Alice In Chains from the album Unplugged, the drum and cymbal beats by Sean Kinney can be heard coming from and are very clear but not obtrusive. It feels like Sean Kinney is playing drums right in front of your eyes. Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell's harmonious voices can be heard up front with Mike Inez's very "low" bass line clearly audible. On more expensive headphones, the bass of this song is often drowned out.
Then the EQ needs to be changed back to the default setting when wanting to play another genre. This is a bit annoying for rock and electronic music fans like me. Unfortunately in the application there is no feature to save personal presets for some music genres. Like I said earlier, it's cumbersome because you have to change it manually every time you want to listen to a different music genre.
Although the above paragraph sounds like complaining, I want to point out that for the majority of music tested the Sonos Ace's default EQ settings are pretty good. In terms of overall audio quality it is better, balanced, clear and has a more open stage than the Sony XM5 which I often benchmark. The XM5 has more eardrum punching bass but it can make the music you listen to drown out (unless you really like strong bass like I do).
For the best quality I recommend the Sonos Ace to be connected using a 3.5mm cable. I tested these headphones on Android and iOS devices. Android devices using Snapdragon chips can enjoy better audio through Qualcomm aptX Audio support. A head tracking feature is also included. I think it's a shame there's no LDAC support because audio at higher bits can't be enjoyed on devices with MediaTek chips.
ANC and Translucent Mode
The ANC mode on the Sonos Ace is the only category it loses to the Sony XM5. Outside audio like music from the elevator I can still hear if no song is playing on the Sonos. At home, the screaming of the wife who was surprised when she was caught in the kitchen was also unable to be filtered by the ANC Sonos Ace.
Loses on ANC but the Sonos Ace wins on passthrough mode. It feels like not wearing any headphones at all if the passthrough mode is activated. I've read it's as good as AirPods Max but couldn't try it myself because the AirPods Max in the our lab were broken.
The Sonos ecosystem
Sonos Ace has the ability to receive Dolby Atmos audio signals from Sonos Beam or Sonos Ray with the push of a button. I wasn't able to test this feature myself because I don't have either of these soundbars in the our lab.
MICROPHONE
When making a phone call using WhatsApp (I don't use cellular because the CelcomDigi network is bad at the moment) the person I called said my voice sounded clear and natural. When used in an online video game session via the PlayStation 5, teammates also said my voice sounded clear.
SOFTWARE
The Sonos app is currently facing controversy for being completely redeveloped to provide a new experience. It is now simpler and has a modern aesthetic but sacrifices the variety of features that the older version had. I agree with the opinion of many about this too drastic change. But the app is still pretty easy to understand with access to EQ settings, ANC, passthrough mode, head tracking and multipoint tethering all clearly visible without hidden menus.
BATTERY
The battery is advertised to last up to 30 hours using ANC. I don't even count how long I use it before the battery runs out, I just charge it every three days. The battery takes about 3 hours to charge from zero to 100% which is slow.
IN THE BOX
Here's what you get with every purchase in Malaysia.
1x Sonos Ace
1x USB-C to USB-C charging cable.
1x USB-C to 3.5mm adapter cable
1x Sonos Ace storage bag.
1x Small magnetic cable storage bag.
1x Manual
CONCLUSION
The Sonos Ace are headphones that provide the best audio experience I've heard so far. Balanced, clear, and has a wide audio stage for a closed-back headphone. The build quality of the Sonos Ace is on par with the sound emitted through the pair of 40mm audio drivers it uses.
The downside is that with a selling price of RM2299 per pair, it is very expensive. You can buy a Dolby Atmos audio soundbar for the same price. Also you need the complete Sonos ecosystem to use Sonos Ace supported features. But if you've got the extra cash because you received a bonus this year, the Sonos Ace are headphones worth having.
Pro
Comfortable headphones to wear for extended periods.
Premium finish and design.
Solid audio quality.
High quality audio support.
The best penetrating mode.
Cons
Premium price.
Requires other Sonos ecosystems to be fully enjoyed.
Audio adjustment buttons are less ergonomic.