Bluesound PULSE

Reviewers say it delivers a dramatic and impressively detailed low end, with strong bass response and a muscular character. For a compact sealed design, that is a clear strength, though the comments stop short of suggesting truly deep, subwoofer-like reach.

The midrange is described as rich and insightful, with the speaker retaining Bluesound’s characteristic body and warmth. At the same time, one review says it struggles to organise instrumental strands as well as before, which slightly blunts midband clarity and coherence.

Treble is presented as present and controlled rather than bright or edgy. Reviewers note that it avoids becoming overzealous or harsh, while keeping enough top-end energy to stay open and balanced.

It can fill a listening room with a convincing sense of weight and scale, and it sounds larger than its cabinet suggests. But the reviews also say it struggles to organise instrumental strands and lacks some of the composure of the older model, which weakens image focus and layering.

This is the area reviewers most clearly criticise. They describe it as less expressive, less energetic, and weaker in timing and dynamics than before, so despite the speaker’s muscular first impression it does not sound especially agile.

Reviewers note that the company has upgraded components across the board, which suggests serious attention to the design and internal hardware. They say little about cabinet finish, long-term durability, or the finer details of construction, so the praise is based more on the reported internal changes than on a broader build verdict.

The value comments are cautious to negative. What Hi-Fi says that for the price you could do quite a bit better in this market, and that the extra £100 on the price tag makes its task harder, so it comes across as a costly buy versus rivals rather than an obvious bargain.