It's SUPERIOR 🤦🏻‍♂️ Soundcore Space One Pro vs Sony ULT Wear vs Space Q45
Soundcore Space One Pro vs Sony ULT Wear
Many of you wanted me to compare the Space One Pro, which is widely regarded as the best headphones Soundcore has to offer in terms of performance and features, to the Sony ULT Wear, one of the most enjoyable headphones for bass heads with powerful noise cancelling.
Both of them are comparable in terms of price and specs, but having used the Space One Pro for a bit, there are some things it does better if we’re comparing it to the ULT Wear. We’re going to talk about that, as well as things the ULT Wear does better compared to the Soundcore, and how they stack up in terms of microphone pickup, noise cancelling and sound quality. Just to make this comparison a bit more fun, I’ll also include the Q45 into the mix just to see how far Soundcore has come in terms of performance.
What I like about the Space One Pro is its folding design. You can fold it into a smaller, more portable package. The ULT Wear and the Q45 can also fold inwards but they don’t have the same degree of swivel, so they can’t fold as much. Its customisation options allow users to finetune how much transparency or noise cancelling they need, whereas the Sony only allow customise on transparency. The sound customisation on them is definitely more sophisticated. With HearID you can customise not only to your sound preference but also to your ear sensitivity, whereas the Sonys only are customisable to your preference.
Furthermore, Soundcore has wide selection of EQ presets and a graphic EQ with more granular settings instead of the usual 5 or 6 bands. They even support Dolby Sound which expands the soundstage regardless of the source of music, whereas the Sony doesn’t do that. Instead it has Spatial Audio for a very selected list of devices and apps which is far more restrictive.
In terms of fit, I also feel that the Sonys are a bit tighter on the head, not by a whole lot so they’re still comfortable. But the Space One Pros are definitely more gentle on the temples.
That being said, if we’re talking about features, there are some ways the Sonys are better. The ULT button makes them very fun. You can seriously jack up the bass on them whenever you want, or toggle them back to default bass. The Soundcore also has a Bass-up feature which can be toggled by double pressing the noise cancelling button, but the bass difference is pretty small, nowhere near the level of the ULT Wear.
Microphone Test
So that’s how they compare in terms of features, how about microphone pickup?
It’s clear that the Space One Pro’s mic pickup is clearer than the Sonys in noisy conditions, and my voice is more amplified than the Q45, with more aggressive noise gating. In my opinion, the Q45 still stands up pretty well to the latest model.
👉 Have a listen to the microphone pickup samples.
(Mic tested in both quiet and noisy conditions using really loud cafe noise and wind noise from a fan.)
Active Noise Canceling comparison
In terms of active noise cancelling, these are pretty decent. Quite comparable to the older Q45, but definitely more quiet than the ULT Wear. It was doing a lot better at cancelling the lower frequencies, so assuming that you were listening to the samples with earbuds, you can hear less background rumble on the Space One Pro. This means quieter plane trips, more peace on the train, more calmness in a house full of screaming kids.
👉 Have a listen to the ANC samples.
(Comparison of active noise cancelling with the Soundcore on Custom MAX noise canceling, using the same cafe noise as before.)
Transparency Mode Comparison
In terms of transparency, it’s good. Ambient sounds are well amplified, including voices, and my voice is only a little bit occluded so having short verbal exchanges is not uncomfortable at all. It is definitely more transparent than the ULT Wear and the Q45 which has passthrough that didn’t sound as bright or transparent.
Sound Quality Comparison
Moving to sound quality, the Space One Pro’s default tuning sound pretty great. There’s excellent separation between vocals and bass, making the vocals sound crisp and clear, and it is a very engaging, dynamic sound that I do enjoy. It’s soundstaging feels bit more closed in and compact than I prefer, but that also adds to the energy, so I don’t hate that. They’re a little darker in the upper highs, so for someone coming from the Q45, the Space One Pro might sound a bit dull, but they sound more vibrant than the ULT Wear on its default tuning.
Bass Performance
What about its bass? It’s punchy, detailed, and has great extension. Just don’t expect it to hit as deep or as loud as the ULT Wear, even without bass boosting.
👉 Let’s listen to the sound samples.
Apart from that, if the default tuning is not to your liking, the Soundcore’s highly customisable, with plenty of settings you can play with. HearID is one of them. It’s automatic tuning that tests for sensitivity and tests for preference. But, in my experience, the HearID didn’t sound as good as the default Soundcore Signature. I suspect that it’s the preference part of the tests that wasn’t as accurate, or it could be that it’s cutting the frequencies I’m more sensitive to when it’s supposed to only boost the ones I’m not as sensitive to. However, you can stack another layer of EQ setting on top of that, so the sound of these are really customisable. More so than the ULT Wear.
Conclusion
So do I dig the Space One Pro over the ULT Wear? If we’re talking about features, its active noise cancelling, mic pickup, multipoint works, and the app interface, then yes, these are superior to the ULT Wear. I can also talk about the battery life up to 40 hours vs 30.
But, the ULT Wear is a beast in a totally different way. Toggling through the different ULT modes its bass response slaps, and it can get very loud without distorting. It also comes with a hard carrying case in the box, while the Space One Pro only has a soft pouch. Soundcore does include a hard case if you purchase on their website, and at extra cost if you purchase on Amazon.
The ULT Wear also has wear detection, which the Space One Pro, weirdly, does not. It’s weird because the cheaper Space One has wear detection, so does the Space Q45.
As for the controls, I think there are pros and cons to both. The Space One Pro only has button controls and that’s great for people who wear gloves, but the ULT Wear’s touch controls are easier to navigate when walking, because I don’t have to feel around for the right button to press.
Compared to the cheaper Q45, in my opinion, the only benefits that the Space One Pro offers is better portability because of the way it folds, slightly better noise cancelling, better comfort because the clamping pressure’s more gentle, and Dolby Audio. Apart from that, I see this as more as an incremental improvement.
Does this incremental improvement justify the slightly higher price? Maybe. It’s a good strategy to slowly push into the premium category, but the improvements are just incremental, so if someone were to pick the Q45 today, they won’t miss out on much. Furthermore, the Q45 includes a hard carry case as standard, and has wear detection.
So there are pros and cons to both, and depending on which is more important for you, that’s the one to go for. If you want to check the latest prices of these headphones, I’ve got Amazon links below.
Check latest price:
Soundcore Space One Pro - https://amzn.to/3YE6ycm
Sony ULT WEAR - https://amzn.to/3A4Cv46
Soundcore Space Q45 - https://amzn.to/3Uqeifj
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