Sony acquires Audeze and unveils the PlayStation Portal Remote, Pulse Elite Headset and Pulse Explorer Earbuds

[AndreiArgeanu]

Summary

 

 Sony acquire Audeze, a company well known for their high end planar magnetic headphones. They unveiled the Pulse Elite Headset and Pulse Explorer Earphones, both make use of planar magnetic drivers with the headset costing 150$ and the earbuds 200$. They promise losless audio and AI enhanced noise rejection. The headphones and earphones use Sony's new PlayStation link audio protocol, alongside bluetooth as an alternative. There aren't many details out yet about it, but they promise low latency, losless audio.

 

And the Portal Remote which is a 199$ 8 inch 1080p60 tablet sat between a dual sense controller. It serves as a way to play PS5 remotely. Mainly in the home, tied to a Wi-Fi connection.

 

Quotes

Quote

Sony PlayStation Portal Remote

PlayStation Portal remote player brings the PS5 experience to the palm of your hand. It includes the key features of the DualSense wireless controller, including adaptive triggers and haptic feedback*. The vibrant 8-inch LCD screen is capable of 1080p resolution at 60fps, providing a high definition visual experience that’s expected from the high quality games created by world-class developers. 

PlayStation Portal is the perfect device for gamers in households where they might need to share their living room TV or simply want to play PS5 games in another room of the house. PlayStation Portal will connect remotely to your PS5 over Wi-Fi**, so you’ll be able to swiftly jump from playing on your PS5 to your PlayStation Portal. PlayStation Portal can play supported games that are installed on your PS5 console and use the Dualsense controller. It also includes a 3.5mm audio jack for wired audio. PS VR2 games, which require the headset, and games that are streamed through PlayStation Plus Premium’s cloud streaming, are not supported.***#

PlayStation Portal remote player will launch later this year for 199.99 USD | 219.99 EURO | 199.99 GBP | 29,980 YEN. We’ll have more details soon on when pre-orders begin for PlayStation Portal.

 

Sony Pulse Elite Headset and Pulse Explorer Earbuds

 

Sony has revealed new details on multiple new PlayStation accessories that are in the pipeline, and while the headline-grabbing one is probably the cloud-streaming handheld device, PlayStation Portal, new audio accessories have also been revealed for the PS5.

 

First up, there’s Pulse Elite, a new wireless 3D audio bluetooth headset, which will offer lossless audio and AI-enhanced noise rejection capable of filtering background sounds. It will also feature a retractable boom mic, and come with a charging hanger.

 

There’s also Pulse Explorer, new wireless bluetooth earbuds that were first unveiled earlier this year. Like Pulse Elite, Pulse Explorer will also boast AI-enhanced noise rejection and lossless audio, and will also come with a charging case.

 

Both devices will also connect with the aforementioned PlayStation Portal a new wireless audio technology dubbed PlayStation Link, which will deliver low latency, lossless audio, and easy switching between multiple PlayStation Link hosts.

 

Pulse Elite will retail for $149.99, while Pulse Explorer will retail for $199.99. A release date has yet to be announced for either device.

 

Audeze and the Maxwell

Given that Sony has acquired Audeze, I strongly suspect that the Pulse Elite is based on the $300 Audeze Maxwell. Like the Elite, the Maxwell is also wireless, uses planar magnetic drivers, has a familiar-looking suspension strap headband, and importantly, includes a detachable microphone that has AI-enhanced background noise reduction. Even more curiously, like the Elite, the Maxwell also does NOT support ANC.

While admittedly the use of planar magnetic drivers and a suspension strap headband isn’t too out of the ordinary, the AI-enhanced mic and lack of ANC seems a little too coincidental. No other headset on the market has an AI-enhanced mic like the Maxwell does. And it just doesn’t make much sense for Sony, one of the best companies when it comes to noise-canceling technology, to leave it out on their latest gaming headset. It seems much more likely that the Elite is built off the Maxwell’s platform and has been customized per Playstation’s vision for what a gaming headset should look like.

 

Oh, and if the Elite is really based off the Maxwell, we might be looking at upwards of 80 hours of battery life. Seriously. It’s pretty crazy.

 

PlayStation Link, PlayStation’s new wireless audio technology

Pulse Elite and Pulse Explore connect directly with PlayStation Portal by leveraging this new wireless audio technology, PlayStation Link. This innovation delivers low latency, lossless audio and easy switching between multiple PlayStation Link hosts such as PS5 with the USB adapter and PlayStation Portal.

When using Pulse Elite and Pulse Explore with PS5, the USB adapter that’s included with each headset and earbuds is required for PlayStation Link. The PlayStation Link USB adapter will also be sold separately as a standalone item, and can be used on PC and Mac, so players can connect Pulse Elite or Pulse Explore to experience the same lossless and low latency audio. 

Pulse Elite and Pulse Explore can simultaneously connect to a PlayStation Link supported device (PS5, PC, Mac, or PlayStation Portal) and a Bluetooth supported device. For example, Pulse Explore can be connected to PS5 (via the USB adapter) using PlayStation Link and also to a mobile phone through Bluetooth at the same time. While playing on PS5, gamers can instantly answer a call and hear it through the same Pulse Explore earbuds.

My thoughts

Wireless planar magnetic headphones and earphones at this low of a price from a reputable company is kinda impressive, especially the headset. I wonder if Sony themselves will release planar magnetic headphones or use them in their next noise cancelling headphones, the next XM whatevers. For 150$ the headset might be one of, if not the best choice for a wireless headset for the PC as well. Overall the headset seems most interesting to me.

 

The Portal Remote I'm not really interested in. It's basically a Wii U tablet for the PS5. I wouldn't be surprised if you could get an actual functional tablet and a dual sense controller with some kind of cradle to achieve the same result. Admittedly at a higher cost, but you have an actual tablet that you can use for things besides playing games. It's advertised for use around the home in case the living room TV is taken or you just want to move about, but for less than asking you can get a pretty good 27inch high refreshrate monitor. And for an extra 30$ you can get a 1440p high refreshrate 27 inch display.

 

Sources

 Gaming Bolt , Headphones.com, PlayStation Blog

[8tg]

$150 planars are going to sound like dogshit regardless of the brand name behind them. There’s a reason why good planars are expensive, and it’s not the actual tech itself but how it’s implemented.

I just see another cheap gaming headset and more wireless earbuds that are going to end up in a landfill because they can’t be serviced.

It’s also not lossless, it’s a shame anyone can put “lossless” on basically anything because legally it means almost nothing. It uses Bluetooth LE which is very good for Bluetooth audio in general, but it’s absolutely not lossless. It is a compressed audio stream that is decompressed on the headphone side, and it’s not perfect. It can take whatever audio signal but it’s turning it into a 425kbps audio stream at best. Granted that’s mostly fine for regular use, and at a $150/$200 price point the people buying it won’t ever notice. But don’t think for a second this is in any way high quality or lossless.

All Bluetooth headphones have this issue and it’s why you don’t see $1000+ Bluetooth audio hardware, anyone buying things like that knows Bluetooth is a convenience and a limitation.

They bought a brand for the name and some prexisting products to make cheaper with production scale. The Maxwell is $300 mostly because it’s made in small quantities, Sony can throw the tech at much larger industry and make them much cheaper. They’re still nothing impressive.

 

Id like to see Sony do something a little more original considering they have basically endless money and decades upon decades of experience in the field of high end audio. Buying someone else’s planars to rebadge is kinda lame when they are literally the pioneers of wireless audio technologies.

[AndreiArgeanu]

12 minutes ago, 8tg said:

It uses Bluetooth LE Bluetooth audio Bluetooth headphones Bluetooth audio hardware Bluetooth

Quote

PlayStation Link, PlayStation’s new wireless audio technology

Pulse Elite and Pulse Explore connect directly with PlayStation Portal by leveraging this new wireless audio technology, PlayStation Link. This innovation delivers low latency, lossless audio and easy switching between multiple PlayStation Link hosts such as PS5 with the USB adapter and PlayStation Portal.

When using Pulse Elite and Pulse Explore with PS5, the USB adapter that’s included with each headset and earbuds is required for PlayStation Link. The PlayStation Link USB adapter will also be sold separately as a standalone item, and can be used on PC and Mac, so players can connect Pulse Elite or Pulse Explore to experience the same lossless and low latency audio. 

Sony hasn't described the standard yet, or how it works. It's a "proprietary technology". Who knows how good it'll be, but it probably aims to be significantly better than bluetooth. Sony hasn't claimed losless, low latency audio through bluetooth as far as I know. It's just through their own proprietary standard.

[Bananasplit_00]

Legit interested in those headphones. Probably won't buy them, but I'd really like to see what the Head-Fi community will say about them

[Forbidden Wafer]

Looks awful, price is bad, locked down. Hard pass. 

[GOTSpectrum]

10 hours ago, Forbidden Wafer said:

Looks awful

That's subjective, Personally, I think they look pretty interesting and are a head-turner. Which is probably what they aimed for 

[WereCat]

9 hours ago, GOTSpectrum said:

That's subjective, Personally, I think they look pretty interesting and are a head-turner. Which is probably what they aimed for 

I wouldn't like it if the headphones were turning my head.

[Mark Kaine]

On 8/25/2023 at 6:26 PM, 8tg said:

There’s a reason why good planars are expensive

yep, because people think expensive = good : )

 

 

as a former dj, more than 100 bucks for headphones is ridiculous, its all marketing,  margins for most electronics are gigantic nowadays.  

[Mihle]

4 hours ago, Mark Kaine said:

yep, because people think expensive = good : )

 

 

as a former dj, more than 100 bucks for headphones is ridiculous, its all marketing,  margins for most electronics are gigantic nowadays.  

100 for wired is one thing but for wireless it ends up being 200 or more for the same ones.

[Mark Kaine]

2 hours ago, Mihle said:

100 for wired is one thing but for wireless it ends up being 200 or more for the same ones.

maybe, but then why u wireless... i never saw a wireless audio device that didn't lag... maybe ok for music but everything else (video, games...) please no, i just cant deal with the latency  (and idc what the spec say, the lag is too obvious)

 

 

ps; actually i have 300 bucks sony inear headphones (with cables obviously)  and i love them , but the truth is theres barely any difference to a 30 bucks sony phone inear / headset...the sound is almost identical (like the 300 set is a 10/10, the phone one is a 9/10)

 

 

about 20yo as good as new, you get what you pay for ig (i wanna see wireless set in 20 years...~)

[Mihle]

4 hours ago, Mark Kaine said:

maybe, but then why u wireless... i never saw a wireless audio device that didn't lag... maybe ok for music but everything else (video, games...) please no, i just cant deal with the latency  (and idc what the spec say, the lag is too obvious)

 

 

ps; actually i have 300 bucks sony inear headphones (with cables obviously)  and i love them , but the truth is theres barely any difference to a 30 bucks sony phone inear / headset...the sound is almost identical (like the 300 set is a 10/10, the phone one is a 9/10)

 

 

about 20yo as good as new, you get what you pay for ig (i wanna see wireless set in 20 years...~)

I don't have wireless, I just mentioned because that's what some people want.

[Mark Kaine]

1 hour ago, Mihle said:

I don't have wireless, I just mentioned because that's what some people want.

still the question is why pay more for a worse experience? 

[Mihle]

Just now, Mark Kaine said:

still the question is why pay more for a worse experience? 

Some like to not have the wire, some people find it convenient even if they have to charge them now and then.

[Bananasplit_00]

8 hours ago, Mark Kaine said:

still the question is why pay more for a worse experience? 

ANC is basically exclusive to wireless and if you are on the go the slight delay is really not a big deal. Even with most video I really do not see the delay being an issue myself.

 

When I want HIFI I'm grabbing my vintage Yamaha HP-1s or transplanted HP-50As but for being absolutely isolated it is WH1000XM3 all day everyday.

 

I would not get a phone without a headphone jack, but I do use my Sony WH1000XM3s every day all day and love them.

[xAcid9]

I read the PS Portal Remote doesn't have Bluetooth. What a waste. 

I'm still waiting for Audeze to release a wireless earbuds and call them Nuts... Audeze Nuts.