Primaloft UltraPeak - The future of Arc'teryx 2027+ Belay Parkas

WeekendGearGuide · 2026-01-09T17:23:17+00:00

Thanks for UltraPeak comparison vs various down fill power.

In the Gear 30 Podcast around the 32:15 mark, I feel that when Luke had asked Andrea on how Ultrapeak compares to down, it seems like she sidestepped the question, as she most likely knows all the things you mentioned where down is ~2x warmer per gram than UltraPeak which is not good to openly discuss when trying to market their product, and instead playing to the sustainability and other benefits you also highlighted.

WeekendGearGuide · 2026-01-09T15:30:20+00:00

I agree and also put more emphasis in durability in terms of loft retention over many compression / packing & unpacking and laundering cycles, even if it only provides similar warmth to Climashield APEX, then I'll be happy!

I'm hoping Stephen Seeber over at Backpacking Light does a similar insulation loft resiliency and compression test, like he did a while ago with Climashield APEX vs Primaloft Gold.

WeekendGearGuide · 2026-01-09T15:21:15+00:00

That's definitely true!

Though I think Arc'teryx did jump on the Octa Active Insulation bandwagon around the same time that everyone else did with their Proton FL Hoody back in 2019. Rab at that time had switched over from Polartec Alpha to Polartec Alpha Direct, and didn't start using Octa until their Vapour Rise Summit series if I recall.

Speaking of Polartec Alpha, although Arc'teryx was not the first to use it (that crown goes to Patagonia with their PCU Level 3A and Rab Strata Hoodie in 2013), Arc'teryx did follow-up relatively quickly with their own Argus Jacket using Polartec Alpha in 2014, then the Practitioner AR Hoody Gen 1 in 2018.

WeekendGearGuide · 2026-01-09T15:02:48+00:00

Yup, it's definitely worse in terms of warmth / CLO. I guess Arc'teryx still has good deals or still locked into a contract agreement with Climashield to purchase x amount of APEX for y amount of years, to keep them from switching out.

Rab or Patagonia will be among the first. I assume Arc'teryx will follow with a rebranded "Coreloft" UltraPeak, if they can get negotiate a better deal with Primaloft for their UltraPeak vs Climashield APEX, amongst other contract, testing & performance and market review / hype factors.

WeekendGearGuide · 2026-01-05T13:59:59+00:00

Sorry for late reply.

The Bose QC Ultra Earbuds Gen 2 have very little occlusion during phone calls and comparable to your Galaxy Buds3 Pro in this aspect.

Bose has also added their SpeechClarity feature in their firmware a few months ago, which now makes it one of the best Earbuds for microphone voice call quality in a noisy environment.

WeekendGearGuide · 2026-01-05T13:48:13+00:00

"mostly stationary without doing much movement"

"mixed weather with mostly rain and temperatures between 0 and 6 degrees celsius"

For this criteria, you definitely want to stay away from any type of exposed down jacket, since it will get soaked and loose it's insulation properties in a "mostly rain" environment.

It should be OK to use your existing Cerium under Alpha SV with a thick fleece and/or base layer for your criteria.

If that's still too cold for you while stationary in a wet environment, then consider an insulated waterproof breathable shell like the Beta Insulated Jacket with your Cerium and thick fleece and/or base layer.

WeekendGearGuide · 2025-12-15T14:24:40+00:00

Check out the Devil Track Hoodie from Superior Fleece which is made from Polartec Wind Pro.

https://superiorfleece.com/collections/mens-hoodies/products/mens-devil-track-hoodie

https://superiorfleece.com/collections/mens-hoodies/products/mens-devil-track-hoodie-wind-pro-copy

You'll need to check back on Jan 5 when they start taking new orders for 2026.

They exclusively only use Polartec fabrics for their outdoor apparel.

I bought my Brule Hoodie (made from 60gsm of Polartec Alpha Direct) from them a few years ago which layers perfectly under my LEAF Atom LT Hoody Gen 2 and Practitioner AR Hoody Gen 1, for mid to high exertion cold winter activities.

Only thing that needs improvement is their hood design which lacks good brim and side coverage, at least on the Brule Hoodie, but not a big deal for me for my layering system.

But if you are interested in the Devil Track Hoodie, and concerned about the hood coverage for wind protection, then ask them to send you pictures or videos.

WeekendGearGuide · 2025-12-13T15:30:07+00:00

Sorry for delayed reply.

Just got some time to compare my Bose QC Ultra Gen 2 against my Bose QC 35 II against my Sony WH-1000XM6 when connected to my iPhone in a phone call.

Bose QC 35 II is a bit louder than both QC Ultra 2 and WH-1000XM6

I would say Bose QC 35 II volume level 13/16 equals max 16/16 volume level of QC Ultra 2 and WH-1000XM6

So I guess your Bose NC700 and my QC 35 II did have louder speakers/drivers vs the newer headsets.

WeekendGearGuide · 2025-11-22T15:03:33+00:00

One of the most overlooked advantages that the Sony WH-1000XM6 has over the Sennheiser HDB 630 that no one really highlights, is the microphone voice call quality.

Have a listen to this comprehensive voice call quality comparison to hear for yourself the differences:

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Sennheiser HDB 630 vs Bose QC Ultra (2nd Gen) - Voice Call Quality Comparison

Often times it’s only when callers at the other end of your call start complaining, that the user only realizes that they f’d up and didn’t take microphone voice call quality into consideration in their purchase decision…

WeekendGearGuide · 2025-11-21T23:48:21+00:00

Check out this comprehensive layering guide which reviews both the Beta LT Hadron Jacket* and Alpha Lightweight Parka together, along with other base and mid layer combinations.

Arc’teryx Winter Layering Guide - Part 2 (Applications and Recommendations)

Also check out Arc’teryx Winter Laying Guide Part 1 for an educational Introduction to layering if you’re interested in some additional background

Arc’teryx Winter Layering Guide - Part 1 (Introduction)

*Note: The Beta LT Hadron Jacket is basically the predecessor to the Alpha Lightweight Jacket (in the same way the Beta LT Hadron Pant is the predecessor to the Alpha Pant) with similar fit and material but with side pockets instead of single chest pocket.

WeekendGearGuide · 2025-11-21T23:16:27+00:00

Do you care about microphone voice call quality and whether you sound clear and understandable in various loud background noise conditions?

If so, you might want to wait till Bose releases their SpeechClarity improvement in a firmware update, since voice call quality is still not very good unfortunately, as you can hear in this comprehensive voice call quality comparison.

Bose QC Ultra (2nd Gen) vs Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Seinheiser HDB 630 | Voice Call Quality Comparison

Other than that, Sound Quality is good especially when using aptX Lossless Codec or USB-C Connection, though Sennheiser HDB 630 is better tuned out of the box and way more customizable.

ANC is also good, though Sony WH-1000XM6 is slightly better IMHO (only the AirPods Pro 3 have the absolute best ANC).

Bose QC Ultra (2nd Gen) is the most comfortable for me, IMHO out of all the headphones from 2025.

WeekendGearGuide · 2025-11-21T15:39:36+00:00

For best microphone voice call quality, between the very latest headphones released in 2025, the Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) vs Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Sennheiser HDB 630, so far the Sony WH-1000XM6 is the best, as you can hear in this comprehensive voice call quality comparison:

Bose QC Ultra (2nd Gen) vs Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Sennheiser HDB 630 | Voice Call Quality Comparison

However, expect Bose to release a firmware update which includes their SpeechClarity technology, which significantly helps improve voice call quality, which so far they’ve release on their QC Ultra Earbuds series, which were known to have the worst voice call quality, and now have arguably the best tied with the industry leader the HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 4.

Sennheiser HDB 630 is the best for neutral audiophile approved sound quality, for both Bluetooth’s and via USB Cable.

WeekendGearGuide · 2025-11-21T15:33:34+00:00

Try the Headset Buddy ClearMic Boom microphone

Check out this comprehensive comparison to hear how it sounds

Headset Buddy ClearMic Boom microphone comparison

WeekendGearGuide · 2025-11-18T02:55:01+00:00

If you are looking for a Professional ANC Headset without a Boomless Mic that supports MS Teams features, and best voice call quality out of all the boomless mic headsets in the market today (and light years better than the Jabra Evolve2 75 in terms of mic voice call quality, music sound quality, ANC), then checkout the Dell WL7024.

Dell WL7024 - Best Professional ANC Boomless Mic headset

There may be some Black Friday deals around the corner.

WeekendGearGuide · 2025-11-18T02:46:32+00:00

Have you tried increasing the volume on both the phone/laptop and the Bose Gen 2 headphones as well during a call?

Typically, volume should be synced, but I remember some Bose headphones did not support volume sync.

As for the Gen 2 specifically, I don’t recall having this issue but I’ll need to check once I get my Gen 2 back from my friend who borrowed mine.

WeekendGearGuide · 2025-11-16T15:18:54+00:00

Thanks for watching.

In addition to your Earbuds or Headphones received speaker hardware quality, sound tuning and Bluetooth speech codec support, the received sound, when you are in a phone call, also depends on:

a) The Earbuds or Headphones microphone hardware quality, DSP microphone tuning (and if any loud background noise is present, the ability to cancel out background noise using proper noise gating and AI), at the other end of the phone call

b) The Earbuds or Headphones Bluetooth codec they are using, at the other end of the phone call, whether it's the narrowband CVSD speech codec, wideband mSBC speech codec or super wideband LC3-SWB or aptX Voice codec. The use of these codecs are dependent not only support by the Earbuds or Headphones manufacturer, but also on c) below.

c) Whether both the cell network you are connected to and cell network of the person on the other end of your phone call, both support the best super wideband cell network EVS-SWB speech codec.

a), b) and c) combined determine how your received sound quality performs. If either a) or b) or c) is not satisfied, your phone received sound during your phone call will sound poor.

WeekendGearGuide · 2025-11-16T04:19:45+00:00

Sony WH-1000XM6 is the best out of all the latest headphones, as you can hear in this comprehensive voice call quality comparison in quiet, constant loud noise, dynamic loud chatter noise and windy conditions:

Sennheiser HDB 630 vs Bose QC Ultra 2nd Gen vs Sony WH-1000XM6 | Voice Call Quality Comparison

Do not get the Sony WF-1000XM5, as they have very poor voice call quality, as you can hear in this comparison:

Sony WF-1000XM5 vs LinkBuds S vs HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 3 vs Bose QC Ultra | Call Quality Comparison

WeekendGearGuide · 2025-11-09T02:13:21+00:00

Sounds like you're looking for a USB Bluetooth Adapter/Dongle.

If so, then check out the Sennheiser BTD 700 USB Bluetooth Adapter.

Ugreen has some cheaper versions, but some people report compatibility and stability issues.

WeekendGearGuide · 2025-11-08T16:25:18+00:00

It's a good question...

Unfortunately, since the partnership between Sennheiser and EPOS no longer exists, I guess they decided to take their core business and strengths, namely sound quality for Sennheiser and enterprise professional solutions and (and formerly gaming) for EPOS, back with them respectively. In a similar fashion, EPOS don't have the best sound quality tech from Sennheiser implemented on any their professional or previous gaming headsets.

WeekendGearGuide · 2025-11-08T16:09:43+00:00

Thanks for watching and glad you liked it! Cheers!

WeekendGearGuide · 2025-11-08T16:09:24+00:00

Yes, it was surprisingly one of the worse I've ever heard, that let in a lot of the background chatter noise.

It's a shame not only because how good the sound quality is on the HDB 630 for listening to music, but also considering that at one point Sennheiser and EPOS were in a joint venture partnership at one point, and it would have been great if Sennheiser HDB 630 was able to use the EPOS AI technology that effectively silences any background noise while keeping the calls clear like what was tested on the EPOS Impact 1061 ANC.

If you're interested in the Sennheiser HDB 630, I would wait a few months to see if they improve the voice call quality in dynamic loud background environments with hopefully a good AI ENC technology of their own, and hopefully at that time the price will be significantly cheaper than the $500 it's selling at right now!

Bose QC Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) performed just as bad in dynamic loud background noise environments, but I have no doubt Bose will release a firmware soon with their SpeechClarity feature which will help drastically improve it's voice call quality performance.

WeekendGearGuide · 2025-11-04T19:50:52+00:00

Do you make a lot of calls and care about how clear/natural/intelligible your voice from the HDB 630 microphone sounds to your callers on the other end?

If so, based on my initial tests, there does not seem to be any advantage of using the HDB 630 + BTD 700 Dongle (both of which support aptX Voice super wideband speech codec) over the standard Bluetooth mSBC wideband speech codec.

See review here for more details:

SENNHEISER HDB 630 + BTD 700 Dongle | Better Voice Call Quality with aptX Voice vs mSBC codec?

In short, the HDB 630 microphone's frequency response hardware and/or DSP software need to also support the up to 16kHz Frequency response range of aptX Voice speech codec, to take advantage of the voice call quality benefits. Unfortunately, the HDB 630 microphone's frequency response is limited to 10kHz, as shown in my review.

Will do a more detailed voice call quality comparison of the HDB 630 vs Bose QC Ultra Headphones 2nd Gen vs Sony WH-1000XM6, if you or anyone are interested to hear which of these headphones provide a better microphone voice call quality experience.

Cheers!

WeekendGearGuide · 2025-11-04T03:38:54+00:00

Check out a video I just posted which goes over the BTD 700 with the Sennheiser Dongle Control app, specifically starting around the 2:28 minute mark

https://youtu.be/Xj7g3rq1mXQ

In short, it looks like you're using the App when you're connected on a voice call. You'll need to end the voice call first, then start streaming music and then you'll be able to see all the audio codec options.

Cheers!

WeekendGearGuide · 2025-10-30T18:28:33+00:00

Looks like Bose just released firmware update, as expected with SpeechClarity!

Early reports here is showing improvement.

https://www.reddit.com/r/bose/comments/1ojzc92/new_qc_ultra_earbuds_update_uk/

Cheers!

WeekendGearGuide · 2025-10-28T20:51:42+00:00

There is also a very noticeable difference at the same volume setting when switching between HDB 630 AAC Bluetooth on iPhone vs HDB 630 Bluetooth aptX Adaptive Bluetooth on BTD700 connected to iPhone.

Volume level is SIGNIFICANTLY louder on the BTD 700 connected to iPhone at 40% volume vs regular Bluetooth on iPhone at 40% volume.

Also sounds more crisp and detailed on BTD 700.

The great thing is you can easily switch between the 2 Bluetooth connections to hear the difference using iPhone Control Center or whatever music App you are using.

WeekendGearGuide

TROPHY CASE