Sonos Ace Unveils True Potential a Year Later with Major Updates

Experience enhanced sound with Sonos Ace’s TrueCinema spatial audio, adaptive noise cancellation, and TV Audio Swap improvements.

A Rough Start for Sonos in 2024

2024 was a rough ride for Sonos. The company’s much-anticipated debut in the crowded headphones market hit a snag thanks to a disastrous app launch, which triggered a chain reaction affecting the rest of the year’s plans. Adding insult to injury, the Sonos Ace headphones initially missed a crucial feature.

But a year later, that missing piece—TrueCinema spatial audio—is finally here. Alongside this, Sonos has rolled out several other upgrades for the Ace, including TV Audio Swap for two users, adaptive noise cancellation (ANC), and enhanced call quality. I took some time to dive deep into every facet of the June update to see if Sonos Ace truly got better with these changes.

TrueCinema Has Arrived

I first got a hands-on with the Ace at a press event last spring, and TrueCinema was front and center during the demo. From the get-go, Sonos was clear that this feature wouldn’t launch simultaneously with the headphones, but I didn’t expect it to take a whole year to arrive.

Sonos Ace now delivers TrueCinema, enhancing your spatial audio experience.

TrueCinema is a feature that analyzes the acoustics of the room where one of Sonos’s soundbars is placed. It then creates a spatial audio experience for the headphones based on this data, active when TV Audio Swap is turned on. According to Sonos, TrueCinema “understands the dynamics of your space, acoustically processes it, and makes it sound like you have a finely tuned 3D audio system right in your headphones.” It’s reminiscent of Sonos’s TruePlay tuning system that calibrates soundbars to your living room or home theater.

Sonos touted TrueCinema as a way to create a more lifelike listening experience. By mimicking room characteristics, it aims to make you feel like you’re not wearing headphones at all. I can’t say it’s quite that magic, but it definitely boosts the Ace’s spatial audio capabilities for TV Audio Swap.

For instance, subtle film details—like footsteps, blips, clicks, and taps in Rogue One—become much clearer with TrueCinema. The overall sound gains depth and directionality, making this mode perfect for watching TV shows or movies with Sonos headphones. Honestly, my review score would have been higher had this been part of the original package because it noticeably elevates audio quality.

TV Audio Swap for Two Users

TV Audio Swap lets two users enjoy personalized sound from the same Sonos soundbar.

One of the standout features of Sonos Ace over the past year has been TV Audio Swap. It enables you to stream sound from a compatible Sonos soundbar directly to your headphones for private listening. This means you can crank up an action movie’s volume after your family’s gone to bed or catch a sports game without bothering your partner. This feature worked smoothly for me both during my initial review and since then.

Unfortunately, I don’t own a second pair of Ace headphones, so I can’t personally vouch for how well TV Audio Swap functions with two sets of headphones. But since the ability to send sound from the soundbar to two pairs of Ace headphones is a major point in the recent firmware update, it’s an essential feature to mention when discussing the device’s current state.

Enhanced Adaptive Noise Cancellation and Clearer Calls

Another crucial part of the Ace’s update involves improved active noise cancellation—but not in the way you might expect. Sonos didn’t magically increase the amount of noise blocked. Instead, the system now accounts for sound leaks that could reduce ANC effectiveness.

Sonos explained that their upgraded ANC adapts in real-time to changes in fit caused by hair, glasses, or hats using internal sensors. Testing this, I noticed subtle ANC improvements when wearing sunglasses or a cap interfered with how tightly the ear cups sealed around my ears. It’s not as effective as a perfect seal, but definitely a modest upgrade.

Alongside ANC, Sonos improved the calling experience by delivering higher-resolution audio for calls. They also added Sidetone—letting you hear your own voice during calls when ANC is on. Many brands have similar features, but their quality varies depending on how natural the voice sounds and whether you can tweak it. With Ace, Sidetone acts like an enhanced ambient mode that truly improves calls. I could speak normally without needing to shout to hear myself, making video and voice calls much more natural.

Final Thoughts

A year after launching, Sonos Ace is finally meeting the lofty expectations the company set. Spending time with the update convinced me the Ace would have been so much stronger if all these features—especially TrueCinema—had been ready at launch. Since one of Ace’s core selling points is personalized living room listening, delaying such a significant sound quality improvement for a whole year feels like a major misstep.

On the bright side, it’s encouraging to see Sonos still actively refining Ace. Considering much of 2024 was spent fixing a wildly botched app redesign, it would have been understandable if Sonos had shelved Ace updates until version 2.0. The company postponed product releases last summer and canceled another according to a March report. When CEO Patrick Spence left in January, interim CEO Tom Conrad emphasized the need to “get back to basics” (Conrad was officially appointed CEO on July 23). Improving a major new product that got off to a rocky start is definitely a step back towards restoring Sonos’s reputation.

Also worth noting: Ace is now available for $149 less than its original $449 price, making it a much more compelling buy.

“TrueCinema... makes it sound like you have a finely tuned 3D audio system right in your headphones.” – Sonos

FAQs

• What is TrueCinema on Sonos Ace?
  TrueCinema is a spatial audio feature that uses room acoustics from a Sonos soundbar to create a 3D sound experience in the headphones, enhancing TV Audio Swap listening.
• How does TV Audio Swap work for Sonos Ace?
  TV Audio Swap streams audio from a compatible Sonos soundbar directly to one or two pairs of Ace headphones for private, personalized listening.
• Has the ANC on Sonos Ace improved?
  Yes, the ANC now adapts in real-time to changes in headphone fit caused by glasses, hats, or hair, providing a modest but noticeable improvement.
• Does Sonos Ace support better call quality after the update?
  Yes, updates include higher resolution audio for calls and Sidetone, which lets you hear your own voice naturally during calls without shouting.
• Is Sonos Ace a good value now?
  With a $149 price drop from its initial launch price, Ace offers much better value, especially with its recent feature enhancements.

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