Pulse Headset
Pulse Headset
I was able to pick up one of the new Sony Pulse Headsets today after work and I'll give my first impressions. I did have the original Playstation Headset but the ever constant blue light mic drove me insane. The new headsets look fantastic. Much better than the old ones. They are just as easy to set up too. Just simply plug in the USB dongle into the playstation and off you go. Also, the USB dongle has a 3.5mm jack that allows you to plug in a media source and transmit it wirelessly. Although I haven't tried it yet, I'm hoping that's I'll be able to plug my Xbox into it somehow.
As far as sound goes, these are fantastic. The new "Pulse" feature is kind of like a ruble of sorts. Think "sticking your head in a subwoofer", or ruble pack of sorts. It gives explosions and gunfire an extra kick that is missing in most headphones. The pulse is adjustable, so if it's not your thing, you can lower it or completely turn it off.
I don't however hear the 7.1 directional sound. I've toggled it on and off and I'm less than impressed. Turned on, the sound stage is louder, but I can't tell what direction its coming from other than right or left.
Hopefully I'll get some more time with them this weekend.
Seems they are going for twice the price that I paid for my for my Sony Cams, never had a problem with blue LED on the mic.
Cool, thanks for the impressions Pete!
Was it really just a little led that drove you nuts?
Yes, the blue LED drove me mad.
Anyways, I have had more time to use them.
PC
My PC immediately recognized the headset and I was off and running within a few seconds. The sound is crisp and clear. The bass is deep and the “pulse” feature makes explosions shake my entire head. The sound quality of the headset is by far better than my Razer Megalodons. In fact, I'll be using the Sony ones on my PC from now on. The surround sound doesn't work on the PC. But the quality makes up for it.
Iphone/iPad
Music sounds amazing on both. I'm even able to use the built in mic taking phone calls. It comes with a 3.5mm cord that plugs in directly into the headset from the phone.
Very happy with my purchase so far. Well worth the price.
What kind of volume controls are on there?
I have the Sony headset now and the only (and it's pretty minor) issue I have is there's no separate volume control for game audio and voice chat audio. You can give one more volume but that lowers the other.
I believe it's the same setup. There are two sliders. One controls the volume while the other lets you raise and lower voice chat at the expense of in-game volume.
Just got a set of these.
Impressions vs the AX Pro's
pro: I'm not tied to a cord. Decent sound. Easy setup. Works with everything (pc/mac?/anything with a stereo jack). I have a pair of roughly 15 yo Sony MDR's that have gotton better with age, hope these live up to them. No mic boom, the reason my Pro's are being replaced. PS3 app to replace presets, I thought that was cool. Did I mention it's fun to walk around wireless? Bass gimick is tolerable.
neutral: Haven't tried mic. No charge cord. The ps3 usb cable is terrible, I bought a long ass cord a looong time ago so that doesn't bother me. YMMV. I hear the mic has feedback.
con: The AX Pro's sound a little better to me. Battery life needs improvement. About 5 hours it will beep at you. I have a fat head and they're tighter than my Pro's. Maybe time or I have a fat ass head. Either way I'm offended.
I wish the mid range was increased a bit. Lots of buttons without led's. I play in the dark and it's a buzzkill to have to turn on the lights to see what I'm trying to do. Get off my lawn.
This will/could change as I get a few more hours into them.
I've been using them for a few months now......
Battery is about 4-5 hours
No surround what-so-ever. I just don't hear it.
They start to hurt the top of my head after 30 minutes of use. Within an hour the pain is too much to deal with. Not sure why it does this.
After a few weeks of use I'm good. They have loosened up a bit. I'm still not very satisfied with the battery, I think I'm going to take them apart and see if I can add another battery or replace with a higher capacity. Other than the battery I'm very good with the set.
I haven't really had any issues with the battery. However, I only play a few hours a week. They still hurt the top of my head.
I bought the $99 Pulse headset and I'm happy with them. Worth the money.