When it comes to the best headphones on the market, Sony is no stranger to success. Its WH-1000XM5 over-ears are widely regarded as the best noise-cancelling headphones you can buy — although Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Headphones might have a thing or two to say about that — and I’ve been hugely impressed with these top-tier cans.
While there’s been rumour surrounding a WH-1000XM6 release for some time, Sony has instead gone on a tangent for its early 2024 product release cycle and announced the spiritual successor to the company’s Xtra Bass (or ‘XB’) headphones: the Ult Wear. Priced at about half that of the WH-1000XM5 (£180 in the UK, with US and AU pricing to be confirmed), these headphones are all about bass. Bags of bass. So much bass that it’s basically bananas.
All about that bass
Now, I love bass music. My ears are still partially shot from a Drumsheds double on the Bank Holiday weekend (it’s the old Ikea in Tottenham, transformed into a new club venue for day-raves). I’ve been into drum & bass for over 25 years and own a record collection into the thousands (well, if you include digital). So, really, the Ult Wear are designed for listeners like me.
These headphones have one ‘special move’ that’d make Street Fighter characters jealous: a ‘ULT’ button on the side of the left ear cup that cycles between ‘ULT1’ and ‘ULT2’ (and ‘off’) — which, as depicted by their (literally added) explosive sounds upon activation, cycles through ‘Deep Bass’ and ‘Attack Bass’.
Deep Bass sees the Ult Wear give you an extra bit of bass-level thump. Attack Bass, meanwhile, adds so much sonic resonance that it’s a tsunami of low-frequency that, unless something is mixed and mastered so badly, would never be needed in my opinion. It's overwhelming.
What's in a name?
When first introduced to the Ult Wear, I was curious regarding the capitalised ‘ULT’ formatting of the product's name. I’d assumed it would mean, say, ‘Ultra-Low Tuned’. Apparently not, however, as it’s instead an abbreviation of sorts, so you can take it as you wish: ‘ultimate’, ‘ultra’, whatever suits. I prefer my take.
Anyway, while Attack Bass is an onslaught, this isn’t me rubbishing these new active noise-cancelling (ANC) headphones. In fact, the real star quality of the Ult Wear is just how much of the WH-1000XM5’s goodness they embody at such a lower price. The ANC, for starters, is superb — really great at cutting out extraneous sounds, which is no surprise as it uses the same integrated processor V1, albeit to even larger 40mm drivers, for impactful sound.
What the Ult Wear add that the XM5 lacks is a folding mechanism to their design which, actually, might make them even more appealing as an option for the best travel headphones. The most obvious cutback I took away from my listening session is that the Ult Wear lack the same degree of build quality as Sony’s top-tier product. But that’s no surprise, especially as these cans are, as I say, about half the asking price.
A whole new range
The Ult Wear aren’t the only products for Sony to introduce: indeed, ‘ULT’ is a whole product range, from Tower 10 (think light-up party speaker), to Field 7 (JBL-rivalling portable), and Field 1 (Sonos Roam-style Bluetooth competitor). All feature the same USP: that ULT button (now there’s two acronyms to not mix up, eh?).
So if you’re into big, burgeoning bass, but can never get quite enough, the Ult Wear headphones are well-priced, big-sounding and smart-looking headphones that ought to appeal beyond their apparent niche sell. I’d avoid the ‘Attack’ and just embrace the solid sound they deliver straight out of the box.
