Sonos has released a significant software update for its Ace wireless headphones, introducing performance enhancements and enabling TrueCinema mode—a feature originally expected in late 2023.
TrueCinema mode tailors the headphones’ spatial audio using room acoustics and the listener’s position to create a more immersive surround sound experience. This feature works similarly to Sonos’ TruePlay technology, which adjusts speaker sound by analyzing a room’s acoustic reflections. With TrueCinema, a Sonos soundbar measures the room’s acoustics, while the Ace headphones use built-in microphones to identify listening location and optimize 3D audio accordingly.
The update also expands the TV Audio Swap capability, which streams audio from compatible Sonos soundbars to the Ace for private listening. Previously restricted to the Sonos Arc soundbar and activation via iPhone or iPad, TV Audio Swap now supports the Beam and Ray soundbars and Android devices. Additionally, the headphones can pair with two Ace sets simultaneously, enabling two users to watch TV privately without disturbing others.
Enhanced active noise cancellation (ANC) improves real-time adaptation to headphone fit, compensating for sound leakage caused by hair, glasses, or hats to maintain an effective acoustic seal. The update also introduces high-resolution audio for phone calls and a SideTone feature that feeds a portion of the user’s voice back through the headphones during ANC-enabled calls, making conversations sound more natural.