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[NinjaBoiX]

So I’ve been intrigued to try out the 3D audio on the PS5, so read up on the Pulse 3D Headset. It was only after looking into it that I realised you could use any headphones to get the effect as long as they’re plugged into the controlller, I thought it had to be a set that could talk to the tempest engine.

After watching a couple of reviews, some swear that the 3D is markedly superior on the Pulse, as it’s coded directly by Sony, even if it’s a lacklustre headset overall. Some say most decent headsets will give you just as good a 3D experience.

So my question is, given that I already own a pair of Sony XM3’s and a decent pair of Sennheiser open backs, is it worthwhile purchase used solely as a headset to play PS5 games in 3D?

 

[NightmareFarm]

Hardly noticeable

 

[ViolentP]

Nothing to write home about.

 

[GladiusFrog]

Don't buy that piece of garbage.

 

[Art The Clown]

No. I’ve had the pulse 3d since launch and they are not that good imo overall.

I purchased a pair of steel series and the audio is way better.


As far as the 3d portion goes, I honestly couldn’t tell a big difference but I’m not an audiophile.

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

OP, spend some time here instead...

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

 

[raptorak]

The headset is alright and it works well with the PS5, XBOX and Switch so I'd say it is worth getting anyway as a cheap secondary pair of headphones if you are lazy to keep dragging your more expensive cabled headphones from the PC or wherever you use them. They have some controls that work fairly well for gaming but other than that, quality wise, they are bang average and get a tiny bit uncomfortable after long sessions.

 

[Topher]

Pulse 3D is not good, imo. There are much better options. Razer Blackshark V2 and SteelSeries Artis Nova 7p (7x works with PS5 as well) have been good ones I've tried.

 

[R6Rider]

I don't use 3D audio due to how my setup is, but the Pulse 3D headset is great, especially for the price.

 

[Jet Set Willy]

The 3D works with any Headphones. And the 3D effect is not even as good as Dolby Atmos for Headphones, which already existed. Neither are anything to write home about tbh, there's a significant degradation in sound quality, and it doesn't sound like things are behind/in front of you etc, it just sounds like that specific audio is out of phase.

 

[Mr Hyde]

I like the Pulse 3D headphones and use them quite frequently, but if you already have a pair of XM3 I'd say don't bother. You can use them instead, much more comfortable + noise cancelling. The 3D audio depends on the game. Demon's Souls, Returnal and Resident Evil Village had fantastic audio that utilized the 3D quite well. Forbidden West too. But in some other games I've tried, I barely noticed or maybe I'm just not observant enough. But it's good when it works.

 

[Topher]

The 3D works with any Headphones. And the 3D effect is not even as good as Dolby Atmos for Headphones, which already existed. Neither are anything to write home about tbh, there's a significant degradation in sound quality, and it doesn't sound like things are behind/in front of you etc, it just sounds like that specific audio is out of phase.

I can't tell much difference between Sony's 3D or Dolby Atmos myself, but I agree with that neither are really all that incredible. If someone wants 3D then they need a real 3D sound system. These tiny little speakers are only going to do so much.

 

[Clover904]

I have the Pulse headset. It’s been fantastic so far. I was playing God of War last night, and as I was fighting an elf, it flew up and traveled behind me. I was surprised how good it sounded. It sounded like it was actually above me. For a split second I actually looked away from the tv screen and glanced up. I knew exactly where the enemy had landed behind me before I turned the camera around.

 

[Punished Miku]

Literally can't even tell its a thing. It's a decent / low tier headset that's great for people that just want to be able to get better than TV speaker audio for cheap.

 

[NickFire]

I've used the Pulse for about a year now. It works really well with the PS5. Highly recommended if you want an affordable headset.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

I don't think any of the overrated Artics are good enough with only 40mm drivers.

What is your budget?

 

[FrankWza]

Good for the price. There’s some nice onboard features+convenient and the headset is on sale a lot for $80. It will also most likely sound better than any headphones you will plug into the controller because the controller won’t get the most out of them due to less power. But you can do better if you spend more. If you want to test out Tempest for headphones, start with a Cheap dac and plug in your best headphones and then go from there on your trade offs like wireless, $, features, mic etc

 

[jaysius]

This thread pops up all the time, usually the better headphones mentioned are Philips Fidelio X2HR and Sennhiser 599.

Black Friday is coming up, you should be able to get a sweet deal on some real headphones then.

Get some headphones that you can enjoy music with too, not just cheap junk that is overpriced because it's FOR GAMERS, which is like the pink tax but for dudes.

 

[fart town usa]

I had the Sony Gold PS4 headset and it went to shit a few months in. Just stopped working entirely bit by bit. Really surprised me, the only Sony device I ever had that just straight up broke from normal use.

I have a JBL over the ear noise cancelling headset now and it sounds great AFAIC.

To answer your question on the 3D audio, I have no idea what the difference is or what games use it. Audio sounds great when plugged into the PS5 controller so I don't give it much thought.

 

[Topher]

I don't think any of the overrated Artics are good enough with only 40mm drivers.

I have both the Artis Nova 7 (40mm drivers) and the Razer Blackshark V2 (50mm drivers) and the Artis Nova 7 just sound better to me.

 

[NickFire]

Don't know how important or non-important Pulse is for 3D audio. But the 3D audio itself has been pretty good for me (using Pulse at least). I can easily tell if someone is approaching from left, right or rear.

 

[jaysius]

I have both the Artis Nova 7 (40mm drivers) and the Razer Blackshark V2 (50mm drivers) and the Artis Nova 7 just sound better to me.

It's not the size of the driver it's what you do with it...

 

[nowhat]

After watching a couple of reviews, some swear that the 3D is markedly superior on the Pulse, as it’s coded directly by Sony, even if it’s a lacklustre headset overall. Some say most decent headsets will give you just as good a 3D experience.

So my question is, given that I already own a pair of Sony XM3’s and a decent pair of Sennheiser open backs, is it worthwhile purchase used solely as a headset to play PS5 games in 3D?

The reviews might be suffering from placebo effect - there's nothing inherently more 3D about the Pulse headset compared to any other headset. The positional audio processing happens all in the console and is hardware-agnostic. If you're happy with your current headset(s) then by all means go for them. FWIW Pulse is a nice headset for the price though, and doesn't require external dongles or cables.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

I have both the Artis Nova 7 (40mm drivers) and the Razer Blackshark V2 (50mm drivers) and the Artis Nova 7 just sound better to me.

Arctis lacks the punch and finding out all there headsets were 40mm is the reason.

I got punchier/louder sounds out of the 50mm Pulse 3D
They are more comfortable than the Pulse 3D though.

I don't use either of them now.

 

[Kuranghi]

3D audio in headphones or just any sort of fake height effects on external sound systems is generally terrible ime, this implementation included. I don't hate the Pulse 3D but I find the general sound quality and bass lacking compared to my WH-1000XM3 and they are very uncomfortable after about 2 hours (possibly unique to me since I find this with many over ear headphones) so I plan to upgrade to one of these two soon:

Astro A50 Gen 4 Wireless 2019 vs SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless [PC, PS, Xbox] Side-by-Side Headphones Comparison

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless [PC, PS, Xbox] have a few more features than the Astro A50 Gen 4 Wireless 2019, which some users may prefer. While both headphones are well-built, the SteelSeries have ANC to help block out a fair amount of ambient noise around you, come with two battery...

www.rtings.com

I'm leaning more towards the Arctis Nova Pro due to the dual BT and dongle connection option, because I want to be able to be BT connected to the PC or my phone for Discord voice chat while I play a game on the PS5 at the same time.

 

[kyliethicc]

So I’ve been intrigued to try out the 3D audio on the PS5, so read up on the Pulse 3D Headset. It was only after looking into it that I realised you could use any headphones to get the effect as long as they’re plugged into the controlller, I thought it had to be a set that could talk to the tempest engine.

After watching a couple of reviews, some swear that the 3D is markedly superior on the Pulse, as it’s coded directly by Sony, even if it’s a lacklustre headset overall. Some say most decent headsets will give you just as good a 3D experience.

So my question is, given that I already own a pair of Sony XM3’s and a decent pair of Sennheiser open backs, is it worthwhile purchase used solely as a headset to play PS5 games in 3D?

its just a solid 7.1 wireless headset that works well with the console for $10

XM3s are better overall, so just use those if you don't mind a wire

 

[hinch7]

This thread pops up all the time, usually the better headphones mentioned are Philips Fidelio X2HR and Sennhiser 599.

Black Friday is coming up, you should be able to get a sweet deal on some real headphones then.

Get some headphones that you can enjoy music with too, not just cheap junk that is overpriced because it's FOR GAMERS, which is like the pink tax but for dudes.

Haven't tried any of these Sony wireless headsets but these look cheaply made with thin plastic sides, and look like they'll snap given time and usage.

But yeah, agreed the Fidelio X2's are great. Can be found for £100/$100 or less (got mine for £80) when on offer. Can't really beat that for comfort, build and sound quality at that price. Else something like a Hyper X Alpha is pretty good too sound quality wise and build. And has built in and detachable mic.

Like other wired headphones, can just plug them into the 3.5mm jack in the Dual Sense and still get 3D audio. If you don't have a DAC or amp to plug them into.

 

[jorgejjvr]

In my experience, everything sounds worse with 3d audio on. And i dont own the 1-2 games that actually fully support it

 

[reezoo]

It’s surprisingly good compared to what you would expect from two speakers close to your ears. 3D effect comes from playing same sound differently for front and back. I have dodged enemies in Elden ring and located ravens in GOWR because of it. If you don’t or can’t have proper 3D audio setup then it will do the job. Just don’t expect anything too much as they are just stereo headphones. Build quality is cheap though and max volume is not that high, I guess that’s because high volume kills the 3D effect.

 

[rofif]

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

 

[Kenneth Haight]

Had it since launch and it’s pretty damn good.

 

[Nankatsu]

The 3D Audio only works in games that support it.

Sounds good in Horizon Forbidden West for example, but if you leave the feature enable and let's say, go play Genshin Impact, a game that doesn't support 3D Audio, the quality of the audio itself takes a it.

It's a nice feature, but nothing outstanding to be honest.

I grabbed a Steelseries 7P+, which also features 3D Audio, and the fact that it's a more comfortable headset to wear in comparison to the 3D Pulse matters way more than the 3D audio feature itself.

 

[Topher]

Arctis lacks the punch and finding out all there headsets were 40mm is the reason.

I got punchier/louder sounds out of the 50mm Pulse 3D
They are more comfortable than the Pulse 3D though.

I don't use either of them now.

There is clearly something wrong with your ears.

Kidding. Yeah, I don't know, man. I was really surprised to find I like the Artis Nova's (not the same as the older artis). Just as a better sounding......sound. Yeah....go figure.

 

[rofif]

Arctis lacks the punch and finding out all there headsets were 40mm is the reason.

I got punchier/louder sounds out of the 50mm Pulse 3D
They are more comfortable than the Pulse 3D though.

I don't use either of them now.

Yeah I agree. I had arctis pro for 1 day lol before returning it and getting pulse 3d.
It sounded dry and was too small on my head. Arctis is overrated

 

[Crispy Gamer]

My Audeze are amazing when 3d audio is engaged on a supported title but the pulse 3d unfortunately aren't very good I had a buddy that went from those to the steeleseries 7p+ and he said it was a night and day difference in sound quality

 

[Kataploom]

Are these any good and lightweight? I have a Turtle Beach Stealth 700 gen 2 and while they sound impressive, they're too heavy for me to wear them constantly...

 

[applesaucejaxon]

As a Pulse headset owner, I recommend passing on them. The only good thing I can say about them is that they're comfortable. Easily the worst headphones I've ever owned. And the "3d" is OK at best.

 

[Puscifer]

Hardly noticeable

The Steelseries 7P would beg to differ, it's honestly shameful how Sony has the nerve to sell their own alongside that. If you're in the market for a high quality headset for the 3D audio don't get theirs. Playing COD is borderline cheating from the staging it presents.

 

[Spukc]

Don't buy that piece of garbage.

ftfy

 

[Forsete]

I like them.

They are a little warm however.

 

[crazepharmacist]

Sennheiser PC38x is the best gaming headset on the market now.

 

[Topher]

This thread pops up all the time, usually the better headphones mentioned are Philips Fidelio X2HR and Sennhiser 599.

Black Friday is coming up, you should be able to get a sweet deal on some real headphones then.

Get some headphones that you can enjoy music with too, not just cheap junk that is overpriced because it's FOR GAMERS, which is like the pink tax but for dudes.

The problem is lots of folks, like myself, want wireless. The headphones you mention are certainly "better" but still wired so not something many gamers want.

 

[Drizzlehell]

They're decent enough but nothing to write home about. I wasn't blown away by 3D audio either and pretty much never use it since regular stereo just sounds more natural in most games.

The only reason I got them is because those were pretty much the only ones within that price range that didn't have any sound volume issues. Any third party wireless headphones that I tried out and were within similar price range were playing really quietly and even maxing out the volume wasn't enough.

 

[NinjaBoiX]

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.

 

[FrankWza]

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.

Wireless for that price? Yes it’s best.
Vs Wired via usb dac?No.
Vs Wired to controller? Depends.
Too many variables. There are better 3d audio for headphones solutions.
The pulse 3d, if it fits you well,will sound better than most headphones connected to the dualsense unless you have a portable amp connected to help the Dualsense boost the power. Otherwise it sounds somewhat muffled.
It works much better than audio did on DS4 but it’s meant as an accessible and easy way for anyone with any pair of headphones to experience 3d audio and tempest.
Your way is the lowest quality way most likely because there isn’t enough juice in the dualsense to lower good headphones enough to make a difference

 

[NeonGhost]

I suggest you look into the steelseries nova 7p

 

[tommib]

I think 3D audio on headphones is a bit of a scam. It’s still stereo separation with some phasing effects. I don’t know. I normally turn it off if I’m playing with headphones and prefer the standard stereo.

Returnal though…

 

[rofif]

As a Pulse headset owner, I recommend passing on them. The only good thing I can say about them is that they're comfortable. Easily the worst headphones I've ever owned. And the "3d" is OK at best.

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 DUCK]

It's pretty good, on par with xbox offerings for headphones. These things have gotten much better over time.
So no magic mind blowing here, but still better than just 2.0.
Eventually headphone audio will be better than room audio, we have only 2 ears, we just haven't 100% figured out how to get that sound to brain the right way yet.

 

[terintamel]

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.