Sony - PULSE Explore

There are the Sony pulse Explore earbuds. Those were made with the PS5 and ps portal specific in mind. They come with the playstation link usb dongle to connect them with the PS5.

I have the sony pulse explore buds and while I dislike them overall (way too many connection problems) they do have a feature I LOVE: you can listen to your game \*and\* music at the same time via bluetooth on your phone for example. The Arctics gamebuds to \*not\* have this feature, correct? I didn't see it called out, so am assuming they do not have this particular feature. thanks!

Can't stand headphones for longer than 15 minutes so Pulse Explore for me. They sound great and are very comfy!

I've tried other options, but I stick with the included ear buds for most of my time played. The Pulse Explore earbuds were light with better sound, but didn't like the microphone switching to Pulse Explore over headset (closer to mouth and better quality). I have the Pulse Elite which I use when playing Helldivers 2, but I don't feel like using that with the PSVR2 for reasons below: * Added weight / discomfort over already having a VR headset on my head. * PSVR2 uses the faster port in front (left) that Pulse Elite works more reliably with. If the Pulse Elite would work reliably using the slower port in front (right), then I would give it a try for PSVR2 for less physically active games for the better audio and mic. For more physically active games, I think I will always prefer the included wired earbuds that are light and can't fall off since they are tethered to the headset.

I bought those explorer earbuds, and the one on the right side broke in less than two months. It started disconnecting and then stopped connecting... It was a huge waste of money.

I bought the Explores used and purchased the foam tips. Even the smallest does not fit my ears well. I actually run them with no tips. The sound isn’t awesome but they do stay in comfortably for my ears.

The cushions for the explores make it the first set of buds that actually stay in my ears.

Do NOT get the PS Pulse Explore earbuds. Disconnects all the time. No mute button. Needs a dongle to use even though it’s a PS product.

I had trouble keeping them in my ear until I learned how I was actually supposed to put them in. I didn’t realize you were supposed to place them in facing horizontally screw them into your ear 45 degrees…. Been fine ever since

Well All of that is true. Disconnecting is really annoying. No, it’s disgusting and should not exist for the headphones that cost $200. Also, that crappy dongle is not USB-C, but USB-A… but… Anyway, for quality: Pulse Explore has the best 3D sound stage (imagining). Sound is real 360. Drivers are the best on the market. Plus, it works with PS VR2 because of its form factor. For stability: SteelSeries Apex Nova Pro Wireless. No connectivity issues, great sound, great 3D sound stage. All works perfectly, but firmware updates via PC or Mac. Not compatible with PS VR2. You will need another headset for that or use standard ones. Not great, not terrible: SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds. Mediocre. Huge bass. Medium quality. No issues at all.

I just bought the pulse explores for psvr2

Pulse explore is literally your only choice on the portal. Other than that you’re using wired headphones. I used a set of Sony wired earbuds (the best ones I could find) and they still weren’t great. I’ve since got a set of Inzone buds (Sonys PC focused gaming earbuds) which work great with the PS5 and sound way better than the Pulse explores. They’re 2.4ghz as well so zero lag, and come with an adapter that plugs into the USBC port. No good for the portal unfortunately though. I did try on its USB port lol.

I have the Pulse Explore and don't love them. The fit for me is a bit awkward and not super comfortable. Sound quality is good though when they are seated in the ear. I'm now looking to get a new set of gaming buds. I would use them more with my Portal and Rog Ally X. I'm leaning towards the ASUS Cera Speednovas but also looking at the Inzones.

Same. As Winston says, once you replace the tips they’re great for psvr2 and general use. Loving them.

As an older gamer dealing with some high frequency hearing loss and tinnitus, I was looking for wireless earbuds that would offer high quality sound at lower volume to use with my dadstation (aka Portal). Typically Sony, these the only wireless earbuds compatible with the Portal (otherwise you need a clunky dangling dongle; how that is not worse than wired earbuds, I donno.) Fortunately, the Sony Pulse Explorer earbuds deliver a high quality sound experience as a near perfect companion to the Playstation PS5 and Portal that truly brings out the sound design details of games. Apparently, this is because Sony acquired an audiophile-grade audio company, Audeze, and then incorporated its proprietary planar magnetic drivers into some of its Sony Playstation headphones. These reproduce sound in a totally different way. You can absolutely tell the difference but some people prefer the standard cheapo drivers because they are loud, but also full of distortion once you hear the difference. Save your ears, turn it down, and listen for the details. However, if you prefer louder earbuds and/or you expect to be playing Portal in noisy environments, then these won’t be suitable. Furthermore, as a general purpose earbud to pair with your smartphone, they unfortunately have a wind noise problem that is too apparent while walking around on even a slightly breezy day. I found I can twist them to point downward and the wind deflects more silently, but the sound isn’t as isolated. If you have the money and want to save your ears so you can keep gaming when you’re an old fart like me, these just might do the trick. While they are specialized for gaming, they will make your music library absolutely sing in quiet listening environments, but probably won’t be the only pair of earbuds you’ll ever need. **Pros** - Exceptional sound quality, especially for detail, clarity, and separation at low volumes - EQ has significant effects; bass boost is very noticeable (controlled on PS5 but applies to all sound connections) - Zero latency while gaming - Good battery life **Cons** - Minimal isolation; no sound cancellation; not loud - Wind noise while walking around because of earbud shape - Volume controls don’t work over a Bluetooth connection - Ear comfort is good but not excellent; Sony design form over function - Bulky charge case; Sony design form over function - Needs a USB dongle for zero latency; dongle not compatible with other Playstation headphones so you may have to swap dongles - Expensive

UPDATE: (please upvote for visibility) Thanks to an observation by u/Lazydayz23, the reason I was experiencing so much external wind noise (and general lack of noise isolation) is because I unknowingly had the "sidetone" option turned all the way up in the PS5 Audio settings for headsets. Once I turned this option down (so you can hear yourself during chats), the wind and noise issues were resolved. That makes perfect sense, since the mics were live broadcasting the environment (arguably the exact opposite of noise cancellation!) I can't edit the Original Post its seems but please reconsider my comments about wind and isolation given the important but deeply hidden "sidetone" feature! Thanks for everyone's thoughts and comments.

Per another commenter here, using PS Link and Bluetooth simultaneously will drain the battery more than usual.

Thank you for this. I will update the review with this note. Turning down the sidetone controls resolved it for me.

Yes, the microphone works for calls over Bluetooth. Quality is good, not amazing.

Thank you. Will try these tips out. Really enjoying the sound quality the more I listen so if I can upgrade to a true comfort fit for $10 it’s gonna be worth it.

Yes, they pair as Bluetooth headphones/headset to your smartphone. The wind noise issue I mentioned does not occur with AirPods so that could be a dealbreaker if you wear them outdoors frequently. You might also miss how Apple integrates AirPods more seamlessly than regular Bluetooth earbuds.

Agreed. But they feel expensive given that the Portal is the same price and consumers expect noise cancellation features at the price point.

5 hours is “good” but 8-10 hours would be “excellent.”

That has happened to me as well. Getting reconnected isn’t as simple as pressing the PS Link buttons either. Zero latency wireless audio shouldn’t be this tricky.

I don’t care if you buy them tbh

But no other brand can connect wirelessly to the PSP Portal with zero latency and no bluetooth dongles. Hence, the review. If folks want wireless latency-free audio on their Portal, it will cost $400 total. I don’t make the rules.

Completely wireless on Portal; requires a dongle for the PS5. Some folks expect the upcoming PS5 Pro to not need a dongle to use PS Link.

Yes, there still some bugs in the PS Link protocol and that USB dongle needs another firmware update.

The PS Link is a bit wonky. Not gonna lie. If you have no patience for wireless connectivity issues then wait for another firmware update or enjoy the convenience of plugging in a 100% reliable corded earbud with 0% latency that costs a fraction of the price and never needs charging.

Yes, paired as a Bluetooth headset and you can listen to music/take calls while connected to the Portal simultaneously.

You can adjust the mix between chat and game volume

The earbud mics

Yes. Details and separation are one of the key strengths of these earbuds planar technology.

Yes, it connects as a regular Bluetooth headset

Yes

Battery life seems good enough for me and battery life still remains strong 188 days since posting this.

Did you try holding down sync button in charging case for more than 20 seconds while plugged in to charger with ear buds nestled in place? (A full 20 seconds, use a timer.) Otherwise, contact Sony for warranty service.

Have you plugged them into your PS5 via USB to check for a firmware update recently?

Yes, they are worth it. Better fit.

I also have that setup but I can play the Pulse Explore earbuds at a drastically lower volume with increased detail, clarity, and separation and my primary concern is hearing loss and my tinnitus.

Yep, totally agree. You have be able to appreciate how well the planars reproduce detail with unrivaled clarity to understand why $200 is a relative bargain in the grand scheme of things.

This is the way. If you haven’t upgraded the tips for optimal fit then you have not heard the clarity, sound staging, and bass response with comfort fit when properly EQ’d in PS5 audio settings. I use [these replacement tips.](https://a.co/d/ayBm70U) If you need headphones that are mostly overloaded bass then you’ll need a set of wired then.

I worked out in them today, they look beautiful. They don't fall out at all. They stay in place like they were glued on, take them to the gym and work out without any problems.

You were wise to return them. I don't know if some are just lemons but I got a pair for Christmas and they are about to go through a wall for all the issues I'm having with them. Random disconnects still happen quite frequently among other issues (one will start buzzing or they seem to just suddenly die despite being charged). I expected better from Sony...

I have both of them. Sound quality is great, especially after the last update. Still, both keep disconnecting from the PS5 from time to time, and the only way to "fix" it (for some time) is to get up and remove the USB dongle from the console, before putting it in again. I'd say if you have the Portal and need to choose, go with the Pulse Explore ones (they don't have any disconnecting issues with it). If you don't have the Portal, I'd say to try to find other phones that work with PS5, so you don't have to worry about them disconnecting from time to time.

These made my playstation illiterate. They would constantly disconnect and it would stop reading the usb. I plugged them in for an "update" (tf are you updating??) And the case hasn't held a charge since. So the new version should be dropping any day now

I have the Pulse Explore Earbuds because I travel with Portal. They are not as comfortable as AirPods but great sound. Because they are on their own network you can connect the Earbuds to Portal and your phone at the same time. Background music, taking calls etc is seamless. Having got used to that feature I wouldn’t want Sony to switch to open Bluetooth, the simultaneous connection would be lost.

Weird. Had my pulse since christmas, use it every day or so and never had disconnection issues

İ have a problem with the explorer the right ear keeps disconnecting and not sound coming from it like no control works and such like it Just dies even case doesnt see it correctly sometimes

I have been using pulse Elite and I think they are phenomenal headphones honestly. And they are $50 less than the explores. I bought the explores and thought the sound was decent but that the fit was off and after only an hour or so of wearing them my ears hurt already. The elites though, I’ve been very happy with. Easy connection to portal and PS5. Automatically connects to your phone after you set it up once. I like being able to get lost in a game with them on but also have my phone sound on so if I receive a text or call I hear it on my headphones while playing too.

I haven't had any issues with it. If there are latency issues I haven't noticed them. I also recently bought the playstation pulse explore earbuds and honestly they have more issues than just using the airfly adapter and my samsung earbuds, beats earbuds etc

if you want earbuds, consider Sony INZONE Bud instead. This is what I am currently using after returned my pre-ordered PULSE Explorer. For me, Sony INZONE Bud is much better because 1. Longer battery life 2. more depth on base sound (maybe now is different since you can adjust in PS) 3. No disconnection (main reason why I returned PULSE) 4. more comfortable on my ears. But I use this for PS5 only. I don't use it elsewhere as I have separate earbud for my cellphone and dont' really play too much on portal either. if you want to be connected with Portal & PS together then maybe PULSE will do the job but expect to get disconnected time to time as far as I know, this wasn't fixed still.

Ture, wheen it comest to Portal users... but I still don't recommend PULSE cause of disconnecting issue. It was a major disappointment for me since I looked forward this earbud but after using it for a few days, I decided to return it with no hesitation.

yea, I just wrote my comment based on my usage issue with PS. OP didn't mentioned that he needs it for portal or PS. Even still, i don't recommend PULSE due to major flaw of frequent disconnecting issue. maybe not with portal but at least with PS.

I honestly hate them. They're so pricey, have fuck all for range, and according to my friends I'd constantly cut in and out or sound robotic in calls, I have the PS5 pro so the dongle has to go in the back of the console, not sure if that causes any issues or not. Either way, was not an enjoyable experience over my $50 pair of Bluetooth headphones

I connect mine to my Sony tv and it sounds better than my pulse do connected to the PS5

If you can find a pair of OG wired EarPods they’re always great but most I find on sites like Amazon these days are fakes. Personally I fucking hate the Sony pulse earbuds. Way too big and uncomfortable, and sound like ass.

They suck as earbuds tho and are very overpriced

Whatever you do, don't buy the pulse explore earbuds. Fucking things are trash.

Constant random disconnections from the ps link dongle. I'll be sitting literally 3 feet away from it and it'll drop 5 times in a few hours. And the only way to fix it is to unplug the reinsert the dongle. Other days it won't disconnect once all day.

Then you want the PlayStation Pulse Explores they are specifically designed to work with PS5. Low lag and 3D sound. They are literally exactly what you are looking for.

I only get that with mine like twice a week. I’m on my second pair though because my first pair stopped connecting. I got new ones on warranty, but I hear you. But when they work, I think they’re great! It’s a shame they’re not so reliable for that massive price.

THe sound for these are really great. These would be awesome if they didn't just decide to disconnect in the middle of games or chats and are fully charged. The amount of money you pay for these for this to be a common issue almost everytime I try and wear them is not worth it. It would be better for me to by a pair of sony headphones for much less than spend over $200 for pair of earbuds I can't even use half the time. When they work, they are amazing. But I just can't use them more than half the time without them disconnecting for no apparent reason

Complete drop out - even 5 foot away - turning my head would result in the ear furthest away dropping out for a couple of seconds - even with a usb extender to move the dongle from the back of the console to the front. I gave up on the end and got steelseries Gamebuds and didn’t look back

For VR - i didn't want to use over the head headphones - I have the Pulse Elite and steelseries since gets too hot on my ears. I tried the Elite Explorers - range on them was horrid - it would lose connection just by turning my head - console was about 7 foot away - and even if I used an usb extender to move the transmitter to the front of the console - it would still sometimes cut out. I then purchased the Steelseries Gamebuds - and they been great - 2.4ghz and BT \[you have to swap modes on them though - so you can have both modes at same time - unlike the explorers\] - but they come with a mobile app to control and set EQs - over 250 EQ built in for most popular games.

Pulse explore earbuds work perfectly with portal...not so great with PS5. Disconnect issues which probably won't be fixed till the next gen comes out

I have both the explore buds and elite headsets. I use my Pulse Elite headphones almost daily. I barely use my buds unless I'm going out. Even then I only use them if I'm taking my portal with me. I use other buds for just music when out. The only issue I have with the new black pulse elite and I read it's also an issue with the older white model, it randomly drops connection while I'm in the middle of a chat or game, annoying

I use pulse explore with different ear tips. I’d try different ear tips you have laying around before returning.

I just bought these and are picking them up today at Target. I am specifically using them just to play games with my ps5. I was using the Pulse 3D before and I really wanted to steer away from the over the ear design and I much prefer in ear design. I’m on an older gamer as well, 40, and these are much more comfortable compared to over the ear. The price, really didn’t bother. Also, I’m really not a person to be making something super loud as well. I also play in a very quiet environment in a basement in front of a 27 inch monitor

I had all kinds of trouble with the Explore sitting in my ears and even tried foam tips but would still feel loose. Tried some silicone tips I found on Amazon “AZLA SednaEarfit MAX ASMR Standard” and they finally fit snug. I have small ears and the S size in this set wound up fitting best.

Me and my friend have tested the Pulse Explore, Sony Inzone, and Razer Hammerhead earbuds, but none matched the sound quality of the ASUS ROG Cetra True Wireless SpeedNova. Spent a week comparing each model directly and reached the same conclusion. Therefore, the ASUS ROG Cetra was our preferred choice.

Finally got my portal working fantastically well (after seriously pumping up the speeds of my home WiFi!) and have been using it a lot more! It’s sooooooo much better, once you have a stable connection….!! As a result I wanted a decent pair of headphones or buds and obviously looked at both the ‘Pulse Elite’ (which had pretty sniffy reviews online) and eventually grabbed the ‘Pulse Explore’ ear buds, which I’ve been just as disappointed with tbh. They are very ‘tinny’ and lack any real depth/base So much so, I’m gonna be returning them back to Amazon - so what would you guys recommend as to the best sounding headphones/buds, that pair with the Portal? Thx

The main advantage of the pulse explore is they have lossless audio. Whatever else you get will not be lossless. The audio is very high pitch. I run mine with full bass and lows yet they still have no punch.