Just when I thought we'd hit capacity on mid-tier consumer headphones, Sonos made its long-awaited entrance. We've already got classic brands like Apple, Beats, Bose, Marshall, and Sony. We've got luxury plays from Bowers & Wilkins, Bang & Olufsen, and most recently Dyson. Consumer headphones are a multibillion-dollar industry (Statista values it at SGD24 billion globally), so there's a lot of money to be made off our active-noise-cancelling obsession, and there have been a lot of shitty attempts to enter the market.
So, did Sonos do it right? Do the brand-new Sonos Ace headphones move me in any way? Surprisingly, yes. After a couple months of testing, I think these are some of the best headphones available. At SGD699, they're good for music listening and travel, but they're best in class for at-home TV watching.
PROS
CONS
One thing: Sonos Audio Swap. Everything else that's great about these headphones—active noise cancellation, spatial audio, lossless streaming—other headphones do just as well. Audio Swap establishes these as TV-watching headphones, a category where they face little to no competition.
When you have a Sonos soundbar, Audio Swap uses the HDMI connection to pull hi-fi sound from the TV and share it with the headphones via Bluetooth. (Currently, this is only available with the Sonos Arc, but the brand is promising compatibility with lesser soundbars as soon as possible.) For flat living, it's great. My girlfriend and I are both guilty of holding unpredictable late-night movie-watching hours long after the other has gone to sleep.
Normally, there are two options. 1) Movie watcher tells sleeper to wear earplugs and get over it. 2) Movie watcher respectfully turns the sound down so low that the dialogue is impossible to hear. Sonos Audio Swap is the fix we've both craved. The Dolby Atmos spatial audio makes it feel as if you're listening on a proper surround-sound system, but it's all within your own head.
Full transparency, though: This is not a new concept. You can already stream TV audio to a pair of spatial audio-equipped headphones with Apple TV 4K and a pair of AirPods Max. The difference is that the Sonos home-entertainment ecosystem takes it up a notch.
See, since Sonos is already deep into home audio, the Ace has been built into that infrastructure. The most obvious example is in the TrueCinema technology. At the time of this writing, the software is still being worked on for a consumer rollout, but I got a little taste at an exclusive Sonos media event. TrueCinema will use the room-mapping capabilities of the Sonos soundbar to determine what your movie-watching experience sounds like in various positions around the room.
Then it shares that information with the headphones, so when you're sitting on your sofa, the audio sounds exactly the same as when it's coming from your soundbar. And if you walk around the room, the spatial audio centre doesn't move with you, so you get a different listening experience. Sonos is trying to replicate what it sounds like to watch TV without headphones while wearing headphones. An ambitious goal that I think will pay off big.
Yes, they're amazing for travel, music, podcast or audiobook listening, and everything else. But pretty much all the headphones in this price range are. When you're comparing any of these models, you have to dig deep to find differences.
As for me, I split the category into two (a bit arbitrary) subcategories: music headphones and podcast/audiobook headphones. Bose and Sony are podcast/audiobook headphones, because they have the best active noise cancellation. So is Bowers & Wilkins, because its bright house sound is good for dialogue. All-rounders like Bang & Olufsen, Apple, and the Sonos Ace are music headphones. (Beats are in their own bass-heavy category.)
The best compliment I can give the Sonos Ace is that they're the best competitor to the AirPods Max, which I love. The sound is full, from bottom to top. On the low end, you get deep bass and those rich low-mids that make you feel the music. In the middle, it's true to life. On the high end, you get crisp treble and vocals that cut through the rest of it. As expected, Sonos hit all the notes it needed to.
And how do they stack up to the AirPods Max in terms of usability? About the same. They connect quickly, and the Sonos app lets you play with EQ settings. They look good in either white or black. The headband is sturdy, with stainless-steel interior components, and smooth when adjusting. The case is fine. To be nitpicky, I think the recycled plastic feels a bit cheap. But the case itself is sturdy, slim, and great for travel.
Speaking of travel, that's where I think these would overtake the AirPods Max for me. They're ever so slightly lighter but feel just as substantial. The case is hard and about the size of a book, so it's easy to slip into a crowded carry-on without worrying about damaging the headphones. But the biggest win is that Sonos includes a USB-C-to-3.5mm jack in the case. That means no dongles or stupid pretravel purchases. From day one, you're good to go with in-flight entertainment.
If you've already got a Sonos home audio system, or have grand ambitions to get a Sonos home audio system, buy a pair. If you're a frequent flyer who's always wanted a pair of headphones with a better travel case and an included 3.5mm adaptor, buy a pair.
The music performance is great, but it's not miles better than the other options out there. What I can say for a fact is that Sonos Ace headphones are the best home entertainment headphones on the market. If you can drop the money on both these and the Arc soundbar, there's not a better home audio setup available. If you're not interested in sitting at home watching TV through your headphones, maybe play the field.
PRO: Easily the best headphones for watching TV and movies
CON: For music, podcasts, or audiobooks it's not clear cut—on-par with AirPods, in my opinion
Originally published on Esquire US
Considering that Hedi Slimane is constantly inspired by music and uses it as a way of crafting the narrative of each collection—his runway shows for Celine often involves commissioned music pieces—Celine-branded audio accessories ought to be a given. It has been almost six years since he's assumed the position of the luxury brand's creative, artistic and image director, and we're finally getting just that.
The first Celine wireless headphones made their debut on the brand's Summer 2024 womenswear runway. To the tune of a specially commissioned extended version of "Too Much Love" by LCD Soundsystem, the all-black headphones were seen around the necks of a number of models—styled as an accessory to complete a look more than anything. But thankfully, they're capable of more than making one look a tad cool.
Celine has partnered up with Master & Dynamic for its first foray into the audio space. If you're already familiar with Master & Dynamic, you'd know that the audio brand is universally known for its make, rich audio quality, and signature design. Celine's variation is an aesthetic update of the MH40 model identifiable by its lightweight anodised aluminium body. Both the headband and removable ear pads are crafted from supple lambskin, with the capabilities of the MH40—Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, noise isolation, and up to 30 hours of battery life—ensuring that the audio experience is as luxe as it gets.
While its runway debut only showcased the all-black iteration, the Celine headphones come in three colourways: the aforementioned all-black, black and silver, and tan and silver. The black-and-silver iteration features "Celine" right on the exterior of each speaker; the all-black as well as the tan-and-silver colourways are decorated with the Celine Triomphe motif at the same spots. The partnership goes as far as adding more subtle details such as "Celine Paris" laser-engraved on the included charging cables, and "Designed and developed in Paris" marked on the right headphone.
The retail price? Well, it is a collaborative effort and branded with the signatures of a luxury fashion house so SGD1,350 isn't exactly out of left field. At the very least, it does more than say, a white shirt by Celine that also retails for around the same price.
The Celine wireless headphones will be available in boutiques and online soon.
Big lifts, big runs, and big tunes.
People love to hate working out, but nothing feels better than hitting a PR with your favorite music blasting, sorry. All the self-improvement shit, the "seeing what you're made of," it's all fine. But nothing beats the dopamine hit of combining physical exertion and good music. It's like dancing. Real main character shit.
And one of the keys to that beloved combo: great headphones. You're regular wireless headphones will work in a pinch. And maybe, you've got a workout mirror or a killer home gym setup, in which case you can just use a bluetooth speaker. But most people will benefit from a pair of workout headphones. And what makes a pair of headphones workout headphones, you ask? The ability to get loud (big bass helps), water resistance, and good battery life. A lot of people prefer noise cancelling, but if you are a road runner, you should skip it.
Other than that it's simple. Snag a pair of these workout-ready headphones, throw on your jams, and run towards the grind.
Beats Fit Pro are a beacon of fitness technology innovation. The noise-cancelling buds are designed to stay put and and sound clear as you move. They do this with the help of dynamic head-tracking technology and flexible wingtips that bend to sit neatly inside of your ear.
Fitness people love Jabra's but the Elite 7 Active earbuds are the latest and greatest from the brand. They're our pick for running and jumping or any other kind of high-impact movement because of the built-in ShakeGrip technology. ShakeGrip feels soft to the touch but gets the bud to fit and stay right where you put it throughout your workout.
First things first, these headphones are powered fully by light. Solar light does the best job, but they also get a significant charge from man-made lights at home, office, or on the subway. In theory, you'll never have to actively charge them. But to do so, place them in direct sunlight. (Or use a USB-C cable.)
And noise cancelling is great for the gym—you can focus on you, not the dude deadlifting 500. Out in the world? It can be a bit dangerous, especially for road runners or park trainers. Selective noise cancelling is one solution, but Adidas has a much simpler one: No noise cancelling.
In this case, we think of it as a plus. The headphones block out plenty of noise as is, and additional noise cancelling would border on dangerous. And with removable knitted ear cushions, these are the easiest option to keep clean too.
For under $50, we're not gonna find much wrong with a pair of headphones. Sure these from Philips won't sound like a pair of Bose or look as good as a pair of AirPods. But neither of those brands will commit to putting out a budget product as good as these. So for that, we salute Philips.
Plus, with six hours of battery life, and a full 24 hours worth of battery if you have the case, these Phillips headphones are in it for the long haul. The noise cancelling isn't half bad. And again... at $50 it's never too difficult to snag a replacement pair.
Jaybird's Vista 2 Sport Headphones are for people who workout hard and use their stuff hard, too. These are built to be virtually indestructible. They're IP68 rated, which gives them the best protection out of anything on this list. They also have freeze, shock, and impact resistance.
Beats Studio Buds are a little smaller and low-key than our other picks from the brand but they perform just as well. There are two modes of listening: Active noise cancelling and transparency mode. You can turn on the first for a noisy gym workout and the transparency mode for your at-home sessions when you still need to hear if one of your kids starts yelling.
Sometimes your best bet is what you already have—or what you have been putting off getting. AirPods are ergonomically designed and are meant to sit securely in your ear without pinching or slipping. They are water-resistant, too.
Beats Studio3 headphones are the best noise-cancelling, over-ear headphones you can get. Because your ear is completely covered, the headphones' noise-cancelling capabilities really shine through—you really cannot hear anything else besides your music. A lot of heavy lifters prefer this kind of set-up because it helps you get into and stay locked in the zone.
But where do these come up short? For anyone that's not lifting big or hitting the machines, really. If your workout incorporates any explosive movement—burpees, box jumps, kettlebell swings, etc.—these aren't going to be incredibly comfy.
As far as earbuds that really are designed to stay absolutely secure inside of your ear, there's no better option than buds that are custom fit. The key is in the photopolymer gel tips, which fit and mold to your specific ear canal. These are great for people with canals that are too big or too narrow for standard sizing—and for people whose ear canals are two different sizes.
For a great pair of do-it-all earbuds, we like Samsung's Galaxy Buds2 Pro. A great IPx7 rating and snug fit make them great for workouts. Then, active noise cancelling makes them ideal for the daily commute, or even a road run.
