The Sony PULSE Explore are wireless earbuds designed for gaming on PlayStation consoles. They have planar magnetic drivers that the manufacturer advertises to improve the clarity and detail of audio. Their transmitter plugs into PlayStation consoles and PCs, providing a wireless connection. They can also connect that way to PlayStation Portal, the company's portable console. However, they also support Bluetooth, so you can connect with your phone or computer to use them more casually. Otherwise, they're somewhat light on features since they don't have a dedicated app, built-in virtual surround sound, or an active noise cancelling (ANC) system.
Our Verdict
The Sony PULSE Explore are good for sports and fitness, mainly because of their portable in-ear design. However, they're primarily designed for gaming. They lack an IP rating for dust and water resistance, so they aren't the best choice for outdoor runs in rainy or dusty conditions. They have a stable fit but might slip out of place occasionally during intense movements, like during a dance workout. They're also passive-isolating only, so you'll still hear most of the other people and noises in the gym.
Decent build quality.
- Good stability.
- Support multi-device pairing.
- No sound customization features except with PS5 consoles.
- Poor noise isolation.
- No IP rating.
The Sony PULSE Explore earbuds are passable for commuting and traveling. They don't have ANC, so they won't block out rumbling bus and plane engines, and their passive isolation only slightly reduces neighboring traveler's voices. Their roughly five-hour battery life isn't enough for longer journeys, although the case holds two extra charges. They lack a companion app to tweak the sound on the go and remap controls to your taste. However, they have a decently comfortable fit for most people and are also quite portable as Bluetooth earbuds, so if you're looking for gaming headphones that you can also connect with your phone for your commute, they aren't bad.
Decent build quality.
- Good stability.
- No sound customization features except with PS5 consoles.
- Poor noise isolation.
Continuous battery life is a bit short.
The Sony PULSE Explore earbuds are adequate for office use. They're decently comfortable for most people, so if you get a good fit, they won't cause much fatigue during the day. They support multi-device pairing, so you can use Bluetooth to connect to your smartphone while simultaneously connecting to your PC via a wireless dongle. They only last for about five hours, so you may have to recharge partway through the day. They also lack ANC and won't block out very much noise passively.
Decent build quality.
- Support multi-device pairing.
- No sound customization features except with PS5 consoles.
- Poor noise isolation.
Continuous battery life is a bit short.
The Sony PULSE Explore aren't bad for wireless gaming. They're designed for PlayStation consoles and have low latency via USB, so your audio and video stay in sync while you play. Their slightly bass-heavy sound profile brings out boomy sound effects, while speech and melodies are reproduced clearly, though the treble range is uneven. You can only customize their sound with an EQ when connected to a PS5 console. They're also quite comfortable for most people. Unfortunately, their mic doesn't have a good recording quality, so your voice sounds distorted when you're chatting with friends.
Decent build quality.
- Low latency with transmitter.
- No sound customization features except with PS5 consoles.
- Sub-par mic recording quality.
- Poor noise isolation.
The Sony PULSE Explore are wireless-only earbuds, so you can't use them for wired gaming.
The Sony PULSE Explore are adequate for audio reproduction accuracy. The frequency response largely follows the warm sound profile, with only some minor deviations occurring in the treble range. This sound profile will work well for bass lovers, as the planar magnetic drivers produce a prominent low-end, while rolling off some of the treble range. While group delay and harmonic distortion values are very good, there are some mismatches in both phase and frequency that occur in the treble range, which can cause vocals and lead instruments to sound disproportionately loud in the left channel.
Decent build quality.
- No sound customization features except with PS5 consoles.
The Sony PULSE Explore are disappointing for noise isolation. They lack a dedicated ANC system, instead relying on the passively isolating in-ear fit to attenuate external noise. While this means that they can tamp down on certain high frequency sounds, like fridge hum and whirring PC fans, they really struggle to isolate your from the low-pitched roar of plane and car engines.
Decent build quality.
- No sound customization features except with PS5 consoles.
The Sony PULSE Explore have a sub-par microphone performance. The built-in mic is capable of rendering speech in an intelligible way but it does sound quite distorted at time, over-emphasizing the treble range in particular. While it does a passable job of separating your voice from a lesser amount of background noise, it won't be able to tune out the sound of a flightpath overhead.
Decent build quality.
- No sound customization features except with PS5 consoles.
The Sony PULSE Explore are mediocre for frequency response consistency. It can be tricky achieve a solid seal, with some adjustment required to avoid deviations in the treble range delivery. That said, once you're able to achieve a good fit, you'll be rewarded with consistent audio delivery.
Decent build quality.
- No sound customization features except with PS5 consoles.
Performance Usages
Changelog
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Updated Jan 15, 2026:
This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.0, which adds the following tests: Stereo Mismatch, Group Delay, Cumulative Spectral Decay, PRTF, Harmonic Distortion, and Electrical Aspects. We've added new performance usages and updated the text throughout the Sound tests and side-by-sides.
- Updated Dec 23, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.0, which updates our sound tests and performance usages. You can read more about this in our changelog.
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Updated Jan 21, 2025:
Text for the following test groups have been updated following Test Bench 1.7: Noise Isolation - Full Range and Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios, and ANC Wind Handling. Several Sound tests have also been updated following Test Bench 1.8. There have also been text changes made throughout the review, including to usages to match these results.
- Updated Jan 15, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.8, which updates our target curve and Sound tests. You can read more about this in our changelog.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Sony PULSE Explore Truly Wireless come in one black and white variant. You can see the label for the unit we tested here. If you encounter another variant, let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Sony PULSE Explore Truly Wireless are earbuds designed for PlayStation 5. Unlike the vast majority of wireless earbuds, they have planar magnetic drivers, which are bulkier but intended to reduce distortion and improve the clarity of audio reproduction. They support Bluetooth as well as PlayStation Link via their USB transmitter, which you can use to connect to PlayStation consoles and PCs. They also connect wirelessly to the PlayStation Portal remote player.
Otherwise, though, they're pretty thin on features. Unlike the Sony INZONE Buds Truly Wireless, they don't support Sony's 360 Reality Audio, which provides a personalized virtual soundstage. They don't have a dedicated app like the Sony INZONE hub with features like a graphic EQ for sound customization. They also block out less noise and have a worse mic performance than other dedicated gaming buds like the INZONE and the EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid Truly Wireless.
If you're looking for recommendations, check out the best earbuds for gaming, the best earbuds and in-ears, and the best gaming headsets.
The Sony INZONE Buds Truly Wireless are better for most uses than the Sony PULSE Explore Truly Wireless. The INZONE have a longer battery life, a better mic performance, and a better noise isolation performance, thanks to their ANC feature. They also include a dedicated app with sound customization features. On the other hand, the PULSE support more common Bluetooth codecs (SBC and AAC), so you can use their dongle to connect with PlayStation consoles and stream audio from your phone simultaneously.
The Sony PULSE Explore Truly Wireless and the Sony PULSE Elite are both designed for gaming and are equipped with planar magnetic drivers, but the similarities end here. The PULSE Explore are in-ear buds with a more stable and portable design. They deliver audio quite consistently across different gaming sessions. By contrast, the PULSE Elite struggle with audio delivery consistency. They have an over-ear design which is too bulky to be portable. On the other hand, they have an excellent microphone, and their continuous battery life is almost ten times that of the PULSE Explore. You can also use them with a wired connection, which gives them greater versatility.
The Sony PULSE 3D Wireless and the Sony PULSE Explore Truly Wireless are gaming headphones meant for PlayStation consoles; which one you prefer mostly depends on what type of headphones you want. The Explore have a smaller, more portable in-ear design and use planar magnetic drivers, which is intended to improve the clarity of audio. They support Bluetooth, so you can connect them to your phone when you're on the go. On the other hand, the 3D are over-ears with a longer continuous battery life. Their design helps them create a more wide, spacious-seeming sound. They also have a dedicated app with a graphic EQ and presets for sound customization.
The EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid Truly Wireless are better gaming earbuds than the Sony PULSE Explore Truly Wireless. The EPOS feel sturdier, have a better passive noise isolation performance, and offer a much better mic recording quality. They have a dedicated companion app with sound customization features and support multi-device pairing via Bluetooth or via both Bluetooth and non-Bluetooth wireless. However, you might prefer the Sony PULSE because they have lower latency over non-Bluetooth wireless. The Sony also work with PlayStation Portal, a remote player for the PlayStation that doesn't support Bluetooth or have a USB port.
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
Test Results
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