Sony ULT WEAR WHULT900N/W

The Sony ULT WEAR WHULT900N/W are over-ear noise cancelling headphones with a fun ULT bass button, 30-hour battery, and ANC borrowed from Sony's 1000X series. They're great for bass lovers and commuters, but call quality is weak and the build feels less premium than the price suggests. If you can find them at the lower end of the price range, they're a solid buy.

Battery life is a strong point here. You get 30 hours with ANC on, and Sony says you can stretch that to 50 hours with noise cancelling off. A 3-minute quick charge gets you 90 minutes of playback, which is genuinely useful when you're running out the door. In our database, battery lands in the 79th percentile, so it's well above average but not class-leading. The 254g weight is reasonable for an over-ear with this much tech inside.

Sound quality sits at the 83rd percentile, which translates to strong performance, especially if you're into bass-heavy genres. The 40mm drivers handle the ULT modes without distorting at moderate volumes, though purists will want to dial back the low end. ANC is at the 75th percentile, so it's solid but not the absolute best. It blocks out airplane hum and office chatter well, but high-frequency noise still sneaks through a bit. The mic is average at the 70th percentile, and calls are actually the weakest area at 47.2 out of 100. If you take a lot of calls, these aren't the best choice.

Against the Bose QuietComfort 884367-1100, the Sony ULT WEAR trades blows. Bose has better comfort and call quality, but Sony's ULT bass modes are more fun for music. The Bose also feels more premium in the hand. If you care about calls, get the Bose. If you want bass that slaps, get the Sony.

The Sennheiser MOMENTUM M5AEBT is a different beast entirely. It's more expensive, but the sound quality is more refined and the build is noticeably better. The Technics EAH-A800 is another strong alternative with excellent sound and battery life. The JBL Tune 670NC is cheaper and lighter, but the ANC and sound quality don't match the Sony. And the Apple AirPods Max 2? Way more expensive, heavier, and honestly overkill unless you're deep in the Apple ecosystem.

Value is a bit of a mixed bag here. At USD 248 in the US, these undercut the Sony WH-1000XM5 by a decent margin while keeping most of the ANC performance. But the CAD pricing is all over the place, ranging from CAD 198 to CAD 348 across two Canadian listings. That's a CAD 150 spread, which is huge. If you're in Canada, shop around. The CAD 198 listing is a genuinely good deal for this feature set. The CAD 348 listing, not so much. At that price you're creeping into flagship territory where the build quality and call performance are better.

The Sony ULT WEAR WHULT900N/W sits in that sweet spot where Sony takes the noise cancelling tech from their flagship 1000X series and stuffs it into a more affordable, bass-forward package. These are over-ear, closed-back wireless headphones with 40mm drivers, Bluetooth 5.2, multipoint, and a 30-hour battery. No price listed on this particular listing, but our database shows them floating around USD 248 in the US and CAD 198 to CAD 348 in Canada, so they're aimed at the mid-range ANC crowd.

People searching for these usually want to know two things: does the ULT bass button actually do anything, and is the ANC close to the WH-1000XM5? The short answers are yes, and almost. The ULT button toggles between ULT1 for deep low frequency emphasis and ULT2 for what Sony calls ultra-bass. It's not subtle. If you like your low end to rattle your molars, ULT2 delivers. If you want something closer to neutral, you can leave it off and tweak the five-band EQ in the app.

Sony also throws in 360 Reality Audio support, Alexa built-in, and a foldable design with a carry case. The recycled plastic build is a nice touch, though the build quality percentile suggests it doesn't feel as premium as the price might imply.

Skip these if you take a lot of phone calls. The call quality is the weakest part of the package, and you'll be frustrated. Also skip if you prefer a neutral sound signature, because even with ULT off, these lean bass-heavy. If build quality matters to you, the plastic construction might feel cheap. In those cases, the Bose QuietComfort 884367-1100 is a better fit for calls and comfort, and the Sennheiser MOMENTUM M5AEBT is better for build and sound refinement.

Should you buy the Sony ULT WEAR WHULT900N/W? If you want big, fun bass and solid ANC without paying flagship prices, yes. The ULT button is a genuine feature, not a gimmick, and the battery life is more than enough for long flights or workdays. The ANC is close enough to the 1000X series that most people won't notice the difference.

But if you take a lot of phone calls or care about build quality, look elsewhere. The call performance is mediocre at best, and the plastic build doesn't inspire confidence. At the right price, especially that CAD 198 Canadian listing, these are a great buy. At the higher end of the price range, you're better off saving a bit more for the WH-1000XM5 or grabbing the Bose QuietComfort instead.