Over-Ear Headphones · owner-verdict comparison

Edition XS vs Sony ULT Wear: what real owners say

Real owners lean toward the Edition XS: 68% of 123 owners recommend it, vs 47% of 154 for the Sony ULT Wear.

Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score

Edition XS

68%of 123 owners recommend

68% recommend · 17% neutral · 15% don't

Owners praise

Wide soundstage and strong detail
Strong value, especially at sale or refurbished prices
Responds well to EQ

Owners complain about

Headband and weak clamp make the fit loose for many, and owners often add an aftermarket strap
Build quality worries, with reports of drivers failing, crackling, and warranty replacements
Treble that some owners find too bright, shrill, or fatiguing

Full owner report →

Sony ULT Wear

47%of 154 owners recommend

47% recommend · 17% neutral · 36% don't

Owners praise

Big, punchy bass that owners who like heavy low end love
Noise canceling that owners rate highly
Strong value, with some owners saying it comes close to Sony's pricier XM models for much less

Owners complain about

Plastic hinges that crack or snap, often during normal handling, anywhere from a few weeks to over a year after purchase; some owners had a second pair break the same way, while others say a replacement has held up
The sound splits owners: many say it needs EQ tweaks to sound right, some find the bass overblown or muddy, and a few expected more bass than they got

Full owner report →

Which should you buy?

Get the Edition XS if

✓Listeners moving up from a Sennheiser HD560S or HD600-series who want a wider soundstage
✓Buyers comfortable using EQ to tune the sound
✓Gamers who want a wide, detailed presentation
✓Owners with larger heads

Skip it if

Treble-sensitive listeners or anyone wanting a laid-back sound for long sessions
Smaller heads, which some owners say the loose fit does not suit

Get the Sony ULT Wear if

✓Bass lovers who want heavy, adjustable low end
✓Buyers who want strong noise canceling without paying flagship prices
✓Listeners willing to spend time tuning the EQ in the app
✓People with larger ears who want deep, padded earcups for long sessions

Skip it if

Anyone who needs headphones to survive daily handling for years without hinge worries
Listeners who don't want to adjust any sound settings

What Edition XS owners say

“You could have a faceoff with any headphone on Earth, regardless of cost and compare it to a $169 Edition XS, and while it would lose, it's MUCH closer than it should be...”
— 1maxwedge426 on Reddit

“Decent headphones but......I'm on my third, 2 failed and were warranty replaced. Also the headband should be classed as a war crime. Other than that I highly recommend them.”
— Emotional_Elk_980 on Reddit

“I hate my edition xs so much because they're amazing, just don't work, they keep losing all audio on the right side and I'm not the only one with that issue”
— Kolorboi on Reddit

What Sony ULT Wear owners say

“I recently purchased the Sony ULT Wear and I love it!”
— @jamesbarlett246 on YouTube

“The bass is honestly pretty fun, sometimes I just wanna press a button and destroy the song I'm listening to.”
— @Pika915 on YouTube

“To be fair, I didn't hear hardly any difference. The ULTs fit my head better, but they looked much chunkier on my ears as the phones stuck out way more. I've decided to keep the XM4s and return the ULTs.”
— @1977ver on YouTube

Edition XS vs Sony ULT Wear: frequently asked questions

Is the Edition XS or the Sony ULT Wear better?

Real owners lean toward the Edition XS: 68% of 123 owners recommend it, vs 47% of 154 for the Sony ULT Wear.

Who should get the Edition XS?

Owners point the Edition XS at listeners moving up from a Sennheiser HD560S or HD600-series who want a wider soundstage, and buyers comfortable using EQ to tune the sound.

Who should get the Sony ULT Wear?

Owners point the Sony ULT Wear at bass lovers who want heavy, adjustable low end, and buyers who want strong noise canceling without paying flagship prices.

What do owners complain about?

The most-cited downside of the Edition XS is headband and weak clamp make the fit loose for many, and owners often add an aftermarket strap. For the Sony ULT Wear, it's plastic hinges that crack or snap, often during normal handling, anywhere from a few weeks to over a year after purchase; some owners had a second pair break the same way, while others say a replacement has held up.