The differences between the Reference and Ultra are modest, and all things considered, the Reference is definitely the best bang for the buck in this lineup. But when the Ultra sings, to my ears, it’s with the truth of the recorded sound, be it the good, the bad, or the ugly.

Deep, rich bass and midbass sound with great air and ambience retrieval (if it’s in the recording), smooth extended highs, soundstage among the best I’ve heard, very flexible, very low in microphonics, appears and feels solidly put together and terminated, I did not find weight to be an issue in my use.