Sony recently launched their ULT lineup of audio products in India, which largely comprises wireless speakers and wireless headphones. We got a couple of them for review – ULT Field 1 and ULT Wear. The former is a portable Bluetooth speaker, while the latter is a wireless headphone that doesn’t look too different from Sony’s WH headphones; ‘look’ is the operating word.
Both products have one distinct feature in common – a prominent ULT button. What does it do? How do they perform? Are they worth their asking price? It’s time to answer all these questions and more.
Sony ULT Wear Review
Pros:
– Energetic sound output, LDAC codec support
– Very good ANC for the segment
– Neat foldable design, sturdy build, carry case provided
– Good call quality, multi-point support
– Good battery backup
– Wear detection and touch controls
– Further customisations through the companion app
Cons:
– Average detail in sound
– ULT2 mode can go overboard with the bass
– Cannot use LDAC codec if dual-pairing is enabled
Price: Rs 16,990
Rating: 3.8/5
Whenever Sony launches a new headphone, the comparison with its famed XM series is inevitable. So let me debunk that right at the start. While there are a handful of similarities with the WH-1000XM4 in terms of the design, hardware and functionality, the Sony ULT Wear doesn’t sound remotely like it and supposedly targets a very different audience – those who like extra bass and those who like an extra large servicing of bass. You know where I am going with this, right? Yes, this seems like a new avatar of Sony’s XB series.
XB or Extra Bass is precisely what the ULT button does. Broadly speaking, the button serves as a toggle between three audio presets – ULT off (normal sound with minimal bass), ULT1 (a reasonable bass boost) and ULT2 (way too much bass). The first two options are where you can enjoy your audio, while the third is a test of your eardrums wherein you can feel the bass more than you can hear it, and not necessarily in a good way. But you always have a choice of not switching to that mode.
The sound quality in ULT1 mode is quite energetic with thumping bass and decent highs. The midrange suffers due to the extra bass, and the instrument separation and overall detail in sound is average at best. The soundstage is also not too broad but feels decent in the ULT1 mode. If you switch off ULT, the clarity in the mids is better but the bass feels a little deficient, and the target audience of this product may not want to go there. You can always tweak the sound further though the Sony Headphones app.
While the bassheads (or youth) may be the primary target audience of the ULT Wear, there’s more to it than just bass. For starters, the active noise cancellation (ANC) here is quite impressive. ANC has been Sony’s forte for a while and they haven’t gone light in that department here. In fact, their V1 processor that handles the ANC in the 1000XM4 is present here too and can eliminate a lot of ambient noise indoors as well as outdoors. The transparency mode is pretty good too, and you can have a quick chat without taking the headphones off.
Then you have wear detection sensors, touch controls, support for Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio and also head-tracking. Add to that, compliance with LDAC codec and dual-pairing support to connect the headphones simultaneously with two devices, however, those two features do not combine well. If you enable dual-pairing, you cannot use LDAC codec and are forced to use AAC on both devices. In fact, if you don’t even pair the second device, you still cannot use LDAC.
That used to be a problem on Sony’s older wireless audio products, and somehow it has resurfaced here. One can simply term it as an oversight and hope the company fixes it with a firmware update as it did in the past. Other than that, things are mostly positive for the Sony ULT wear, be it the build quality or the comfortable on-ear fit, the foldable design that takes up less space in the bag or the neat carry case that Sony bundles along.
The company pegs the battery life of this product at 30 hours with ANC on and 50 hours without ANC. With sporadic use of ANC, the Sony ULT Wear did last for close to 40 hours on a full charge which is a strong figure. One can also use it as a wired headphone with the bundled or any Aux cable if it runs out of juice. The call quality is pretty good too with the microphones picking and transmitting your voice well and very little background noise.
The Sony ULT Wear is priced at Rs 16,990 with a one-year warranty. It is packed to the brim with features, and while the sound quality won’t please the purists, it is fun and energetic, especially if you like a little extra bass. The effective ANC and solid battery backup make its case stronger. However, if you like a more balanced sound output, this is not a product for you.
You would be better off spending a bit more and opting for a generation-old Sony WH-1000XM4, which is often spotted under 20K in online sales and still a great pair of wireless headphones. If you are willing to look beyond Sony, then the Sennheiser Accentum Plus is also an excellent option at this price point, with similar features as the ULT Wear and better sound quality and battery backup. Choose one depending on your sound preference.
Sony ULT Field 1 Review
Pros:
– Stylish, sturdy and portable
– IP67 dust and water resistant
– Loud and enjoyable sound output, solid bass
– Customisable sound to an extent
– Decent battery life
– Useful for hands-free calling
Cons:
– Could have done more with the ULT button
– No support for voice assistants
– A little expensive
Price: Rs 10,990
Rating: 3.5/5
Sony ULT Field 1 is a portable Bluetooth speaker that delivers a powerful sound output that belies its size. The speaker is barely 8 inches tall or broad, depending on the orientation you wish to use it in (vertical or horizontal). It is fitted with two 16 mm tweeters and two passive radiators to enhance the bass. All the necessary controls are present on the top of the speaker, and it is IP67-certified dust and water-resistant. So you can take it for pool parties as it can handle more than a few splashes; just make sure it doesn’t go for a swim.
Unlike the ULT Wear, you do not get LDAC codec support here and you will have to make do with AAC and SBC codecs, which is fine for a portable speaker. Also, the Field 1 isn’t compatible with the Sony Headphones app (of course, this is a speaker and not a headphone/earphone) and one needs to use the Sony Music Centre app to tweak the sound if you wish to. This app is still fairly basic in comparison and doesn’t have as many options as the former. Also, the sound tweaks tend to go away if you press the ULT button.
You may have already guessed what the ULT button does, but unlike the headphones, you only have two modes here – on and off. When off, the sound feels bass deficient, unless it’s a vocal heavy or instrumental track you are listening to, and when you turn it on, the bass is abundant. The middle path present in the ULT Wear is dearly missed by this speaker, especially in a non-party environment. But with the options available, one would rather err on the side of extra bass than deficiency. It is meant to be a party starter after all.
We feel Sony could have done more with the ULT button, and not just by adding ULT1 and 2 modes. It would have been great if one or more of the custom sound presets that one can create in the app could be assigned to the ULT button to switch to on the fly. The same applies to ULT Wear too actually. Probably something the company can consider going ahead.
Though Sony doesn’t specify the exact sound output in Watts, the ULT Field 1 produces a loud and punchy sound with an average but acceptable level of detail for a speaker this size. With ULT turned on, it produces surprising amounts of bass that can power a small house party. While the bass feels excessive in a smaller room, it never feels inadequate even in a large room. With the combination of loudness and thump, it would be near impossible for someone entering the room to guess the size of this speaker.
The Field 1 also has a microphone and one can take calls on this speaker. Strangely, it doesn’t support any voice assistants like Alexa or Google. The battery life is rated at 12 hours of playback, and one can easily extract 9 hours out of it even at a 75 per cent volume level. There’s a USB-C port at the back under a flap to charge it. You get a fairly rugged strap to tie it to your sack or carry it around. It weighs about 650 grams. All in all, the ULT Field 1 is a highly enjoyable product and we had a good time with it while it was around.
The Sony ULT Field 1 is priced at Rs 10,990 with a one-year warranty. While the price isn’t over the top, it could have been more competitive, as it is still more of a personal speaker than a party speaker, realistically speaking. It does punch way above its size and weight class but has some stiff competition to deal with. The JBL Flip 5 and Essential 2 can be purchased under Rs 7,000 in India and they sound pretty good too. While the Field 1 does offer a few extras, a slightly lower price tag can help it win over customers considering the other two options.