

Quick Summary
Sonos is reportedly considering dropping the price of its Sonos Ace headphones after allegedly not hitting sales targets.
It will then release a new flagship pair already, currently dubbed Sonos Ace 2.
There was no shortage of anticipation before Sonos launched its headphones, but the reception has been a little muted. As the company looked to challenge the best headphones out there, it created a great set of 'phones, but launched them at a high price and against strong competition.
It appears that the public reception to the Sonos Ace hasn't quite been what was expected, according to a report from Bloomberg. It tells us that around 200,000 pairs of the high-end headphones have been sold – much lower than anticipated.
The answer – if the source is accurate – would be to cut the price by $50, so they would retail at $400 instead. In the UK, that’s likely to land at £400.
What was surprising when the Sonos Ace launched is that the company pitched the headphones so high in price. As a newcomer to the market, Sonos went right in to compete with the likes of the Bose QC Ultra and the trendy AirPods Max, most likely to highlight its audio pedigree, regardless of the fact it was launching its first set of headphones.
According to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, we might not just be looking at a price cut: he also reports that Sonos might be considering an even more premium model (dubbed the Sonos Ace 2) which would then come in at $450 again.
It's said that some employees at the company are doubtful about the plan and I can see why: if people aren't falling over themselves to buy your current headphones, then moving them further up the scale might not help.
How good are the Sonos Ace headphones?
Our resident headphone expert Mike Lowe is a big user of over-ears and said that these were some of the most comfortable headphones he's used. He appreciated the performance they offered. However, he found out that they aren't great for travel – the case isn't good enough considering the price.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
It's also a slightly strange proposition: Sonos is attempting to establish itself as an audio brand rather than the multiroom brand it was when it burst onto the scene. While the company continues to launch speakers that all work together harmoniously, the original offering of being able to play what you want where you want is now far from unique.
The Sonos Ace offer a neat, connected, feature that plays to a wider ecosystem and that's something called TV Audio Swap. It allows you to move the sound from your Sonos Arc to your Ace headphones, but it doesn't work on all the company's soundbars.
Add to that the troubles that Sonos has experienced with its app, which has angered users over the last few months, and Sonos does seem to be travelling along a rocky road right now.
Having just announced a new soundbar – the Sonos Arc Ultra – there's no shortage of activity over at Sonos at the moment, but a price cut could do something to smooth things over with potential customers.
Chris has been writing about consumer tech for over 15 years. Formerly the Editor-in-Chief of Pocket-lint, he's covered just about every product launched, witnessed the birth of Android, the evolution of 5G, and the drive towards electric cars. You name it and Chris has written about it, driven it or reviewed it. Now working as a freelance technology expert, Chris' experience sees him covering all aspects of smartphones, smart homes and anything else connected. Chris has been published in titles as diverse as Computer Active and Autocar, and regularly appears on BBC News, BBC Radio, Sky, Monocle and Times Radio. He was once even on The Apprentice... but we don't talk about that.
-
iPhone 17 Air dummy hands-on reveals Apple isn't cutting all the corners
This is shaping up to be a great device
By Sam Cross Published
-
Nintendo Switch 2 price and release plans predicted, matching previous claims by ex-employee
Pricing details and a release window have been suggested by industry experts
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Sonos “closing gaps” in its app, but a full fix is far from finished
Some significant features are still absent, such as the playlist editing originally promised for November
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
Apple TV rival cancelled by major competitor – but it might return in some form later
If you were waiting for Sonos to launch its TV streaming box we've got some bad news
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
The Sonos-streaming turntable is getting an upgrade to make it more than Sonos
A free upgrade will give your Victrola turntable streaming superpowers
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
Sonos planned a crazy new product for iPhone owners, but reportedly scrapped it
Sonos had a plan for an iPhone accessory, but it didn't come to pass
By Chris Hall Published
-
Sonos' streaming box is reportedly beautiful and could replace your Apple TV, except for one thing
Everything about Sonos's new streaming box sounds great... well, nearly everything
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
It’s the end of the line for the Sonos Arc
Sonos's superb soundbar has finally been discontinued – but for good reason
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
Sonos' hiccups continue as "major outage" hits the system
If you use Apple Music with Sonos, you might already know
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Sonos Arc Ultra could be the reason you fall in love with the brand again
Thinner, sleeker and with 14 speaker drivers, Sonos' new soundbar seemingly has it all
By Rik Henderson Published