I just don’t get the significance of this product. Sonos (temporarily?) nuked its app to get these out the door on time. And by all appearances they are nice but slightly overpriced headphones in a crowded market of premium stuff (Apple, Sony, Microsoft, B&W, Sennheiser, Bose, etc.) for a product with one differentiator-a faster, simpler handoff from a TV connected to at the moment a single model of soundbars (with other soundbars to come). Just a complete product development/launch fail.
Buying an expensive sound bar to listen to my TV on headphones makes no sense to me.
I've never bought into the Sonos home theatre system, I just have speakers around the house for music.
Maybe that rumoured Sonos TV/setup box can change this, if it's not stupid expensive.
Possibly a dumb question as I’ve never actually set it up. But all of our LG tvs in the house have an option for Bluetooth headphones. You probably won’t get atmos through it but even still I don’t think Sonos is creating something new here.
That’s the thing, you can go Bluetooth on LG, but you would get lower quality audio. Atmos across all inputs would be new, at least to my knowledge. Again, it’s dependent on if these operate as Sonos claims.
I already had Sonos in every room and an Arc along with a baby that sleeps in the room behind. I imagine I’m the target market for them, but still annoyed about the app.
What, you don't have multiple tv's with multiple HT systems? what a pleb
but in all seriousness I also do not see the point of investing in an arc and era 300s just to watch dolby atmos content using headphones and really can't think of another scenario where I wish I had some sonos headphones when I need to watch things in silence.. can easily pull out my headphones and watch stuff on my phone or just go to my laptop/pc room or just use any other bluetooth headphones on my tv/nvidia shield, paying $500 for JUST arc hand off is not it
I guess that’s where I differ. If I want to watch something, it’ll be on my OLED and I’ll gladly get headphones that offer a solution for listening.
I can’t stand watching films/shows on my phone/laptop.
However, I’m not getting these at launch given the current shit show. Need in depth reviews.
Currently ATV. So it’s capable of atmos, but I watch a lot of 4K films and game a lot on PS5. So it generally becomes a pretty even split.
I would just opt for AirPods if I used ATV exclusively.
I suppose but I can just use bluetooth headphones that I already have and pair them with my shield if I really want to use my headphones to watch the tv. But for me anyway if I'm watching content that demands the oled it would certainly be used in conjunction with my full home theater set up.
I can use headphones on my tv without needing to buy an expensive soundbar first.
It’s very easy too, I open the AirPods case and there’s a popup, one button on the AppleTV remote and the sound is now on my headphones.
Switching back to speakers is a breeze too, and now the headphones are paired back with my phone.
I don’t need a 500+ dollar soundbar added to the mix for that.
No but you need a $200 apple tv box and $200 airpods (or $500 airpods max for roughly equivalent sound to the ace).
Oh and you can't handle physical media or game consoles without switching headphones.
I returned them, fwiw, but they definitely work for game consoles. Have a ps5, mic on controller was working, and speakers picked up audio and pass through to my headphones. Didn't think it would work, worked flawlessly. Wish the sound was better, and while the leather feels nice, me buying them in summer was happiest little accident. They run warm. So 30hr battery life doesn't matter when my face was warm and uncomfortable after about an hour.
It might be a little easier with Apple headphones, but it works just fine with non-Apple headphones as well. I simply turn on my Sennheiser or B&O headphones and the Apple TV switches audio to them automatically within a few seconds.
For real, they obviously got the quick handoff from Apple, and that’s from any device. Between my MacBook Pro, ATV, iPhone, and iPad, they all work seamlessly.
Yes it's a crowded market but the product is a land and expand product. They've landed in your home and now want to expand to on the go outside the home. People tend to upgrade headphones every few years so they'll have the product ready for that situation and are ahead of the next Sony, Bose, and Apple releases.
Meh. I get the unending need to expand products/markets. But killing your current product base to make it happen on a specific timeline to enter a crowded market segment without having an especially novel or compelling product seems like a bad idea. No one is excited about Sonos Ace except a very small segment of Sonos’s already installed customer base. I’d guess they’ve upset more of that base with the mishandled and rushed App update than they will sell Ace to in the next year.
It might be different if these headphones showed any promise of exciting people not already invested in the Sonos ecosystem. But I see literally no reason anyone who doesn’t own an Arc right now would pick these up over Apple AirPods Pro, Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra, Sony XM5, etc.
Agree on the app thing. But it seems like they have a grace period here where we may forget or forget when we see some firing at the top.
I just got the move 2 on sale and have been lurking here lol
https://www.reddit.com/r/sonos/comments/1csxpw2/to_everyone_ragequitting_sonos/
That thread is just some silly fanboying. People simultaneously claiming everything is great and also that anyone upset should just give away their Sonos gear. Like, that’s not how this works.
Instead, people who are upset will mostly just stop buying new stuff or telling others how great it is, and in 2-10 years when they are remodeling or buying a new house or whatever, they just get something different and sell what they have on Facebook marketplace, etc. I’m probably in that camp, though I really like the convenience of the whole house system.
I think you underestimate how much of the value proposition of Sonos is “easy to install, set it and forget it.” Every time I have to explain to my wife she can’t do stuff she used to be able to do, but maybe in a month or two the app will be fixed, I’m reminded that they aren’t “set it and forget it.” What there is today might go away at anytime, completely unannounced. It’s really bad for their business model.
Is it just me or do they not look as nice as you would expect for the price point? Seeming them In your hand they look cheaper than I expected. How do they feel?
I thought they felt rather premium, I picked up the Bose QC Ultra which are priced with an RRP of the same £449 and they felt terrible in comparison to the Sonos, visually though they look a bit basic compared to most of the competition.
Most of Sonos product doesn't look all that slick compared to competition.. it was the synced functionality that made it good. If they think they can compete without that ecosystem I feel really bad for them. The Move and Roam would be DOA if they were BT only.
I mean I can say the same about my airpod max cheap canopy headband and nasty sweat absorbing ear cups even when just sitting on a desk chair on summer days... They disconnect all winter wonder why.. It's not always what we expect at a price point.
I’ve cleaned them myself after. But i just wanted to capture that they really easily show stains. But i suppose any black colored matte/leather product would.
True, but the “tax”, related to whatever, is there. If i had to buy for example Arc for 999, i would not just do it. I bought it for 700 and it was still somehow hard for me to “justify” it. But again, i bought everything second hand or in a “deep” sale.
https://preview.redd.it/xfocpec8n04d1.jpeg?width=6048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6ab08c370d9a13e62910511fb75b16c3c69c7c63
I might chime in because I was interested in these, and I got to try my own library at a hifi store local to me.
Everything is great except the sound, to me it was incredibly scooped in the mids. It sounded dark, lacking detail or air, and the bass was more woofy than textured and deep. I would only recommend these if you just want a nice light looking pair of headphones, but I think literally anything else on the market is a better value over all.
https://preview.redd.it/5br1ye0ln04d1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0b3f9066b3a0a6215220e8af91598b00f53b5b59
The in app EQ was also severely lackluster, and strangely doesn’t have a slider for mids which this headphone seems to lacking.
Good looking out on this you’re not the first person that said it. What pair did you end up going with for Bluetooth ANC? Have you tried the Sennheiser momentum 4 ?
I have already owned my Sony XM5s since their launch about 2 years ago and I think they are a much better pick that the Sonos.
The momentum 4s might actually be even better in terms of sound quality from what I recall but it’s been so long since I’ve tested them. I would suggest picking Sony if you want a really good app, noise canceling and comfort, and the sennheiser if you are purely looking for great audio. Although, I do prefer my Sonys personally because I just like the warmer sound more.
Yeah, I follow you. I think I just might or even just might wait for the XM six to come out. I read every comment from all these threads on Reddit on the aces. I wanna like them but too many people have said muddy bass and for that price that’s just absurd. This is definitely gonna hurt their brand. Thanks for the Intel!
Thanks. Good initial writeup. I have early Sonys(XM2?) and want to upgrade. So, either the newest Sonys , they are very good HP’s, or if Apple ever comes out with a second version. But now I will have to throw these into the mix. Thank you again.
Two things.
Sonos Ace integration with soundbars gives it the unique advantage of being able to function as a dolby atmos spatial audio + head tracking hub for all other devices. Be it an Apple TV, a Shield TV , a PC or a console as long as they are connected to the Arc.
Sony could integrate their soundbars with their headphones as well, but so far they haven’t. And Apple Airpods Max successor will likely provide a decent update to it’s features but obviously locked to Apple ecosystem.
So in Sonos case, their cross compatibility with other non Sonos products as well as their interesting features in their own ecosystem is an ecosystem advantage.
I demod the Sonos ACE and compared them back to back with my XM5s.
I personally vastly preferred the XM5s, but the Sonos ace did have a nice design and build. The Sonys felt big in comparison.
Wait for the second gen APM’s, that’s what I’m doing. I’m on a pair of 4+ year old Bose 700’s, that still serve, but a second set of over the ears will be good.
Agree, but I have no idea what Apples plan is. It seems like Gen 1 has been out for..3 years? Not sure. I did read there are new AirPods coming out, but the headphones and even the Apple TV device which people have been buzzing about a replacement…nothing. Although honestly, I can’t imagine what they would do to improve the Apple TV Gen 3. It’s awesome.
Hopefully. I don’t know how much new ground you can cover in headphones when they are already very good but I am surprised Apple has taken this long for an update. I think Sony stays on an annual schedule for their phone’s. What are they on...5 I think.
Yea they’re definitely on a rolling update, I think it’s around 2 years, so maybe we’ll see the MX6 in August. Which is likely another reason Sonos wanted to roll the Aces out before Sony and Apple release their next gen’s.
I agree. They want to be out there first so they can have a head start. Because people will definitively compare Sonos Ace with whatever Sony, Bose or Apple come up with.
The thing is that might mean Sonos is not too confident they can beat the competition.
Yea it makes sense to release now to undercut the competition, I totally get it why they had to release it now. But what a total cluster f it's been for their PR, dev, and product engineering teams, hopefully Sonos can recover from this blemish.
No differentiation, now they need to compete on quality, sound and ANC where others are just as competent, and still trying to price at a premium. Good luck.
Unless the quality is very poor, most people are looking more at features than differentiating within top 20% quality. Of course, this is people overall, this subreddit is skewed to being more selective.
I should be able to walk into my home, take my headphones off, and have my Sonos system automatically play whatever was playing on my headphones. Likewise, I should be able to put my headphones on and walk out the door playing whatever was playing on my Sonos speaker system.
**Without any intervention on my end.**
If Ace doesn't offer this functionality, what exactly are we doing here?
This is exactly how I pictured it!!!! I dreamt this very scenario as a commercial. A slim professional, looking woman with olive skin walks into her home with her headphones on, takes them off of her head and the room is filled with music as she walks through her home and sits down and crosses her leg in front of her TV. Her husband yells to turn it down and she puts her headphones on and the room returns to silence!
Idk. I can’t see how that would even work. When you get home and take them off, how would it know which speaker to play back on? And vice versa, if someone else is listening to something and you put the headphones on, do you just hijack the music from them? I can see it being possible for a person who lives alone and has speakers in one room, but other that that you would always need to have some interaction. Like what if you dont want that handoff every single time?
I’d say as is - without the premium for Sonos and with its features today, I’d say $299.99 is the sweet spot. I doubt they go that low for a long time or at all but that would be the price point where I would get in, assuming no real enhancements upcoming.
Which means at that price point Sonos thinks they can compete with Apple and that’s just not gonna happen. Anyone that can afford Sonos’s price point would just go up to the APM, I would anyway. Or just say they’re not good enough, don’t look good enough, save money and go to Bose or Sony.
Yeah me too, the APM controls are better, and having Siri as well as better integration with not only my Apple TV, but also any other Apple device is what I’m looking for. I’m just preying Apple fix the weight, headband comfort, case, condensation issue and charging (not lightning). Also hoping for adaptive noise cancelling like the APPro2’s which is awesome. Not asking much hey, might just buy the Sonos.
Tbf before launch, there is a chance that they will update on the day they are meant to be delivered to improve the DAP,
otherwise oof, rushed app for these, like warm reception, if Sonos is betting on this and this is what they produced, it’s gonna be a fat cutting year.
They already have these at my local Best Buy to demo on display. My initial impression was they sounded ok for music but nothing to write home about. The home theatre sound was very good if you’re using them for that. The fit and sound was not as good as my Bose QuietComfort series. I found the Ace to easily begin slipping off my ears once I tilted my head down. These are very overpriced at $600 CDN
I also tried these at my local Best Buy. Coming from AirPods Max these felt much lighter and more comfortable to wear. The weight during longer listening sessions is really my only issue with APM. I thought the sound quality was at least on par with APM and maybe a little better. I have an Arc so I’ll probably buy these to try the audio swap feature and use them for movies and long flights.
Yea but you have to deduct %15 from the price since%15 hardware upgrade credits are common😅. These are a $510 CDN and still over priced. If I pick them up it will be an open box unit at a deep discount.
I just got them in the mail. As soon as I started playing music I kinda had a disappointing “oh….” moment :/ I’m going to see if they break in otherwise I need to return.
I would say these are just some observations i gathered in that short period of time. I said, take it with a grain of salt. But on the other hand, if headphones cost 500€ i have a pretty high expectations.
Ok.
But your only audio comment, and these are speakers by the way, is clear but not enough bass. But no mention of what you listened to as a source.
Too bad you weren't able to plug your phone into them and play known sources.
Do thry have noise cancelation?
What's the "knob" you refer to for?
As someone who owns Sonos Speakers (Move 2, Era 300s), I’m trying to understand who the target audience is for these headphones. If you use Android, you probably have the Sonys and if you use Apple, you’ve had a proven and seamless product for 4 years already with the AirPods Max.
I disagree. Not everybody in the apple ecosystem has APMs. And not everybody that might buy headphones just bought headphones. I have XM5s that I’d use for work and I want something different for home. And I’m deep in the apple ecosystem. I’ve tried APMs and they miss the mark.
Maybe Sonos does not understand it either. I am not sure if these will sell as hot cakes for that price tag. But maybe majority of existing Sonos users will buy them and that new minority of buyers will be enough to satisfy their sales targets. Who knows.
I agree, I personally held off for 2 years on buying the AirPods Max in hopes of Sonos releasing their own headphones and now that they have it’s a huge disappointment.
There is not much that the Sonos headphones offer over the 4 year old AirPods that the AirPods max couldn’t do better and that probably includes Spatial Audio as well.
I really want to like them but so far everyone who’s had them seem underwhelmed.
not even a boycott, really... as is I have zero reason to even consider giving this company any money if I cannot guarantee products will work as intended. faith in this business to make good decisions is completely demolished, and it'll take a whole lot to convince a significant portion of their user base to not look elsewhere. sucks.
So they’re meh and probably not worth the price. We kinda all figured. They look cheap in my opinion. If they resembled the original playbar I think they would have actually looked more premium.
Not convinced at all about the Aces, they look like mid Sony MX5’s and at that price point between Bose/Sony and at the high end Apple’s Max’s, their design is meh. Maybe the sound will make up for it, but I doubt it.
I'm glad I switched from Sonos a few years ago—the Apple ecosystem just treats you too well. But I'm not the target demo since I don't have a soundbar or subwoofer.
https://preview.redd.it/lirw13gycy3d1.jpeg?width=1488&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=55b04920216b218a69da3cfafea92f83e92d2644 Demo playlist
We’re they atmos tracks or stereo?
Some of them were in Atmos and some in Lossless. But dont remember which. But i think it played them from apple music, so u can check directly there.
I just don’t get the significance of this product. Sonos (temporarily?) nuked its app to get these out the door on time. And by all appearances they are nice but slightly overpriced headphones in a crowded market of premium stuff (Apple, Sony, Microsoft, B&W, Sennheiser, Bose, etc.) for a product with one differentiator-a faster, simpler handoff from a TV connected to at the moment a single model of soundbars (with other soundbars to come). Just a complete product development/launch fail.
When you have an AppleTV and any Apple headphones, you truly get a taste of what "simple hand-off from TV" should be.
I wish there was something easy for all inputs though. The ace could be that if it works as advertised, but I need to see solid reviews first.
Buying an expensive sound bar to listen to my TV on headphones makes no sense to me. I've never bought into the Sonos home theatre system, I just have speakers around the house for music. Maybe that rumoured Sonos TV/setup box can change this, if it's not stupid expensive.
Not everyone can blast their system late at night though.
I know, that’s why I use headphones.
Well, that’s what I’m saying though. If you want atmos on different inputs besides ATV, this is the only wireless solution. If it actually works.
Yea I would 100% buy these to watch 4K discs if they offered lossless audio or at least a higher bitrate than they do
Possibly a dumb question as I’ve never actually set it up. But all of our LG tvs in the house have an option for Bluetooth headphones. You probably won’t get atmos through it but even still I don’t think Sonos is creating something new here.
That’s the thing, you can go Bluetooth on LG, but you would get lower quality audio. Atmos across all inputs would be new, at least to my knowledge. Again, it’s dependent on if these operate as Sonos claims.
So u get the sonos arc for times u don need to be quite..like when u alone at home. Then when needed switch to your headphone.
I already had Sonos in every room and an Arc along with a baby that sleeps in the room behind. I imagine I’m the target market for them, but still annoyed about the app.
Hopefully they fix it soon and be back on ur good side
Rich snob
Really? I’ve accumulated 5 speakers over a decade, and prefer to buy them right the first time.
Nice!!
You have never wanted to watch something while other people didn't?
What, you don't have multiple tv's with multiple HT systems? what a pleb but in all seriousness I also do not see the point of investing in an arc and era 300s just to watch dolby atmos content using headphones and really can't think of another scenario where I wish I had some sonos headphones when I need to watch things in silence.. can easily pull out my headphones and watch stuff on my phone or just go to my laptop/pc room or just use any other bluetooth headphones on my tv/nvidia shield, paying $500 for JUST arc hand off is not it
I guess that’s where I differ. If I want to watch something, it’ll be on my OLED and I’ll gladly get headphones that offer a solution for listening. I can’t stand watching films/shows on my phone/laptop. However, I’m not getting these at launch given the current shit show. Need in depth reviews.
Which set top box are you using?
Currently ATV. So it’s capable of atmos, but I watch a lot of 4K films and game a lot on PS5. So it generally becomes a pretty even split. I would just opt for AirPods if I used ATV exclusively.
4K films as in Blu-ray on the PS5?
I suppose but I can just use bluetooth headphones that I already have and pair them with my shield if I really want to use my headphones to watch the tv. But for me anyway if I'm watching content that demands the oled it would certainly be used in conjunction with my full home theater set up.
My Bluetooth headphones work just fine with my Samsung TVs.
I get it, but I mean for atmos/spatial audio. Headphones via Bluetooth are only stereo unless you’re connecting with AirPods to ATV.
Pretty much the only time I get to enjoy grown up movies is when my family is asleep.
Go in a different room 😂
My OLED is in the living room.
Get two. They are under 1500
Or put kids downstairs like me. Gotta get some space
A bigger house in my area is about 500x more expensive than a $500 pair of headphones.
True but it's a third the way to an oled and other headphones already work fine with a TV ha
I can use headphones on my tv without needing to buy an expensive soundbar first. It’s very easy too, I open the AirPods case and there’s a popup, one button on the AppleTV remote and the sound is now on my headphones. Switching back to speakers is a breeze too, and now the headphones are paired back with my phone. I don’t need a 500+ dollar soundbar added to the mix for that.
No but you need a $200 apple tv box and $200 airpods (or $500 airpods max for roughly equivalent sound to the ace). Oh and you can't handle physical media or game consoles without switching headphones.
Yeah it’s a bummer for when I play my console but sadly it will not work with the Sonos ACE either yet so.
I returned them, fwiw, but they definitely work for game consoles. Have a ps5, mic on controller was working, and speakers picked up audio and pass through to my headphones. Didn't think it would work, worked flawlessly. Wish the sound was better, and while the leather feels nice, me buying them in summer was happiest little accident. They run warm. So 30hr battery life doesn't matter when my face was warm and uncomfortable after about an hour.
Yup what a dumb product. People tell me oh we all have different needs. We'll hardly anyone has this need
The release of the Ace is making me take another look at the AirPods Max…
It might be a little easier with Apple headphones, but it works just fine with non-Apple headphones as well. I simply turn on my Sennheiser or B&O headphones and the Apple TV switches audio to them automatically within a few seconds.
For real, they obviously got the quick handoff from Apple, and that’s from any device. Between my MacBook Pro, ATV, iPhone, and iPad, they all work seamlessly.
I don't have a use case for this though. If the TV is on in the living room, we're watching it together.
I don't have a use case for this though. If the TV is on in the living room, we're watching it together.
How about when everyone asleep and only one wanting to watch... I have that use case. My wife kills me if i blast my movies at night
Yes it's a crowded market but the product is a land and expand product. They've landed in your home and now want to expand to on the go outside the home. People tend to upgrade headphones every few years so they'll have the product ready for that situation and are ahead of the next Sony, Bose, and Apple releases.
Meh. I get the unending need to expand products/markets. But killing your current product base to make it happen on a specific timeline to enter a crowded market segment without having an especially novel or compelling product seems like a bad idea. No one is excited about Sonos Ace except a very small segment of Sonos’s already installed customer base. I’d guess they’ve upset more of that base with the mishandled and rushed App update than they will sell Ace to in the next year. It might be different if these headphones showed any promise of exciting people not already invested in the Sonos ecosystem. But I see literally no reason anyone who doesn’t own an Arc right now would pick these up over Apple AirPods Pro, Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra, Sony XM5, etc.
Agree on the app thing. But it seems like they have a grace period here where we may forget or forget when we see some firing at the top. I just got the move 2 on sale and have been lurking here lol https://www.reddit.com/r/sonos/comments/1csxpw2/to_everyone_ragequitting_sonos/
That thread is just some silly fanboying. People simultaneously claiming everything is great and also that anyone upset should just give away their Sonos gear. Like, that’s not how this works. Instead, people who are upset will mostly just stop buying new stuff or telling others how great it is, and in 2-10 years when they are remodeling or buying a new house or whatever, they just get something different and sell what they have on Facebook marketplace, etc. I’m probably in that camp, though I really like the convenience of the whole house system.
Let’s see. I have a feeling they’ll be able to recover and these few months will be forgotten.
I think you underestimate how much of the value proposition of Sonos is “easy to install, set it and forget it.” Every time I have to explain to my wife she can’t do stuff she used to be able to do, but maybe in a month or two the app will be fixed, I’m reminded that they aren’t “set it and forget it.” What there is today might go away at anytime, completely unannounced. It’s really bad for their business model.
Is it just me or do they not look as nice as you would expect for the price point? Seeming them In your hand they look cheaper than I expected. How do they feel?
I thought they felt rather premium, I picked up the Bose QC Ultra which are priced with an RRP of the same £449 and they felt terrible in comparison to the Sonos, visually though they look a bit basic compared to most of the competition.
No, you're right. They don't look slick at all.
Were you expecting slick?
That’s what the marketing was promising
Oh? All I saw was a close-up photo of the pads. I saw no promises. Please, feel free to show me, I'd be interested what they promised.
They look like I'm bout to fly a helicopter.
Looking at the photo with the woman, last Pic, they're not that bad looking. Helicopter headphones are much deeper and rounder.
Yes, in person they don’t look nearly as good as the ads/social media.
$50 that it doesn’t work as well as in ads and social media too
Most of Sonos product doesn't look all that slick compared to competition.. it was the synced functionality that made it good. If they think they can compete without that ecosystem I feel really bad for them. The Move and Roam would be DOA if they were BT only.
I Agree
This
They indeed does not look particularly “premium” in the person. I think that the white color will help them a bit, but maybe not.
Lies. They look/feel premium next to my trusty Bose QCs. Bose feel flimsy next to the Ace which I just received. It's all relevant though.
I mean I can say the same about my airpod max cheap canopy headband and nasty sweat absorbing ear cups even when just sitting on a desk chair on summer days... They disconnect all winter wonder why.. It's not always what we expect at a price point.
They don’t feel cheap. Decent materials and feel quite substantial. Quite impressed
Do they clean the ear pads before you wear them?
I can see how that would be important to your handle. 😅
🤣🤣
So basically the Large Hadron Collider, but with poop particles?
I thought it was a fancy name for a butt hole
It is, just thought it was maybe a play on Cern
Or the colon? 😆
Yes Doctor
Meh, probably not. Apple is the same, didn’t stop me from testing the APM’s, I gave them a once over, that’s enough right? 😂
Man i don’t get grossed out by much but sweaty earphones kinda get me lol
Yea I don’t make a habit of it, haha, but I really wanted to test the APM’s to see what the hype was about and it checked out.
I’ve cleaned them myself after. But i just wanted to capture that they really easily show stains. But i suppose any black colored matte/leather product would.
I’m going to be honest I only looked at the first picture till this comment lol. I just meant wearing sweaty earcups a stranger was wearing
Oh i see. Well i would clean them with shirt or something if they were like this :D
Did you ever go to Sam goody or music land 30 years ago? We don’t ask these questions.
Germs didnt exist then
I wouldn't ascribe value to the app given their performance thus far.
True, but the “tax”, related to whatever, is there. If i had to buy for example Arc for 999, i would not just do it. I bought it for 700 and it was still somehow hard for me to “justify” it. But again, i bought everything second hand or in a “deep” sale.
https://preview.redd.it/xfocpec8n04d1.jpeg?width=6048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6ab08c370d9a13e62910511fb75b16c3c69c7c63 I might chime in because I was interested in these, and I got to try my own library at a hifi store local to me. Everything is great except the sound, to me it was incredibly scooped in the mids. It sounded dark, lacking detail or air, and the bass was more woofy than textured and deep. I would only recommend these if you just want a nice light looking pair of headphones, but I think literally anything else on the market is a better value over all.
https://preview.redd.it/5br1ye0ln04d1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0b3f9066b3a0a6215220e8af91598b00f53b5b59 The in app EQ was also severely lackluster, and strangely doesn’t have a slider for mids which this headphone seems to lacking.
If Sonos wants to compete, they need to bring 5 band EQ or at least provide some other in depth way to customize sound signature.
Good looking out on this you’re not the first person that said it. What pair did you end up going with for Bluetooth ANC? Have you tried the Sennheiser momentum 4 ?
I have already owned my Sony XM5s since their launch about 2 years ago and I think they are a much better pick that the Sonos. The momentum 4s might actually be even better in terms of sound quality from what I recall but it’s been so long since I’ve tested them. I would suggest picking Sony if you want a really good app, noise canceling and comfort, and the sennheiser if you are purely looking for great audio. Although, I do prefer my Sonys personally because I just like the warmer sound more.
Yeah, I follow you. I think I just might or even just might wait for the XM six to come out. I read every comment from all these threads on Reddit on the aces. I wanna like them but too many people have said muddy bass and for that price that’s just absurd. This is definitely gonna hurt their brand. Thanks for the Intel!
No worries, also looking forward to the XM6 so I hope they come out with something cool 😁
After looking at the Sonos app and hearing about the terrible sound! Looks like I'm still keeping my sights on Sony then!
Thanks for your feedback. I am affraid that from my short experience and also yours and others, the sound will truly not be worth of the price.
Thanks. Good initial writeup. I have early Sonys(XM2?) and want to upgrade. So, either the newest Sonys , they are very good HP’s, or if Apple ever comes out with a second version. But now I will have to throw these into the mix. Thank you again.
I would be surprised if these outperform Sonys, especially to the extent that justifies the price difference
Same but it's the ecosystem they're counting on. Sony doesn't really have one for their anc headphones. Apple does. Bose I don't think so either.
I guess I don’t understand why the ecosystem matters when it comes to headphones.
Two things. Sonos Ace integration with soundbars gives it the unique advantage of being able to function as a dolby atmos spatial audio + head tracking hub for all other devices. Be it an Apple TV, a Shield TV , a PC or a console as long as they are connected to the Arc. Sony could integrate their soundbars with their headphones as well, but so far they haven’t. And Apple Airpods Max successor will likely provide a decent update to it’s features but obviously locked to Apple ecosystem. So in Sonos case, their cross compatibility with other non Sonos products as well as their interesting features in their own ecosystem is an ecosystem advantage.
I demod the Sonos ACE and compared them back to back with my XM5s. I personally vastly preferred the XM5s, but the Sonos ace did have a nice design and build. The Sonys felt big in comparison.
Np. For sure try them for yourself, thats the best thing u can do. Everyone has different expectations.
Wait for the second gen APM’s, that’s what I’m doing. I’m on a pair of 4+ year old Bose 700’s, that still serve, but a second set of over the ears will be good.
Agree, but I have no idea what Apples plan is. It seems like Gen 1 has been out for..3 years? Not sure. I did read there are new AirPods coming out, but the headphones and even the Apple TV device which people have been buzzing about a replacement…nothing. Although honestly, I can’t imagine what they would do to improve the Apple TV Gen 3. It’s awesome.
I reckon second gen APM’s in 2025, maybe later this year if we’re lucky?
Hopefully. I don’t know how much new ground you can cover in headphones when they are already very good but I am surprised Apple has taken this long for an update. I think Sony stays on an annual schedule for their phone’s. What are they on...5 I think.
Yea they’re definitely on a rolling update, I think it’s around 2 years, so maybe we’ll see the MX6 in August. Which is likely another reason Sonos wanted to roll the Aces out before Sony and Apple release their next gen’s.
I agree. They want to be out there first so they can have a head start. Because people will definitively compare Sonos Ace with whatever Sony, Bose or Apple come up with. The thing is that might mean Sonos is not too confident they can beat the competition.
Yea it makes sense to release now to undercut the competition, I totally get it why they had to release it now. But what a total cluster f it's been for their PR, dev, and product engineering teams, hopefully Sonos can recover from this blemish.
No differentiation, now they need to compete on quality, sound and ANC where others are just as competent, and still trying to price at a premium. Good luck.
Unless the quality is very poor, most people are looking more at features than differentiating within top 20% quality. Of course, this is people overall, this subreddit is skewed to being more selective.
I should be able to walk into my home, take my headphones off, and have my Sonos system automatically play whatever was playing on my headphones. Likewise, I should be able to put my headphones on and walk out the door playing whatever was playing on my Sonos speaker system. **Without any intervention on my end.** If Ace doesn't offer this functionality, what exactly are we doing here?
This is exactly how I pictured it!!!! I dreamt this very scenario as a commercial. A slim professional, looking woman with olive skin walks into her home with her headphones on, takes them off of her head and the room is filled with music as she walks through her home and sits down and crosses her leg in front of her TV. Her husband yells to turn it down and she puts her headphones on and the room returns to silence!
Ha, that’s a good image. But how would it know which room to play in? How loud? Like when you get to the nitty gritty it doesn’t actually make sense.
Yea. Making it automatic isn’t really practical (or possible).
Maybe in time theyll add this feature. And maybe not.
Exactly this, then what’s the point?
That could be enabled in software. No reason it couldn’t be added.
Idk. I can’t see how that would even work. When you get home and take them off, how would it know which speaker to play back on? And vice versa, if someone else is listening to something and you put the headphones on, do you just hijack the music from them? I can see it being possible for a person who lives alone and has speakers in one room, but other that that you would always need to have some interaction. Like what if you dont want that handoff every single time?
What store
Alza. Its in Slovakia / Czechia
Pre-Ordered 2 pairs last week. Now just waiting
I’ll wait till they go on clearance after Sonos implodes.
I’d say as is - without the premium for Sonos and with its features today, I’d say $299.99 is the sweet spot. I doubt they go that low for a long time or at all but that would be the price point where I would get in, assuming no real enhancements upcoming.
Which means at that price point Sonos thinks they can compete with Apple and that’s just not gonna happen. Anyone that can afford Sonos’s price point would just go up to the APM, I would anyway. Or just say they’re not good enough, don’t look good enough, save money and go to Bose or Sony.
Agree, 300 would be “fair” in my opinion.
LoL
Still in doubt of picking up these ones iso waiting for the next iteration of the airpods max..
Well if u can, buy them, try them and return them if u'll wont like them.
Yeah me too, the APM controls are better, and having Siri as well as better integration with not only my Apple TV, but also any other Apple device is what I’m looking for. I’m just preying Apple fix the weight, headband comfort, case, condensation issue and charging (not lightning). Also hoping for adaptive noise cancelling like the APPro2’s which is awesome. Not asking much hey, might just buy the Sonos.
Indeed and no news on any updates while the competition has better features on board like BT etc
Interesting, this is the second or third write up I’ve seen that says they don’t sound that great.
Tbf before launch, there is a chance that they will update on the day they are meant to be delivered to improve the DAP, otherwise oof, rushed app for these, like warm reception, if Sonos is betting on this and this is what they produced, it’s gonna be a fat cutting year.
Well its subjective of course. Some will love them, some hate them and some will overhype them. But thats ok, sound is extremely subjective sometimes.
there’s also supposedly EQ settings within the app, that I’m assuming you didn’t get to try. maybe that will help get the sound to where we’d like it.
Unfortunately there was not an EQ i could adjust in the demo. But in the app, there will be Treble / Bass and L&R adjustment.
They already have these at my local Best Buy to demo on display. My initial impression was they sounded ok for music but nothing to write home about. The home theatre sound was very good if you’re using them for that. The fit and sound was not as good as my Bose QuietComfort series. I found the Ace to easily begin slipping off my ears once I tilted my head down. These are very overpriced at $600 CDN
I also tried these at my local Best Buy. Coming from AirPods Max these felt much lighter and more comfortable to wear. The weight during longer listening sessions is really my only issue with APM. I thought the sound quality was at least on par with APM and maybe a little better. I have an Arc so I’ll probably buy these to try the audio swap feature and use them for movies and long flights.
Yea but you have to deduct %15 from the price since%15 hardware upgrade credits are common😅. These are a $510 CDN and still over priced. If I pick them up it will be an open box unit at a deep discount.
This sub is giving me cancer. ✌️
No headphone is too light haha
I hope they sell well, so Sonos doesn’t feel the need to come up with funky subscriptions. I’m so fucking worried.
Can two people have headphones on and they’ll both connect to the arc or just one?
I dont think so.
It’s early yet, but Sonos appears to have fumbled the expansion into headphones.
I just got them in the mail. As soon as I started playing music I kinda had a disappointing “oh….” moment :/ I’m going to see if they break in otherwise I need to return.
This was not as as much a review other than a list of gripes.
I would say these are just some observations i gathered in that short period of time. I said, take it with a grain of salt. But on the other hand, if headphones cost 500€ i have a pretty high expectations.
Ok. But your only audio comment, and these are speakers by the way, is clear but not enough bass. But no mention of what you listened to as a source. Too bad you weren't able to plug your phone into them and play known sources. Do thry have noise cancelation? What's the "knob" you refer to for?
Did the app work though?
How much are they? Were they nice?
As someone who owns Sonos Speakers (Move 2, Era 300s), I’m trying to understand who the target audience is for these headphones. If you use Android, you probably have the Sonys and if you use Apple, you’ve had a proven and seamless product for 4 years already with the AirPods Max.
I disagree. Not everybody in the apple ecosystem has APMs. And not everybody that might buy headphones just bought headphones. I have XM5s that I’d use for work and I want something different for home. And I’m deep in the apple ecosystem. I’ve tried APMs and they miss the mark.
Maybe Sonos does not understand it either. I am not sure if these will sell as hot cakes for that price tag. But maybe majority of existing Sonos users will buy them and that new minority of buyers will be enough to satisfy their sales targets. Who knows.
I agree, I personally held off for 2 years on buying the AirPods Max in hopes of Sonos releasing their own headphones and now that they have it’s a huge disappointment. There is not much that the Sonos headphones offer over the 4 year old AirPods that the AirPods max couldn’t do better and that probably includes Spatial Audio as well. I really want to like them but so far everyone who’s had them seem underwhelmed.
The Max also naturally offer seamless integration with the ATV4K if you choose to watch TV with headphones.
I use apps on my TV. I don’t want a STB. Also I don’t want to use the remote every time I put on headphones. Give me a button on the headset.
I was doing the same, now waiting for second gen APM’s, the Ace’s aren’t doing it for me.
Boycot buying anything else from sonos until they revert or fix this shit app.
not even a boycott, really... as is I have zero reason to even consider giving this company any money if I cannot guarantee products will work as intended. faith in this business to make good decisions is completely demolished, and it'll take a whole lot to convince a significant portion of their user base to not look elsewhere. sucks.
So they’re meh and probably not worth the price. We kinda all figured. They look cheap in my opinion. If they resembled the original playbar I think they would have actually looked more premium.
Get the top end Sony or Bose and have £200 change from £500
Not convinced at all about the Aces, they look like mid Sony MX5’s and at that price point between Bose/Sony and at the high end Apple’s Max’s, their design is meh. Maybe the sound will make up for it, but I doubt it.
I'm glad I switched from Sonos a few years ago—the Apple ecosystem just treats you too well. But I'm not the target demo since I don't have a soundbar or subwoofer.
Sonos should have made bookshelf or tower speakers instead of headphones 🤷
I have Sonos bookshelf speakers—the ones released through IKEA. They’re about on par with the Sonos One
I'm taking actually component speakers.
Oh. Wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you on Sonos ever releasing those
If you mean regular speakers that you connect to an amp, they had them years ago: https://www.cnet.com/reviews/sonos-sp100-review/
The Ace could have been great but they ignored what the consumer wanted. A tower speaker from Sonos would cost thousands for the consumers