When the PlayStation 5 launched, Sony also launched the Pulse 3Da wireless headset equipped with technology Tempest 3D AudioTech, for total immersion. A few years later, the Japanese manufacturer is back with the Pulse Elite, an improved version compatible with PS5, but also PlayStation Portal, PC and mobiles. We spent long days and evenings with this new helmet on our heads, it’s time to deliver our verdict.
A very futuristic design, in line with the PlayStation 5.
Aesthetically, the Pulse Elite is a real evolution of Pulse 3D, it takes the same curves, but refines and refines them. The helmet features a very futuristic design, in line with the PlayStation 5, with a rigid white matte plastic hoop that extends down to the two earcups, housing the controls on the right and the gooseneck microphone on the left. This hoop also hides the charging port for the charging stand, a small box that screws to the wall to simply place the headset and charge it. Well, rental apartment and load-bearing walls oblige, we have not fully tested this functionality, but the headset slides easily on the support, you simply have to like having a device displayed on your wall and seeing a USB-C cable hanging . If you have a setup adequate, it’s nice, otherwise, you have to make do with the USB-C port on the right branch to recharge the headset by placing it on a piece of furniture, a desk or a table.
To return to the aesthetics of Pulse Elite, the user’s head does not rest on this rigid arch, but on a flexible rubber headband, which adjusts itself according to the morphology of the user’s skull. The earpieces are very round, padded with very soft foam and with a very thin imitation leather covering, which still raises some doubts about its solidity over the years, the thinness of the covering tends to crack on similar models, but all this naturally isolates the user from external noisefailing to offerANC (something not very useful on a helmet primarily designed to be used indoors, let’s face it). Anyway, between the headband and the earbuds, the circum-aural format headphones sit perfectly on the head and are quite comfortable for the first few hours, but the weight of 347g begins to be felt after a while. The headset is therefore generally quite comfortable for sessions lasting a few hours and seems very solid, even if the imitation leather covering and the padding could have been thicker.
Like all wireless headsets, the Pulse Elite embeds controls directly on the ear, or rather here on the branch stuck to the right earpiece. Sony learned from his mistakes, the controls are much better placed and intuitive, with two buttons to increase or decrease the volume on the rear part and the power button on the front part of the branch, separated by the USB-C and Jack 3.5 ports. Difficult to get lost, it’s very easy to use, it must be said that the manufacturer has made do with the bare minimum, without adjusting the mix between voice chat and the game for example. For more settings, you have to go through the PlayStation 5, which allows you to choose several default profiles or create personalized ones, manage the mix between voice chat and game sound or even mute the microphone. A super simple, but sufficiently comprehensive menu, accessible by pressing the power button three times. Note that all this is only possible via the console. The headset is compatible with PC, Mac, iOS and Android, but there you have to make do with the basic settings or save your preferences in the headset memory on the PS5 and then enjoy them on another device. Clear, The Pulse Elite is a PlayStation 5 headset that works on another machine, but if you don’t have a PS5 on hand, it greatly loses its interest. Especially since, on mobile, the commands on the branch don’t even work.
The microphone is an important part of the Pulse Eliteit must be said that a headset must offer this functionality for playing online, with here a retractable gooseneck microphone in the left templedisplaying the logos Cross, Round, Square And Triangle of PlayStationbut also a small button to mute the voice with a simple gesture.
The user is fully immersed in the atmosphere, the spatialization is very well adjusted and allows you to fully enjoy the different sounds in the games.
Well, this functionality leaves something to be desired, because the user has to grip the microphone with two fingers to press this button, generating extraneous noise for other listeners, even if it is possible to mute the microphone via the quick settings menu . The quality of the microphone is rather impressive for a gooseneck model, we are obviously far from a separate microphone, but for a headset-microphone combo, the voice output is very clear and perfectly understandable, there is not too much extraneous noise thanks to a noise reduction system using artificial intelligence. However, to adjust the microphone volume (and avoid annoying your online friends), you have to go through the main menu of the console and not via the quick menu, too bad.
But the essential point for headphones is the sound produced. For the Pulse EliteSony has opted for drivers planar magnetics “inspired by recording studios”, perfect speakers for total immersion and it’s successful. The user is fully immersed in the atmosphere, the spatialization is very well adjusted and allows you to fully enjoy the different sounds in the gameswhether it is the atmospheres and noises in a horror game or the sounds of footsteps and shooting in a shooter. The sound reproduction is basically very good, with powerful and immersive sound, but the user can fine-tune it according to their favorite games via the quick menu and the equalizer. THE PlayStation Link dongle, to be plugged into a USB port of the PS5 or a PC, is there to ensure connectivity without latency, that’s the case, we haven’t seen any problems on that side, but it’s a bit of a problem. standard for a modern helmet. Let us nevertheless emphasize dual connectivity, allowing the Pulse Elite to be used on PS5 or PC via the PS Link and connect it at the same time to a smartphone via Bluetooth to follow calls or listen to music for example.
Finally, a quick word on the battery of the Pulse Elite. On its official website, PlayStation announces autonomy “up to 30 hours”, which already drops to “up to 20 hours” on the packaging box. It is this second number which is the most correct, the headset lasted between 16 and 20 hours during our test, a completely respectable autonomy which allows you to play several evenings without having to recharge the headset. At worst, a quick recharge allows you to gain around 1h30-2h of autonomy in just a quarter of an hour, which is a great help for those who forget to recharge their devices before an evening with friends.
For a wireless headset under 150 euros, Sony does quite well with the PlayStation Elite Pulse. The headset is imposing and robust as a whole, the audio and microphone sound renderings live up to the expectations of demanding players, with good spatialization, some settings are available to refine the experience and certain features are welcome, at least on PS5 . If you do not have the console Sony on hand, go your way.
You can find the PlayStation Pulse Elite from €149 on Amazon, Cdiscount, Fnac And Micromania.
Read also: UNBOXING PlayStation Pulse Elite: our in-house photos of the PS5 wireless headset
Most
- An overall robust and well finished helmet
- Very good sound reproduction
- Simple but complete settings (on PS5)
- A well-made microphone for such a model
- Clear and easily accessible controls
- Dual connectivity, practical
- Quite comfortable at first…
The lessers
- …but a little less after several hours
- Very available on PC or mobile
- Autonomy a little below the announced figure (but still very respectable)
- The very fine imitation leather covering, to be seen over the months
| Clint008 Editor – Tester |
