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Sony ULT WEAR vs Beats Solo 4: Compare Wearing Style and ANC Availability

Choose by wearing format and ANC availability: Sony ULT WEAR is identified as over-ear and Sony documents noise canceling, while Beats Solo 4 is on-ear and explicitly lacks ANC. This is a feature-fit comparison, not a test of noise reduction, comfort, sound, or portability.

Published by Pickoryx · Published 2026-10-17

Source checked 2026-10-17 01:02 UTC

Products compared

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The buying question

Do you prefer over-ear or on-ear headphones, and do you require an ANC mode?

ULT WEAR is identified as over-ear and Sony documents ANC availability; Solo 4 is on-ear and Beats confirms it has no ANC. Choose by wearing format and feature availability, not by untested acoustic results.

Quick verdict

When the recommendation changes
  • If ANC is a firm requirement, the documented feature difference matters; if it is not, wearing format may matter more.
  • If you prefer cushions resting on your ears rather than around them, the Solo 4's on-ear design may fit that preference; this is not a comfort prediction.

The differences that matter

On Ear Vs Over Ear Format

Sony ULT WEAR Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones (Black)

TechRadar identifies the ULT WEAR WH-ULT900N as over-ear.[4]

Beats Solo 4 Wireless On-Ear Headphones (Matte Black)

Beats specifies Solo 4 as on-ear, describes its foldable design, and lists a carrying case in the box; these are Solo 4 product facts, not a comparison of portability.[2, 4]

What this changes: Choose by whether you prefer cushions resting on your ears or surrounding them. That is a wearing-format preference, not a comfort prediction; this comparison does not rank the models for portability.[4]

The better fit depends on your priorities

Cancellation Mode Availability

Sony ULT WEAR Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones (Black)

Sony describes ULT WEAR as noise-canceling and specifies dual noise sensors with its V1 processor.[1]

Beats Solo 4 Wireless On-Ear Headphones (Matte Black)

Beats explicitly says Solo 4 has no Active Noise Cancellation or Transparency mode; its cushion seal provides passive sound blocking.[3]

What this changes: If having an ANC mode is a requirement, the documented feature set points to ULT WEAR. Choose Solo 4 only if you do not require ANC; this comparison does not establish how much noise either model reduces in use.[1, 3]

Best fit: Sony ULT WEAR Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones (Black)View Sony ULT WEAR Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones (Black) on AmazonPaid link

Best for your routine

A shopper who specifically wants an over-ear headphone with ANC available

Best fit: Sony ULT WEAR Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones (Black)

Based on listed features, not comparative testing.

Sony documents noise canceling on ULT WEAR, and the independent comparison identifies it as over-ear. This is feature availability, not a claim about noise-cancellation effectiveness.

View Sony ULT WEAR Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones (Black) on AmazonPaid link

A shopper who prefers an on-ear headphone and does not require ANC

Best fit: Beats Solo 4 Wireless On-Ear Headphones (Matte Black)

Based on listed features, not comparative testing.

Beats identifies Solo 4 as on-ear and confirms it has no ANC; these documented features fit a wearing-format preference when ANC is not required. This is not a comfort or sound-performance result.

View Beats Solo 4 Wireless On-Ear Headphones (Matte Black) on AmazonPaid link

Value and trade-offs

One or both observed offers have eligibility conditions, so no unrestricted price difference is shown.

Current offers and price history were not assessed, so this comparison makes no premium or value judgment.

Current offers and price history were not assessed; no purchase-timing recommendation is made.

Limitations

  • No hands-on comparison or controlled testing was conducted. These sources do not establish comfort, sound quality, ANC effectiveness, passive isolation effectiveness, battery performance, durability, or a product-performance winner.
  • TechRadar identifies ULT WEAR WH-ULT900N as over-ear; Sony's US product page supports noise-canceling feature availability. The model suffix and exact retail-package mapping remain outside this article's evidence scope.
  • Beats' official source confirms that Solo 4 lacks ANC and Transparency mode; passive cushion sealing is not the same feature as active cancellation.
  • Current offers and price history were not assessed; the comparison does not recommend when to buy.

Questions shoppers ask

Does the Beats Solo 4 have ANC?

No. Beats' official FAQ says Solo 4 does not have Active Noise Cancellation or Transparency mode. It describes passive sound blocking from the cushion seal, which is different from an ANC mode.

Does choosing ULT WEAR mean it will cancel more noise?

This comparison cannot answer that. Sony documents ANC on ULT WEAR and Beats confirms that Solo 4 has no ANC, but no relative noise-reduction test is included.

Methodology and sources

Compared the models' documented ANC feature availability and the reported over-ear format of ULT WEAR with Solo 4's specified on-ear format. Solo 4's documented foldability and carrying case are product facts but are not treated as a comparative portability advantage. Sound, comfort, ANC effectiveness, and portability were not tested.

An AI assistant organized the published product details and wrote this feature-fit comparison; it did not test either headphone.

View 4 sources
  1. 1.ULT WEAR Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones | BlackSony Electronics · Official specifications · Source checked 2026-10-17 01:02 UTC
    Evidence used on this page
    • Product details/About This Item and FAQ: product/model name and Noise Canceling feature (lines 293-306, 372-377, 435-437 in the opened page).: Sony's US product page identifies the black ULT WEAR model family and states that it uses dual noise sensor technology and Sony's V1 processor for noise canceling. It supports feature availability only, not measured cancellation effectiveness. The exact retail-SKU suffix mapping is handled separately by the coordinator.
  2. 2.Beats Solo 4 - Bluetooth Wireless On-Ear HeadphonesBeats · Official specifications · Source checked 2026-10-17 01:02 UTC
    Evidence used on this page
    • Tech Specs: Design/Form factor, foldable design and In the Box (lines 60-76, 97-106, 418-438 in the opened page).: The official US Solo 4 product page identifies the product as on-ear, describes its foldable design, and lists a carrying case in the box. These facts describe Solo 4 only; they do not establish comparative portability.
  3. 3.What Are Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency Mode?Beats · Official support · Source checked 2026-10-17 01:02 UTC
    Evidence used on this page
    • FAQ, “Does Beats Solo 4 have noise cancellation?” (lines 45-47 in the opened page).: Beats explicitly states that Beats Solo 4 does not have Active Noise Cancellation or Transparency mode, and says it blocks external sound passively through the cushion seal. This establishes feature availability, not the degree of passive isolation.
  4. 4.Beats Solo 4 review: a solid update to an iconic pair of wireless headphones, but the competition is now too hotTechRadar · Independent testing · Source checked 2026-10-17 01:02 UTC
    Evidence used on this page
    • Value and comparison table and design discussion: identifies the direct comparison with Sony ULT Wear WH-ULT900N and labels the Sony over-ear and Beats on-ear (lines 648-657, 675-723 in the opened review). Used for model-specific format context and demand signal only, not acoustic or comfort conclusions.: TechRadar's review says the reviewer tested the Sony ULT Wear WH-ULT900N and Beats Solo 4 directly and identifies them as over-ear and on-ear respectively. The comparison supports the existence of buyer-facing consideration between these models; no testing result from the review is adopted here.

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