Launching today, our latest wireless headset, Pulse Elite, brings crisp, immersive audio to the gaming experience on the PS5 console; to PlayStation Link supported devices including PS5, PC, Mac, and PlayStation Portal remote player; and to Bluetooth compatible devices such as smartphones and tablets. Pulse Elite follows the launch of our first wireless earbuds, Pulse Explore, with both audio devices featuring planar magnetic drivers to further enhance the PS5 console's Tempest 3D AudioTech. When combined with PlayStation Link, the planar drivers precisely deliver the output of the 3D audio algorithms directly to the player's ear without loss, and nearly no distortion or delay. Here's our quick-start guide on setting up and using the Pulse Elite wireless headset, along with Pulse Explore wireless earbuds.

Set up and use sidetone and 3D audio features on PS5
A tour of the headset appears when you first connect the Pulse Elite wireless headset or Pulse Explore wireless earbuds to your PS5 console via the included PlayStation Link USB adapter. Before diving into a game, I recommend personalizing 3D audio settings and adjusting sidetone volume (changing this adjusts how loudly you hear your own voice in your ear when you talk). It's also possible to create a custom name for the headset, with standard letters, symbols, and even emoji. After the tour, you can change settings at any time while the headset is connected by navigating to the Settings menu and selecting Accessories, followed by Pulse Elite wireless headset.

Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC ("SIE") announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Audeze, a leading audio technology brand and pioneer of high-end gaming headphones. The acquisition will strengthen SIE's efforts to continue innovating when it comes to the audio experience of PlayStation games. Audeze will continue to operate independently and develop multi-platform products, while benefiting from being a part of the PlayStation ecosystem.

Based in Santa Ana, Calif., Audeze develops award-winning headphones for the professional audio, audiophile, and gaming markets. These headphones use Audeze's patented technologies and unique planar magnetic drivers to deliver an outstanding sound experience for consumers as well as recording professionals, including sound engineers at many game development studios. Audeze designs and manufactures its planar magnetic drivers and professional headphones in its California facility.

Designed for Xbox premiered its first collection with a variety of gaming accessories in playful pastel tones last spring. This year, it's time to sparkle and shine for Designed for Xbox's second collection! The new Designed for Xbox Summer Collection 2023 will include 7 shimmery, glimmery accessories for every Xbox player wanting to outsparkle the competition. Designed especially for you and crafted by our amazing partners, each product brings a unique flare that will surely brighten up any gaming session.

PowerA Advantage Wired Controller for Xbox Series X|S - Sparkle
Add some stellar style and performance to your game with the PowerA Advantage Wired Controller for Xbox Series X|S in an all-new purple sparkle design. With glittering swirls of purple and gold, this one-of-a-kind controller looks like it was sent from a deep-space nebula. Licensed by Xbox, this controller features two mappable Advanced Gaming Buttons you can program on-the-fly, and 3-Way Trigger Locks for game-specific trigger depth. Works great on Windows 10/11 too. Quality backed with a 2-year limited warranty.

Audeze, the leading premium headphone manufacturer, today announced the release of a limited edition gaming headset developed in partnership with Microsoft, for their Designed for Xbox Summer product collection. This stylish, limited edition "Ultraviolet" version of their highly lauded Maxwell gaming headset features a new finish that adds a head-turning and unique look to one of the best gaming headsets on the market. The Ultraviolet edition of the Maxwell headphone is available on the Audeze website for pre-order in limited quantities.

The partnership between Audeze and Microsoft which began in 2021 with the Microsoft certification of Audeze's Penrose gaming headset, and continued recently with Microsoft's certification of our new Maxwell gaming headset. This partnership has expanded access to Audeze's industry-leading planar magnetic headsets to Microsoft's vast audience of console users. Epic life-like audio quality as delivered by Audeze's legendary planar magnetic drivers are a powerful tool for gamers, and now with the Ultraviolet limited edition of Maxwell, they can use their sonic advantage in style.

Luxury brands and consumer electronics don't tend to be a good mix, largely due to the luxury brands either not caring or not being knowledgeable enough about the product they're making. Montblanc has taken a very different route with its new MTB 03 ANC earbuds, as the company has cooperated with Axel Grell, who used to work for Sennheiser before setting up his own brand of audio products. In all fairness, Montblanc did a similar team-up for its MTB 01 headphones where they worked with the founder of Audeze. The MTB 03's feature 7 mm beryllium drivers and are built around a Qualcomm Bluetooth 5.2 chipset which Montblanc is leveraging by adding aptX Adaptive support.

Furthermore, Montblanc has added support for Mimi Hearing Technologies sound personalisation software, on top of the tuning provided by Axel Grell. Sadly these luxury buds aren't without shortcomings, as the battery life is said to be good for only six hours of listening time, with another two full charges in the charging case. That's far less than most competing products on the market today. The charging case can be charged wirelessly or via USB-C and a 15 minute charge of the earbuds is said to be good enough for 100 minutes of playback time, while a full charge takes 90 minutes. For those still interested, a pair of the MTB 03's will set you back £345 or around US$439, although that price includes 20 percent VAT.

Audeze, the leading audio technology brand and premium headphone manufacturer, today announces their newest headphone made in collaboration with 17-time Grammy-winning engineer/producer Manny Marroquin. The MM-100 features Audeze's latest planar magnetic driver design, and a new lightweight chassis to bring unprecedented levels of quality and reliability to a wide range of audio professionals and enthusiasts. Audeze's MM-100 is assembled in the U.S.A. and will retail for $399, with first shipments expected in May.

The MM-100 is based on the highly successful MM-500, which has earned praise from acclaimed recording professionals since its debut at NAMM 2022. The MM-100 carries forward the highly regarded tuning from Audeze's 90 mm planar magnetic drivers. These efficient, low-impedance drivers make the MM-100 easy to drive from any console, interface, or laptop. The newly-designed chassis features premium materials ensuring comfort over long sessions.

Audeze, the leading audio technology brand and pioneer of high-end gaming audio products, today announces Maxwell, a new ultra-low-latency wireless PC & console gaming headset with class-leading 80+ hours of battery life. Two versions of Maxwell will be available: Maxwell for Xbox & PC is officially licensed by Microsoft and includes the first auto-activating Dolby Atmos license, while Maxwell for Playstation & PC supports Tempest 3D Audio. Maxwell is the latest release from Audeze in a line of purpose-built gaming headsets like the LCD-GX and Mobius which have garnered rave reviews for their innovations in audio performance and headtracking.

Connect and game anywhere, without limitations. Maxwell provides ultra-low-latency, high-resolution audio up to 24-bit 96 kHz when connected to the included USB dongle. Low-latency wireless range and stability are improved up to 3X from the award-winning Audeze Penrose headset. Maxwell features many wired and wireless connection options including the latest Bluetooth 5.3 LE Audio technology, supporting the LC3 and LC3plus codecs. In addition, Maxwell supports classic Bluetooth codecs like SBC, AAC and LDAC for high-quality portable audio. Maxwell also supports lossless high-resolution audio up to 24-bit 96 kHz over wired USB.

Audeze is a brand extensively covered on TechPowerUp and renowned for its planar magnetic headphones and in-ear monitors. With the recently announced flagship class LCD-5, the company unveiled the culmination of several years of R&D and new technology packed into a $4500 set of headphones that is understandably well beyond the reach of the average end user, however in a working example of trickle-down technology we see today two announcements that help in this aspect while showcasing also what's to come from the USA-based audio brand. First up, Audeze announced 11-time Grammy award-winning engineer/producer Manny Marroquin as its new Head of Professional Products, with Marroquin aiming to bring his music industry and production experience to the Audeze team. Audeze and Manny Marroquin are collaborating to create a new series of audio products—called the MM Series—focused on using cutting-edge technology and engineering to deliver better results more efficiently for working audio professionals.

The first of the products under the MM Series also launched alongside in the form of the MM-500, which takes several cues from the LCD-5. It features a new chassis design for comfort over long sessions at a reduced mass of 495 grams compared to the 600+ g heavyweights under the Audeze umbrella. The MM-500 is designed to perform both inside and outside the studio, with low impedance and high sensitivity that make it easy to drive from any console, interface or laptop. It is an open-back, over-ear set of planar magnetic headphones with Audeze's Uniforce voice coil over an ultra-thin diaphragm, and utilizes Fazor waveguides coupled with Fluxor magnets. The transducer is 90 mm in size and the use of the LCD-5 style frame and headband design combined with single-sided magnets also indicates the MM-500 is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the prosumer and audiophile market. The Audeze MM-500 costs $1699 and will be available for purchase soon. Read past the break for reactions on the collboration as well as more information about the new product itself.

I know what you are thinking—this isn't the typical news content we see on TechPowerUp. Yes, we do cover audio products with plenty of reviews here, including Audeze planar magnetic headphones. When Audeze mentioned there's a whole different thing coming up, and that it involves carbon nanotubes (CNTs), I was quite intrigued. Some of you may have picked it up by now, but all the neat toys I have access to and used in several reviews come because I am a research scientist by profession, with a specialization in carbon nanomaterials including CNTs. So this news post is about my attempt to help explain why the Audeze technology is such a big deal. This is not a review of the actual devices and neither is it a sponsored post, or even solicited by Audeze. It is purely me geeking out about a fairly novel use of CNTs in the audio world, especially when there have been CNT coatings on a few dynamic drivers before but barely put to the potential capable until now.

See, the whole reason the Audeze CRBN (Carbon, get it?) even came about is because an indirect research colleague of mine, Prof. Mark Cohen from the University of California, Los Angeles as well as his startup company SMRT Image, saw a need for a more calming influence for patients undergoing fMRI imaging, as well as better means for the technicians to communicate with said patients while they are inside an operating MRI machine. If you have ever been inside one, you would know that thing gets real loud with magnetic coils rapidly going around and clacking noises galore. Audeze is also based in California, and multiple years of research led to the development of the Audeze CRBN—starting off for medical applications and then coming out also as a high-end retail headphones experience based on the knowledge and IP gained in the process. Read past the break for more on the science and tech, if this is of interest to you!

Audeze, the leading premium audiophile headphone manufacturer, today announces the launch of their new Penrose wireless headset aimed at console and PC gamers. Extending Audeze's family of gaming headphones that includes the high-end LCD-GX and the Mobius 3D Surround Sound PC gaming headset, the Penrose is designed with Microsoft's Xbox Series X and Sony's PlayStation 5 in mind. Penrose is equipped with Audeze's 100 mm planar magnetic drivers, a broadcast quality microphone for enhanced chat and streaming, and a 2.4 GHz low-latency lossless wireless connection, so gamers can experience the best in audio quality and wireless functionality.

To commemorate this announcement, the Audeze Penrose is now available to pre-order for the limited promotional price of 249 GBP (~315 USD). Pre-order details can be found here with shipments expected in early September.

HyperX, a gaming division of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., today announced the release of HyperX Cloud Orbit and Cloud Orbit S gaming headsets. Both headsets feature 100 mm Audeze planar magnetic drivers and offer Waves Nx 3D audio. The premium Cloud Orbit S headset includes Waves Nx head tracking technology to create a 3D audio experience while tracking head movements 1000 times a second. Gamers looking for affordable audiophile quality sound will find Cloud Orbit headsets deliver high resolution audio while gaming or listening to music. For audiophiles comparing similar headsets with planar drivers that typically cost thousands of dollars, Cloud Orbit is a premium headset that delivers audio quality audio at an attractive price under $300.

Both the Cloud Orbit and Cloud Orbit S headsets utilize 100 mm planar magnetic drivers and 3D audio technology to provide clear, realistic audio while creating an enhanced sound localization in a three-dimensional sound space. These Cloud Orbit headsets offer integrated audio controls located on the earcup to easily toggle features including HyperX custom-tuned 7.1 surround sound with a touch of a button. They also offer advanced audio customization to easily calibrate 3D audio settings to individual user measurements, customizable room ambiance, and built-in preset EQ profiles.

If you've just experienced deja vu, it's because the HyperX Orbit S headset we went hands-on last evening packs Audeze-made planar magnetic drivers, and features head-tracking. Californian audiophile headphones and DAC maker Audeze fancies a bigger slice of the gaming audio pie, and has swan-dived into the competitive market with a feature-packed monstrosity, the Mobius.

The Audeze Mobius is an around-the-ear gaming headset that packs the company's finest 50 mm-class planar-magnetic drivers that have been tuned with a gaming-optimized sound-stage; and incorporates head-tracking positional audio technology, much like the HyperX Cloud Orbit S. On the software side of things, a virtual surround DSP takes in real-time input from the headset on the exact spatial position of your head compared to a static display (much like a VR HMD), and accordingly moves the audio perspective. The software is pretty intuitive and lightweight, and doesn't come with too much DSP bloat. We went ears-on with one of these, and the sound-quality blew our minds first, and the realism the head-tracking feature adds to gameplay took care of the rest. Head-tracking audio headsets could gain popularity among gamers who don't want a display within an inch of their eyes.

HyperX is bringing in a large selection of gaming peripherals to CES 2019, beginning with its new flagship gaming headset, the HyperX Cloud Orbit S. This headset implements two killer features - Audeze planar-magnetic drivers; and Waves Nx head-tracking. Audeze is a well-known brand among audiophiles and music composers, and makes audio monitors for studios. HyperX is sourcing 50 mm planar-magnetic drivers from the company that provide an extremely wide frequency-response range, and high SNR. This is probably the first gaming headset to feature audiophile-grade drivers, which are probably re-tuned by HyperX with a gaming-focused soundstage.

The next killer feature, Waves Nx, is a combination of positional audio DSPs, and hardware head-tracking, similar to VR HMDs, which in real-time moves the audio perspective of your game, and emulates a virtual 7.1 setup over the stereo drivers. This would help even if your display is static and your head is turning to track opponents in a competitive online shooter. You get three detachable cables based on cord length, type, and usage scenario. HyperX is developing two variants of this headset. The full-featured one is priced at USD $329, and the one without Waves Nx head-tracking goes for $299.

Audeze, a company that prides itself in offering a premium sound solution for gamers, has launched their latest headset - the Mobius. The Mobius headset features 3D spatial positioning simulation, which takes the audio source and applies a number of Audeze technologies - their planar magnetic technology, for instance, combined with head tracking, room simulation, and sound localization technologies.