Sonos Finally Gives an Innovative Offering Several Long-Awaited Upgrades

Sonos is currently running its biggest sale of the year: most of its speakers and soundbars are on sale for all-time low prices. The promotion runs until June 15th.

In other positive Sonos news, a year after its release, Sonos is rolling out a software update to its first-ever headphones, the Ace (which are also deeply discounted right now), that delivers some long-awaited new features.

Specifically, there are four of them.

A more immersive home theater

Photo by Tucker Bowe for Gear Patrol

First, the software update finally rolls out support for TrueCinema to all Sonos Ace headphones. This was one of the Ace’s standout home theater features, but was unavailable until now.

TrueCinema is effectively TruePlay, but for Sonos’s headphones instead of its speakers. It adjusts the sound of the Ace headphones based on the room that you’re in and where you’re sitting in regards to your Sonos soundbar — yes, it uses the soundbar’s built-in mics to measure the room’s acoustics, meaning you need a Sonos soundbar to take advantage of TrueCinema.

The goal of TrueCinema is to make the home theater experience while wearing the headphones seem even more immersive … so that you even forget that you’re wearing headphones.

Better shared experienced

Sonos

Second, the software update makes TV Audio Swap an experience that people can share together.

TV Audio Swap is the other big feature that makes the Ace headphones unique — and yes, it requires you to have a Sonos soundbar. With a press of the Content Key button on your Ace headphones, the TV’s audio quickly switches from your Sonos soundbar to your headphones.

Now, thanks to the software update, two people wearing Sonos Ace headphones can have the same private listening session. To date, TV Audio Swap has only been supported on one Ace headphone at a time.

Enhanced ANC and call clarity

Sonos

Third and fourth, the software update enhances the active noise cancellation and call clarity of the Ace headphones.

Thanks to the software update, the Ace headphones should have improved active cancellation … specifically for listeners with long hair, glasses or hats. Sonos claims that the Ace’s new ANC “adapts to your hair, glasses, and hats in real-time using advanced sensors to compensate for sound leaks.”

For the improved phone calls, the Ace now supports a feature called SideTone, which Sonos claims allows you to hear “a bit of your voice during calls while ANC is on.” This should lead to phone calls sounding smoother and more natural.

How to update Sonos Ace

Sonos

The firmware update for the Sonos Ace headphones is available now. You can manually update your Ace headphones by:

1. Open the Sonos app on your smartphone.
2. Go to the Settings menu.
3. Scroll down to the Headphones section and select your Ace headphones.
4. In the About section, select Software Updates.
5. Select Check for Updates and follow the on-screen prompts.

Sonos

Sonos Ace

The Sonos Ace is the company’s first pair of wireless noise-canceling headphones. They sound great and are incredibly comfortable to wear. Additionally, for those with a Sonos soundbar, you can quickly swap your TV’s audio to these headphones for a private listening session.

• $329 at Amazon
  $449 (27% off)
• $329 at Sonos
  $449 (27% off)

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