Review | Sonos Ace: The triumph of comfort and good things of yesteryears
Certain devices give you a slap to steer you back on track and return to the basics that determine whether a product is good or not: how much they make you want to use them again.
As we test technological devices, the need to compare cutting-edge features and capabilities leads to a "battle of specifications" that does a disservice in discerning whether a product is truly good or not. And sometimes, certain gadgets give you a slap to steer you back to the basic determinant of whether a product is good or not: how much it makes you want to use it again.
Today we are here to review the Sonos Ace, the first headphones from the American brand Sonos, which despite being a reference in home sound devices for years, has only now dived in with their model of over-ear wireless headphones.
I have an issue with headphones: I love using them because I watch videos and play music all day while doing my daily tasks. But at the same time, they generate some stress for me because using them exhausts me. I usually use them for half an hour, then I take them off, rest for a while and put them back on. It doesn't matter if they are low-cost models or high-end ones.
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Usability
With that in mind, upon receiving the Sonos Ace, I proceeded to analyze their features, how they responded in terms of sound, under different conditions and volumes, their noise cancellation, and other features. But surprise: after a few hours, I realized that I had not taken them off and, what's more, despite the time, they were still comfortable.
And that is indeed the most noteworthy aspect of the Sonos Ace. At least in my case, they didn't feel like that premium product that you use with some caution and sacrifice things in favor of cutting-edge features. They rather appeared like that sweatshirt and T-shirt that fit you so comfortably and you could wear every day.
It is difficult to understand precisely what it is attributed to. The weight of the headphones is close to 320 grams, so they're not particularly light. The padding looks of excellent quality, but it does not seem to have any special difference in terms of its cushioning or attachment. However, something makes everything come together well. It's probably the complete design and its frame, which greatly compensates for the weight and strikes a perfect balance between not pressing the ears too much and having sufficient grip so that the headphones do not slide down and exert undue pressure.
Design and Performance
The manufacturing of the Sonos Ace is high-end all the way. The stainless steel sliding arms allow for precise adjustments to the head. And the magnetic memory foam cushions are a delight. And as for durability, while it's hasty to say, after more than a month of intense use they have not shown any aesthetic detail that does not make them look like new.
The battery is 1,060 mAh. They promise 30 hours of continuous playback and fully deliver on that promise. The quick charge also works perfectly since when the battery was low, charging them for 5 minutes was enough to provide about three more hours of music.
The Sonos Ace integrates Dolby Atmos technology, which is a delight to listen to, and also allows for Lossless audio listening through Bluetooth and USB-C. Its active noise cancellation technology is also up to par. It may not be the strongest on the market, but it behaves in a very natural way.
Audio
The diaphragm is 40mm in each headphone, it has dynamic head tracking to take advantage of Dolby Atmos, spatial audio, and eight microphones to control audio and voice. On the other hand, the Bluetooth connection is 5.4 and all its controls are mechanical, nothing tactile. A note on that detail: it may seem old school, but interacting with quality buttons that respond in the time and way you need them can be quite pleasing. Quality that smells like the well-made things of the past. It made me question to what extent touch functions are important in a product that isn't a smartphone or a tablet.
Going into finer details, iPhone users have standard AAC codecs, while on Android you can enjoy Qualcomm's AptX Adaptive on compatible phones. One of the criticisms that has been made of the model, however, is that it does not include Sony's LDAC Bluetooth codec. Does it matter? If you're not a purist, not really.
The audio profile is quite balanced. It is true that it competes head on with the Apple Airpods Max and the Sony WH-1000XM5, but if there had to be a difference pointed out, it somewhat distances itself from the Sony profile, which emphasizes bass a lot. With the Sonos Ace, the sound commitment is balance, everything flows as naturally as possible. High fidelity in rule.
Its responsive features work perfectly, whether it's head movement detection, automatic stopping when you take off your headphones, multi-device use, and clarity mode, which is frankly remarkable, to the point where it could be considered, at least from my experience, the best implemented on the market.
The app is perhaps the least relevant and satisfying part of the combo. It works well, allows some customization, although the competition has more options, and it is not exempt from bugs and failures. On the other hand, the audio transfer between headphones and TV (TV Audio Swap) was just enabled for Android devices a couple of days before posting the review (before it only worked with Apple devices), and although it is very fun to try at first, it does not seem to have as perfect an implementation as the brand described. That being said, the mere fact that the functionality exists is already a reason for someone to consider buying the Sonos Ace if they already have a soundbar or speaker of the brand.
Relevant detail at the end: the headphones come in a felt case made from recycled plastics, which inside contains a USB-C to USB-C charging cable, and another cable for analog sound from USB-C to 3.5mm jack. The case is simple and elegant, and very pleasant for transport.
The price in Chile for the Sonos Ace, for now, is around $530 thousand pesos from official brand distributors and other ecommerce. It is a considerable amount, of course. It competes in the premium range with the top-of-the-line wireless audio. However, though there's always room for improvement, the first generation of Sonos headphones has few novice hiccups, and rather seems like a solid product that's here to stay. More details or less, for comfort they became my favorites.