Jim Allen (or was it dNewton3?) posted a wonderfully erudite and detailed thesis in which it was stated that unless the filter in question demonstrated a measurable improvement in wear, then its extra "betterness", if you will, was not relevant. I think the factory-recommended Motorcraft filter is of sufficiently high quality (for my purposes) that there isn't anything that could, in practical terms, be better.
IMHO. YMMV. Professional driver. Closed Course. Do not attempt. Use only as directed. Etc.
It was Newton.
I can't discount his argument but my gut tells me there is more to it. Until I can find an equally convincing argument to counter it with, it stands as a pretty good theory, if not fact.
There is more to a filter than efficiency. Where the Ultra, and the other premium syn filters, are better than the MC, or similar filters, is the vastly increased capacity. The Ultra for my 5.4L has twice the capacity of the MC FL820S so for longer runs, it would prove to be a better filter. That capacity would also be a plus in the filter's ability to avoid bypass. Whether these two features, added to the syn's significant efficiency advantage, is worth the price premium needs to evaluated on an individual basis. For short, or relatively short, OCIs the premium filters probably don't add up.
