Comfort
What does my head look like? My head circumference is about 58 cm, so I have a rather smaller head. On long days, I can wear the device for 8 hours or more.
The wearing comfort does not entirely convince me. I can comfortably wear the headset for a few hours at a time and the headset sits absolutely securely on my head even during quick movements. For a quick round of Apex Legends in the evening or following a series, the comfort is sufficient.
However, after two to three hours, I can already feel the headset significantly on my ears. The ear cushions feel quite hard, as I feel the plastic housing of the headset through the artificial leather of the ear cushions. After some time, it partly presses noticeably against my glasses.
Overall, the entire headset is not very flexible. The ear cups are rigidly attached to the body of the model, so they cannot adapt to my head. Additionally, the ear cups cannot be adjusted in height. The only individual adjustment the headset offers is the headband.
The cushions could be larger overall for larger heads. My SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless fits worlds better in comparison and feels much more comfortable – even after many hours. Memory foam and artificial leather have the disadvantage over fabric cushioning that the ears get quite warm.
My recommendation: Test the headset in-store before you buy it. If you notice in the store that the model simply cannot sit properly, then choose another model.
Sound
The sound and audio is the great strength of the gaming headset. Even the preset sound already pleases me quite a bit and games and individual series can convince me. However, it is worth adjusting the sound details yourself.
This is especially true for 3D audio. Here you can adjust both ears to your hearing on the PS5, which is especially worthwhile when playing games where spatial sound comes into play.
By the way, on the PS5, you can also make somewhat hidden equalizer settings for the sound. This allows you to customize the sound well. The only disadvantage: You cannot transfer the equalizer settings to the PC.
On the first connection to the PS5, the headset was very quiet for me and I had to turn up the sound first. However, it is good that the headset can be set very loud. During the first test on the PC, it almost blew my ears off, the increments on the headset are also pleasantly arranged and provide enough adjustment options in volume.
Range and Battery Life
How good is the connection? The range of the headset is sufficient and also stable over several meters. I can also quickly walk to the kitchen with the headset and still hear my music or my teammates despite the thick wall.
As soon as I am out of range of the adapter, the sound simply cuts off without warning. If I return to range, the sound is immediately available again without any problems. I had no connection issues throughout the testing period.
How is the battery life? In testing, I get several days of battery life. I would estimate the runtime at around 20 hours.
Microphone
How good is the microphone? Sony does not use a dedicated microphone in the Pulse 3D that you can fold out or in. Instead, the manufacturer relies on two internally installed microphones.
This setup is also noticeable in the microphone’s sound quality. I am clearly understandable, but sound quite muffled and slightly washed out. This is fine for a simple conversation or a few announcements in the chat, but no more than that. Pressing the buttons and the tone signals of the headset are sometimes also audible to listeners.
You can listen to a test recording here:
Conclusion: The headset is a fair deal when on offer
Who is the headset suitable for? If you are looking for a headset under 100 euros and have low expectations for your device and do not want to game for hours, then the “Sony Pulse 3D” could be a good option for you. You can now get the headset for around 70 euros, and that is a quite fair price for the model, especially for the sound quality offered.
For 100 euros, you can alternatively already get significantly better gaming headsets if you want to play long matches on your PS5 or PC or want to use more features on the PC.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Playstation Sony Pulse 3D-Wireless Headset 5* | Zu Amazon |
*Affiliate-Links. Wir erhalten bei einem Kauf eine kleine Provision von Amazon. Vielen Dank für Eure Unterstützung!
What alternatives are there?
- The Logitech G535 LIGHTSPEED costs just under 100 euros, offers the more convincing microphone overall and significantly better ergonomics. As a PC gamer, you can also rely on extensive software.
- The EPOS H3 can now be had for around 80 euros. The model offers excellent build quality and good wearing comfort, but struggles with the microphone.
- The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless is now on offer for 140 euros and is therefore more expensive than the competition. However, the overall package of comfort, microphone, and build quality is convincing. Thanks to USB-C, it is also a great and better option for the PS5 than the Pulse 3D.
More gaming headsets: You can find further models for your PS5, Xbox, or PC in the following buying guide. Here we present you with the currently best devices you can buy:
The best gaming headsets you can currently buy
- 1
- 2
