Ultrasone Ruby Sunrise

The Ruby Sunrise scores 98th percentile for sound thanks to its 6-driver hybrid design, making it one of the best-sounding IEMs we've seen, but $2,500 gets you a wired-only, limited-edition monitor with poor mic quality and mediocre comfort. Only worth it for audiophiles with dedicated setups.

Let's be clear: the Ruby Sunrise sounds phenomenal. That 98th percentile sound score isn't an accident. The hybrid driver configuration means bass is tight and controlled (thanks to those two balanced armature drivers), mids have clarity without harshness, and those electrostatic super tweeters handle high frequencies with a finesse that cheaper IEMs simply can't match. The 15Hz-48kHz frequency range captures detail that most earbuds miss entirely. In our testing, acoustic recordings sounded spacious and natural, while electronic music had that crisp, precise attack that audiophiles chase. The 25Ω impedance means you'll want a decent source or amp to really wake these up, but they'll play from anything. Just don't expect miracles from the mic at 15th percentile, and the comfort score of 30th percentile suggests those silicone and Comply tips might not seal perfectly for everyone despite the multiple options included.

Compared to the Sony WF-1000XM6, the Ruby Sunrise absolutely crushes it on sound quality (98th vs likely 80s percentile), but Sony wins everywhere else: wireless freedom, ANC, mic quality, comfort, and price. The Technics EAH-AZ100 offers a similar hybrid driver approach but with modern wireless connectivity. The Soundcore P31i and JBL Live Beam are budget wireless options that score higher for gaming and calls but sound like toys next to the Ruby Sunrise. If you need one pair for everything, skip Ultrasone. If you have a dedicated listening setup and want the best possible sound in an IEM, this is where you end up.

At $2,500, you're paying a massive premium for that 98th percentile sound. The math is brutal: competitors like the Sony WF-1000XM6 or Technics EAH-AZ100 offer wireless convenience, ANC, and decent mics for a fraction of the price. But those won't give you electrostatic super tweeters or the kind of detail retrieval that puts the Ruby Sunrise in a different league for pure music listening. If you're an audiophile who listens critically at a desk with a dedicated amp, the price-to-performance ratio makes sense. For everyone else, this is a tough sell.

The Ultrasone Ruby Sunrise is a $2,500 limited-edition in-ear monitor that throws everything at sound quality and mostly lands where it needs to. With a hybrid 6-driver setup (two balanced armature for bass, two for mids/highs, and two electrostatic super tweeters), it delivers a frequency range of 15Hz-48kHz that puts it in the 98th percentile for audio performance. Only 100 units exist worldwide, which means you're buying into serious audiophile exclusivity. The trade-offs? This is a wired-only, passive device with no ANC, mediocre comfort scores, and a microphone that barely registers at 15th percentile. If you want to take calls or game with these, look elsewhere.

If you need wireless freedom, active noise cancellation, or a functional microphone, the Ruby Sunrise will frustrate you. Its 15th percentile mic score and 14th percentile connectivity make it one of the least versatile options at any price. Gamers, remote workers, and commuters should look at the Sony WF-1000XM6 or Bose QuietComfort Ultra instead. Even at $2,500, this thing can't take a phone call properly.

The Ultrasone Ruby Sunrise is a specialist tool, not a daily driver. Buy it if you're a serious audiophile with a dedicated listening chain and you prioritize sound above everything else. At 98th percentile for audio, it delivers where it matters most. Skip it if you need wireless convenience, call quality, or value for anything other than critical music listening.