How an iconic chair inspired the design of Sonos's new headphones

2024 has proven an eventful year for Sonos. While it's the brand's controversial new app UI that has hogged headlines, we've also seen the company move into a brand new product category with Ace, its first pair of premium headphones.

While Ace offers incredible sound, quality noise cancellation and the ability to stream audio from its soundbars thanks to its 'TV swap' feature, the headline feature of the headphones might just be the design. From the leather-like ear cushions to the metalic frame, Sonos Ace leans into luxury design (and luxury pricing too – the headphones will set you back £449 / $449). While the obvious comparison is Apple's AirPods Max, we've found Ace to be lighter and more comfortable, without sacrificing any of the premium feel. From sound to design, these are some of the best wireless headphones available right now.

We caught up with Sonos design Andrew Deverell to talk about the process and ethos behind the design. Part of the Sonos team since 2023, Deverell heads up the wearables department of the brand, after previous posts at IKEA, OONI, Tom Dixon and more.

Sonos Ace marks a brand new product category for the company – how did this specifically impact the design process?

Sonos strives to create sound experiences that satisfy the ever changing needs of consumers. Listeners are turning to sound with more intention as a means of self-care, release and enjoyment, and Sonos users have been requesting headphones for years, so it was crucial to go deeper in considering every way people experience audio when on the go. Sonos Ace is designed to be lightweight and comfortable while using premium, durable materials that ensure long-lasting quality. Over the past 25 months, we’ve tested multiple designs with a diverse group to develop the most comfortable listening experience and extensive user research confirmed that our chosen materials offer both durability and comfort in sleek timeless design. Our products are driven and inspired by innovations that can transform the way we listen, ultimately helping us feel more from the content we love no matter where we are.

What differentiates Sonos Ace from competitors like AirPods Max from a design perspective?

Sonos Ace was delicately crafted to feel and sound as good as it looks, it’s a model of Sonos’ premium craftsmanship and inclusive, intuitive design, with each part carefully selected and thoroughly tested to create a cohesive whole that looks and fits great on anyone. Where bulky headphones have become the norm, Sonos Ace uses premium materials and thoughtful design to deliver sleek statement headphones that won’t weigh you down or clamp too tightly around your head. Made to complement fast-evolving style trends, Sonos Ace fuses fashion and function, blending the highest quality audio with a timelessly elegant, versatile design. It was built to last and made for daily wear.

We are confident Sonos Ace delivers a personal listening experience that sets it apart from other headphones in the market, thanks to a thorough, diverse approach to prototyping and user testing. Sonos Ace was truly designed for all to wear in comfort. It has wide ear cups to accommodate many ear sizes and even earrings; hidden hinges that never snag on hair; finishes and calm colour choices that look natural against all skin tones; an extendable headband that preserves any hairstyle, no matter the volume or texture.

Made to travel with you from the home and beyond for years to come, Sonos Ace was designed with sustainability in mind, we’re committed to creating responsibly designed products that last beyond expectation, use less energy and incorporate sustainable, recycled materials. Sonos Ace is engineered to drive energy efficiencies: its wear detection minimises the need for charging, by reducing energy consumption and therefore preserving battery life, it’s also made with circular materials, incorporating recycled content which allows us to use 17% less virgin plastic, the ear cushions are easy to clean and replaceable to extend product longevity. Plus, it comes in a travel case made of 75% recycled felt made from plastic bottles. As a sound experience leader, Sonos Ace leverages everything we’ve learned over two decades, delivering stunning sound, timeless sophistication, and long-standing comfort. We encourage you to try them out side by side!

Sonos says design inspiration came from the Wassily chair – was it important to design cues from the analogue, ‘non-tech’ world?

Sonos Ace is our first wearable product. So a lot of our conversations for the design process focused on comfort, whilst at the same time we wanted to create something unique which looks and feels aesthetically “Sonos”. It provided us with an opportunity to evolve our timeless design language to consider ergonomics more holistically. This meant we needed to find modern solutions for a typical construction and traditional design language that you see a lot in the headphone category today.

For Sonos Ace we wanted a geometric and approachable design that hides the world-class technology, and we felt it was crucial to design a timeless and stylish product that suits everyone, regardless of their attire or how they plan to use it. We were inspired by design icons such as the Wassily Chair, revered for its minimalist approach during a time when furniture was big and bulky. Known for its aesthetic balance of hard chrome and soft leather, you can see similar features of Wassily’s clean lines and angles in our headphones, which uses a chrome frame and premium vegan leather to elegantly blend form and function. The Sonos Ace is distinctive without being obtrusive, discrete without losing its fine, jewellery-like beauty, its timeless, polished form beautifully blends stainless steel metal accents with matte finishes, in both Black and Soft White – understated-but-confident neutrals that mesh with any style. This design honours Sonos' long standing reputation for in-home design while ensuring our headphones look stunning and feel comfortable.

As a brand new product category, and one less tied to the Sonos speaker ecosystem, does the advent of Sonos Ace mark a new direction for the company?

Our products are driven and inspired by innovations that can transform the way we listen, ultimately helping us feel more from the content we love no matter where we are. At Sonos we’re aware that as people increasingly embrace audio, we need to create sound solutions that match their varied everyday experiences and we believe there’s a place for us in every category. That’s why we launch at least two new products every year, to give us a chance to design products that meet the diverse needs of listeners and provide a seamless audio experience throughout their day. Our product strategy is evolving from home-focused to human-focused so we're considering all the ways people experience audio and how we can enhance it with Sonos. Sonos Ace is our step towards expanding beyond the home, bringing our signature Moving Sound into every aspect of life.