ULTIMACOMFORT EXD-09PN-IN / EXD-09PN-OUT air conditioner

Our verdict on the ULTIMACOMFORT EXD-09PN-IN

Ultima Comfort Exceed is the entry price point in the manufacturer’s lineup: a 9k on/off model for 25,000 rubles. The segment is intentionally built to feel “cheap” — even the indoor unit’s design is deliberately simpler than its warehouse neighbors from the same distributor. The front panel gets an odd decorative “porthole,” a crookedly applied sticker, and two mismatched moldings. The impression is that the engineers were explicitly solving the problem of “making sure it doesn’t compete with the more expensive models in the range.” Manufacturing: TCL plant.

Spec-wise, the base package immediately shows where the savings went. There is no Wi‑Fi at all. Maximum airflow is 440 m³/h (typical for a 9k is around 600). Side louver control is manual only. No fine-filter is included.

The remote, however, is a pleasant surprise. It’s a compact handset with a small, non-backlit screen and not a single language label — all functions are shown with pictograms. For older users, hotel rooms, and any situation where you don’t want to memorize English mode names, this is a practical solution. The indications are crisp; the operating mode is readable without squinting.

Fan speeds: officially 5, in reality 7. All seven are confirmed by our airflow measurements — Quiet + five intermediate steps + Power. On the lowest speed, noise measured 34.2 dB — above our seasonal average, but acceptable for a small unit with a compact heat exchanger. Mechanical tonal noise is barely audible.

Stress test on a lab variac: the air conditioner holds steady at 150 V input; at 100 V the compressor shuts off with no indication (a typical budget simplification).

Internally, the unit is straightforward. The indoor heat exchanger is single-row, 7 mm copper (not the cheapest choice, by the way — the manufacturer didn’t go with a thinner 5 mm tube), with 6 return bends and a 50 cm loop length. By our measurement method, surface area is 0.13 m². This is close to the lowest figure in our season, and this is exactly where the price is made. The return-bend brazing is neat, with no visible defects.

The outdoor unit is unexpectedly normal in size: for a 9k it hasn’t been shrunk, and the diffuser runs the full height of the cabinet. There’s no port protection — a visible part of the “entry-price simplification.” There’s also no decorative rear grille. Vibration is 0.27, slightly above our “comfort corridor,” but still within what’s acceptable for an on/off unit.

Inside, the outdoor heat exchanger has gaps: you can see copper was saved here as well — 7 mm, 8 return bends, 65 cm length, surface area 0.23 m². Not rock-bottom, but not the classic 9k figure either.

Compressor: GMCC (KSM/KSN) series with index 99. This is the model’s main “honest” element: in the race to the lowest price, the manufacturer did not cut the compressor. Index 99 for a 9k is normal, not derated; the compressor blanket is present. Metering is via capillary tube.

Bottom line on Ultima Comfort Exceed: an “honest entry price.” It’s clear what was cut (design, heat exchangers, no Wi‑Fi, no fine-filter) and what wasn’t (GMCC 99 compressor, brazing quality, overall assembly). Strengths: compact remote with no language labels (universal for any user), seven genuinely usable fan speeds, properly sized outdoor unit, correct GMCC compressor, neat factory brazing, stable operation at 150 V. Weak points: record-small copper area of the indoor heat exchanger (0.13 m²), no port protection and no Wi‑Fi, no fine-filter included, debatable indoor-unit styling with a “decorative” porthole, elevated 34.2 dB noise for a small unit, and no indication when it drops out on undervoltage. We recommend it as a deliberate “entry-price” choice for spaces that aren’t frequently occupied (a non-residential corridor, a southern-region summer cottage, a rental unit) — with Ultima Comfort the cost cutting is visible, but it doesn’t turn into a fatal drop in quality.