Sony ULT WEAR: Worth and availability
(Picture credit score: Tshaka Armstrong)
Sony’s ULT Put on headphones are broadly out there not solely on Sony.com but in addition on Amazon , B&H Picture, and brick-and-mortar shops like Finest Purchase and Walmart. They value $200 and can be found in Black, Forest Grey, and Off-White. As a lover of all issues camo, the Forest Grey variant is looking my identify!
In accordance with worth tracker camelcamelcamel.com, the previous-gen WH-XB910N headphones may very well be bought for lower than MSRP fairly ceaselessly, so it’s a great guess that the ULT Put on (WH-ULT900N) will quickly be out there for lower than $200.
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Class
Sony ULT WEAR (WH-ULT900N)
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.2, wired 3.5mm
Supported codecs
SBC, AAC, LDAC
Speaker sort/measurement
40mm dynamic, neodymium magnet
Speaker frequency vary
5Hz – 20kHz
Lively noise cancellation
Sure, feedforward and suggestions mics
Battery
USB-C charging
Weight
255g
App help
Headphones Join app for Android & iOS
Colours
Black, Forest Grey, Off-White
Sony ULT Put on: What’s good
(Picture credit score: Tshaka Armstrong)
The place do I start? Thinkin’ of a grasp plan. With nothin’ however bass inside these cans.
Okay, sufficient riffing on Rakim and “Paid in Full,” which simply occurred to be one of many first songs I had banging via the specifically designed 40mm drivers on these closed-back over-ear headphones. What makes these headphones totally different from Sony’s venerable WH-1000XM5 is their concentrate on earth-shattering bass response, however in addition they share some options with the XM5, just like the V1 Processor chip. The mannequin for these headphones is WH-ULT900N, so technically, they’re the successor to and share some DNA with a product in Sony’s ExtraBass lineup, the WH-XB910N .
I’m glad Sony moved the main target away from a mannequin quantity and went with ULT, which is brief for “Final.” That makes remembering the identify rather more easy. To assist in giving you a memorable expertise, Sony packed the $200 ULT Put on with options. They’re operating Bluetooth 5.2, and together with Bluetooth audio codecs like SBC and AAC, you’ll get Sony’s LDAC codec carrying your tunes. If you wish to slip into one thing greater decision, you may join through aux cable to your audio supply, supplied you’ve gotten the correct dongle or cell DAC.
The ULT Put on have lively noise canceling onboard, which Sony says is improved over the earlier technology. Just like the ULT modes, you may entry and alter ANC modes with a button on the left earcup. You may additionally discover the ability button and all ports there. The massive, thick, thermo-foam earpads on the ULTs are fairly snug and do an honest job offering passive noise cancellation. The companion app additionally has a characteristic that can select your stage of noise cancellation based mostly in your location and exercise, which I discovered to be spot on in its changes to my setting.
Caveat emptor: You’ll have to be okay with giving Sony that stage of location-based entry to your life.
(Picture credit score: Tshaka Armstrong)
Along with noise-canceling, you additionally get an adjustable ambient sound mode so to preserve your situational consciousness whereas listening if needed. I preserve all of it the best way up as that gives a stage of amplification to my environment. Nonetheless, in the event you solely want transparency when speaking with somebody, Fast Consideration makes that doable by putting your hand over the appropriate earcup, which briefly prompts ambient sound mode on the fly till you take away your hand.
I haven’t absolutely vetted the battery life claims simply but as a result of these appear to go and go, however Sony says you’ll stand up to 30 hours of playback with ANC on and 50 with it off. Speedy charging through USB-C offers you 1.5 hours of playback on a three-minute cost, whereas 10 minutes offers you 5 hours of playback.
(Picture credit score: Tshaka Armstrong)
Extremely bassy, with out being fundamental
With some specs out of the best way, let’s speak about what makes these headphones the “ULTimate.” I used to be grinning ear-to-ear as I listened to LL Cool J’s “Going Again to Cali,” adopted by N.W.A. and “Dopeman.” Masta Ace’s “Born to Roll” remix was an anthem identified for being bumped from high-octane sound techniques again within the day, however I additionally needed some extra closely engineered sonics to sip from, so I loaded up Skrillex’s “Mumbai Energy” and The Roots’ “Do You Need Extra?!!!??!” For severe jeep-beat nostalgia, I even nodded my head to L’Trimm’s “Automobiles That Go Increase.”
What’s nice concerning the ULT Put on is that none of those songs sounded muddy due to the hyped bass response. Permit me to qualify that assertion, although. Whereas not muddy, bass on ULT2 mode positively upstages the opposite frequencies, however that is sort of the purpose right here. The rise in bass additionally had punchy mids, which helped convey ahead vocals. Excessive frequencies weren’t washed out both, as I found whereas listening to “Mumbai Energy.”
(Picture credit score: Tshaka Armstrong)
The large characteristic right here is the ULT button on the left aspect of the headphones, which supplies you three ranges of bass amplification: ULT Off, ULT1, and ULT2, however there’s extra customization available. You possibly can fine-tune the bass response with the CLEAR BASS slider as you play with the varied EQ presets or create your customized preset utilizing the five-band EQ together with the ULT and CLEAR BASS settings.
Earlier than you do all of that, I like to recommend hitting the Discover Your Equalizer menu and tuning the general sound to your listening to. Choose a track with a great steadiness of vocals and instrumentation, then play that whereas selecting from two screens of various EQ choices. In my testing, this made a distinction in how bass and mid-forward the general sound signature was.
(Picture credit score: Tshaka Armstrong)
With my customized EQ and ULT1 with CLEAR BASS set to +3, listening to different genres of music is gratifying. Artwork Blakey’s “Moanin’” is vivid and pleasant, with a very stable sound separation within the stereo picture. Highs are restrained because the shrill horns on this monitor weren’t a tad uncomfortable like they are often. Different tracks, like a remastered “Let’s Dance” by David Bowie, are immersive, and Paul Simon’s “Diamonds on the Souls of Her Footwear” continues to be ethereal, although a bit restrained in nuance as properly.
To my level about customization, merely altering to the Treble Increase preset, the place CLEAR BASS is about to “0” and bass enhancement is about to “ULT1,” restores some nuance again to the combo. Readability is added to your sound by activating Sony’s Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE) know-how, and I really feel it does a stable job of delivering simply that.
Whereas watching motion pictures and movies, there is no such thing as a latency with dialogue whereas linked through Bluetooth. The EQ characteristic set right here makes it simple to customise sound in order that these boomy bottoms do not hinder your enjoyment of movie scores and dialog. The taiko drum scene in episode two of “Blue Eye Samurai” is certainly “hotter” via the ULT Put on, however my EQ customization retains dialog and sword sounds vivid and crisp.
Final, on the sound entrance, know that the upgraded microphone array within the ULT Put on may also offer you a stable calling, Zoom, or Google Meet expertise. They do a superb job of canceling background noise for these you are talking to, and once you’re silent, they do a stable job of muting your setting in the event you’re out right here on these streets.
Bass by wire
(Picture credit score: Tshaka Armstrong)
The Bluetooth LDAC expertise gained’t go away you wanting, and the analog expertise with the three.5mm cable can be stable. Bonus factors for with the ability to use it once you run out of juice!
I linked the ULT Put on to my Pixel 7 Professional utilizing the included aux cable connected to among the finest small DACs underneath $100, Fosi Audio’s mini DS2, and was not disenchanted. Listening to hi-res audio via this highly effective USB-C DAC offered vivid, ethereal, and full-bodied music for closed-back $200 headphones. I listened to Tidal tracks, in addition to FLAC information, via VLC media participant. Simply so you already know, you’ll be capable to use the three.5mm aux with the headphones powered on or off, and also you’ll get two totally different sound signatures relying on that energy state. Powered on, you get the bass-heavy profile, however the sound is extra impartial when powered off.
One of many points with bass-heavy recordings revealed by the ULT is how properly producers and engineers grasp tracks. Listening to some hip-hop tracks, I see that there’s a little bit of mud within the combine, whereas others have deep, resonant bass that’s tight with out muddying mids or highs. The Roots, Dr. Dre, Skrillex, and a number of other different producers of heavy bass and sub-bass tracks clearly present they know easy methods to convey the thump with out dulling the vibrance of the remainder of the picture. Others, not a lot. DSEE helps these tracks out a bit, however when actively listening, you study the distinction between high quality technical engineering and rough-around-the-edges compositions from totally different creatives.
Talking of high quality technical engineering, I’m not an enormous fan of contact controls on headphones, however the ULT WEAR’s controls are responsive and intuitive. Not solely that, however the proximity sensor, chargeable for controlling the flexibility to pause music once you take away the headphones, was equally responsive. There’s a split-second latency when eradicating them, however they unpause play when positioned again in your head with no lag in any way.
Sony ULT Put on: What may use enchancment
(Picture credit score: Tshaka Armstrong)
Sony has carried out a superb job engineering these heavy hitters, so there are solely a few issues I discovered that might use some enchancment. First off, there is no such thing as a USB-C audio help. You gained’t get that on the pricier 1000XM5 both, so that basically is a Sony technical resolution I’d prefer to see it modified in its subsequent technology of headphones. That mentioned, I do choose utilizing a cell DAC, in order that isn’t an enormous deal for me.
I attempted establishing head-tracking optimization, however I couldn’t get it to work. It’s important to maintain the cellphone stage in entrance of your face as you swivel your head up and down, not side-to-side, however I feel this wonderful beard is throwing that know-how off. One thing else that will get “thrown off” is the flexibility to make use of LDAC and multipoint on the similar time. I don’t know why that’s, contemplating that the WH-1000XM5 acquired an replace final 12 months, which made that doable.
Sony ULT Put on: Competitors
(Picture credit score: JBL)
There aren’t many choices this heavy on options at $200. You possibly can take a look at the JBL Stay 770NC, Sennheiser Accentum Plus, and even Beats Studio Professional , which initially retailed for $350 however can ceaselessly be discovered for underneath $200.
It is best to positively try our Sennheiser Accentum Plus evaluate to see if these are a greater match for you. Having personally examined Beats Studio Professional, I’d say that you simply’ll must take a tough take a look at the 2 merchandise. With the ULT, you’ll get LDAC, EQ customization, and different options not discovered on the Studio Professional. Nonetheless, some customers will discover that Beats has a way more balanced, nuanced sound profile with out sacrificing satisfying bass response.
Sony ULT WEAR: Do you have to purchase it?
(Picture credit score: Tshaka Armstrong)
You can purchase Sony ULT Put on if…
Bass is life.
You need snug, long-wearing headphones
You need a variety of options for an honest worth.
You should not purchase Sony ULT WEAR if…
Impartial sound is life.
You want USB-C audio.
Although a bass lover’s responsible pleasure, Sony’s ULT Put on current a much wider worth proposition at this worth level, which ought to enchantment to fairly a number of individuals. The ANC is stable, the app is feature-packed, you may take heed to your music over the wire in the event you drain the battery, and you’ve got help for LDAC on board.
Sony packs a variety of punch into this booming set of headphones, making them a troublesome act to observe for the small pool of choices at or round $200.
ULTimate Increase Bap!
Hyper-bass is not for everybody, however Sony offers you the ULT button and a five-band EQ to make the sound profile extra palatable for individuals who choose a extra balanced combine. That together with the sturdy feature-set make the ULT WEAR a compelling pproduct.
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