Less pain does not imply that the effect will be less - as a matter of fact, the 3rd generation Ultherapy machines have been programmed to deliver less energy with similar clinical effectiveness.
There does not appear to be any direct correlation between the amount of pain during/after an Ultherapy procedure and the end result. Similarly, the amount of bruising post procedure is variable and also does not correlate with the end result. Pain is such a subjective quality. Some factors that can be related to the level of pain one may experience include the depth and energy level of treatment of the specific handpiece that is being used, the area of treatment, the skin thickness and amount of subcutaneous fat.