Sonos is building sound ecosystem, Ace will play a key role in it

Why a headphone? Sonos, which has made its name in home audio, is betting big on its first headphone — Ace — to expand its ecosystem. At least that is what it says as it launches the Sonos Ace in India. 

In Short

• Sonos has launched the Ace in India at a price of Rs 39,900 
• The Ace is the first Sonos headphones
• Sonos believes with the Ace it can offers users a total audio experience

There are different reasons companies get into new markets. For Sonos, getting into the headphone segment is all about expanding its horizon so that it can offer its users something that only it can do: an interplay between personal audio with the Ace, its first pair of headphones, and family or party audio that it offers through its soundbars and speakers. At least that is what Sonos says as it launches the Ace in India at a price of Rs 39,900.

The Sonos Ace is a premium product. It is one of the most expensive wireless headphones in India, although it more or less justifies its price with its design, Sonos aesthetics, feature set and sound. You can read more about the Sonos Ace in our full review here.

But given that the Ace is the first wearable Sonos audio product, it does beg the question: why? For Sonos, one obvious answer is that its fans want it. Scott Fink, Distinguished Product Manager at Sonos, tells India Today Tech: "Our fans have been requesting headphones from Sonos for a very long time. That's because they love our approach to design and ease of use and sound, and they wanted to see what our take would be on headphones."

But is it only about satisfying the demands and desires of Sonos fans? Well, that's one part of the story. And probably the minor part. The bigger play with the Sonos Ace is a desire to create a sound ecosystem, which seamlessly blends personal and social, which brings together all Sonos products in an ecosystem so that Sonos users can switch between devices depending on what they are doing.

The Ace, says Sonos APAC General Manager Rennie Addabbo, is "critical to create a great audio experience as you kind of traverse (through) your day."

Addabbo says that when Sonos thinks "about audio, it's not about a one off product." Instead, it's about combining products together. "So as you add more over time, your experience gets even better in your home, and now with products like Roam, Move and Ace, the audio experience is also Sonos-powered outside the home," he adds.

Of course, the interplay between devices is not something that is a unique idea. Apple does it with features like Continuity and cloud sharing. Even in audio space, Apple does it with the HandOff feature. Sony is trying the same for its audio and entertainment devices. Google does it by putting its cloud service at the center of all its devices. But Sonos is unique in the way because the company can offer consumers seamless and full 360-degree audio experience for sound and entertainment. This is because with its well-regarded soundbars it already owns a key part of the puzzle.

This interplay between devices is one of the highlights of the Sonos Ace. Sonos calls the feature sound swap and it allows users to exchange sound between a Sonos soundbar and headphone with a click of a button.

Scott Fink explains it and calls it one of the key selling points of the Ace. "One of the great things about Sonos Ace that is unique to Ace relative to the rest of the market is its ability to do what we call the TV audio swap," he says. "So when you're using a Sonos sound bar, you just press a button on the headphone and the audio switches from your soundbar to Sonos Ace. Our sound bar is great on its own, the Sonos Ace is great on its own, but when you combine the two, you're getting an even better experience for your home."

The idea surely is, ahem, sound. But it does have a few gaps. First of them is that it works only with Sonos iOS app. And two, sonos probably need a few more devices. And while the company will not say anything specific at the moment, it seems that a pair of earbuds will feel right at home in the Sonos lineup. While headphones offer seamless transition between home audio to personal audio, a pair of earbuds can also cover the moments of the day when you may not want to wear a full-on headphone. For example in the gym. When asked, Scott Fink only said, "Answer to that is, stay tuned. Please. Stay tuned."

Clever answer. The history of Sonos hints at the company expanding its ecosystem. It started by making speakers and sound systems, before entering the soundbar market. Gradually it has made a name for itself in the home entertainment segment, and now it is hoping to make a similar mark in the personal audio space. As solid as the Sonos Ace is, it is possible that it may not be enough. A pair of buds, or one or two more headphones, are likely to be the next from Sonos.