After a few months with just partial compatibility, the Sonos Ace headphones now work with all of the company’s soundbars and can take advantage of the TV audio swap feature. That’s the feature by which audio will be routed to the Sonos headphones instead of the soundbar itself, which is great for some private listening when you don’t want to disturb someone else.
It’s the sort of feature that Google has had with its earbuds and Google TV devices, and that Apple TV has enjoyed with the various AirPods models. The main difference here is that Sonos isn’t an operating system in the same regard, so it has to handle the audio handoff a little further downstream. And so now the Ace can intercept audio via the Sonos Ray and Sonos Beam, in addition to the Sonos Arc, which worked at launch.
Importantly, Sonos notes that the TV audio swap now works on Android as well as iOS.
To take advantage of the feature, you’ll need to make sure your Sonos app is updated, and that your Sonos system itself is on the latest firmware.
In addition to the TV audio swap improvements, the latest Sonos app update also brings the following:
That’s a sizable update, and another step in the right direction after a summer of sorrow for Sonos that followed a major revamping of the platform that came just ahead of the Sonos Ace launch in the spring. That revamp saw a rewrite of the Sonos app that led to some staple features disappearing and others breaking — and customers wondering just what in the heck had happened to their beloved company. The major sea change went so badly that CEO Patrick Spence issued an apology, albeit a couple months after the problems already were more than apparent.
This latest app update also comes a day before Sonos is set to announce its second-quarter 2024 earnings.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
Technology evolves every day, transforming how we live and work. Our devices are becoming more than tools we use. They are increasingly capable companions that help streamline day-to-day routines and spark creative ideas. If you have been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your tech setup, the Discover Samsung Shopping Event offers an opportunity to explore what connected, AI-powered living can look like.