On the subject of shopping for a brand new pair of earbuds it may be essential to look past the AirPods and AirPods Professional as a result of there is a huge huge world of choices on the market. The identical goes for these seeking to choose up a brand new pair of headphones, with the AirPods Max removed from the tip of the dialog on that entrance, too. And Ultimate Audio is right here to remind us of that truth.
Ultimate’s two newest choices come within the type of a pair of $399.99 earbuds that promise “8K Sound” and a pair of ANC headphones which can be constructed on the earlier UX3000 launch however with a extra approachable worth of simply $119. Whereas the earbuds by some means make the pricey AirPods Professional appear low-cost, these headphones greater than make up for it by making Apple’s AirPods Max appear positively insane at their $549 worth.
However worth is simply a part of the shopping for resolution — you want context to make a correct selection, and that is the place a few of the particulars are available in.
Ultimate Audio ZE8000 MK2 Earbuds
Beginning with the earbuds, Ultimate’s new providing is an up to date model of the ZE8000 which have solely been round for lower than a 12 months at this level. This new mannequin options ‘Defend Fin’ eartips that promise “improved consolation and elevated passive sound isolation” whereas the “enhanced signal-to-noise ratio for higher element retrieval and improved ‘8K Sound’” make for attention-grabbing studying. The power to deactivate the ANC and different noise management settings will probably be welcome, as will a rise within the most quantity setting by 5dB.
The actual star of the present is that 8K Sound, although. And Ultimate is eager to drive that time residence. “Growth of the ZE8000 MK2 has enabled the evolution of Ultimate’s ‘8K Sound’ characteristic,” the corporate’s press launch reads. “Bettering the signal-to-noise ratio by {hardware} and software program interventions offers a clearer notion of ‘8K Sound’, extracting extra element and musical nuance from recordings.”
Whether or not any of that pans out stays to be seen, however Ultimate says that the brand new earbuds obtain a 32% enchancment in sound isolation with the ANC energetic when in comparison with the older mannequin, which is spectacular. And naturally, the Ultimate Join app gives plenty of configuration choices together with “Professional Equalizer” settings. Connectivity comes with Bluetooth 5.2 assist with assist for SBC, AAC, Qualcomm® aptX, and aptX Adaptive. By way of battery life, count on as much as 15 hours once you use the charging case.
And sure, this stuff value a cent shy of $400.
Ultimate Audio UX2000 Headphones
On the different finish of the worth vary, we’ve the UX2000 headphones. Based mostly on the earlier UX3000 launch, these new headphones are available in black and cream colorways and have a worth of simply $119. That is low, particularly when you think about a few of the specs.
The primary spec that jumped out from the press launch was the 45-hour battery life, shortly adopted by the promise of a “low-latency gaming mode, making it an excellent companion for avid gamers who demand synchronized, high-quality audio.”
Different options embody Hybrid Lively Noise Cancellation, a multi-fit structure that ensures a correct match, and a somewhat pretty fingerprint-proof matte end. The headphones additionally assist Bluetooth 5.3 and will be folded for straightforward carrying round.
We’ve not examined this stuff for ourselves, however the spec sheet and the worth make these sound like a compelling choice for these seeking to spend round $100 on a pair of stable headphones. However the proof, as ever, will probably be within the pudding.
