Pulse Elite Edition Wireless Stereo Headset

I have never spent more than $20 for a set of headphones probably because I'm not a true audiophile and don't listen to a lot of music. I have played for years without a headset but realized that my hearing isn't as good as it used to be, and I cannot hear a lot of the dialog in games. Since I usually play at night and I cannot raise the TV volume due to the family. Hence, I started looking around for a solution. I looked at the Pulse Elite and compared to many other wired/wireless gaming headsets by Turtle Beach and decided to give these a try because of the design, simplicity in connection, and tight integration with PS3. I also considered getting the first iteration of the Sony headsets but the design seemed clunky and the protruding microsphone was a big negative. I have only used this for a couple of weeks but so far my impressions are positive. Positives + The overallsound quality is superb! The sound across the frequency range from lows to highs is very well handled. + Plenty of controls on the unit. Easy to adjust once you learn where everything sits. + Charges up just like your PS3 Dual Shock. You can see the battery level on-screen. + Sound modes are customizable using the PEM (Pulse Elite Manager) application which is downloadable from the Apps section of the PS Store. You can load up to 6 modes on the headset ranging from Shooter, Driving, Games, Action, Football, Horror, etc. You can even download a sound profile specifically designed for Bioshock Infinite! I downloaded this profile and updated the headset, which took about 5 minutes, and the sound is absolutely amazing. The positioning of sound comes across clearly and accurately. Example: In Bioshock, when Elizabeth is talking to me, and I turn to left or right, the sound source changes to reflect my movement. One thing to note, the differences between the sound profile are very subtle so you might not be able to distinguish one from another depending on the game and sound design. + Padding around the ear cups is not great but good enough. Synthetic leather is supple and smooth. + Sound separation is very good due to the large ear cups; outside noise is nearly impossible to hear and there is no noise leakage so others around you will not hear what you hear unless you turn the volume to max. Negatives - This unit is a bit heavier than I expected, which is good in a sense but can cause some discomfort on the top of your head (as other have mentioned). After about an hour of use, I began feeling the weight of the headset on top of my head due to the padding not being very thick. I'm hoping I will get used to it over time. This is not necessarily a big deal since I usually only play for a couple of hours, but if you plan to use this for longer period of time this could be an issue. - The "Bass Impact" feature doesn't seem to add a lot to the overall experience. I experimented with just a few games, including Bioshock and some shooters, but it just sounded either like a blown-out bass or has no change at all even if I turn the slider all the way up. This appears to be dependent on the implementation of each individual game so your experience will likely vary. - Battery life, as others have mentioned, is ok but not great. The most I've gotten is about 5 or 6 hours. I read somewhere that battery life is worse if you have Bass Impact turned on, but I have NOT used Bass Impact at all. - No USB cable! Sony does it again as they did with the lack of USB and HDMI cable for the PS3. I have no idea why Sony assumes we would all have the required cables but it's just donwright silly that none is provided. Overall, this is a solid accessory for the PS3. The biggest flaw is the lack of padding on the headband which would have significantly improved the overall comfort level especially for extended wear. After trying out the headset, I regret not having purchased this sooner as the audio experience completely changes the gaming experience. *** EXTRA NOTE *** In my search to find a solution for the comfort issue, I found this add-on headphone padding from another reviewer; see link below. NEW! Replacement Upgrade Headband Comfort Cushion Pad in Leatherette with snap locks. Universal fit most Headphone models; Grado SR SRi-series, Sennheiser HD-series, Beyerdynamic and more. This is designed for "universal" headphones but given that it's relatively cheap, I decided to give it a try to hopefully enhance the comfort. This headband cushion provides about 5/8-inch padding which drastically improved the comfort level of the headset. I have posted a detailed review under this product, and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this add-on to anyone who has comfort issues with the headband on the Pulse headset. This add-on fits so well that it almost feels like it was part of the design from the start! If I had not found this cushion, I would have definitely returned the Pulse headsets. Check it out! [EDIT 5-28-2013] Still amazed at the quality of the overall sound. The bass is nice and strong, and comfort is still great with the addition of the headband mentioned above.

For headphones within the same price point as the Sony Pulse Elite, this wins hands down. The headphones are just amazing. For the affordable price, the build quality is good, and it has a host of features (the best thing being that all of them can be turned off or adjusted to your preference). 1. The wireless feature is very convenient, whether on the PS3, TV, or PC. I have not had issues with interference, static, or connection issues even in the living room (my sofa is quite far away from the PS3). 2. The virtual surround sound creates a wider spatial sound field, which is better than stereo, when used for movies and games. Please do NOT expect this to sound like a true 7.1 sound system with discrete channels. What is used here is a more budget-conscious virtualization technology, but it is well implemented. Some virtual surround technology distorts audio, which I hate - something which the Sony doesn't do. Audio sounds clean even with VSS enabled. 3. Different preset modes can be selected (movie, game, shooter, Last of Us, Bioshock, etc.) and more can be downloaded if you plug in the headset to the PS3. Using the right mode is important - for e.g. if I select SHOOTER while watching a movie, it is almost unbearable as it will over exaggerate the bass. I used the "Last of Us mode", for well, obviously that titled game and it sounds good. Watching movies with the MOVIE mode is good as well. I tested GAME mode with Uncharted 3, with VSS (virtual 7.1), and it does sound good (in relative perspective. It will NOT beat my 5.1 system): I am able to discern the direction of where different sounds are coming from e.g. the waterfall behind me. 4. BassImpact. This is a feature that thumps/vibrates the ear pads. I appreciate this feature when I am playing shooters and fighting games. I would not recommend this feature for movies or music - as the thumping actually does distort the sound. You can turn it off. 5. When using with my mobilephone, I plug it in with the included 3.5mm audio cable. I tested it both with the power ON and OFF. The headset will work even with the POWER OFF, although you will not be able to use the various settings such as VSS and mode select. I am very pleased with the quality of sound and volume. When used with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, my music sounded crisp on the mid and highs. Bass is on the mild side but that is the way I like my music. Even with the POWER OFF, the volume of this headset is LOUD. It is more then sufficient. Surprisingly, when I used my Seinheissers, my phone doesn't seem to have enough power to drive the headset resulting in soft volume; this is NOT a problem with the Pulse Elite. I actually prefer the way my music sound with the headset powered off, rather than on, when listening to music on my mobilephone - it sounds more natural without all the enhanced effects. 6. When playing games on the PS3, I recommend that the VSS feature is turned on. 7. When used on the PS3, you are able to see on screen all the settings you apply on your headset. For e.g. if you press mute, it shows up on screen on a small bar on the top right hand corner. It also shows other info such as battery levels. 8. If you turn off the BassImpact feature, the battery lasts a lot longer. 9. This headset is uncomfortable when I first got it as it was rather tight. However, after a week of use, it got seasoned and is now comfortable. As all closed-ear headsets are, your ears will get hot after an hour or so, as such, I give my ears some "airing" every hour of use. 10. The USB charging cable is not included. I assume Sony did not include this as it was intended for the PS3, which comes with a USB charging cable (the same one used to charge the PS3 controllers). However, since a USB cable cost so little, just a few bucks, I would have appreciated that Sony included this accessory for a headset costing over a hundred bucks. 11. The inner ear of the headset (the ear cups), actually have a slanted depression to fit your ears. i.e. there is more space at the back for where your ear flaps are. This makes fitting more comfortable. 12. MUSIC: I am able to discern the various instruments used in classical and instrumental pieces. This is what I like about these headphones. Vocals are also crystal clear. For it's simplicity, quality, and price - the Pulse Elite comes highly recommended. Nothing beats my 5.1 surround sound system, but when I don't want to disturb the neigbours or my family, I enjoy using the Pulse Elites. Yes, there are headsets that have discrete channels but the problem with them is that: (i) they cost a lot more, (ii) some of them have a bunch of messy wires to connect whereas the Pulse Elites are just plug and play simple, (iii) most of them have a microphone piece that is sticking out - I hate it as I don't like anything in front of my face - the embedded mic of the Pulse Elites work well for gaming purposes. (iv) I would wear the Pulse Elites while walking to work as they don't look like some over-the-top design gaming headset!

El bass impact es muy bueno se siente increible tienen buen volumen lo unico malo es que son un poco pesados, los audifonos llegaron rapido y en buen estado todo.

De los mejores auriculares a un precio competitivo que puedes encontrar en el mercado, tanto en los juegos de PS3 como películas en bluray se escucha realmente bien simulando un 7.1 casi real.

Première chose la notice est en français et en anglais. Utilisation très facile grâce au dongle ou a la prise jack. Beaucoup de réglages à faire (mode game, musique, film, fps, fight, course)plus le son général et les basses à régler. Le casque se fait sentir après une heur de jeux, cela doit être du à un manque de mousse. Sinon excellent produit bien meilleur que le casque précédent de sony

Phenomenal..... Bass impact just nailed it.. When u here those pulses around your ear drums believe me man it will give u goosebumps...

Best base impact ever, and the level of volume is really high. Good quality sound and build. A bit too big and not foldable so it became quite bulky.