With the launch of the PS5, Sony introduced a bunch of new interesting technologies. The biggest highlights for me were the haptic feedback, adaptive triggers in the DualSense controller, and 3D audio when wearing headphones. I used my HyperX Cloud II wired headphones (wired) with the DualSense controller for the longest time for immersive 3D audio. When it came time to upgrade my gaming headphones, I chose the Sony Pulse 3D because they worked well with all of my consoles. Today, I have the PlayStation Pulse Elite headphones for review. The unique thing about the Pulse Elite is that they come with planar magnetic drivers. We could talk about how and why planar magnetic drivers are amazing, but we’ll save that for another article. Today we will aim to answer 1 simple question. How much of an upgrade is the Pulse Elite (priced at Rs 12,490) from the Pulse 3D which is available for around Rs 8,000? Let’s find out.
design
The Pulse Elite feature black earcups and a white headband, in line with the design of the PS5 and Pulse 3D headphones. The difference is that the headband that seamlessly integrates into the earcups has an angular and edgy design. My one complaint with the Pulse 3D is that for a long time I didn’t know which was the left earcup because there was no distinct design element and you had to look for L and R on the earcup. You won’t make that mistake with the Pulse Elite. I wouldn’t call the headphones heavy, but rather “full” as they have an impressive presence when worn.
One thing that surprised me was how light and comfortable they felt during long periods of gaming. They don’t feel heavy, feel balanced and comfortable. The biggest difference for me compared to the Pulse 3D is that where the Pulse 3D feels more “on-ear” (sits on my ears), the Pulse Explorer feels “over-ear” due to their larger earcups that make them so Makes. More comfortable and immersive for long-term use. I’m a person with large ears, so finding comfortable “over the ear” earcups is quite challenging. This also helps with better passive noise isolation (more on that in the performance section).
The headset also has an integrated mic that you can easily take out of its housing to use. It’s flexible, so you can adjust its position closer or further away from your mouth depending on comfort.
One very unique thing about the headset is that in addition to USB-C charging, the headband also has “connectors” and you get a charging dock in the box. Simply hang your Pulse Explorers on the stand and they will charge when not in use. This is a great accessory to have in the box, and given the headset’s long battery life, you’re setting yourself up to never run out of charge. Talking about the box, you also get a USB dongle to connect the headset to your PC and PS5. While the headset does have a 3.5mm port, sadly it does not come with a 3.5mm cable in the box which is a big disappointment for me as I use a 3.5mm cable to connect the headset to my Switch and Xbox Series Will use.
Overall, the design is a big upgrade from the Pulse 3D in terms of both looks and function.
to install
Setting up the Pulse Elite is similar to setting up the Pulse Explorer – you simply plug the dongle into the console’s USB port, put on the headset and download the software update and you’re ready to go.
The same is true for PS Portal. Press the link button on the portal, do the same on the headset and you’re good to go! The same PS Link button is used to connect the headset to your smartphone.
sound quality
Here’s the funny thing – both the Pulse Elite and the Pulse Explorer have planar magnetic drivers, but I liked the bass thump better in the Pulse Explorer (Review) Simply because the TWS was a good fit with good isolation, resulting in better bass. It’s an out-of-the-box experience. Once you go into the equalizer settings on the console, I boosted the bass a bit, and I was very happy with the results on the Elite as well.
The Pulse Elite does not support ANC and I am glad that with ANC on I cannot use the headphones for long periods of time. Passive noise isolation is very good to the extent that during a heavy firefight in Call of Duty Black Ops 6, I could barely detect the cooker going off in the kitchen and the doorbell ringing, both of which are quite loud.
Talking about audio quality, it is great for both gaming and regular content consumption. The wind gusts and web shooters in Spider-Man 2 are very clear and there is great separation between tone and action during gameplay. The opening Sandman battle is really impressive and the 3D audio effects are great too. Even in GT7, the separation of music rally race – tier scratching and background score is different.
Stellar Blade and Astro Bot were 2 games that the headphones did really well. In Stellar Blade, you have a pop-band like background score and the clash of your sword against enemies was very satisfying. Astro Bot has a peppy background score with lots of elemental sounds and they all sound mesmerizing and immersive.
There’s pretty good channel separation when it comes to movies, especially the 11-minute run in Ready Player One. As I said above, the bass felt a little lacking. Since I watched the movie using the Apple TV app on the PS5, I could adjust the bass, but I’m not sure you can do that if you consume content on your phone or laptop using these headphones. Are.
battery life
“Holy smokes, it’s long!” This is the only thing that will come to your mind when you think of battery life. The headset claims 30 hours of life on a single charge and a 10-minute charge can give you up to 2 hours of battery life. The headset takes 2.5 hours to fully charge. Considering the charging dock you get in the box, I don’t think you’ll ever run out of charge while gaming with these headphones.
decision
If the Pulse 3D were good headphones for PS5 gaming, the Pulse Elite are great too! They offer far more battery life (30 hours compared to 12 hours on the Pulse 3D), come with planar magnetic drivers that provide better sound quality, have a better and more comfortable build and connect wirelessly to the PlayStation Portal. Are there. The only downside is that they lack a bit of bass for movies and music and don’t come with a 3.5mm cable in the box. Whether you should upgrade to these over the Pulse 3D (or any other budget gaming headset) depends on your needs. But if you’re in the market to buy a pair of mid-range headphones, especially if you’re also rocking the PlayStation Portal, the Pulse Elite are an easy choice. At the same price, you can also check out the InZone H5 which is a great option for gamers.
Editor’s Rating: 8/10
professional:
- Great sound output for gaming
- Good sound for music and movies
- Comfortable over ear design
- long battery life
- charging dock in the box
- Works well with PlayStation Portal
Shortcoming:
- There is no 3.5mm cable in the box
- Low bass while consuming content on smartphone/laptop
- White color can get dirty easily
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