Sony / PlayStation - PULSE Elite Wireless Headset

Avoid these headphones at all costs. I got the Pulse Elites a month ago and they disconnect like crazy and now I can’t even get them to pair with the provided dongle. I’m taking mine back for a refund and getting a different brand because they suck beyond comprehension.

Seconded, I'm coming here for a replacement because the right side of my pulse elite cracked in half. I was not particularly rough on them and in 20 years of using headsets I've never experienced that kind of failure. Rough for a $150 headset.

After spending a day researching, I bought a pair of these yesterday. My main priorities were comfort, sound quality, and visual appeal (in that order). In my less-than-24-hour review, I can say that they feel exceptionally comfortable on my head. As soon as I put them on, they just felt right. The ear cups are soft and create a good seal around my ears, and they stay in place even when I move my head. When I lean back into my couch, they don’t get pushed forward by the cushions. They feel solid while wearing them, though they do move around a bit when not worn, but that’s just due to the design. I’ll be interested to see how the build holds up over the long term. Sound quality is good to great. It’s hard to make a direct comparison, but everything sounded immersive while playing BG3. The average listener probably won’t notice much difference between these and a $300 headset, though audiophiles might. I really like the way they look, unlike many other headsets that appear cheap. I can easily picture other designs for the same price point in a drawer filled with old floppy disks and discarded USB cables. But the Pulse 3d Elite look sleek and serious. For $150, they match the design of my PS5 and controller, which is a nice touch. I also appreciate how the mic hides away in the design. While I haven’t tested the audio quality of the mic yet, from what I’ve seen in YouTube videos, it seems well-suited for its purpose. They were easy to set up, and I quickly got used to the on-device buttons for adjusting volume. That’s it for my first impressions. I’ll check back in a month or so with an update on my experience.

They're solid. I have had it a few times where it's disconnected out of nowhere which is frustrating. Mic quality is decent, nobody has mentioned it being an issue For $150 you could probably find better headphones but for me they look and feel good

Agreed. I like my Pulse Elites. But I like my 5.1 system even more.

Any update now that you've had them for a few months? I tried a pair on several months ago and could hear a slight crackling noise which I've read some people have that issue. Have you had that?

Same here. I was about to throw mine out when I realized you could buy replacement earpads on Amazon. Game changer.

Thank you. I personally love the comparability with the PlayStation ecosystem so I’m okay with them not being perfect. Thanks for the update!

I don't know what all of the people here are saying but I tried it out for a week (borrowed) and my cheap 30€ Headphones from Amazon Mpow H7 were only slightly worse, almost unnoticeable. The only positive fact for me is that they are wireless. Edit: My Headphones have been lasting since the PS5 launched in 2020 but I have to replace them now since the rubber on the side is tearing.

I got my Pulse Elite recently and I really like it. I previously had a Pulse 3D, but I got the Elite mainly for the fact that it also offers Bluetooth so can use with your phone etc as well. Sound quality is excellent and a good step up on the Pulse 3D. It's also super comfortable to wear and battery life is far better than the Pulse 3D. Also I found this review really useful. Definitely the most informative review I came across. https://youtu.be/69CQ6mO6S7A?si=1JWYtnc-4sk9utFn

literally the shittiest ps5 headset ever, randomly disconnects, mic randomly stops working, and if you try resetting everything most of the time it won't change anything.

Funny thing is i came here because my pulse elite’s side just cracked while just putting it on. Do not waste money on those. They sound great but the build quality is really really bad. There’s a whole thread on reddit and it is a very common issue. They all end up cracking mostly on the right side

This is why I went with the pulse elite. It does audio over wifi. Almost no latency. 

It's done with a USB dongle connected to the PS5. It's called Playstation link. Your actually right it's not wifi. 

Mine snapped 2 months after purchase

I used the original Playstation Pulse for the last couple years and they were awesome for Siege. Felt like I could hear footsteps and knew exactly where they were coming from. They were starting to breakdown a bit and decided it was time for a new pair. Curiosity got to me and I ended up buying the Steelseries Arctis 7p's which I heard were top notch. You have to download software to get these dialed in to be able to hear what you want to hear. Been a bit of a pain in the ass. Kind of wish I would have just gone with the Playstation Pulse Elites. Grass isn't always greener! If anyone else is using the 7p's and has a good EQ setting for Siege, please let me know!

I have been looking at those. Right now I am leaning towards the Sony Pulse Elite Wireless headset, even though I mostly game on my Xbox, I can use them on it wired, and have the benefits on the PlayStation games. I have an old Razor Krakken, and everything sounds, I guess the best way to describe it, is heavy and dark. I don’t know much about adjusting eq levels and all that, which is why the Arctis 5X caught my eye because it has a lot of presets. Any other thoughts on it?

I personally think the quality of the sound is amazing. I had a cheap surround capable headset before the Elite and it had obvious lower quality audio. But with the Elite the sound is great, and it is comfortable to wear. I was a little worried at first because the ear cups look a little small but they are definitely around ear headphones and they do a pretty great job sealing around blocking outside noise. The battery lasts a significant amount of time too. If I had one complaint, and this is basically the same complaint with the dual sense is the charge contacts on the top band are extremely annoying to line up properly especially since I have the little stand inside of my media stand so it is hidden. Like the dual sense, a bunch of times I will think I lined it up properly but it doesn't start charging and I have to fiddle around with it more. Would have been nice if it was induction charging with a magnet to keep in place or something else instead of the pin and contacts style it has. It does sometimes randomly disconnect which can be a little frustrating and it requires unplugging/plugging back in the Playstation Link USB, which means I think the issue is more with the dongle more than the headset because it connects back just fine the second you reseat the dongle. It hasn't happened much lately, I think they had an update that might have resolved issues but it used to happen once out of 30 or so times i would play, so not often enough to be a deal breaker but when it did happen it would be annoying.

The pulse elite sound good but the disconnecting issue is so annoying that I wouldn’t buy them again. Disconnects in the middle of an online game so you’re left in silence until you get a chance to remove them reinsert the usb dongle (turning off and on again using the headset button does not work for me). I’d also be interested to know of any more reliable headsets.

sony pulse elite is wireless and much better than all the other closed back options in that price range for gaming wired open back beyerdynamic tygr 300 r if your best bet IEM you can get Kefine Delci AE under $100 even after taxes on sale($89 msrp) from aliex edit:/ also cloud 2s were never made by kingston, just marketed and sold by them, it was a takstar OEM product based on Takstar Pro 80, on cloud alphas they did some more modifications, tuned it more neutral like Takstar Hi 2050(open back) and put nicer earpads from Takstar Pro 82

i use the sony playstation pulse headset and it honestly checks all ur boxes except for retractable mic (it at least ain't visible tho, just built in). the mic quality isn't super good since it is bluetooth, but that's always gonna be a problem no matter what headset ur buying. wired will always be preferable in quality. it's SUPER noise cancelling tho because it doesn't have open back ear cups, just solid plastic all around. and it also has an inner adjustable rubber strap that sits on ur head instead of the actual headset band. so u can make it really tiny or big if u need to :) i bought it originally to use on my ps5 but i've since moved to mainly PC and i've tried many headsets n this is the one i've stuck with, i thinks it's extremely underrated !

How long have you had it? It literally broke on the hinges for me. Personally, I think it's a piece of garbage because aside from the constant disconnections, getting a repair scheduled for this headset required you to take a picture of a tiny af qr code just made it all frustrating. Definitely will be looking into a non-sony version

Same here I'm about 63cm head size and this have been tight since launch. This week though I see a crack along the line between the main speaker and handle

Big head here, new elite headset is super comfy.

Since launch. I only use it 4-6 hours a week. Treat it quite gently, like any electronics I handle. Been solid for me.

The Sony Pulse Elite may be worth looking into as well. The mic isn't the best, but the headphones are planar magnetic and great.

For PS5, the Pulse and Pulse Elite. Made specifically for that system and has great 3D audio. They’re great for pinpointing the exact location of footsteps.

do you have some point of comparison to maybe pulse 3d or pulse elites? how is the bass? You still like these after 2 months ?

Thank you. In fact I am looking for new headset because pulse elite clamps my head too much and I am tired of hearing my own heartbeat pumping

Sound is good but a bit bass light. As for comfort, I preferred pulse 3d. it was lighter, clamped less and didn't seal as much as elites. Elites makes me hear my own heartbeat

I returned elites and I am using pulse 3d again. Just had to replace Earpads with wicked cushion

Yeah and until like a week ago the pulse elite had terrible disconnecting issues. It's not a terrible headset but definitely feels cheap and the fact that it as a first party headset doesn't have chat to game mix on it and no dedicated bluetooth button really kills. it. The steelseries or turtle beach stealth 700 gen 2 are the way to go

It's rather cheaply made. I was disappointed

I've had my set since launch. Sound is amazing, my friends say the mic sounds good, and they fit my head. I have a big head and it seems like most head sets are too tight or too short to fit comfortably. Not sure how people are breaking them, but I guess not everyone is careful with their stuff. I use them on my PS5, and switch the dongle over and use it on my PC as well. Smoothly connects to both without issue. Also like that I can talk on my phone and play games at the same time. My wife calls and I can easily talk to her and play right along. I had one random disconnect in the many hours that I've been using them. I can't recommend them enough.

Pulse Elite Wireless. They've been good to me, and work in a way similar to my steelseries arctis 9x which have treated my xbox consoles very well these past few years plus they connect to my portal and phone for on the go playing.

Go for the Sony pulse elite at that price range

Yeah it’s a fucking pain in the ass. Randomly doesn’t work. Nothing worse than coming home after a long day hoping to hop on with the boys and your headset won’t connect for no reason. Literally on this thread March 2025 because I need a new set. Got pissed and threw it at the wall.lol

It's not. The headset only has volume, sync, and mute buttons. They removed all that cools tuff from 3D.

The disconnect issues has nothing to do with internet speed, it's a software problem that Sony needs to fix with an update. I was having lots of disconnect issues as well, but then I found a YT short that helped. My Pulse still disconnects sometimes, not as much tho. Hope this helps. Link: https://youtu.be/gJlYwm5uuME?si=OTmLf8LvjoP5Hifm

Pulse Elite has a patented 3d technology. That's what it's known/good for. If you wanted a regular headset, I think you bought the wrong thing. As for EQ, it's all up to your preference and the game. But this video should help: https://youtu.be/tTfDpmJ8AjA?si=DtL6gvEit6SRKBVQ P.S. This is the best pair of headsets I've ever owned and I used to have a professional studio headset before. It has incredible sound if you set it up right and movies/games feel amazing when they actually utilize everything the Pulse Elite has to offer. Silent Hill 2 does this and probably the best demonstration for the headsets. Checkout Returnal as well.

All the other comments says otherwise and I'm just worried sick now. Apparently it can snap easily? I've never heard of a headset snapping. That sounds poor quality imho.

Even if I only use it for gaming, I game a lot. After reading all the comments I'm seriously having second thoughts. I've heard much better things about the 3D. It even has better features, apparently.

Own Alienware and Audeze even the Playstation Pulse Elite aren't bad Maxwells are amazing but cumbersome this was further made apparent when I used the TurtleBeach Atlas Air no one talks about these open back headsets best Open Back in a decade which in return made putting the Maxwells uncomfortable Alienware Pro a recent purchase are light aesthetically perfect for gaming and I've used them gym wise also. Nice balanced sound and a good thump at the end 

I always enjoy seeing a thread about headset recommendations and just scrolling until I see the audiophile going out of the way to push a headphone with a mod mic. I can see the pro being alright if it's almost similar to 7. Currently using Sonys pulse elite, liked them but the builds cheap and the plastic around the earcup snaps easily.

Yeah I’m glad I kept mine around. I used them again for the first time since they released and haven’t had any issues. Being able to simultaneously connect to my Mac and ps5 makes it feel like I am on a pc lol I love it

Separated audiophile headphones and table mic usually beat the combo if you’re willing to use a wired one (will always beat wireless in quality), If you want wireless then there are a few gaming headsets that are good but usually overpriced. I personally use the ps5 pulse elite headset on console and pc, happy with it the sound is great, it’s probably only second the audeze maxwell which are basically up there with the audiophiles quality while being low latency / gaming, but all depends on the price you’re willing to pay

Agreed! The headband broke on me within a month. Trash design

Mine is in repair atm

I got a pair and it was great for about a week. Kept disconnecting and the magnetic drivers were defective. I had to return them and get a refund. I ended up going with the Arctis Nova 7. Better headset overall imo but the Pulse Elite is a bit better in spatial imaging.

I have the pulse elite headset and even after doing the 3d profiles, it feels like a lot of sounds that should be in front of me are coming from behind. Sometimes it doesn't happen but in games like Dark Tide where spacial awareness is a requirement, it gets kind of annoying.

I have a lot of cans and headsets. Most recent was Pulse Elite which looks a bit much but sounds good after EQ. If you don't need headset convenience, I would look at drop 59x, great value but open back design.

Also the white plastic is extremely weak at the joints and snaps very easily. I'm so disappointed in this and myself for trusting the reviews and hype about it. https://preview.redd.it/zuwvkw0fj5td1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=78b6f378f784308d5177181186ca5aedd56d295d The other side is snapped too.

No way, my 3D pulses sound like 7/11 ear buds compared to the elites. Granted… I think my pulses were bunk from the beginning, maybe defective, and so quiet. The Elites are amazing.

I'd stay away from the Sony Pulse Elite. I've just bought them a week ago during black Friday and today I issued my return request due to the following issues: 1) While using them I kept hearing this crackling sound like embers from a distant bonfire; extremely distracting and prone to drive you crazy. 2) They would randomly disconnect from my PS5 and trying to figure out how to reconnect them took me at least 10 mins at a time. 3) I haven't experienced this myself, but there are many other posts complaining of their poor build quality as they are very prone to breaking. I was very excited when I first started using them before these issues were made evident as I really enjoyed the sound quality and their integration with the PS5 interface. However, these issues were a massive dissapointment for an allegedly high-end Sony headset.

Yeah I was considering buying those but given that the Pulse Elite were released to the public with so many issues, I'm not sure if I trust Sony when it comes to gaming headsets. People also often vouch for the Steelseries Arctis series, but personally I'm just going to wait for the next round of sales, January sales or Black Friday 2025.

Worst headset I've ever bought, cannot use mine with the edge controller. Had them less than a year and they are already coming apart. They constantly disconnect and will not reconnect until you unplug and re-plug the USB dongle. Not sure why PlayStations official headset doesn't connect to the system by itself. Do NOT buy this headset.

Here's my takeaway after having them since launch, and they just broke yesterday. -Decent quality. Not quite enough bass. Pretty good at noise canceling. -isnt too heavy and has a wireless charging cradle. -decent battery life, lasts a long time even with Bluetooth connected to your phone too. Important factors: -disconnects now and then, enough to be annoying especially if you're a ranked grinder. There have been improvements but not enough. -very fragile design. I literally dropped it one time and the side snapped. It's held by 1/16th of inch plastic. And right where it's prone to snap, not even tape can fix. -cant control seperate game/chat audio like old PS rose headphones could. If you get gifted them definitely use them and enjoy them. But I wouldn't recommend buying them for 150$ if you need something better

I have them since two years or so and I love them. You have some settings to do, but its worth it. The only thing that drives me nuts is the dongle you need. Why hasn‘t the PS5 a built-in-device that can connect with the Pulse?

Sony Pulse Elite is the only one under $250 that sounds better than clouds at $150, even wireless clouds are 170 for 3, 200 for alpha, the good stuff is usually all $250+ and hardly go on sale, not sure if Pulse Elite can run on cable tho

This is an old post but how does your pulse elite disconnect all the time ? Mine keeps disconnecting and won’t reconnect unless I shut my system off .

Had mine in black since Christmas 2022, not one single problem, and very comfortable and soft, buttons on headset easily reachable and easy to remember which is which by feel. No issues with disconnecting, no issues with structural integrity. Not sure how you'd break them when they sit on your head 🤔 stop gamer raging folks lol. sound quality is ace, EQ with presets and custom settings built in. Overall a great headset, worth it. I bought the recharge combo stand for it, keeps spare controller and headset tidy, and safe.

Honestly I don't know how that's possible. The product sits on your head, it's obviously common sense to not overstretch them when putting it on or taking it off, and once it's on your head you only need press afew buttons for volume etc. So I don't understand how that can happen unless it's the wearer being too rough or forceful? Or yanking them off in a rage? I dunno the mind boggles 🤔 but mine are mint still, just gotta look after tech/gadgets. It's entirely your call, of course. I'm just giving my honest experience with them 😊

Not at all you're all good 😊 I'm rather particular when it comes to look after things like this, maybe a tad too particular lol. Or I've just been extremely lucky, I still dunno lol. It's cool though I hope you get the one youre looking for/happy with 😊

Quality of the headset is trash, I’ve had two of those snap over the past year from simply just putting them on my head and taking them off.

Agreed, have had two break on me in the past year, really terrible quality.

All of these are run via an external sound card + headphone amp: 1) beyerdynamic - DT 770 PRO 2) Sony PlayStation - Pulse Elite 3) Samsung wired earbuds + Woojer Vest 3 if in the mood… I think the Pulse Elites are the only ones from this decade, lmao. Cheers.

I just got mine yesterday they sound great. hmm my ears maybe are big I wish the sides would cover my ears around instead of sitting on top of them. like I have my hyperx in my PC. However the pulse elite is very very light, i dont feel pressure wearing it.

If you are going wired I'd try and snatch a deal on some H6Pros while they are still available. The Beyerdynamic MMX300 gen 2s are awesome as well if you can get them under $200. They are pretty much some DT770s with a built in mic and tuned slightly different. For wireless under $200 suprisingly the Pulse Elites are awesome. I still use my Nova Pro Wireless but reach for the Pulse Elites often and they are much cheaper.

I tried the Xbox Wireless Headset and although the features were great, no amount of EQ could get them to sound good. They sound TERRIBLE out of the box and mediocre at best with a HEAVY EQ. The Pulse Elites are way better if you want simultaneous bluetooth and quality sound. Plus you get a charging dock.

I like mine. Better sound and Much more comfortable than the ones before. Haven’t had disconnects since the second software update.

the wire is super weak. good headset

Yeah if you like headphones that work half of the time, riddled with bugs, high pitch noises in your ears, connect to the dongle but don’t receive sound etc. Easily the most problematic headphones I’ve ever had.

Im almost a year into mines and my band just snapped and i have a big head. I put in my repair request yesterday 1/23/25 and my purchase date was 2/25/24, so im still under warranty. They are great headphones and the ability to simultaneously connect to your phone or other bluetooth device is a cool feature. If anyone purchases, remember to keep your receipt.

Theyve had some patches that have improved some of that - Ive been ok recently.

the side the charging port is on get insanely hot.. and I mean too the point i wont touch it more that 2 seconds. I have tried different power bricks, different cords. nothing has changed it. I was in the middle of playing COD on PS5 while having the headset plugged in. all of a sudden i lost connection. went through the trouble shooting. noticed it was too hot. let it cool off. tried different cords and different bricks. now i have it plugged into my playstation. its not showing the orange "charging indicator". tried different cords. still the same result. ive had these for 8 months. I hastily switched to an old set of PS4 Sony Golds. they work fantas.... i mean ok... quality is lost. people i play with say the voice quality is average (however with an echo).

I got mine and they are amazing. Take care of your shit and you won't have a problem

i brought the playstation pulse elite abd it's amazing (need to be updated with a ps5 tho to stop the random cuts every1-2hrs) but it is a great headphone and the price is a steal.

Yes, still do for various scenarios. I have pulse elite and use it for PlayStation 

I have both the Pulse Explore with PS Link and the Pulse Elite over the ear headphones that came out in February. I personally prefer the Pulse Elite headphones with PS Link. Both work on my Portal without any dongles fantastic, but for comfort I game with the Elites

I’ve been impressed with them. They disconnect once in a while but not enough to truly bother me. I’m kind of a headphone snob too. lol.

I haven’t had a disconnect in a while. Played cod for 8 hrs over the weekend with no issues.

None of my friends ever complain about my mic. And the friends I have that use them come in clear.

Amazing headphones but the sides easily snap and break. I’m on my second pair now because I lost my first receipt but other than awful structural integrity I really love them

You don’t even own the same pair of headphones lol. Elite released this year.

It snapped when I took it off with one hand. Granted I should have been more gentle but no other pair of headphones have been damaged from me just pulling them off by the muff. Besides that I haven’t dared be rough with them and they are wonderful and sound amazing. I say go for it because the price tag is not too ridiculous and the simultaneous connection is really convenient and cool!

Excellent audio quality for gaming, music, and movie watching. Cool feature where you can also play bluetooth (music) simultaneously while gaming, if you're into that. I almost returned them when random disconnects were fairly frequent & annoying but recent software updates have greatly reduced the occurrences but still happens every now and then. No noise cancelling makes them a little less appealing as travel headphones.

It's literally just soundstage and imaging. There's no such a thing as a "3D audio headphone.". There are headphones with good soundstage and imaging and poor soundstage and imaging. The irony? All the headphones that are marketed with "3D audio" like the Sony pulse 3D are actually pretty garbage when it comes to soundstage, although they do have decent imaging. Except for the Pulse Elite, that one is garbage on both ends. Just do yourself a favor and don't buy gaming headphones.

I do this with mine but for some reason I get sound thre my pulse but my mic doesn't go threw the headset and wants to go threw the portal mic instead and causes some problems with people trying to hear me.

Just upgraded from the Sony Pulse to the HS80; 75 bucks refurbished from Corsair. Definitely a lot better than the Pulse but still a bit too much clamp force on my big head. I am also replacing the fabric ear cups with cooling gel fake leather because the fabric gets hot.