Sony ULT WEAR Review

May 10, 2024 4:06 pm

Sony’s headphone brand sells itself at this point. You know that they’re the best option when it comes to noise-canceling, and their 360 Reality Audio is still very impressive. They’re also known for their solid bass response, but this new headphone from Sony looks to be the best version of that. The ULT WEAR has a side button dedicated to bringing even more bass boost to your music. Is that its only good quality though?

What You Get

ULT WEAR Headphones
Connection Cable
USB Cable
Carry Case

Look & Feel

The ULT WEAR doesn’t seem too out of the ordinary from what you’re used to seeing from a pair of Sony headphones. They have a nice compact design with the same swivel fold design that the 1000X series had before the XM5. Its plastic build is acceptable for the price, especially since the ULT WEAR is made from recycled plastics. Nothing about that makes these headphones feel cheap though. If it’s better for the environment and still comfortable to wear then there’s not much to criticize.

Design & Functionality

Almost all of the Sony staples are here, including the industry-leading ANC technology and 360 Reality Audio. The ULT WEAR focuses a lot on its driver though, sporting a 40mm dynamic unit supported by Processor V1. This special component looks to extend the headphones’ bass capabilities for a deeper and more powerful performance. There’s even a dedicated button for its intended response that plays a cinematic effect that indicates when it’s been activated. The ULT WEAR also has touch gesture functions that are very sensitive and consistent. I found swiping up and down for volume control very handy, as well as holding one side down to soften the sound and hear your surroundings.

Bluetooth

The ULT WEAR supports Bluetooth version 5.2 and LDAC. It’s a very stable connection and I did not experience any dropouts with it. This is also a wireless headphone with multipoint, so you can connect two devices at once with it.

Battery Life

While most features are activated, the ULT WEAR can sustain a 30-hour battery life. However, that can increase to a maximum of 50 hours depending on if ANC is consuming the battery.

Soundstage

Sometimes, Sony’s Bluetooth headphones can feel constricted without 3D, but the ULT WEAR doesn’t give me that impression. The left and right channels have a genuine wingspan, keeping most sound elements from appearing too congealed in the mix. Using the ULT bass boost does solidify and reduce some of the spatial imaging, but not in a manner that’s too destructive to the integrity of the soundstage. The soundstage and imaging will be clearer without the ULT feature though. Separation and layering are easier to make sense of and show off some surprising depth. Everything appears more live and open than usual, it almost makes the ULT WEAR not need 3D audio.

Low End

The entire reason for this headphone’s existence is its bass response. This isn’t trying to be the most detailed or revealing bass. Instead, the ULT wants to be the most exciting bass you’ll hear over a pair of Bluetooth headphones. It definitely succeeds in that, providing a consistently thunderous bass response with ULT active. The bass becomes so exaggerated that you can feel the earcups begin to vibrate. It all comes across as very artificial of course, but it doesn’t matter all that much considering how much fun this signature can be. The low-end isn’t actually reaching down into infrasonic frequencies to make the headphones vibrate, but the effect is still enjoyable to hear. Its thumpy tone is easy to be engrossed by, especially with the ULT’s thick pool of resonance. This does create some notable fog that bleeds into the low-mids, but that’s what you sign up for with the advertised sound signature.

Mids

Despite the domination of the bass with no EQ, the mids don’t falter too much. There’s going to be some recession in this v-shaped signature, but elements don’t get relegated to the background. Everything is bloated in the low-mids with ULT activated, but without it, the mid features a fine surface of clarity that brings everything forward. It feels lifted to avoid appearing hollow in the mix, and it benefits a lot of performances through the headphones. Some instruments do come across as muffled though, even when they still have volume. Vocals have plenty of room to feel as loud as they should be. They are well projected, but the upper-mids don’t possess that extra detail that underlines them.

Highs

There isn’t a lot to discern from the highs, but they aren’t completely cut out of the mix. The height of the frequency response does exist in the sound signature, and it helps bring out cymbals as best as it can. However, the response is very restrictive even when there’s clarity. You get a general sense of the treble without it being very expressive. Everything comes across smoothly though, with a surface-level tone that’s easy to consume.

Summary

I’m happy with what the ULT WEAR is, and how well it executes everything it wants to do. The ULT WEAR sets out to be an affordable bass machine, and that’s exactly what it is. It’s also paired with great noise-canceling, responsive control, and a slew of features that you can only experience from Sony headphones. This is a steal for less than $200, making it one of the best non-1000X options from Sony’s Bluetooth lineup.