Fixing Sony Pulse Elite Edition Wireless Headset Blue Light of Death

Photo by Malte Wingen on Unsplash

Sony Pulse Elite Edition Wireless Headset is the finest you can find for PS3 and it totally worth its sticker price between $100 to $150. This is one of only a few options providing Surround sound for PS3, thanks to Sony proprietary protocols used for sound delivery to your ears.

Unfortunately the product was not tested well and just like many other complex solutions it glitches more than a user expect for such an expensive piece of electronics. One of the most famous problems typically occurs when you shelf the headset for a few days. After you blow the dust off you will find a tiny blue LED on the headset blinking twice every second. What’s interesting it will keep blinking even after you turn the headset off! The problem is very widespread and a lot of people experience it. Unfortunately Sony support is not very helpful in solving the problem. Replacing the headset does not solve the problem, eventually BLOD will happen to the new headset just like it happened to the old one.

Here is how to fix the problem:


It seems like the problem happens because the headset looses pairing with the USB transmitter. Resetting just the transmitter doesn’t help because the headset keeps trying to connect to the transmitter using old settings. You need to reset the headset as well, but unfortunately Sony genius decided to save on reset button on the headset. The two tiny holes on the headset are not for reset button, but for microphones. If you stick something pointy there you will kill the mikes. What’s worse the reset procedure explained in Sony user’s manual doesn’t work when the headset is in this strange vegetative BLOD state. So what you need to do is

  • Discharge the headset completely. Turn it ON and leave working. After 4-5 hours or less the blue LED will stop blinking. Give it another 30 minutes just to be sure and turn the headset OFF. I’ve read some people were tired of waiting and just took it apart and disconnected the battery. Needless to say this will ruin your warranty. Also if you keep the headset OFF it might take up to 13 hours for complete discharge.
  • Now turn on the playstation and login into it.
  • Use something pointy to hit tiny reset button on the transmitter. If you can’t locate the hole with the reset button on the transmitter refer to the manual. The transmitter will start emitting blue lights, meaning it is searching for the headset. This will only last for so long (20sec?), so you need to perform the following steps relatively quickly
  • Make sure the headset is still OFF
  • Press all 3 headset buttons: VSS, Mute and Mode
  • Turn the headset on while keeping the 3 buttons pressed
  • Release the buttons
  • In a few seconds you will hear joyful beeping from the headset finally found the transmitter. You’re done!

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