Sonos, a brand renowned for its multi-room audio systems, has launched its first-ever headphones, the Sonos Ace. With this new product, Sonos aims to extend its premium audio experience into the realm of personal audio. The Sonos Ace headphones, priced at $449, will be available globally starting June 5th.

“They’re here! Fans have asked us for years to bring the Sonos experience to headphones – and we knew our first foray into the category needed to champion the type of innovation and sound experience Sonos has become synonymous with,” said Patrick Spence, CEO of Sonos. 

“Sonos Ace leverages everything we’ve learned over two decades as an audio leader to bring stunning sound, sleek design and long-standing comfort to one of the largest and most popular audio categories worldwide.”

The Sonos Ace headphones come with a suite of features that set them apart from many competitors in the market. One of the most notable aspects is their ability to switch between traditional Bluetooth headphone functionality and a more specialized home theater mode. This mode allows users to transfer audio from a Sonos soundbar to the headphones with a simple tap, providing a private listening experience without disturbing others in the household.

The initial compatibility for this feature includes the Sonos Arc soundbar, with plans to extend support to the Sonos Beam (2nd-gen) and Sonos Ray in the near future. The original Beam will also be included at a later date. This integration uses Wi-Fi for the connection, with the Arc performing much of the audio processing to deliver a spatial audio experience with Dolby Atmos and head tracking.

The design of the Ace headphones blends sleek aesthetics with functionality. The headphones boast a slim profile, a matte finish with metal accents, and memory foam ear cushions wrapped in vegan leather for comfort. The ear cups are magnetically attached, allowing for easy cleaning or swapping with different color options, which Sonos plans to release later.

Tactile buttons on the ear cups enable users to adjust volume, pairing, and active noise cancellation (ANC) settings effortlessly. The headphones also feature a fold-flat design for easy portability and come with a travel case made from 75% recycled felt sourced from plastic bottles.

Sonos has equipped the Ace headphones with custom-designed 40mm dynamic drivers, which promise precise and clear sound across all frequencies. For lossless audio, the headphones support Qualcomm's Snapdragon Sound AptX Lossless codec over Bluetooth and Apple Lossless Audio Codec via a USB-C connection. This ensures high-quality sound whether you're listening wirelessly or wired.

The Sonos Ace also includes eight beamforming microphones for effective noise control and voice targeting, making it ideal for clear calls and video conferences. The ANC feature can be switched to an "Aware" mode to allow ambient sounds when necessary, such as during conversations or in busy environments.

A standout feature of the Sonos Ace headphones is their integration with home theater setups. Using TrueCinema technology, the headphones can calibrate audio based on the room's layout and the user's seating position, enhancing the Dolby Atmos experience with spatial audio. This technology aims to deliver an immersive audio experience that adapts to your movements, keeping the sound anchored to the screen even if you look away.

This functionality is achieved through a Wi-Fi connection between the headphones and the Sonos soundbar, with the soundbar handling much of the audio rendering. For content that isn't Dolby Atmos, the system upscales the audio to virtual 7.1.4 channels, creating a rich and immersive soundscape.

The Sonos Ace headphones offer up to 30 hours of battery life in Bluetooth mode with ANC or Aware mode activated. In Wi-Fi mode, which is used for home theater audio, the battery life is slightly reduced but still sufficient for multiple movie sessions. A quick three-minute charge via USB-C can provide up to three hours of playback, and a full charge is achieved in about two hours.

Sonos has priced the Ace headphones competitively at $449, positioning them against other high-end models like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra and the Sony WH-1000XM5. The Ace is available in black and white color options and will begin shipping on June 5th.