Set to launch on December 6, these wireless earbuds are designed to be compatible with Sony’s new generation of consoles, but can also be used as regular Bluetooth headphones. In practical tests CNET He calls it a “revolution” and notes that while it’s not amazingly great for gaming, it’s also great for listening to music in general.
The article claims they rival the Japanese giant’s WF-1000XM5 earbuds in sound quality, which retail for around $300. Considering the Pulse Explore earbuds sell for around $200 with a stand holder, that’s a surprising result.
The review says: “I found these always sounded clearer than Sony’s flagship WF-1000XM5 earbuds, with strong, rich bass. That’s not to say they sound better than the XM5s, which sound a bit fuller. But I didn’t expect them to compete with the XM5 when it comes to listening to music.
The review also explains why they sound so good, and this is due to the use of planar magnetic drivers, which are commonly used in high-end over-ear studio headphones. The review states that “planar magnetic drivers are highly prized for their sonic precision and sensitivity to distortion.” “They’re usually larger than the standard dynamic drivers found in most headphones, and they’re more difficult to control.”
Although he notes that the earbuds are a bit heavy to compensate for this technology, he notes that they are comfortable to wear. The article emphasizes that it’s a rather basic accessory overall – for example, there’s no noise cancellation and you can’t tell when you’ve removed the earbuds from your ears – but the overall excellent sound quality seems to make up for the shortcomings.
And considering that a pair of earbuds with planar magnetic drivers sold for over $1,000 a few years ago, it seems like Sony has done an exceptional job of keeping the price down on this product. Planning to pick up a pair? Sound off in the comments section below.
[source cnet.com]
