Sony ULT Wear Headphones Deliver Flagship Features and Powerful Bass at a Midrange Price

Most people scanning store shelves for solid over-ear noise-canceling headphones still land on Bose QuietComfort models or Apple’s AirPods Max. Sony has quietly offered a strong alternative since the ULT Wear, priced at $148 (was $248), arrived a little while ago, packing many of the same processor tricks found in the brand’s more expensive WH-1000XM5 while adding a dedicated button that ramps up low-end punch on demand.

Sony created the ULT Wear with a pair of 40 mm dynamic drivers and the same technology used in their flagship wireless headphones, the V1 chip. This device features active noise cancelation, adaptive sound control that adjusts on the run based on what is going on around you, and even 360 Reality Audio with head tracking. Bluetooth 5.2 supports SBC, AAC, and LDAC codecs, and multipoint pairing allows the headphones to connect to two devices at the same time. The left earcup features a real ULT button that allows you to choose between off, Deep Bass, and Attack Bass modes, each of which pushes the low end deeper.

Wear detection is standard, since it pauses music when you remove the headphones and resumes when you put them back on. Both Alexa and Google Assistant are hands-free, and the Sony Headphones Connect app has a 5-band equalizer, a clear bass slider, and a few pre-programmed presets to help you dial in the perfect sound. The package includes a durable carrying case, a 3.5 mm cable for wired listening, and a USB-C charger.

The battery life is actually rather impressive, with Sony claiming 30 hours with noise cancelation and 50 hours without. We’ve seen labs get close to those numbers during testing, with one run lasting over 32 hours at a moderate volume. Even better, a 3-minute charge provides 90 minutes of playback, while a 10-minute charge provides around 5 hours, making it ideal for a quick recharge during a busy day out and about. At 255 grams, the headphones are lightweight enough that most wearers do not experience weariness after several hours of use. The earpads are soft faux-leather, and the headband is cushioned, which helps to produce a pleasant seal and improves noise cancelation.

Even without using the ULT button, the sound has a strong low end. The mid-bass and deep bass have a wonderful heaviness to them, which works particularly well for hip-hop, electronic tunes, and rock music, which many listeners appreciate; however, putting on any of the ULT modes adds even more low-end energy below 100 Hz. The software allows you to reduce the low end for a more balanced sound, and a few reviewers have observed that even minor adjustments may make the headphones sound much more versatile. The highs remain nice and present without being harsh for most people, and voices come through clear as a bell on podcasts and calls, as long as the bass is set just so. The call quality is also quite high, thanks to beam-forming mics and wind noise reduction, but this is obviously dependent on the environment.

Noise cancellation is fairly effective given the price. Sony’s V1 processor, combined with a few extra microphones, does an excellent job of eliminating steady low-frequency noise, such as engine rumble on a plane or train, and the physical seal of the earpads also aids in the reduction of mid-range chatter. Ambient mode allows you to increase the volume of background noise as needed, and the adaptive control can even switch automatically based on your location. These ULT Wear earbuds will provide you with much more battery life and a lower price point than the AirPods Max, but they lack one or two features that the Apple earbuds have going for them, such as seamless switching between devices and that polished spatial audio experience that only works within the Apple ecosystem.