It’s hard to believe that the Sonos Ace noise canceling headphones are a year old.
But then, it’s the product that started off the ill-fated rebuild of the Sonos app. The company is now rebuilding after the app debacle finished off numerous execs and a chunk of users, too.
Now Sonos has rolled out a sizeable update for Sonos Ace including one previously promised feature called TrueCinema. This is a virtual surround sound tech that makes it sound like there’s a full 3D audio system right in front of you.
Talking about TrueCinema, Sonos head of product Chris Kallai says: “We’re pleased to deliver experiences we’ve heard our customers ask for… 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.” I’m looking forward to giving this a try with my pair of Sonos Ace.
But there’s more that’s new. For starters, there’s Personal Home Theater for Two, an update to the TV Audio Swap tech that enables you to listen to your TV’s audio through Ace rather than through your Sonos soundbar. Now, you can listen on two pairs of Sonos Ace. The sound is completely synchronised between the two.
The use case for this probably late night viewing or perhaps for watching a show when others are doing other things in the room. Obviously you will need to have made the rare investment of two pairs of Sonos Ace…
Sonos also says it has made the active noise cancellation (ANC) more adaptable, especially for those people who have bigger hair, wear glasses or use Ace through a hat – essentially it can compensate for sound leaks caused by things that get in the way of a seal.
Finally, call quality has also been enhanced with higher resolution audio plus there’s a feature called SideTone. This enables you to hear a little bit of your own voice during calls if ANC is on, meaning the conversation will feel more natural.
