In December 2023, Sony released its $200 Pulse Explore earbuds. Though they're ostensibly low-latency gaming buds designed to be used with Sony's PS5 gaming console, its new PlayStation Portal remote player and Windows and Mac computers, they sound shockingly good for music listening when paired with a phone via Bluetooth. That's largely because they feature planar magnetic drivers, the same low-distortion drivers found in Sony's new $150 Pulse Elite Wireless Headset. And it's that driver technology, along with excellent noise reduction and microphone performance, that ultimately makes the Pulse Elite a standout among a plethora of gaming headsets, especially at this price point.
