Sonos is celebrating the first birthday of its Ace headphones by rolling out a significant software update that adds the long-awaited TrueCinema feature.
The free update, which is available now, enables the Sonos Ace headphones to adapt to the user’s environment to enhance the immersive audio experience.
It should make listening through the headphones feel more like a home theatre setup, although we’ll need to properly test TrueCinema to see whether it really does work as advertised.
Here’s the rest of what’s new in the update.
TV Audio Swap gets a helpful boost
The TV Audio Swap feature, which enables users to connect their Ace headphones to a Sonos soundbar and enjoy the audio from the TV, will now allow two pairs of Ace headphones to connect simultaneously.
That means two people can enjoy the same audio without disturbing others in the room and should come in very handy.
Enhanced ANC
The update also improves the active noise cancellation (ANC) by using the onboard sensors to adjust for factors such as hair and glasses in real-time to compensate for sound leaks. We were already impressed with the ANC of the cans when we reviewed them, so it’ll be interesting to see whether or not this change makes a noticeable difference.
Updates to call quality
Elsewhere, a new SideTone feature will improve call quality by enabling users to hear their own voice during calls. This is particularly useful when ANC is engaged, as it can be disorienting not to hear your own voice.
“We’re pleased to deliver experiences we’ve heard our customers ask for, like the ability for two people to watch TV with their Sonos Ace headphones at the same time. We’ve also worked hard on our TrueCinema technology to create an incredible open-air listening effect so it feels like you aren’t wearing headphones,” said Chris Kallai, VP Product at Sonos.
The Ace headphones are $449/£449 and help Sonos compete in the crowded over-ear headphone market, where they go up against some of the best headphones like the Sony WH-X1000M6 and Apple AirPods Max.
