Sony’s new ‘ULT’ Wear headphones serve as an affordable alternative to the flagship WH-100XM5 and a successor to the WH-XB910N. The ULT Power Sound Series further comprises the ULT Tower 10, ULT Field 7, and ULT Field 1. The ULT Wear is priced at Rs 16,990 and rivals the midrange offerings from Sennheiser and Beats. Packed with 40mm drivers and Integrated Processor V1, the ULT Wear looks very promising on paper, especially when you consider its midrange price. We’ve been using it as our primary audio device for the last week. Here is our in-depth review of the Sony ULT Wear (WH-ULT900N).
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In This Article
Sony ULT Wear (WH-ULT900N) Review: Design
Here’s what you get inside the Sony ULT Wear retail box:
- ULT Wear headphones
- Hard case
- USB Type-A to Type-C charging cable
- 3.5mm cable
- 360 Reality Audio trial code
- Reference guide
The ULT Wear headphones are available in three colour options – Off White, Forest Gray, and Black. Sony’s flagship WH-1000XM5 headphones have their imprints all over the design of the ULT Wear. The spherical matte-finished plastic cups bear a striking resemblance to the XM5. While the ULT Wear may not be as heavy as its flagship counterpart, its weight distribution is perfect.
The cushioned headband and padded earcups bring a lot of comfort to the fit. The earcups on the ULT Wear are slightly larger than the XB910N to accommodate all ear sizes. They support a swivel motion and can be folded inwards for easy storage. The left earcup houses the power button, an ANC/transparency button, a USB Type-C charging port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, an LED indicator, and a special ‘ULT’ button that toggles between two levels of bass. The right earcup is touch-sensitive and can be used to control media playback.
Sony ULT Wear’s design leaves little room for complaints, but there are a few things that could have been perfected on the headphones. Physical buttons are always a welcome sight on Bluetooth audio devices, but their placement on the ULT Wear is a little off. We found ourselves hitting the ANC or power button quite often while adjusting the headphones.
Sony ULT Wear (WH-ULT900N) Review: Performance
Delivering the audio output on the ULT Wear are 40mm drivers. The headphones are also equipped with the V1 chip. There are three audio codecs on offer – SBC, AAC, and Sony’s exclusive LDAC. The company says that the low-latency LC3 codec will be provided for the ULT Wear in a future update.
Sony ULT Wear’s soundstage has an undeniably warm envelope of bass surrounding it, but it doesn’t shroud the mid and low frequencies. Sony’s signature sound is prevalent here, albeit with a boosted low end. We were happy with the sound clarity and the mesmerising details in the audio output. Overall, ULT Wear’s sound quality is just a notch below the XM5 (our review here). The latter’s focus on a neutral soundstage makes it a better pair of headphones.
Playing Charli xcx’s new album ‘Brat’ on the ULT Wear was a perfect showcase for its bass-y output. The thumping basslines and synths on dance-pop numbers were relayed expertly. The subtle details in the mix did not get lost in the soundstage. On the opposite end of the spectrum, we played Thou’s latest doom/sludge release, ‘Umbilical’, and were pleased with the punchy, raw output.
For a pair of headphones priced at Rs 17,000, you expect superior quality of ANC onboard the device. The Sony ULT Wear does not disappoint in this regard. The padded cushions on the cups seal your ears perfectly and the V2 chip intelligently neutralises the surrounding noises. With Active Noise Cancellation turned on, we were unable to hear the ambient noises emanating from the ceiling fan and the air conditioner. Covering the right earcup with your palm switches the headphones from ANC to transparency mode and turns down the music volume to facilitate conversations with people around you.
Installing the Sony Headphones app on your device is necessary if you want to access the secondary features of the ULT Wear. Adaptive Sound Control analyses your actions and most frequented places and automatically switches between ANC and transparency mode depending on your history of usage. If you frequently visit a hiking trail wearing these headphones, they will automatically turn on the transparency mode to make you more aware of your surroundings. While we like this feature, it doesn’t always work as intended.
Sony has also equipped the ULT Wear with premium features like 360 Reality Audio. The Headphones app analyses your ear shape which allows the ULT Wear to track your head movement and adjust the flow of music (on supported apps) accordingly. This feature is best utilised with Sony’s Bravia XR TVs.
Another aspect where the Sony ULT Wear excels is the sound quality on cellular and VoIP calls. In an indoor setting, the headphones expertly extracted our voice from the surrounding noise and relayed it to the receiver. In an outdoor setting, some background noise tends to bleed into the calls but it doesn’t dampen the calling experience altogether.
On a full charge, the Sony ULT Wear can last up to 50 hours with the ANC turned off. With the ANC turned on, the battery life is curtailed to 30 hours. It takes almost 3.5 hours to fully charge the headphones using a USB Type-C cable. These numbers are pretty consistent with what we got out of our review unit of the Sony ULT Wear.
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Verdict
The Sony ULT Wear offer a punchy, dynamic soundstage along with a good mix of premium features. The bass-oriented output may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but bassheads are certainly in for a good time. The dedicated ULT button on the headphones adds an extra dollop of bass to the output, which feels unnecessary given the UTR Wear’s special focus on the low end, to begin with. Soundstage aside, the ANC chops of these headphones are impressive and almost on flagship level. If you want to splurge Rs 17,000 on a pair of headphones, there aren’t many options that are better than the ULT Wear.
Sony ULT Wear: Pros
- Comfortable fit
- Foldable design
- Dynamic soundstage
- Powerful ANC
Sony ULT Wear: Cons
- The dedicated ULT button is unnecessary
