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(Image credit: Sonos)
(Image credit: Sonos)
Called TV Audio Swap, the new Sonos feature will, at launch, work with the Sonos Ace headphones and theSonos Arc soundbarviathe new Sonos app(Apple iOS only at launch, Android is coming soon thereafter).
1. Room-measured sound profile
So this sounds like any other spatial audio experience in headphones, no? Not quite! Another technology, called Sonos TrueCinema, works a little like the company’s TruePlay feature – a feature which measures room reflection, to adapt sound to compensate for bounce and decay at different frequencies for a cleaner audio output – to measure the room first.
Sonos tells T3 that “TrueCinema is a technology for measuring the general acoustics of your room, and applying those characteristics to the spatial audio engine for Sonos Ace.”
Why does that matter? Sonos' goal is to recreate the sound output you experience from the Arcin that specific room setup, but direct to your ears via Wi-Fi. It’ll give listeners a familiar, comfortable and more at-home feeling, not a ‘locked-in’ feeling that might feel uneasy or unfamiliar.
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2. Profile per Arc soundbar
Interestingly the TrueCinema profile is then saved on that specific Sonos Arc soundbar, so that any Sonos Ace headphones utilised with said soundbar will gain the same experience and “enhance the sense of externalisation, spaciousness, and immersivity,” Sonos tells T3. That saves needing to perform the process again.
If you have one Arc upstairs and one downstairs, those two profiles will be distinct from one another. However, only one pair of headphones can connect at any time – you can’t have a dual- or multi-listener experience using multiple pairs of Sonos Ace headphones.
During myBarbiescreener, I got a real sense of the surround sound’s motion. Indeed, many subtleties of the rear channels felt enhanced in this on-ear experience, highlighting even more detail than I’d expected. Bass is present but not overbearing – not a replacement for aSonos Sub Mini, but a solid on-ear experience nonetheless.
4. Head-tracking too
Within the Sonos Ace headphones is an inertial measurement sensor (IMU for short), which can detect and track the direction of your head. That’s an essential for spatial audio to adapt the sound when you move your head, so it’ll give that ‘always centered’ experience based on what you’re watching – as if you’re sitting within the sound mix.
Other manufacturers do of course deliver similar experiences, such as Apple AirPods Max viaApple TV 4K, or theBose QuietComfort Ultra Headphoneswith a two-tier ‘Immersion’ system (for static or head-motion, the former designed for when on the move). For TV Audio SwapspecificallyI think the Sonos TrueCinema delivery has the edge – but I think Bose is better for applying its feature to general listening sessions.
5. What about other Sonos soundbars?
At launch (on 5 June 2024) the Sonos TrueCinema and TV Audio Swap feature will only work between Sonos Ace headphones and the Sonos Arc soundbar. However, Sonos is working to deliver the feature from all its soundbar products. I suspect Beam owners will be particularly keen.
That means in the future (at to-be-determined dates) there will be compatibility forSonos Beam (Gen 2),Sonos Ray, and the originalSonos Beamsoundbars. In those instances, as the system may be able to read a broader frequency spectrum than a given soundbar can deliver, I suspect the in-headphones experience may even soundbetter.
All in all, Sonos' TrueCinema and TV Audio Swap combination makes for a standout new feature for those who want a personalised home cinema listening experience – without disturbing others around them. At launch it’s somewhat limited in scope, though, so I hope those soundbar and Android compatibility updates roll out pronto!
Today’s best Sonos Ace, Sonos Arc and Sonos Sub Mini dealsSonos Ace$434ViewSee all pricesSonos Arc$899$785.11ViewSee all pricesSonos Sub Mini$399.99ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Sonos Ace, Sonos Arc and Sonos Sub Mini dealsSonos Ace$434ViewSee all pricesSonos Arc$899$785.11ViewSee all pricesSonos Sub Mini$399.99ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Sonos Ace, Sonos Arc and Sonos Sub Mini dealsSonos Ace$434ViewSee all pricesSonos Arc$899$785.11ViewSee all pricesSonos Sub Mini$399.99ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Sonos Ace, Sonos Arc and Sonos Sub Mini deals
Sonos Ace$434ViewSee all pricesSonos Arc$899$785.11ViewSee all pricesSonos Sub Mini$399.99ViewSee all prices
Sonos Ace$434ViewSee all prices
Sonos Ace$434ViewSee all prices
Sonos Ace
Sonos Ace
$434View
$434
$434
See all prices
Sonos Arc$899$785.11ViewSee all prices
Sonos Arc$899$785.11ViewSee all prices
Sonos Arc
Sonos Arc
$899$785.11View
$899$785.11
$785.11
See all prices
Sonos Sub Mini$399.99ViewSee all prices
Sonos Sub Mini$399.99ViewSee all prices
Sonos Sub Mini
Sonos Sub Mini
$399.99View
$399.99
$399.99
See all prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
TOPICSsonos
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