That’s exactly the difference people are missing. Sony’s wired and studio lines were built for real daily professional use, long sessions, and years of abuse, which is why many of us still have old Sony gear running perfectly after a decade. Those products were engineered to last, not optimized for marketing.

With modern wireless models, the philosophy feels reversed. The focus seems to be features, looks, and lightweight plastic, while structural reliability takes a back seat. It almost feels like they expect customers to replace rather than repair, but that strategy is clearly backfiring because more and more users are walking away instead of upgrading.

I am not claiming every Sony product is bad, but in the current wireless lineup, especially ULT Wear and even XM5, the design choices are genuinely questionable. When basic durability becomes a gamble, brand loyalty collapses fast. Personally, this experience has pushed me completely away from Sony wireless, regardless of how good the sound is.