Sonos is upgrading the sound experience of its first over-ear headphones: With a free software update, the Sonos Ace(click here for our review) is now receiving several new functions that not only expand the home theater setup, but are also intended to improve everyday comfort. The focus is on the company’s philosophy of maintaining products over the long term and improving them over time. As we still have the Sonos Ace in the editorial office for comparison purposes, we were able to check right away what the promises are all about? But first, here is an overview of the new functions of the firmware update for the over-ear.
New: Home theater for two – with Dual TV Audio Swap
A highlight of the update is the new Dual TV Audio Swap function: it allows two people to receive the TV signal wirelessly with their Sonos Ace headphones at the same time. This enables a personal home cinema experience for two – ideal for movie nights without disturbing others in the household.
TrueCinema: Room-adapted surround sound
Sonos introduces TrueCinema for even more immersive sound. The function calibrates the virtual surround sound based on the individual room acoustics. The result: customized 3D sound that immerses you even deeper into the action – without any physical speakers in the room.
Adaptive ANC with real-time adjustment
The active noise cancelling (ANC) of the Sonos Ace has also been optimized. A new feature is real-time adjustment, which compensates for sound loss due to hair, glasses or headgear. This ensures that noise protection remains consistently high even under difficult conditions.
More natural voice quality with SideTone
The update also brings improvements for phone calls: In addition to high-resolution voice quality, the SideTone function enhances the listening experience. You should be able to hear your own voice easily, which provides a more natural feeling when speaking – especially when ANC is activated.
Update available immediately
All new functions will be available for the Sonos Ace from June 10, 2025 as a free software update via the Sonos app for iOS and Android. With the extended feature set, Sonos is underlining its philosophy of keeping products up to date for as long as possible and providing a quantum of comfort for all those who have been frustrated by malfunctions for some time, as can be heard in the scene and read in forums. Curiously, the problems that we were fortunately spared with our test devices date back to the introduction and integration of the first headphones into the Sonos universe.
What the software update brings in a practical check
I wasn’t able to try out the surround sound functions without a Sonos soundbar as a sound source. But if you can now also experience home cinema with surround sound for two via the Sonos Ace, it is of course twice as good as before in the truest sense of the word.
Okay, I wasn’t able to try out the hair thing either (see photo). But I was able to try out the effect of the adaptive ANC control. And the update was not convincing here. When I put on my Rayban horn-rimmed glasses in several attempts, voices from the radio one and a half meters away came through unfiltered at room volume. The Sony WF-1000XM6, on the other hand, coped with such situations without any problems. Fortunately, after a quick search I found my vintage Porsche design sunglasses from the 80s. The Sonos Ace’s adaptive noise canceling can cope with their thin steel temples. However, such glasses don’t cause any major problems for the Sonos over-ear even after deactivating the new function. According to my practical test, the effect is therefore rather marginal.
However, I was impressed by the effect of the side tone function when making calls. It simply sounds more natural to you how you perceive your own voice, especially when ANC is activated. Sonos has actually delivered a useful improvement here with the software update.
Conclusion: Software update for the Sonos Ace
The effort to keep its products fit with new or improved functions alone deserves praise. And even if the real-time adaptation of Active Noise Canceling didn’t convince me in my test, the free function upgrade, which took around 12 minutes to install via the Sonos app, is a must and an undeniable plus for anyone who uses Sonos headphones.
