Sony has unveiled a new range of wireless audio products under a new sub-brand. It’s called ULT Power Sound, or ULT.
These are the next generation versions of three existing product lines, the extra bass headphones, portable Bluetooth speakers, and tower-shaped party speakers.
The new offerings are slightly different than previous Sony headphones and speakers, and come with ‘Big Bass.’
Sony has said these have been grouped together because it identified two key features consumers value, big bass sound and lots of power.
Reportedly, this ULT range unifies the products that share these features.
Sony’s ExtraBass and MegaBass features have been included in various products for decades, the latest being the ULT line.
Each product in this range includes a dedicated ULT button which boosts the sound via dedicated ULT modes.
The new products are also no longer recognisable by model numbers. Instead, the headphones are the ULT Wear, the portable speakers are the ULT Field, and the party speakers are the ULT Tower series.
The ULT Wear are replacing Sony’s WH-XB910N noise cancelling headphones, and will be available in three colours, black, off-white, and Forest Gray.
They come with the same fold up/fold flat design as their predecessors and have a range of improvements including better noise cancellation (Sony’s V1 chip), better wind noise reduction (calls and ANC), wear-detection sensors, faster quick-charge times, and head-tracked spatial audio with Sony 360 Reality Audio.
The comfort of the earcups has reportedly been improved, and these headphones are set to support Bluetooth LE Audio, with planned firmware updates.
The biggest change is the ULT button on the left earcup, which cycles the headphones through three modes when pressed. The modes are ULT1 (bass enhancement), ULT2 (bass and sound pressure enhancement), and off.
Moving on to the ULT Field series, which comes with a compact design, and a rugged, IP67-rated body. It is fully waterproof and dustproof. It is also available in black, off-white, and Forest Gray, as well as a new orange colour.
The Field 1’s battery has been reduced from a max of 16 hours to 12 hours, but the speaker can be used both vertically and horizontally.
It comes with a speakerphone function, and the carry strap has been modified to be used as a handle and hanging lanyard.
These speakers will also gain a ULT button, but it only has two modes, off and ULT1 (bass enhancement).
The ULT Field 7 has been modified, now working in both horizontal and vertical orientations, with handles mounted at both ends of a flared cylindrical shape.
It has LED lighting, and is now tougher, with an IP67 rating, meaning it’s rustproof and waterproof.
Battery life is claimed to last up to 30 hours, and there are inputs for a wired karaoke microphone and guitar, which can be found in a rear covered panel.
LED lighting has been added to the sides, and can be controlled via music or the Sony app. The ULT button included comes with ULT1, ULT2, and off modes.
Finally, there’s the ULT Tower series, which has omnidirectional sound, with more power. It comes with a larger set of wheels, as well as its own wireless microphone and a set of flip-out microphone holders.
A second wired microphone can be used, or the input can be used for a guitar amplifier.
Sony has claimed the multicolour LED system on the Tower 10 comes with 34 areas of illumination, and the device has a TV Booster mode, which allows it be plugged into a TV via an optical cable.
Additionally, it has Sound Field Optimisation, and the ULT modes included are ULT1, ULT2, and off.
One thing this device can’t do is act without a cable, as there’s no internal battery.
The ULT Wear headphones are currently available on the official Sony Australia website, retailing for A$349.95.
The other products are yet to become available in Australia, but are available in the US from the official Sony website. See pricing below:
- ULT Field 1: U$129.99 (approx. A$198.75).
- ULT Field 7: U$499.99 (approx. A$764.47).
- ULT Tower 10: U$1,199.99 (approx. A$1,834.75).
