Sonos Ace At RM2,299: The Premium Headphone Malaysia’s Been Waiting For?
In a market flooded with wireless headphones, Sonos – a brand better known for its premium home speakers and soundbars – stands out with an elegantly minimalist approach.
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Malaysian audiophiles have a new toy to consider – if they’re willing to part with RM2,299 of their hard-earned cash.
That’s about 418 plates of nasi lemak or 836 teh tariks, but who’s counting?
In a market flooded with wireless headphones, Sonos – a brand better known for its premium home speakers and soundbars – stands out with an elegantly minimalist approach.
For their first-ever headphones, there are no gaudy logos or bulky ear cups; just a slim, sophisticated design that delivers where it counts.
Landing between Apple’s eye-watering RM2,999 AirPods Max and Sony’s more modest RM1,799 WH-1000XM5, Sonos’ debut headphone plays in the premium sandbox where expectations run as high as the price tags.
Sonos Ace: Premium Audio Gets Personal
Landing between Apple’s eye-watering RM2,999 AirPods Max and Sony’s more modest RM1,799 WH-1000XM5, Sonos’ first headphone plays in the premium sandbox, where expectations run as high as the price tags.
For the average Malaysian, it’s still a serious investment—for many mid-career executives, it’s half a month’s salary.
But while competitors pack their headphones with features that often feel like solutions searching for problems, Sonos focuses on the essentials.
Exceptional sound clarity, effective noise cancellation, and a refreshingly slim profile that won’t make you look like you’re wearing satellite dishes on your ears.
Meanwhile, the Ace’s multipoint Bluetooth brings a welcome dose of real-world practicality to your daily grind.
Connected to both your phone and laptop? The headphones smartly juggle between your Spotify playlist and those endless Teams calls without missing a beat.
The Daily Carry Dilemma: When Bigger Might Be Better
As someone who’s been religiously using earbuds for years (they’re pocket-friendly and always ready for action), I was sceptical about lugging around over-ear headphones.
The Ace felt like overkill for my daily day-to-day carry and work setup. But after weeks of use, I’m starting to get why people make space for these in their bags.
It’s not just about better sound—though yes, the soundstage is dramatically different. Where earbuds feel like the music is playing inside your head, the Ace creates a bubble of sound around you.
Listening to “Hotel California” for the first time on these, I caught guitar notes I’d never noticed before, floating somewhere between my left ear and the wall.
The noise cancellation hits different too. While my earbuds do a decent job muting the LRT’s screech, the Ace creates this cocoon of silence that feels more… complete. It’s less about blocking noise and more about making your own quiet space, even in a packed coffee shop.
Do I still use my earbuds? Absolutely. They’re unbeatable for quick errands or gym sessions. But the Ace has earned its place in my backpack for those longer work sessions or when I want to lose myself in music. It’s like having a point-and-shoot camera and a DSLR—different tools for different moments.
The only real complaint is that the ears can get a bit warm after a few hours, but that’s more about the Malaysian weather than the headphones themselves.
Value in the Bigger Picture
The real story here isn’t just about ringgit and sen, though. Sonos is betting big on Malaysians who’ve already bought into its ecosystem.
The Sonos ecosystem is a wireless home sound system that creates a whole-house WiFi network, allowing you to fill your home with brilliant sound room by room.
For these folks, the Ace isn’t just another pair of fancy headphones – it’s the missing piece in their home entertainment puzzle.
Smart features like TrueCinema feel particularly relevant in Malaysian households, where late-night Netflix sessions must be kept quiet to avoid disturbing sleeping family members.
And that vegan leather? A godsend in our perpetual summer weather.
Bottom line? Yes, it’s expensive. Yes, you could buy a lot of roti canai instead.
But for those who take their audio seriously and are already part of the Sonos family, the Ace might be worth skipping a few rounds of boba tea.
Street Smarts, Office Savvy
The Sonos Ace headphones excel in Malaysian daily life, where their thoughtful features, managed through a comprehensive iOS/Android app, tackle our unique urban challenges head-on.
From handling video calls between Bangsar and Bukit Bintang to enabling quiet 3 AM Premier League viewing, these headphones adapt seamlessly to KL’s round-the-clock rhythm.
The physical Content Key on the right cup stands out as a tropical-ready triumph, with satisfying clicks that work flawlessly even in our notorious humidity – a crucial advantage over competitors’ touch controls.
Smart features like auto-pause and quick-switching noise cancellation modes prove their worth whether you’re dodging your boss or transitioning from street markets to office spaces.
At the same time, regular firmware updates through the Sonos app ensure the headphones keep evolving, adding new features to enhance the listening experience.
In a city where weather and lifestyle demands push tech to its limits, the Sonos Ace emerges as the perfect companion for our distinctive urban lifestyle.
READ MORE: Bowers & Wilkins Pi8: The Crown Jewel Of True Wireless Luxury
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