Sony has just launched a range of new audio products under a completely new banner coined simply “ULT” — the ultimate, it considers, in audio immersion.
ULT isn’t just in the name, either. You’ll find the branding has its own button on all of Sony’s new wireless speakers and headphones, allowing you to pump up the sound level and bass several degrees for crisper, truer sound immersion depending on the genre coming through the speakers.
While the new ULT lineup looks great, sporting slimmer designs as seen on the ULT Field 1 and ULT Field 7, the general premise behind Sony’s new branding seems somewhat off: Sound quality is good, as you’ll find on most Sony audio hardware, but the ULT button — the main selling point of these new products — and Sony's overall branding strategy for the wireless speakers aren't all they're cracked up to be.
Sony’s bass era
After years of using confusing product names like the WH-1000XM5 or SRS-XB100 to describe its consumer audio technology, Sony's ULT lineup keeps things simple: The over-ear headset is called the ULT Wear; the two mobile Bluetooth speakers are called the ULT Field 1 and ULT Field 7; and the large party speaker in the picture above is the new ULT Tower.
The crowning function behind these products is the ULT button, which when enabled amplifies audio for bassier, punchier sound. Given the ULT naming convention directly correlates to the “ultimate” level in audio immersion, Sony’s new ULT functionality allows you to boost your music and alternative audio to greater heights — to the point at which you’re “at the front row of a concert,” in Sony’s guise.
In theory, that sounds great. But it's how the ULT button is implemented across the range that's the real issue here.
It's how the ULT button is implemented across the range that's the real issue here.
Where the headset, party speaker, and Field 7 have access to a two levels of amplification, the Field 1 can only hit use ULT boost. Though the audio certainly has improved year over year on the successor hardware, I found the ULT button didn’t bring much of an added benefit to the overall listening experience and it feels totally unnecessary.
Experiences will vary across the range. The ULT Tower, for one, definitely proved to be bassy, loud, and full — enough to shake your bones even at just 50% volume. The ULT Wear headphones, too, were quite good in terms of their sound quality. Even the ULT Field 1, a mere portable Bluetooth speaker that I spent some time testing, comes with some stellar promise.
But as soon as you press the ULT button for that extra bit of bass, you start to lose some of that pristine sound that Sony products have been winning awards for.
Sony goes ultimate
Remember how there's two ULT modes? Well, initial tests of the ULT Wear headset proved difficult to tell which level of ULT I was on while playing music. There wasn’t too much variation amongst them — at least from what I could tell — with the bass feeling only a little fuller and the hardware itself vibrating a bit on my head.
But what I’m having trouble understanding most is Sony’s newfound push into this bass-boosting era. Who exactly are these products for? Music professionals? Audio aficionados? Everyday listeners? I just don’t see everyday consumers jumping at the chance to upgrade simply over improved bass, and its “ULT” branding doesn't really invite outward excitement.
I also wish Sony would give better guidance on what type of music sounds better per the level of ULT used — or even just when ULT is enabled in general. On the surface, it feels (and kind of sounds) like Sony is slapping a new feature to its hardware lineup that might seem like a world of change but really just serves as a reason to upgrade rather than an answer to audio woes on the consumer front.
I’m thrilled that Sony has finally found a way to grace its audio products with something other than a string of random letters and numbers ... But I just don’t feel “ULT” is really its most ultimate play.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled that Sony has finally found a way to grace its audio products with something other than a string of random letters and numbers. Long gone are the days of sweating over Sony’s code-like branding like the HT-AX7 or the WH-1000XM4. But I just don’t feel “ULT” is really its most ultimate play.
Sony is known for stellar audio products, case in point being its Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones. The company doesn’t need to plaster its new audio hardware with some anime-inspired tagline let alone gift them boosted qualities when it’s already known to deliver some of the best headphones in the market.
Will some people appreciate the extra bass? I'm sure. But using ultra-inflated bass as a selling point feels like a huge misstep for a brand that, for the last quarter century, has been known for its nuanced sound signature. Let's just hope this isn't the new norm for Sony moving forward...
