It’s official — premium headphones are out, and mid-range headphones are in. At least, that’s my opinion, as many big-name consumer audio brands have beefed up their midrange headphones catalog with impressive offerings.
Nowadays, a $200 pair of headphones can sound, feel, and look just as good as a $400 pair, and Sony’s 2024 ULT WEAR headphones
When I listened to Tame Impala’s Is It True, the groovy bassline was present, heavy, and full of energy. The lead singer’s vocals and the quirky synth sounds in the upper midrange were transparent, clean, and highly enjoyable.
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Perhaps the most impressive element of the Ult Wear headphones’ audio is called Ult Power Sound, a new feature Sony implemented into its line of newly released audio products. At the push of a button, the headphones automatically adjust their sound to provide deeper, richer bass, which Sony says is “designed to make the heart tremble.”
I love deep, rumbly, almost obnoxious bass, so this feature piqued my interest, but that’s also because I’ve seen it before. I have to be fair; Skullcandy did the whole “bass you can feel” thing first with the Skullcrusher ANC 2 headphones. However, I will admit — Sony did it better.
The Ult Wear has a premium design, blending the simplistic design of the XM5 headphones with the functional elements of the XM4 headphones. They have roomy, plush oval ear cups made of polyurethane leather and are very comfortable. Their build is primarily plastic, aside from the metal headband extenders. A wholly plastic build is typical in this price range, which ultimately makes these headphones incredibly lightweight.
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Tap and swipe controls on the right ear cup dictate volume and track skips, and these headphones have wear detection and external ear cup microphones for wind noise reduction. Sony also includes a 3.5mm cable, USB-A to USB-C charging cable, and a sturdy cloth-covered carrying case with your purchase. Not bad for $200.
ZDNET’s buying advice
The Sony Ult Wear headphones. If you’re looking for headphones with a neutral sound and adequate noise-canceling properties, try the Sennheiser Accentum Plus
Source : ZDNet