Short answer: the Sony ULT Wear, though neither ranks well in its class. Both are rated 1.0/5 for sound quality (#473 and #475 of 481 over-ear headphones), and the Sony ULT Wear costs $129.95 against $175 for the Audio-Technica ATH-G1, so with nothing between them on sound quality, price settles it. Both are rated below 3.0/5 among the 481 over-ear headphones; for better sound, the Sennheiser HD 550 ranks #8 at $199.95.
What the Audio-Technica ATH-G1 does well: It is a closed-back gaming headset with a built-in microphone, so it isolates from room noise and handles voice chat without a separate mic. The tradeoff: A preference score of just 7 in crinacle’s measurement is among the furthest from the preferred target of any over-ear, so music sounds heavily colored without EQ.
The case for the Sony ULT Wear: Active noise cancelling, up to 30 hours of battery with ANC on and 50 with it off, LDAC and AAC support, and a wired option make it a practical travel headphone. The catch: The preference score is just 8, with a very uneven response; a 12 dB dip near 9.7 kHz beside a 5.6 dB peak at 11.2 kHz, plus a presence region more than 4 dB low, buries vocals and detail under the bass.
Buy the Sony ULT Wear. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $45.05 less than the Audio-Technica ATH-G1.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.
It is a closed-back gaming headset with a built-in microphone, so it isolates from room noise and handles voice chat without a separate mic.
Amazon $175.00 eBay
Active noise cancelling, up to 30 hours of battery with ANC on and 50 with it off, LDAC and AAC support, and a wired option make it a practical travel headphone.
Amazon $129.95 Sony $249.99 eBayPrices on this page were last checked October 16, 2026 at 5:46 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Audio-Technica ATH-G1 | Sony ULT Wear | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $175.00 | $129.95 |
| Ranked | #475 of 481 in Over-Ear Headphones | #473 of 481 in Over-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | Over-ear | Over-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 7 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) | 8 (median of 2 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 5.13 dB standard deviation | 5.04 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -2.76 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -2.89 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Connection | Wired | Wireless and wired |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 45mm dynamic | 1 x 40mm dynamic |
| Impedance | 45 ohms | 32 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 101 dB/mW | 100 dB/mW |
| Weight | 0.6 lbs (250 g) | 0.6 lbs (255 g) |
| Frequency Response | 5Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 5Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Sub-bass Extension | - | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+6.8 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Active Noise Cancelling | - | Yes |
| Battery Life | - | 30 hours (50 with ANC off, Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 5.2 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | - | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
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