Sony Pulse Elite – The most overrated and unreliable headset I have ever bought

I bought the Sony Pulse Elite headphones with expectations of quality and reliability, based on the Sony name. The result? Complete disappointment on all levels.

In less than a month:
• The detachable microphone, which is supposedly designed to be pulled out and return in front of the mouth, disconnected internally, with the wires sticking out.
• There was no impact or misuse — I used it exactly as recommended. And yet, it broke.
• From the beginning, they had connection problems, disconnecting randomly, with audio dropouts.

And as if the problematic construction wasn’t enough, I also faced the worst customer service:
• The service rejected the warranty with one word: “misuse,” without any proof.
• Sony didn’t care, didn’t even bother to request a second check or serve a customer who paid €150 for headphones that didn’t last even 4 uses.

⸻

Serious problems:
• Poor material quality.
• Defective microphone with vulnerability in the main mechanism.
• Unstable connection – keeps disconnecting.
• Zero support from Sony for a manufacturing defect.

⸻

If you are looking for reliability, durability, and support, stay away from the Pulse Elite.
They are not worth even half the money, and Sony does not stand by the consumer in the slightest.

Owner of these headphones for a year now, I would say I have mixed feelings about this product.

Positives:
Planar magnetic drivers, which provide very clear sound. The bass may not be very strong, but it didn't bother me.
Their price is relatively competitive, considering that similar planar headphones cost almost double.
Their battery is satisfactorily large, I charge them 2-3 times a month.
Comfortable over-ear cushions.
Simultaneous connection with a Bluetooth device while using USB.
The USB indeed offers zero sound delay.
Retractable mic and includes a wall stand where you can charge the headphones.
Sony's software updates, which have helped a lot with the issues I'll mention below.
They are made and improved for the PS5 and Tempest surround, as you can change many settings to customize them as you wish.

Negatives:
Let's start with perhaps the most significant problem, which is connectivity. While Bluetooth works well without issues, the connection with the PS5 is problematic. The disconnections that will get you off the couch (as you'll need to disconnect the USB and reconnect it from the port it was in another) have been happening since the first day I bought them. Yes, Sony has made updates (I recommend doing them) and they improve the situation, but even today, depending on usage, I notice 2-3 disconnections a month. In the first 3 months I bought them, they dropped 3-4 times a week. Unfortunately, these problems do not only affect me but many other users as well, which suggests there has been no quality control on the product. Note that these problems appear only with the USB on the PS5 and not when you connect the USB to the PC. Anyone with similar problems, I recommend connecting a USB hub with multiple ports to the front port of the PS5 (do not put it in the supercharge, this port is not for that purpose). I have also noticed a very faint sound, as if something is breaking.
The headphones also seem to open at some risky points due to their design, resulting in some wires being visible.
There is no software available for PC that allows customization of the headphones.
The microphone always has voice cancellation, which, although very good, alters the voice.
I wanted to give a better rating to the headphones, but unfortunately, the connectivity issues often negate the positives. Yes, the situation has improved, the price is good, the planars are good, but what can you do if there are such problems? Finally, I should note that the new black Pulse Elite (as well as the Explore) come with a case, while the white ones I have do not.

The headphones are simply outstanding. Very light, you forget you're wearing them. The ear cushions are very comfortable and have incredible noise isolation. Connectivity with anything you can imagine. It has been tested with bluetooth on TV, smartphone, and laptop. It has been tested with PS Portal and of course with PS5. Very positive is the fact that it supports dual device connectivity, meaning you can have it connected to Portal and your smartphone and answer calls while playing.
I have the PS5 "fat" which has the Type-A port in the front and that's why, maybe, I haven't had a single disconnection since I bought them. Possibly when the dongle is placed at the back of the console it may cause an issue.
As for the sound, I don't have much to say. Wonderful, full, and crystal clear. Just like with the previous generations, with the elite you can play with settings to customize the sound to your liking. It is also important that they have quite strong volume. For example, if you turn up the volume to the maximum on the Portal and on the headphones you simply can't play because of how loud it is.
Lastly, I left the battery for the end. I have had them for 15 days and I have forgotten to charge them. Not a single bar has dropped. For me, this is one of the main reasons for purchase. I was skeptical of course, as the predecessor suffered in this area and the 30 hours that Sony advertises seemed extremely exaggerated to me, but it proved me wrong.
Overall, for MY use, it is a purchase I would definitely make again. Completely satisfied from all aspects.
I hope the issues with disconnections that some people are facing will be resolved with an update.

The headset would have many positives if it weren't for the constant disconnections from the PS5 and if they didn't completely break down in 3 weeks (see below).

I pre-ordered them from a well-known store and not through skroutz. I am writing my experience here so that others don't fall into the same trap, at least until Sony decides to get serious.

The headphones seemed very good at first glance. They have a dongle (usb A) which is necessary for use with PlayStation 5 (bluetooth doesn't work).

After pairing it with the play, I was impressed with the sound and the noise canceling. Also, the microphone only picked up my voice. After a few hours, I had a disconnect that wouldn't come back no matter what. In the end, I had to remove the dongle and put it back in for them to work again.

These disconnects happened about once a day - searching online, it seems to be a common problem. It will probably be fixed with some update, but with the steelseries that I replaced to have a more native experience, I never had this happen in 4-5 years.

After a few days, I wanted to connect them via bluetooth to my laptop (macbook pro). At first, it didn't see them at all while they were in pairing mode, but after a lot of on-off, it recognized them. Since then, they worked fine and I had what I wanted: that is, to be able to switch the headset from the PS5 to the mac with the push of a button.

The disconnects continued, but only from the play (meaning it was doing it with its own dongle). The bluetooth, which for some reason doesn't work with the play, was working well.

Fast forward to the 2-3 weeks I've had them. This morning the headphones were dead. I thought it would be the battery, but they just died. I took them to the store, they will send them to service and will eventually replace them for me.

Unacceptable things for headphones costing €150, which should normally work perfectly with the PS5.

I returned to my trusty steelseries and will write an update. I probably got a defective product, I understand that, but I rate based on my experience.

Update:
A few days ago they replaced them for me. As soon as I connected them, both the headphones and the dongle had a firmware update.

I insist on my initial opinion that Sony is not particularly serious about the matter:
1. At first, the PlayStation didn't recognize them with a usb-c cable. After 2-3 tries, it recognized them.
2. A cable is needed for the firmware update.
3. You must definitely connect both the headphones and the dongle to the back usb ports.
4. On the first day I got them, I had 2 disconnections that only returned with disconnecting and reconnecting the dongle.

Meanwhile, the bluetooth works perfectly and has never disconnected. What do we need the dongle for, come on.

I would never buy them again under any circumstances.