Skullcandy is back with their highly anticipated gaming headset, the PLYR1, a Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound wireless headset for console and PC gaming despite your gaming preference. Much like the SLYR and PLYR2 before it, this wireless package includes the Flip-Up Mic Mute and Voice Balancing to suit any online session or just when people are trying to sleep. Since game/voice and master volume are all on board, it is only fitting that the three EQ presets be as well with Bass, Supreme, and Precision Modes. Aside from the Dolby 7.1 the wireless receiver also doubles as a stand for the headset when not in use, it is time to put this upgrade to work.
To start, there is a lot to this package and right out of the box these are some good looking headphones and no longer do I have the unsightly receiver puck but slim receiver that doubles as a stand perfectly behind my TV. Hooking up was simple, as I just had to run a USB and optical cable from console to receiver for power and a cable from the controller to the headset when using with the Xbox 360. The ability to use on the current three (360, PS3, and PC) makes it nice for those that game on numerous platforms. The Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound is wonderful, simulating accurate surround sound to identify opponents and just increase the audible experience, all without wires across the living room.
Now that Skullcandy is and has been making a durable headphone and product for the last three years or so, I no longer worry about having to be overly delicate, but there are some changes to the build quality I would have preferred. Mostly in the build as they do not have as solid of a build as some of the other headsets in it's class, part of it was due to the plastic feel and how each side moves and shakes rather loosely when around my neck or carrying around. The other is the volume, the sound is just so clear, I just wish it could have gotten a little louder, when watching movies I tend to have the volume all the way up while still wanting more.
I loved my time spent with Skullcandy's PLYR1 and while it looked and felt very similar to last model's PLYR2 the sound quality was so clear, allowing me to hear more than I was experiencing prior to these. Ever since Astro and Skullcandy joined forces, the quality of the headphones have increased greatly but most of all because I knew that they used a lot of the internals from the significantly costlier Astro Gaming headset but at a fraction of the price, almost half as much as the Astro A50. The PLYR1 is available in a black or white color and is available for the price of $179.95.