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Pulse Elites come out in a week, where are the reviews?

iHaunter

Member
Mmm, I dunno, I think these are close enough, in objective measurements, to the Maxwell that they're a good buy. Maxwells seem to be better, but not like, double the cost better. Unless the delta, to you, is worth that extra. Which it might be!
These are a good buy, though.
I think the main draw to either of these will be platform and price. If you do a good amount of gaming on PC Maxwell is a no brainer. But if you primarily game on PS5 with "Some" PC I think overall the Pulse Elites are a better value.

I think in general the elites are a better value, but not as comfortable.
 

rofif

Can’t Git Gud
King Dazzar King Dazzar
I love them!
At first I thought these were too dry and sharp but it was just a first few seconds. Then you quickly realize that these can go deeper bass than pulse3d and I suddenly discover sounds I've never noticed before in some of music I listen too. It's an experience to rediscover my music!
The downside is of course that some tracks are less musical and more analytic but I don't find it piercing yet. I did soma A/B elite/pulse3d and Pulse3d is starting to sound muffled in comparison. Like listening to music with sheet of paper between my ear and headphones.
I also found that some tracks had sub bass that pulse3d couldn't do and Elite does no problem. it's more "full range" if you will.

That's still at EQ flat 0. I only connected to ps5 to update and then to pc to listen to music. Will test on some games maybe this evening but with the music, I can already say the separation and directionality is quite a bit better than pulse3d.
I will get to your EQ settings too soon. I just want to give them a fair flat/default chance. After all - I've got new headphones for new sound, not to make them sound like previous pair

As for negatives/question marks
-As mentioned before, the crackling/popping/fizzle was there on monday but nothing yesterday. Maybe depends on something else.
-I think 3d was more comfortable due to less suction around your ears. Elites do close your ears in and transfer all microphonics. Something to get used too. not a big deal when stuff is playing but I suppose summer will be more difficult.
 
King Dazzar King Dazzar
I love them!
At first I thought these were too dry and sharp but it was just a first few seconds. Then you quickly realize that these can go deeper bass than pulse3d and I suddenly discover sounds I've never noticed before in some of music I listen too. It's an experience to rediscover my music!
The downside is of course that some tracks are less musical and more analytic but I don't find it piercing yet. I did soma A/B elite/pulse3d and Pulse3d is starting to sound muffled in comparison. Like listening to music with sheet of paper between my ear and headphones.
I also found that some tracks had sub bass that pulse3d couldn't do and Elite does no problem. it's more "full range" if you will.

That's still at EQ flat 0. I only connected to ps5 to update and then to pc to listen to music. Will test on some games maybe this evening but with the music, I can already say the separation and directionality is quite a bit better than pulse3d.
I will get to your EQ settings too soon. I just want to give them a fair flat/default chance. After all - I've got new headphones for new sound, not to make them sound like previous pair

As for negatives/question marks
-As mentioned before, the crackling/popping/fizzle was there on monday but nothing yesterday. Maybe depends on something else.
-I think 3d was more comfortable due to less suction around your ears. Elites do close your ears in and transfer all microphonics. Something to get used too. not a big deal when stuff is playing but I suppose summer will be more difficult.
I'm with you. First listen, I was like, okay, are these better? Then it was like okay, the highs are crystal clear and I'm hearing things I've never heard before, and wow, huge separation in sounds. I hit like +2 or +3 on bass, +1 on mids, and left everything else at 0 for now.
I love them, though. AirPod Pro2s for music for me are a better choice, but for games, I think these rule.
 

danklord

Gold Member
And have far better audio quality, bass, build quality, no driver issues. Better mic and pretty much everything else.

The whole listen to two things at once is a gimmick I don't need.

They don't have far better sound quality. You should try out the Elites because I think you'll be shocked at how similar the sound is and how much better the comfort is. If you just bought the Maxwell it's worth considering exchanging them because to me, it is literally that close and the maxwells aren't $150 better.
 

S0ULZB0URNE

Member
They don't have far better sound quality. You should try out the Elites because I think you'll be shocked at how similar the sound is and how much better the comfort is. If you just bought the Maxwell it's worth considering exchanging them because to me, it is literally that close and the maxwells aren't $150 better.
Lets not turn this into a VS thread but lets also not talk crazy.
You don't get blood from a stone. Maxwell uses 90mm drivers.
 

danklord

Gold Member
Lets not turn this into a VS thread but lets also not talk crazy.
You don't get blood from a stone. Maxwell uses 90mm drivers.

Bigger drivers doesn't mean better sound :)

As someone who owned both, I was encouraging ihaunter to try out the elites because he might come to the same conclusion as me.
 
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danklord

Gold Member
Yes it does.
There is a reason $4500 headsets use 90mm drivers.

While larger drivers can push physically more sound, the science of tuning a headset goes to more than just driver size. Amplification, detail response, even the cushions have a major impact in the design of a headset. Size of driver does not reflect quality.

For example, my Focal Clear MGs have a 40mm driver but the sound is far more exceptional than the Maxwell. This is indisputable, and you might be shocked to discover many high-end headsets don't go beyond 50mm. Another highly popular pick, Sennheiser HD 800S, has a driver size of 56mm. This is for weight reasons, but also because the gain in size is not directly proportional to audio quality.
 
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S0ULZB0URNE

Member
While larger drivers can push physically more sound, the science of tuning a headset goes to more than just driver size. Amplification, detail response, even the cushions have a major impact in the design of a headset. Size of driver does not reflect quality.

For example, my Focal Clear MGs have a 40mm driver but the sound is far more exceptional than the Maxwell. This is indisputable, and you might be shocked to discover many high-end headsets don't go beyond 50mm. Another highly popular pick, Sennheiser HD 800S, has a driver size of 56mm. This is for weight reasons, but also because the gain in size is not directly proportional to audio quality.
I don't agree with a open back headset sounding better and they are far from as immersive as a closed back headset.

Never heard of 90mm "Planar Magnetic Drivers" not being exceptional.
 

iHaunter

Member
They don't have far better sound quality. You should try out the Elites because I think you'll be shocked at how similar the sound is and how much better the comfort is. If you just bought the Maxwell it's worth considering exchanging them because to me, it is literally that close and the maxwells aren't $150 better.
How're the Elites on PC though?
 

rofif

Can’t Git Gud
How're the Elites on PC though?
Surprisingly and I can confirm that after today, just like King Dazzar King Dazzar mentioned, the EQ you set up on playstation DOES SOMEHOW SAVE to the headset.
You just put in the dongle on pc and it works.
I just did +3, +1 bas/low on audio mode 1 just for testing and there is a difference. To confirm I removed all the bass and yeah it was also gone on pc.... now that makes me wonder if pulse 3d was the same.
 
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S0ULZB0URNE

Member
The one thing he's correct about is trying to get the headset onto that charging dock hook. It is difficult to quickly get the headphones to sit on that and charge. You need to take time, and look closely to line it up.
After checking em out he's right about a few things like the bass sounding like it was a dollar store brand of headphones as it's awful on these.
 

King Dazzar

Member
After checking em out he's right about a few things like the bass sounding like it was a dollar store brand of headphones as it's awful on these.
I'm actually finding the bass can be surprisingly detailed and actually reaches quite low. Its just that its too under stated and needs a bit of EQ encouragement. As for the rest of the sound, it sounds flat, which for me is a good thing. They do lose control on higher volumes and they sound better over dongle than bluetooth. But the seamless PS5 OS integration and sound quality for the money, with overall improvement over the 3D's in every regard. For me gives them a thumbs up.
 
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Eiknarf

Banned
I'm actually finding the bass can be surprisingly detailed and actually reaches quite low. Its just that its too under stated and needs a bit of EQ encouragement. As for the rest of the sound, it sounds flat, which for me is a good thing. They do lose control on higher volumes and they sound better over dongle than bluetooth. But the seamless PS5 OS integration and sound quality for the money, with overall improvement over the 3D's in every regard. For me gives them a thumbs up.
And they have to be better (more bass and cleaner treble) than the Pulse Explore Earbuds, right?

I mean my God, people were raving about those little Pulse Explore earbuds when they came out. And there is no way in 1000 years any earbud would have more bass than an over ear headphones of the same make and quality.

So if people liked the earbuds (Explore), they have to like the headphones (Elite)
 

S0ULZB0URNE

Member
I'm actually finding the bass can be surprisingly detailed and actually reaches quite low. Its just that its too under stated and needs a bit of EQ encouragement. As for the rest of the sound, it sounds flat, which for me is a good thing. They do lose control on higher volumes and they sound better over dongle than bluetooth. But the seamless PS5 OS integration and sound quality for the money, with overall improvement over the 3D's in every regard. For me gives them a thumbs up.
We fiddled with the settings and it was still pretty bad.
The highs are to high to the point that it drowns out the already anemic bass.

Putting the highs down a few notches and putting the lows up almost all the way alleviated it a bit but wasn't a fix.
 
We fiddled with the settings and it was still pretty bad.
The highs are to high to the point that it drowns out the already anemic bass.

Putting the highs down a few notches and putting the lows up almost all the way alleviated it a bit but wasn't a fix.
Eh, the bass isn’t overpowering, they’re light on bass, but it’s very clear and detailed.
 

Eiknarf

Banned
Sounds fine to me if you don’t desire a heavy bass
Me too. And I'm a guy who has been using three different pairs of BEATS headphones for YEARS (which ARE KNOWN FOR BOOSTING AND ENHANCING THE BASS).

Yeah, up until last week I would connect all three of my BEATS headphones to the Dualsense via the 3.5mm 1/8th" jack/port. Yeah, they had PUNCH.

So are the Pulse Elite's as boom-y as the BEATS? No. I believe the 30-60hz frequencies on the BEATS are boosted on purpose (rap and rock music. They were Dr Dre's after all when they launched).

But the Pulse Elite's sound balanced and great for playing Resident Evil 4 remake, Ghost of Tsushima and The Last of Us Part 2. I know this because I'm A/B-ing them right now.

Now, using the Pulse Elite's to listen to music? That I don't know because I never tried. I didn't buy em for that. I bought the Elite's for one purpose: The PlayStation 5.
 

S0ULZB0URNE

Member
Eh, the bass isn’t overpowering, they’re light on bass, but it’s very clear and detailed.
It doesn't have to be but it also doesn't have to be underpowered which it is.
Sounds fine to me if you don’t desire a heavy bass
Can't argue what's good to a individual.

I was hoping I would of liked em but I didn't because of the bass performance.
 

Eiknarf

Banned
Now, if PlayStation made it so you could EQ whatever headphones are plugged into the dualsense, I would gladly EQ some 8k-10k-16k while using the BEATS.

But as it stands, you can’t even EQ the pulse elites if you connect them to your dualsense via 3.5 mm jack.

The only way you can EQ is if it’s connected wirelessly to the dongle.
 
It doesn't have to be but it also doesn't have to be underpowered which it is.

Can't argue what's good to a individual.

I was hoping I would have liked em but I didn't because of the bass performance.
They’re fantastic with games, the clarity with highs and the separation is great. I wouldn’t use them to listen to music, but I’ll use them over other, more expensive headphones I have for gaming
 

S0ULZB0URNE

Member
They’re fantastic with games, the clarity with highs and the separation is great. I wouldn’t use them to listen to music, but I’ll use them over other, more expensive headphones I have for gaming
The 3D sound bubble is great.

I personally want more meat on the bone for $150 non replaceable ear cufcuffs doesn't help its value proposition either but its already been talked about.
 

farmerboy

Member
Ate there any individual game profiles for these yet?

Quite liking the sound, even though I would have prefered if they got a touch louder. Haven't mucked around with the EQ yet.
 
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King Dazzar

Member
We fiddled with the settings and it was still pretty bad.
The highs are to high to the point that it drowns out the already anemic bass.

Putting the highs down a few notches and putting the lows up almost all the way alleviated it a bit but wasn't a fix.
I generally find when stuff is focused on a flat sound, then they often tend to sound brighter. Having said that, my AKG K712 Pro's are much better than the Elites. But then the Elites are much better than the 3D's.

Shame you didn't get on with them. At least you have loads of other options these days.
 

S0ULZB0URNE

Member
I generally find when stuff is focused on a flat sound, then they often tend to sound brighter. Having said that, my AKG K712 Pro's are much better than the Elites. But then the Elites are much better than the 3D's.

Shame you didn't get on with them. At least you have loads of other options these days.
I buy multiple electronics including headsets at times.
I wanted these as a Alternative to my main pair.
The ear cuffs are replaceable
Huh? You would have to rip them off to replace no?
 
That's bad ass and the brand I use with my Audeze Maxwell's.
I don't understand how you could love the Maxwell's and then think these are shit. They're almost Maxwells, objectively if you look at the measurements, for less than half the price. They're not as good, but they're very close; they sound great and are a great value.
But, to each their own.
 
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S0ULZB0URNE

Member
I don't understand how you could love the Maxwell's and then think these are shit. They're almost Maxwells, objectively if you look at the measurements, for less than half the price. They're not as good, but they're very close; they sound great and are a great value.
But, to each their own.
No they aren't
 

FrankWza

Member
They are. They aren’t as good, but they’re very good, especially for half the price. Here’s objective measurements and comparisons.

Is this the video where they say the driver size is 90mm? I saw someone mention this but I don't remember where and which video made the claim. If they are then these are probably based off the Maxwell’s
 
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S0ULZB0URNE

Member
Is this the video where they say the driver size is 90mm? I saw someone mention this but I don't remember where and which video made the claim. If they are then these are probably based off the Maxwell’s
They sound like 40mm
They are. They aren’t as good, but they’re very good, especially for half the price. Here’s objective measurements and comparisons.

That is not saying this nor does it matter what he says.
 
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Mr Moose

Member
They sound like 40mm

That is not saying this nor does it matter what he says.
How is the size measured? Not sure how accurate it is, but:
Screenshot20240308at.png
 
They sound like 40mm

That is not saying this nor does it matter what he says.
It is though. He directly compares the responses of both. He says the maxwells are better. He says the elites are great especially for the money.
And it does matter what he says, because he actually measures the headphone’s professionally for objective measurements.

They’re half the price of maxwells. They’re not as good. But they’re pretty great for the price. What is the controversy here?
 
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FrankWza

Member
It is though. He directly compares the responses of both. He says the maxwells are better. He says the elites are great especially for the money.
And it does matter what he says, because he actually measures the headphone’s professionally for objective measurements.

They’re half the price of maxwells. They’re not as good. But they’re pretty great for the price. What is the controversy here?
I think it's a safe assumption that they are based off of the Maxwell’s. The question is where do they fall. They are better than half as good and they cost half the price. If you get a good, comfortable fit it's a no Brainer. It comes down to how much is the premium price getting you that these lack. IMO, I'd buy these and the Explore for $50 more total and you get versatility and sound quality
 

S0ULZB0URNE

Member
It is though. He directly compares the responses of both. He says the maxwells are better. He says the elites are great especially for the money.
And it does matter what he says, because he actually measures the headphone’s professionally for objective measurements.

They’re half the price of maxwells. They’re not as good. But they’re pretty great for the price. What is the controversy here?
Hearing both the differences are large especially the bass and volume.

You must not understand what you are looking at in the video or you would know this.

You made it sound like they are close.

No controversy here, if you don't like what I say don't quote me.

I hope you and other Elite plus Maxwell owners enjoy your investment.
 

S0ULZB0URNE

Member
I think it's a safe assumption that they are based off of the Maxwell’s. The question is where do they fall. They are better than half as good and they cost half the price. If you get a good, comfortable fit it's a no Brainer. It comes down to how much is the premium price getting you that these lack. IMO, I'd buy these and the Explore for $50 more total and you get versatility and sound quality
They are lighter due to cheaper plastic parts and smaller drivers. But that might work for someone. I think $150 is a bit high for them though.

Maybe Sony will make a $200+ Pulse Elite Pro or Platinum set that improves on its short comings.
 

rofif

Can’t Git Gud
Me too. And I'm a guy who has been using three different pairs of BEATS headphones for YEARS (which ARE KNOWN FOR BOOSTING AND ENHANCING THE BASS).

Yeah, up until last week I would connect all three of my BEATS headphones to the Dualsense via the 3.5mm 1/8th" jack/port. Yeah, they had PUNCH.

So are the Pulse Elite's as boom-y as the BEATS? No. I believe the 30-60hz frequencies on the BEATS are boosted on purpose (rap and rock music. They were Dr Dre's after all when they launched).

But the Pulse Elite's sound balanced and great for playing Resident Evil 4 remake, Ghost of Tsushima and The Last of Us Part 2. I know this because I'm A/B-ing them right now.

Now, using the Pulse Elite's to listen to music? That I don't know because I never tried. I didn't buy em for that. I bought the Elite's for one purpose: The PlayStation 5.
Elites are pretty interesting for music. Especially compared to your beats, you might hear some new sounds!

And for resident evil, it's crazy how much more shooting and empty shells audio is amplified. Elites are great for horror.
The only downside is the clamping making me hear my heartbeat when it's quiet
 

FrankWza

Member
They are lighter due to cheaper plastic parts and smaller drivers. But that might work for someone. I think $150 is a bit high for them though.

Maybe Sony will make a $200+ Pulse Elite Pro or Platinum set that improves on its short comings.
Im going off of reviews so I'll take your word since you have both. I think ultimately they should develop a more modular approach, not only with pads but with the bands. I don't care how good something sounds, if it's too uncomfortable it's just not worth it, especially nowadays. Bands ruin headphones just as much as pads do
 
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