The Sony ULT WEAR are mid-range over-ears equipped with active noise cancelling (ANC). They're positioned between the more affordable Sony WH-CH720N Wireless and the flagship Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless. As they previously did with the 'XB' lineup, Sony are aiming these headphones at users who prefer a bass-heavy sound. The 'ULT' in their name corresponds to the 'ULT' bass button, which can introduce two additional levels of low-frequency enhancement. With an advertised 40 hours of continuous battery life, these over-ears have what it takes to get you through multiple work days or long trips without needing to recharge.
Our Verdict
The Sony ULT WEAR headphones are decent for sports and fitness use. While they're not the most portable headphones, they're comfortable, well-built, and surprisingly stable, considering their bulky fit. Their controls are intuitive and easy to use once you get the hang of them, so it's simple enough to adjust basic parameters on the fly. Their 44-hour battery life is also long enough that you don't need to worry about running out of juice at all, bar the most grueling ULT(ra) marathons.
- Comfortable, stable fit.
Default sound profile can weaken intelligibility of voices in busy mixes.
The Sony ULT WEAR are very good for commuting and traveling. While they're not the most portable headphones, they come with a solid carrying case to help with transport. They're comfortable and well-built, too, with a 44-hour battery life that'll get you through multiple long journeys with layovers to boot. Their ANC performance is excellent and does a great job of blocking out external noise across the entire frequency range, whether it's airplane engine rumble or wailing infants. You'll want to be a little careful when it comes to blasting your tunes in quiet environments, though, as leakage will be audible to those in your immediate proximity.
- Comfortable, stable fit.
- 44 hours of battery life with ANC on.
- Mic has decent recording quality and great noise handling.
- Amazing noise isolation thanks to ANC.
- Can't use LDAC and Bluetooth multipoint simultaneously.
Default sound profile can weaken intelligibility of voices in busy mixes.
The Sony ULT WEAR headphones are very good for office use. They're comfortable, stable, and well-built, and their 44 hours of continuous battery life can effectively last you an entire workweek without needing to recharge. While they're not the most portable, this won't be an issue if you plan on leaving them at your desk. Their ANC system does an amazing job of blocking out the sound of scraping chairs and chatty coworkers, and the integrated mic has great noise handling and decent recording quality, making these a solid pair of headphones for calls and meetings.
- Comfortable, stable fit.
- 44 hours of battery life with ANC on.
- Mic has decent recording quality and great noise handling.
- Amazing noise isolation thanks to ANC.
- Can't use LDAC and Bluetooth multipoint simultaneously.
Default sound profile can weaken intelligibility of voices in busy mixes.
The Sony ULT WEAR aren't suitable for wireless gaming as latency is too high when using a wireless connection.
The Sony ULT WEAR are good for gaming when connected via their 1/8" TRS audio cable. Latency is very low when using this connection type, though you'll want an external microphone if you like to chat while you game, as the mic isn't active if you use the headphones passively. The boomy bass response is great for bringing life to explosions and action-packed sequences, but the uneven treble response can add harshness to higher-pitched cinematic sound effects, while veiling S and T sounds in dialogue and making voices harder to distinguish. Their closed-back design isn't the biggest aid in locating objects, like footsteps, in the stereo field either. They're comfortable and stable enough to stay on your head through even the most jump-scare-filled cutscenes.
- Comfortable, stable fit.
Low latency when connected via analog cable.
Default sound profile can weaken intelligibility of voices in busy mixes.
The Sony ULT WEAR have decent audio reproduction accuracy, but that's to be expected. You don't buy these headphones because you want a detailed, analytical reference sound. You buy them because you love bass and want as much as you can get. And to that end, they work very well. A few inconsistencies in the low-treble phase and frequency response mean objects like voices can feel slightly one-sided, but their low levels of harmonic distortion mean you can turn these up loud without adding timbral coloration to your audio. Bass lovers rejoice.
The Sony ULT WEAR have excellent noise isolation performance. They effectively block out everything from the low rumbles of plane engines to the traffic noise and the chatter of nearby coworkers.
The Sony ULT WEAR have a good microphone, with great noise handling. While your voice lacks a little warmth and sparkle, the mic system does a good job separating it from any noise around you.
The Sony ULT WEAR have very good frequency response consistency. Between seatings and for most physical characteristics, your perception of the headphones' sound will closely match the measured frequency response. That said, if you wear glasses, you may experience minor inconsistencies in bass delivery.
Performance Usages
Changelog
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Updated Mar 26, 2026:
This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.1, which removes the Group Delay test and rebalances scoring for the Harmonic Distortion test and Audio Reproduction Accuracy performance usage. For more details, consult our full changelog.
- Updated Mar 24, 2026: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.1, which features minor updates to our sound tests.
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Updated Jan 12, 2026:
We've reduced the headphones' Build Quality score due to defects in their hinge.
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Updated Apr 25, 2025:
This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.0, which adds the following tests: Stereo Mismatch, Group Delay, Cumulative Spectral Decay, PRTF, Harmonic Distortion, and Electrical Aspects. We've added new performance usages and updated the text throughout the Sound tests and side-by-sides.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Sony ULT WEAR are available in three different color variants: 'Off White,' 'Forest Gray,' and 'Black.' We tested the 'Black' variant, but we expect other color variants to perform similarly. You can see our unit's label here. If you encounter another variant, please let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Sony ULT WEAR are mid-range wireless over-ears. They have an even more bass-heavy sound profile, than the manufacturer's flagship premium over-ears, the Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless, with the ULT WEAR also having a de-emphasized treble response by comparison. While their ANC is excellent and does a solid job of isolating you against noises across the entire frequency range, it's not quite as adept at attenuating low-frequency sounds as the XM5. Otherwise, there's not too much to split these two over-ears besides plastic quality and quality-of-life features. While previous Sony headphones have been marketed on the basis of having extra bass, like the Sony WH-XB910N Wireless, this is the first pair of Sony over-ears to feature a dedicated button to cycle through levels of bass enhancement.
If you're in the market for bass-heavy headphones but your budget can't stretch to the ULT WEAR, consider the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless, which have plenty of bass on tap as well as great noise isolation. And for you on-ear aficionados, the Pioneer DJ HDJ-CUE1BT are DJ-focused headphones that supply plenty of low-end and DJ-friendly extras like swiveling earcups.
If you're looking for other headphones, see our recommendations for the best noise cancelling headphones, the best closed-back headphones, and the best travel headphones.
The Sony WH-CH720N Wireless and the Sony ULT WEAR are ANC-equipped over-ears that cater to different needs and price points. The ULT WEAR are mid-range headphones that can amp up the bass with a press of their 'ULT' button. While neither pair is an ideal pick for music production, the ULT WEAR have a boomy, bass-forward sound, while the WH-CH720N (though still warm and bass-heavy) don't have as much low-end on tap. The ULT WEAR also feature LDAC support for high-resolution audio streaming. However, you can tailor both sound profiles to your preferences via the companion app. The main point of departure is with the ANC performance, though, as the ULT WEAR perform much better across the entire frequency range when it comes to attenuating against external noise.
The Sennheiser ACCENTUM Wireless and the Sony ULT WEAR are mid-range over-ear offerings from two of the biggest headphone manufacturers. They both offer a solid all-around performance but have slightly different strengths. The Sony are more comfortable and more stable, although their build quality isn't quite as good as the Sennheiser's. When it comes to sound, the two have a comparable sound profile. They both lean towards being bass-heavy, but the Sony can add an additional bass boost via their 'ULT' button. Both headphones have customizable sound profiles via the graphic EQ and presets in their companion apps. The Sony headphones have a much better noise isolation performance, as they attenuate much more noise across the entire frequency range. Combined with their excellent 44-hour battery life, they're a better choice for commuting and travel.
The Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless and the Sony ULT WEAR perform similarly, which is surprising considering the price gap between them. Both over-ears have a bass-heavy sound with quite balanced mids; however, the ULT WEAR have a very uneven treble response that can render details dull or shrill depending on their pitch. Both headphones have great ANC systems, too, although the XM5s are better at attenuating bass frequency noises, like engine rumble. Otherwise, both over-ears are similarly comfortable and have commonalities in their design language. The ULT WEAR feature an 'ULT' button that can be handy to amp up the bass for specific tracks on the fly.
If you're choosing between the Skullcandy Crusher Evo Wireless and the Sony ULT WEAR, it's likely because you love bass and want headphones that bring the low end. There's no doubt that the Sony headphones are better all-rounders: they're more comfortable and stable, and their ANC system far outperforms the Skullcandy. They even have a longer continuous battery life and support LDAC. That said, it's hard to beat the Skullcandy headphones' haptic bass slider when it comes to outputting bonkers amounts of bass. Although the Sony headphones have two levels of bass accessible via the 'ULT' button, nothing quite beats the pulverizing bass of the Skullcandy when their slider is maxed out. You can also find them for a fair bit cheaper.
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