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[TrebleShot]

To actually answer the OP.

I’ve have the Pulse 3D since launch along side Arctis 7P , recently got a wired open back setup with DAC (Sundara) I also have a set of Arctis Nova Pros and also Audeze Penrose lol I know I know complete over load but I was in search of the best 3D and quality sound.

Back to the topic, yes there is some sort of implementation on the pulse 3D that make them sound more “3D” I can’t find anything on the subject so good luck but there is definitely just something about them tahts attuned to the PS5 or 3D audio that makes them sound more precise and clear in the 3D sound.

In terms of overall quality the Sundara with DAC and Amp win of course, for complete package of sound ease of use and features the Arctis nova pros are best.

But there is absolutely something in the 3D Pilse headset that’s either tuned or hardware integrated that enhances the sound for tempest don’t ask me what but it’s there.

 

[rofif]

Here is my experience with the Pulse.

I had a pair of $50 wired Sennheiser headphones that I used wired to the controller. I thought they sounded pretty good and positional audio was decent. I then got the Pulse 3d ($99) as a gift and tried them wired into the controller for a like for like test. They sounded better but not $50 better. I then connected them wirelessly to the PS5 and the increase in sound clarity and especially the positional audio was immediately improved. The audio coming from the controller is just too compressed and I feel leads to a lot of people to think the Tempest 3d is sub par. Also make sure you adjust the 3d sound profile of the ps5 to best match your ear profile as that can make a huge difference to the how positional it sounds. Maybe I am lucky, and my ears exactly match one of the existing HRTF presets.

I then found the rtings.com review of the Pulse 3d and found a youtube video where a guy used the information in the review to create a custom EQ to "fix" the flaws in the Pulse default sounds. I tried the EQ preset and it jumped the Pulse up to another level for me.

Also for me I have never had any problem with the 3d audio of the PS5 and I am someone who has used HRTF 3d headphone audio since the Aureal A3d days (Diamond Monster Sound Mx300). For example in the main menu of GoW 2018 I have several times been fooled into thinking a sound is coming from outside the headphones behind me when in fact it was the games positional audio.

My suggestion is then not to necessarily get the Pulse 3d, even though I found them worth it, but to instead get away from using the controller headphone jack and use quality headphones you can hook up directly to the PS5. You'll get much better sound no matter what headphones you use.

Of course you are meant to use them Wirelessly. The dac inside headset is doing all the work. Running them with 3.5mm makes no sense

 

[Trogdor1123]

The headset is comfortable… the 3d isnt that big of a deal imo

 

[Rival]

I have a pair and think they are decent enough if you can get them for a good deal. I got mine on sale and had a Best Buy reward certificate so I only paid like $15 out of pocket for mine. Just don’t pay full price.

 

[NinjaBoiX]

It sounds like plugging them into the controller is a bad idea in general.

I think I might pull the trigger on them tbh, sounds like one of the cheapest ways to dip a toe into 3D audio.

OP, spend some time here instead...

https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/best/ps5

Thanks, but these are some pricey alternatives!

I can get the 3D Pulse for £80, these are all well over £100 apart from one that sounds shit.

 

[danklord]

3D audio is software and works any stereo headset that works on PS5 supports it. There is no 3d audio secret sauce with the Pulse headsets when it comes to audio fidelity. Their marketing has been incredible and has convinced gamers otherwise.

If you want to stay with Sony, the Inzone H9 are so much better than the Pulse 3D, it's not close.

 

[0neAnd0nly]

I think some here just want to justify not buying them.

Sound quality itself loses some luster in the very heavy bass sounds BUT, they are FANTASTIC for direction. I use the pulse and after I got those I can say with confidence they are responsible for getting me 3-5 more K’s in CoD matches just from directional audio, which it picks up much better than my surround sound.

My surround sound SOUNDS better, there are certainly better headphones per quality - but as a purely gaming option for $100 that does directional sound really really well - I highly recommend them.

 

[NinjaBoiX]

If you want to stay with Sony, the Inzone H9 are so much better than the Pulse 3D, it's not close.

The price isn’t close either, £270!?! I’m not paying that when I already have two sets of good cans. This is more of a curiosity kind of thing.

How are the inzone H3’s? I can get those for less than the pulse, and they have a proper boom mic.

Could I use them on Xbox too?

 

[R6Rider]

The price isn’t close either, £270!?! I’m not paying that when I already have two sets of good cans. This is more of a curiosity kind of thing.

How are the inzone H3’s? I can get those for less than the pulse, and they have a proper boom mic.

Could I use them on Xbox too?

You might be better off watching some reviews online that compare them. I haven't used any of the Inzone headphones, but they are probably pretty close.

The H3s seem to only be compatible with Xbox via using the AUX port. Might have to look online to be sure.

 

[NinjaBoiX]

I ordered the Pulse, screw it.

It’s £80, that’s impulse buy territory. It can be a back up set if I’m nonplussed at that price.

 

[FrankWza]

Could I use them on Xbox too?

The 2 wireless headsets that work with both at one point are the 7x and Penrose x with full compatibility including mic . I’m not sure if more were released since.

I ordered the Pulse, screw it.

It’s £80, that’s impulse buy territory. It can be a back up set if I’m nonplussed at that price.

It’s really unbeatable at that price for the features you get. The xbox headset is a bit better since it allows for simultaneous BT and callconnection from audio source like a phone or tab. You’ll be happy as long as they’re comfortable or you don’t start trying other headsets or configurations and go down the audio path.

 

[MatrixReloaded101]

The Pulse is worth it, especially right now since its on sale for black friday.

I have better headphones but its nice having a pair just for gaming on PS5.

 

[Valonquar]

Complete con, low quality headset. Get Steelseries Arctis Pro instead.

 

[NinjaBoiX]

Complete con, low quality headset. Get Steelseries Arctis Pro instead.

It’s comparatively low quality because it’s £80, of course the £350 ones are going to be far better! But will they be more than 4x better? I seriously doubt it…

Either way, I’m not spending that much money on something that I’m almost just satisfying my curiosity with.

I have better headphones but its nice having a pair just for gaming on PS5.

My thoughts exactly.

I’ll just sell them if I really don’t like them, might lose £20-30. Meh.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

If your environment can allow open back headphones get a pair of those and never buy closed back cans again.

The Philips SHP9500 is a great starter set

 

[RoadHazard]

Hardly noticeable

Nothing to write home about.

Don't buy that piece of garbage.

Well, that escalated quickly.

 

[GladiusFrog]

I bought the pulse just to see if it was any better then the Sony Gold headset. No. JUST NO.

Uncomfortable and hardly any noise cancelation. Let me explain to you the build quality of these things, You'll be lucky if it doesn't fall apart in a year.. Same thing with the Sony Gold's last gen, I owned two because I'm a sucker and learned the hard way.... absolute pieces of crap.

Just get yourself a decent affordable 3rd party headset or higher end Sony headset and you'll thank yourself.

3D Audio is just a marketing gimmick, you can get "3D" audio with any decent headphones. It's software not hardware.

 

[RoadHazard]

Here is my experience with the Pulse.

I had a pair of $50 wired Sennheiser headphones that I used wired to the controller. I thought they sounded pretty good and positional audio was decent. I then got the Pulse 3d ($99) as a gift and tried them wired into the controller for a like for like test. They sounded better but not $50 better. I then connected them wirelessly to the PS5 and the increase in sound clarity and especially the positional audio was immediately improved. The audio coming from the controller is just too compressed and I feel leads to a lot of people to think the Tempest 3d is sub par. Also make sure you adjust the 3d sound profile of the ps5 to best match your ear profile as that can make a huge difference to the how positional it sounds. Maybe I am lucky, and my ears exactly match one of the existing HRTF presets.

I then found the rtings.com review of the Pulse 3d and found a youtube video where a guy used the information in the review to create a custom EQ to "fix" the flaws in the Pulse default sounds. I tried the EQ preset and it jumped the Pulse up to another level for me.

Also for me I have never had any problem with the 3d audio of the PS5 and I am someone who has used HRTF 3d headphone audio since the Aureal A3d days (Diamond Monster Sound Mx300). For example in the main menu of GoW 2018 I have several times been fooled into thinking a sound is coming from outside the headphones behind me when in fact it was the games positional audio.

My suggestion is then not to necessarily get the Pulse 3d, even though I found them worth it, but to instead get away from using the controller headphone jack and use quality headphones you can hook up directly to the PS5. You'll get much better sound no matter what headphones you use.

What I wonder is: Why can't I get 3D audio from headphones plugged into my receiver, which gets audio from the PS5 via HDMI? This 3D audio is just a stereo signal run through an "ear shape filter" (simplifying, but yeah) that tricks your brain into thinking the sound is coming from different directions outside your ears. My receiver can handle a stereo signal just fine, thank you very much, so why doesn't Sony allow this?

 

[Kenneth Haight]

Complete con, low quality headset. Get Steelseries Arctis Pro instead.

This is absolute nonsense.

I’ve had them since day one along with my PS5 and never had any issues. They sound great for £89 I paid for them.

They are of decent quality I would say. What is low quality about them? They’re comfortable and sound good to me. Steelseries I’m sure are great also but are not wireless for Arctis pro unless you want to pay upwards of £300 so it’s not really comparable.

 

[Chronicle]

No. Use those good headphones you already have.

 

[Roufianos]

They're ok but I've since found that the 3D isn't any better than standard headphones.

 

[danklord]

I ordered the Pulse, screw it.

It’s £80, that’s impulse buy territory. It can be a back up set if I’m nonplussed at that price.

I think you should wait a few weeks because every gaming headset ever is going to be on sale for black friday. The best move for PS5 or Xbox is to get the highest quality wired headset you can at your budget. It will sound better than the Pulse 3D, you won't have to charge, and can use for a long time.

Wireless just isn't worth it at $100.

 

[TrebleShot]

I

I ordered the Pulse, screw it.

It’s £80, that’s impulse buy territory. It can be a back up set if I’m nonplussed at that price.

I’d be interested to hear your feedback and if you too notice some special sauce on these cans considering you have technically better ones as well.

I can’t put my finger on it. I will say the actual audio quality as in frequency response and balance isn’t as good as the Arctis pros and open backs.

The bummer in all of this is the Audeze Penrose are quite bad. Comfort wise and sound wise they are a very hifi sound but v expensive.

 

[Justin9mm]

It's there but it's far from a superior sound experience. I'm 100% sure it was Sony's way of cheaping out of licenses. Doesn't even compare to Dolby & Atmos on Xbox.

I have the Pulse 3D headset but I also have a full surround home theatre Atmos setup with HDMI 2.1 receiver. Every single game I play on my Series X is balls to the wall great sound. Everything on PS5 I have to crank the volume on my receiver higher than any other source to have the same volume and the surround sound is just a flat experience. It's actually my biggest complaint with the PS5.

 

[rofif]

I

I’d be interested to hear your feedback and if you too notice some special sauce on these cans considering you have technically better ones as well.

I can’t put my finger on it. I will say the actual audio quality as in frequency response and balance isn’t as good as the Arctis pros and open backs.

The bummer in all of this is the Audeze Penrose are quite bad. Comfort wise and sound wise they are a very hifi sound but v expensive.

you know how it is about Audeze. Precise and clinical sound is not always good sound.
That's why Koss Porta Pro are my fav headphones. not because they are precise but because they sound fun how I like it! And Pulse 3d sounds very similar to me!

I am sure most of experts here would not be able to AB headphones... I did.... I really did AB between Takstar pro82, creative aurvana live, porta pro, XM3 and Pulse 3d and there are hardly any differences.... xm3 is boomy, pro82 is spiky?.... creative muddy? But it would be very difficult to say without direct a/b.
So my point is - headphones nowadays are all 97% the same... we are arguing about tiny differences that might or or might be audible to some.
For sure nobody can say "pulse 3d sounds like trash hard to listen to" and to me there is absolutely nothing wrong soundwise with it. If someone likes this sound or not, is a different matter. It's not clinical flat audio but it absolutely does not sound like gaming headphone

 

[drotahorror]

All you need

 

[rofif]

All you need

If you want to be wired to the controller like it's 1990s!
/s sph9500 is a fantastic headphone.
BUT wireless does not equal bad sounding. + you have mic and wireless comfort

 

[drotahorror]

BUT wireless does not equal bad sounding. + you have mic and wireless comfort

I've been down that rabbit hole plenty of times, but no idea what they have out now since ps5 dropped. I just use my sony gold's if I need that functionality.

 

[applesaucejaxon]

What is so bad about the sound ? (since you like the comfort)
I find the sound perfectly fine and punching above it's price.
+ there is no humming or buzzing that is in some wireless headsets

The sound is ok, but nothing to write home about. I don't really feel that they punch above their price at all.
But my biggest issue with them is is the control buttons. In my opinion, they're a bit too small and I can never seem to find the one I want when I'm in the middle of a game. The Microsoft set with the giant knobs on the sides really make me dislike the setup on the Pulse even more. But I'm unhappy with the Xbox one for other reasons...

 

[rofif]

The sound is ok, but nothing to write home about. I don't really feel that they punch above their price at all.
But my biggest issue with them is is the control buttons. In my opinion, they're a bit too small and I can never seem to find the one I want when I'm in the middle of a game. The Microsoft set with the giant knobs on the sides really make me dislike the setup on the Pulse even more. But I'm unhappy with the Xbox one for other reasons...

idk what else it could sound like.... I am not expecting it to do anything crazy. It just sounds goo and clear and that's the best you can say about sound.
As for the buttons.. how is that an issue? At least buttons will not crackle over time like knobs can.
And In fact I keep mine 2 clicks from max... and I never touch the buttons. There is no need to. Headset remember it's setting.

 

[applesaucejaxon]

Well I do adjust volume and chat settings pretty regularly, and I find the buttons to be sub par. I'm glad you like your headset, though. For me, It wasn't worth the money.

 

[Slothbeing1209]

I played GOW Ragnarok with it and can't notice anything sounds 3d lol. I intend to buy a new headset too.
A lots of people say Steelseries Arctis 7P. Is it the best option?

 

[rofif]

I played GOW Ragnarok with it and can't notice anything sounds 3d lol. I intend to buy a new headset too.
A lots of people say Steelseries Arctis 7P. Is it the best option?

I am already talking too much in this thread ... but ragnarok got some pretty weird/bad 3d audio at times. Sounds muffled especially when you freeze the water puzzles.
Turn of 3d for that game maybe.
I only used steelseries arctis PRO from their lineup and for me it was more "dry" sounding but it's just me

 

[8BiTw0LF]

On a normal budget:

Wired: Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro
Wireless: Audeze Penrose

 

[K' Dash]

all PlayStation branded Sony headphones are trash.

I use the Sony XM5 wired to the controller.

 

[SlimySnake]

Your XM3 are fantastic but sound kinda bad in analog mode and this is theonly mode you would have when connected to the controller (I know I have these too).
I've got Pulse 3d since release and I love mine. I like the style, the comfort and all that below 100$ ? cmon!
the sound is fantastic, clear and not gamer boomy. It sounds very similar to koss porta pro on dac.

As for 3d audio - It works with ANY headset you connect to headphones. Does not have to be pulse 3d.
That said, the 3d sounds fantastic especially in games that support it. In Demons Souls and Returnal it is game changer. In ragnarok it's very mid... so don't expect much there.

But all in all I recommend Pulse 3d as a wireless headset. i use it for ps5 and pc and I couldn't be happier.
If sone came out today and told me they are revoking pulse3d, I am quickly buying 2 more pairs for deep storage lol.
I know describing audio quality is very subjective but Pulse 3d sounds very open to my ear. It does not feel like it creates this seal over your ears which is good. Means less sweat and less body/cloths noise. You don't hear yourself breathing like in some too tight headphones.
My fav headphone ever is still koss porta pro though. I can forget about having them on my head... but this sounds very similar and is wireless

Btw. I tried dolby headphone, creative cmss and other 3d stuff before and it always destroyed the quality. This is the first solution that does not do that.. maybe except Ragnarok but it';s only few sound effects. Really weird

Wait, you had to connect your headphones to the controller this whole time? WTF. Ive been using my Pulse3D headset using the wireless dongle for 2 years thinking I was getting 3D audio. WTF Mark Cerny!!

How do you connect XM3 to the PS5? Same audio cable that plugs into your controller? I thought that degraded audio. Why cant the Sony XM4 which i bought for $300 connect straight to the damn PS5? It supports bluetooth 5.0.

I can connect it to my LGCX using bluetooth but im not sure if i get 3D audio. It sounds good but honestly i dont know if im getting dolby audio through my tv vs connecting directly to my controller or PS5.

 

[rofif]

Wait, you had to connect your headphones to the controller this whole time? WTF. Ive been using my Pulse3D headset using the wireless dongle for 2 years thinking I was getting 3D audio. WTF Mark Cerny!!

How do you connect XM3 to the PS5? Same audio cable that plugs into your controller? I thought that degraded audio. Why cant the Sony XM4 which i bought for $300 connect straight to the damn PS5? It supports bluetooth 5.0.

I can connect it to my LGCX using bluetooth but im not sure if i get 3D audio. It sounds good but honestly i dont know if im getting dolby audio through my tv vs connecting directly to my controller or PS5.

No sure if it's sarcasm I feel!
I am saying the opposite!!!! You have to use pulse 3d only with it's wireless dongle! Connecting it to controller turn on analog mode and disables all it's internal dac/processing.
Same with xm3... but you have no choice and have to connect them with 3.5mm which disables processing.
Bluetooth is way too slow

 

[FrankWza]

.

Wait, you had to connect your headphones to the controller this whole time? WTF. Ive been using my Pulse3D headset using the wireless dongle for 2 years thinking I was getting 3D audio. WTF Mark Cerny!!

no. You have it connected properly. If you have issues, try a different USB port

I can connect it to my LGCX using bluetooth but im not sure if i get 3D audio

it won’t

 

[Arioco]

The headset sounds good, but 3D audio is far from a revolution. Hardly noticeable I'd say. Or maybe I didn't try the right game, I don't know.

 

[Black_Stride]

Thanks for all the responses, but I feel like I should’ve been clearer with the OP:

I’m not specifically in the market for new headphones, as I have a pair of Sennheiser 599’s as a wired open back option, and Sony XM3’s as a wireless noise cancelling option. I’ve got my bases covered.

I’m really asking, for those who’ve tried the Pulse and others, if the 3D effect of the Pulse is noticeably better than with “regular” headphones.

Sounds like it’s not really, but just clarifying.

To answer your question directly.
The Pulse headphones are as good at 3D audio as any other set of Stereo headsets.

Reviewers who drank the Koolaid and swear they are better than other headphones are suffering from placebo effect or their "other headphones" were shit to begin with.
Because of marketing they expect the Pulse headphones to sound better with the PS5 so they just tell themselve they sound better.

The truth is they are just a good pair of stereo headsets.
They dont have any sort of extra connect to PS5 feature or whatever.

 

[FrankWza]

On a normal budget:

Wired: Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro
Wireless: Audeze Penrose

Wired to controller? Those are good headphones but the controller connection will almost always have an inferior sound than using usb. Like if you were to connect them to a $15 dac from Amazon they would sound many times better than connecting to the controller. Most times, a throw in headphone set will sound just as good. Tempest and 3d audio using the dualsense was meant for convenience so that anyone with headphones can connect. That’s why it has a mic and mute button onboard

To answer your question directly.
The Pulse headphones are as good at 3D audio as any other set of Stereo headsets.

the connection to PS5 is part of the equation that isn’t always listed. If they plugged in $200 headphones into the controller there’s a good chance the pulse will sound better. Without knowing what’s in between there’s no way to know.

 

[8BiTw0LF]

Wired to controller?

No to a mixamp.

 

[SlimySnake]

I bought the pulse just to see if it was any better then the Sony Gold headset. No. JUST NO.

Uncomfortable and hardly any noise cancelation. Let me explain to you the build quality of these things, You'll be lucky if it doesn't fall apart in a year.. Same thing with the Sony Gold's last gen, I owned two because I'm a sucker and learned the hard way.... absolute pieces of crap.

Just get yourself a decent affordable 3rd party headset or higher end Sony headset and you'll thank yourself.

3D Audio is just a marketing gimmick, you can get "3D" audio with any decent headphones. It's software not hardware.

My Gold which I got for $50 thanks to a sale before they became expensive again broke and became unusable right after their 1 year warranty expired. My Pulse has lasted me 2 years since launch though i dont use them as often. The design alone is less prone to breaking due to the lack of hinges that were the main cause of the Gold breaking so often.

 

[gothmog]

Some weirdly aggressive responses. I have had them since the PS5 launch and I love them. Price wise they were acceptable. The 3D works and works well so I am really wondering what I'm missing? I know I am not interested in spending $350 on another headset right now based on my experience with them.

 

[SlimySnake]

I then found the rtings.com review of the Pulse 3d and found a youtube video where a guy used the information in the review to create a custom EQ to "fix" the flaws in the Pulse default sounds. I tried the EQ preset and it jumped the Pulse up to another level for me

Is it this video?

 

[FrankWza]

No to a mixamp.

Amen.

Why cant the Sony XM4 which i bought for $300 connect straight to the damn PS5? It supports bluetooth 5.0.

I think someone on here did this with a usb to bt adapter. Maybe Topher or Bo_Hazem ?
The USB ports on the ps5 are open so it allows for some pretty cool options

 

[Topher]

Amen.

I think someone on here did this with a usb to bt adapter. Maybe Topher or Bo_Hazem ?
The USB ports on the ps5 are open so it allows for some pretty cool options

SlimySnake

I used a Creative bluetooth transmitter which worked fine with my XM4s. I ended up going with a headset with a dongle as the sound quality was just better though.

Here is the transmitter I used:

Amazon.com

FrankWza is correct though that since PS5 allows for USB audio there is a lot of flexibility in sound options.

 

[Black_Stride]

the connection to PS5 is part of the equation that isn’t always listed. If they plugged in $200 headphones into the controller there’s a good chance the pulse will sound better. Without knowing what’s in between there’s no way to know.

We are assumning ceteris paribus.
So that not relevant.

 

[FrankWza]

We are assumning ceteris paribus.
So that not relevant.

Which is impossible unless they’re connected exactly the same way. Everything in between the console and headphones/headset makes a difference. You can’t assume everything is the same when theres a bunch of options to connect headphones or a headset to the PS5 and get 3d audio.

 

[Black_Stride]

Which is impossible unless they’re connected exactly the same way. Everything in between the console and headphones/headset makes a difference. You can’t assume everything is the same when theres a bunch of options to connect headphones or a headset to the PS5 and get 3d audio.

We have to when we are comparing headsets.
If the circumstances are vastly different a comparison is pointless.

Thats the whole point of benchmarking, you make all else equal for a fair comparison.