Skip to main content

MatterHackers Pulse XE review

This 3D printer has a gemstone in the nozzle, and prints damn near any material

matterhackers pulse xe review 11
Image used with permission by copyright holder
MatterHackers Pulse XE
MSRP $1,609.78
“If you need to print with exotic, high-performance materials, this is the printer to get.”
Pros
  • Excellent out-of-box performance
  • Broad material capabilities
  • Durable, well designed components
  • Attractive, modern design
  • Cutting edge features
Cons
  • Needs a dedicated computer to reach full potential
  • Lacks ventilation system
  • Not the quickest

“Why you can trust Digital Trends – We have a 20-year history of testing, reviewing, and rating products, services and apps to help you make a sound buying decision. Find out more about how we test and score products.“

Printing with high performance materials can be tough. Sure, options exist on the market, but most come in the form of retrofitting aftermarket components to a printer in one way or another, at least in the midrange consumer market. Enter the MatterHackers Pulse XE, the highest end of MatterHackers’ Pulse line of 3D printers, and one of the few devices aimed solely at printing some of the toughest materials on the market right out of the box.

Recommended Videos

The Pulse line represents an interesting pivot on the part of its creators. MatterHackers has long been known as a reseller of a wide range of 3D printers, as well as materials to use with them. Thanks to this, MatterHackers has effectively gathered information on what members of the 3D printing community want from their printers for years, and looking at the varieties of Pulse available, it shows. Available in three options with multiple combinations of even further specialized hardware within those three, the Pulse lineup is a love letter to its market; addressing dozens of common complaints with out of the box hardware, and including many of the most common aftermarket upgrades as standard components. Coupled with MatterControl (MatterHackers’ control software), each Pulse stands as an attractive product in their own right.

STANDOUT FEATURES AND SPECS

The standout selling point of the Pulse XE is its versatility, but its ease of use is not to be understated either. Featuring a 250 x 220 x 215 mm (10 x 9 x 8.5 in) build volume, the Pulse finds a good balance in maintaining a manageable footprint with a respectable capacity.

Additionally, the leveling routine via the attached BLTouch sensor makes for a reliable, easily-calibrated printer, and the features offered by MatterControl when a host device is connected to the printer make it incredibly easy to operate. An optional magnetic, removable build plate (included with this review model) means print removal is incredibly easy.

MatterHackers
James Lynch/Digital Trends

Finally, there’s the Olsson Ruby nozzle on the hotend. The Pulse XE would hardly be able to be called “high performance” if it used a standard brass nozzle for extrusion. The Olsson Ruby nozzle’s name is not just there to sound cool, either. At the very tip of this otherwise normal looking 3D printer nozzle lies a small ruby, with an even smaller hole at the bottom that acts as the aperture. The hardness of the ruby gives an exceptional lifespan to the nozzle, and allows it to resist even the most abrasive of filaments with ease. While other nozzle options exist that accomplish similar goals, those are typically made entirely of hardened materials, such as steel. The Ruby accomplishes the same goal with a lab-made precious stone held in the very head of the nozzle, which is, admittedly, the shiniest way to go about things.

The Pulse XE was made using some of the highest end parts on the consumer to prosumer markets

Another unique feature of the Pulse line is that unlike most printers on the market which run primarily in a standalone fashion with connecting to a computer serving as a backup option, MatterHackers’ printers are designed specifically with their control software, MatterControl, in mind. Attaching a dedicated computer to the Pulse increases its abilities with multiple features otherwise only found on the high end of the market. From being able to calibrate itself with as many as 100 individual points of data, to an increased degree of control over its motion while printing, and even the ability to resume a 3D print that was interrupted in the event of a power failure or other loss of connection (so long as the semi-completed print is still on the bed when power is re-established), MatterControl massively increases the flexibility of the machine. This is not to say the Pulse cannot operate standalone in much the same way other printers typically do, only that by adding a dedicated controller, a Matterhackers Pulse will go from a good, all-around performer to a cutting-edge piece of personal manufacturing equipment.

BUILD QUALITY AND RELIABILITY

The quality of the Pulse XE is not to be undersold. With a frame made of a hybrid of custom-machined aluminum, anodized extrusions, and precision 3D printed components (made with other Pulse printers, no doubt), this printer was built to last. Dampening brackets placed on each of the motors offer noise reduction, and obvious care and thought was put into its overall design. The underlying build quality is one thing, but a lot can go wrong on a 3D printer that has good bones, so what of the other components? In that area MatterHackers has definitely used the best they could find as well.

MatterHackers
James Lynch/Digital Trends

As an example, MatterHackers has chosen to make use of E3D’s v6, a precision crafted hotend from one of 3D printing’s most respected brands. To push the plastic itself, BondTech’s ultra-high powered extruder has been selected to grant additional power, Ultimachines’ RAMBo Mini motherboard (with Panucatt’s Azteeg x5 GT available as an even higher performance upgrade) forms the brains of the unit, and the excellent VIKI 2 control panel at the front.

In short, the Pulse XE was made using some of the highest end parts on the consumer to prosumer markets, and additionally uses many parts typically added to printers as aftermarket upgrades as standard. All this comes together to make for a precision machined printer with a legendarily reliable extrusion mechanism, a durable motherboard (the very same found in Lulzbot’s Taz 6 and Mini, and I’d say any motherboard trusted by NASA is trusted by me), and with an easy to read, informative display at the front of the unit. In the month I have had the Pulse, it has handled every challenge I’ve thrown at it with ease, and has been printing at a near continuous rate since it left the box.

PERFORMANCE

With all these great features, could there possibly be any downsides to the Pulse XE? Unfortunately, yes. While the Pulse performs incredibly reliably, and has remarkable versatility out of the box, the biggest downside to the XE, and the Pulse line in general, comes from the underlying design. The Pulse XE is a lateral-bed 3D printer, or bed-slinger, meaning the print bed moves from side to side in one direction in order to move the model being printed. This is an incredibly easy design to build, maintain, and repair (as this configuration allows for easy access to the axis and its parts), but comes with the obvious downside that the movement of the bed can cause reliability issues should it move too quickly (due to the momentum of the bed, fighting against directional changes). . This can manifest as the entire print shifting from side to side in extreme cases, to small, wavy lines across the print at lower speeds. Momentum is no friend to a bed-slinger. This means that the Pulse XE prints at an average speed, which should be enough for most, but pales in comparison to the speeds offered by some other models.

James Lynch/Digital Trends

As for how well it prints, the Pulse XE operates flawlessly, right out of the box. I have nothing to report in the way of stray marks or blemishes, the layers are smooth, and the corners are absolutely to the tolerances one would expect. While it is worth noting that print quality across most 3D printers in the FDM or FFF category (meaning they use a hot nozzle to extrude plastic filament) can be made about the same with time, modification, and careful tweaking, the Pulse XE needed no work whatsoever in order to produce excellent prints. With a thin layer of glue applied to the build plate, and a short automatic calibration procedure run, I was simply able to select “print” from the interface on MatterControl and walk away, confident that I would return to a finished model. The glue may be something of a sticking point for some, but it is easily applied, and necessary for printing the materials the XE was designed for, such as nylon, (which has the ability to permanently bond to most reusable build surfaces and thus permanently ruin them). That said, a plate that does not require glue, meant for use with other materials is also available as an additional option from MatterHackers.

So, if I am not talking about speed, and I’m not necessarily talking about print quality, what am I talking about when I refer to the XE as being a “high performance” 3D printer? In a word, materials. The Pulse XE’s components are designed to reach and withstand increased temperature, push plastic with higher force, and resist the potential for damage posed by some of the more exotic materials. Some of these components are significantly more expensive than the norm, which accounts for the high cost of this machine, but the benefits are significant in terms of its versatility. Thanks to these hardened components, the XE has access to materials like nylon and polycarbonate, as well as materials with hard fibers or particles in them to increase strength, like carbon or glass fiber.

Having access to these materials opens up whole worlds to a printer owner. Glass infused nylon is often used to make casings for power tools, drone frames and heatsinks for low-power electronics, while polycarbonate can be used for things as varied as high strength electronics enclosures, greenhouse walls, and any application where high impact strength is prized. However, another benefit of the hardened nozzle is a material few newcomers would think of as being a risky material for a printer, namely, anything that glows in the dark. Using its hardened nozzle, the Pulse XE can withstand the intense strain put on it from the hard particles that give glow in the dark objects their distinct shine, where a standard printer’s nozzle begins to wear down as soon as even the first layers of the stuff are placed. From the surprisingly challenging, to the previously impossible, the MatterHackers Pulse XE sure seems like it can print with just about any plastic that can be turned into a string.

SAFETY

James Lynch/Digital Trends

This all dovetails nicely to an often overlooked downside of working with such materials. Safety. This past month I have made extensive use of nylon in my testing of the Pulse, and in that time I have had to become quite comfortable in a respirator, due to the dangers posed by using such materials. Nylon, for instance, releases a few chemicals when melted, but one of the most notable has to be hydrogen cyanide. Yes, that cyanide. While my mask filters out a good amount of these toxic materials, it is most certainly not a long-term solution by any means. Proper ventilation through my skylights, and limiting exposure helps as well, but some sort of option for a filtered enclosure for the Pulse would be a good feature to have in the future. Until then, use should be confined to a room with sufficient ventilation for such materials, and away from anywhere that the user may be continuously exposed to the materials while prints are running.

Our Take

Overall, my time with the Pulse XE has been phenomenal. Out of my fourteen printers, it’s fast become a favorite, and using it has been a blast for the most part. I can’t think of a task I’ve thrown at it that it hasn’t been able to tackle, and MatterControl’s latest version has proven to be an incredibly capable control system. I highly recommend it for anyone that wants to work with some of the wilder materials out there, and for those that simply want a highly reliable printer, the more affordable standard Pulse is a great choice as well.

Is there a better alternative?

While the desktop FDM printing market definitely has plenty of competition, the Pulse line stands out across the board. The base model Pulse goes toe-to-toe with the Original Prusa i3 MK3/S, but comes away with the advantages of many more options for customization, as well as a shorter lead time.

Meanwhile, the Pulse XE can be considered a competitor to Lulzbot’s Taz line, and other true performance printers. In that case, the Lulzbot has an edge on build volume, but the Pulse XE’s out-of-the-box ability to print with some of the highest performance materials on the market with no need for modification or additional components, magnetic bed, and somewhat lower cost mean it remains an attractive option.

How long will it last?

One of the biggest advantages of open-source built 3D printers such as these is that their future lifespan is more or less infinite. Both motherboards used in the Pulse run commonly used, widely supported firmware systems that speak a common protocol that has been standard in the 3D printing community for years. One benefit of the Pulse line, specifically, is its reliance on MatterControl means further updates of even more advanced features are likely in the pipeline, and support for the product will be readily available for years to come.

Should you buy it?

Do you want to work with the best, without any fuss? If so, absolutely! Otherwise, still yeah! This thing is great!

James Lynch
Former Contributor
James has been enamored with technology and robotics as long as he can remember. His primary passion is for robots that make…
Zoox recalls robotaxis after Las Vegas crash, citing software fix
zoox recall crash 1739252352 robotaxi side profile in dark mode

Amazon's self-driving vehicle unit, Zoox, has issued a voluntary safety recall after one of its autonomous vehicles was involved in a minor collision in Las Vegas. The incident, which occurred in April 2025, led the company to investigate and identify a software issue affecting how the robotaxi anticipates another vehicle’s path.
The recall, affecting 270 Zoox-built vehicles, was formally filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Zoox said the issue has already been addressed through a software update that was remotely deployed to its fleet.
Zoox’s robotaxis, which operate without driving controls like a steering wheel or pedals, are part of Amazon’s entry into the autonomous driving space. According to Zoox’s safety recall report, the vehicle failed to yield to oncoming traffic while making an unprotected left turn, leading to a low-speed collision with a regular passenger car. While damage was minor, the event raised flags about the system’s behavior in complex urban scenarios.
Establishing safety and reliability remain key factors in the deployment of the relatively new autonomous ride-hailing technology. Alphabet-owned Waymo continues to lead the sector in both safety and operational scale, with services active in multiple cities including Phoenix and San Francisco. But GM’s Cruise and Ford/VW-backed Argo AI were forced to abandon operations over the past few years.
Tesla is also expected to enter the robotaxi race with the launch of its own service in June 2025, leveraging its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. While FSD has faced heavy regulatory scrutiny through last year, safety regulations are expected to loosen under the Trump administration.
Zoox, which Amazon acquired in 2020, says it issued the recall voluntarily as part of its commitment to safety. “It’s essential that we remain transparent about our processes and the collective decisions we make,” the company said in a statement.

Read more
Mitsubishi’s back in the EV game—with a new electric SUV coming in 2026
mitsubishi bev 2026 momentum 2030 line up

Mitsubishi is officially jumping back into the U.S. electric vehicle scene—and this time, it’s not just dipping a toe. The company confirmed it will launch a brand-new battery-electric SUV in North America starting in summer 2026, marking its first fully electric model here since the quirky little i-MiEV left the stage back in 2017.
The new EV will be a compact crossover, and while Mitsubishi is keeping most of the juicy details under wraps, we do know it’ll be based on the same next-gen platform as the upcoming Nissan Leaf. That means it’ll ride on the CMF-EV architecture—the same one underpinning the Nissan Ariya—which supports ranges of up to 300+ miles. So yeah, this won’t be your average entry-level EV.
Designed in partnership with Nissan, the new model will be built in Japan and shipped over to U.S. shores. No word yet on pricing, battery size, or even a name, but Mitsubishi has made it clear this EV is just the beginning. As part of its “Momentum 2030” plan, the company promises a new or updated vehicle every year through the end of the decade, with four electric models rolling out by 2028. And yes, one of those might even be a pickup.
Mitsubishi says the goal is to give customers “flexible powertrain options,” which is marketing speak for: “We’ll have something for everyone.” So whether you're all-in on electric or still into gas or hybrid power, they're aiming to have you covered.
This mystery EV will eventually sit alongside Mitsubishi’s current U.S. lineup—the Outlander, Outlander PHEV, Eclipse Cross, and Outlander Sport—and help the brand move beyond its current under-the-radar status in the electric world.
In short: Mitsubishi’s finally getting serious about EVs, and if this new SUV lives up to its potential, it might just put the brand back on your radar.

Read more
Toyota unveils 2026 bZ: A smarter, longer-range electric SUV
toyota bz improved bz4x 2026 0007 1500x1125

Toyota is back in the electric SUV game with the 2026 bZ, a major refresh of its bZ4X that finally delivers on two of the biggest demands from EV drivers: more range and faster charging.
The headline news is the improved driving range. Toyota now estimates up to 314 miles on a single charge for the front-wheel-drive model with the larger 74.7-kWh battery—about 60 miles more than the outgoing bZ4X. All-wheel-drive variants also get a boost, with up to 288 miles of range depending on trim.
Charging speeds haven’t increased in terms of raw kilowatts (still capped at 150 kW for DC fast charging), but Toyota has significantly improved how long peak speeds are sustained. With preconditioning enabled—especially helpful in colder weather—the new bZ can charge from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Also new: Plug and Charge support for automatic payment at compatible stations and full adoption of the North American Charging Standard (NACS), meaning access to Tesla Superchargers will be standard by 2026.
Under the hood, or rather the floor, Toyota has swapped in higher-performance silicon carbide components to improve efficiency and power delivery. The AWD version now produces up to 338 horsepower and sprints from 0–60 mph in a brisk 4.9 seconds.
Toyota didn’t stop at just the powertrain. The exterior has been cleaned up, with body-colored wheel arches replacing the black cladding, and a sleeker front fascia. Inside, a larger 14-inch touchscreen now houses climate controls, giving the dash a more refined and less cluttered appearance. There’s also more usable storage thanks to a redesigned center console.
With the 2026 bZ, Toyota seems to be responding directly to critiques of the bZ4X. It’s faster, more efficient, and more driver-friendly—finally bringing Toyota’s EV efforts up to speed.

Read more