Got your gaming game face on? Check!
Got your gaming keyboard or controller? Check! Got
your gaming mouse? Check! Got your gaming headset? We
do now! Welcome to the Skullcandy PLYR 1 that
not only produces crystal-clear sound but is the perfect
tool in your professional gaming artillery. Add in a wealth
of features like 7.1 Surround Sound plus wireless (2.4Ghz)
capabilities and the Skullcandy PLYR 1 is also
extremely comfortable to wear for those long gaming
sessions.
Best of all, the Skullcandy PLYR 1 is
an affordable solution to some of the more expensive
headsets and is definitely great value for the gamer. The
headset is also compatible with all major consoles such as
the XBox 360 or PlayStation 3 and of course
the PC with minimal setup. As this headset has been designed
for 7.1 Surround Sound, you do need an optical out on your
PC as the aforementioned consoles already come with optical.
Features
-
Multi-Platform
Ready to roll, right out of the box. The PLYR 1’s
Multi-platform functionality includes everything you
need to connect with Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PCs
natively, so you can jump straight into play.
-
2.4 GHZ Wireless Headset
The PLYR 1’s fully wireless headset operates on the 2.4
GHZ spectrum for interference-free, cordless freedom.
Fully embedded controls onboard the headset let you
control all your settings without stopping play or
getting up to fiddle with the transmitter stand.
-
Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound
Experience your games and movies in their highest form
with the best in Surround Sound. The PLYR 1 will decode
a Dolby Digital 7.1 input from Xbox 360 and Playstation
3, and Blu-Ray/DVD players, while also supporting Dolby
PLIIx for non-digital inputs.
-
Dolby Headphone Encoding
Hear your opponent’s approach from any
direction and experience your games at their fullest
with the accuracy and immersive quality of Surround
Sound. The PLYR 1 encodes Dolby 7.1 into a rich and
realistic audio environment, using only two drivers for
uncompromised sonic fidelity.
The build of the Skullcandy PLYR 1 is quite
sturdy and has this almost alien/military inspired design
that looks really cool and comes in a variety of colours.
The earcups also boast the Skull Candy logo with a checkered
line design and doesn't look like your standard gaming
headsets. On the right earcups is the power button and the
3-position EQ switch. This switch allows you to change the
equaliser settings of the headset on the fly to Bass,
Supreme and Precision Modes. Audio is controlled by the
joystick for both in-game sounds and voice.
There is also a pivoting boom mic that can be
easily flipped up or down, depending on need and boasts a
high sensitivity microphone with voice balancing. As the ear
cups boast are an over the ear design, it assists with noise
cancellation but more importantly are extremely comfortable
on your ears thanks to the memory foam and soft ear
cushions.
The headset also comes with a stand that
doubles as a charger and is used to connect it to your
various devices. It features the optical in/out ports which
are needed for surround sound, two USB ports and a button to
disable surround sound. In terms of battery life, the
headset will last between 10 to 15 hours depending on the
intensity of sounds transmitted to the unit.
Specifications
Audio is quite impressive with the PLYR 1
which boasts great levels, distorted free bass and some
impressive surround sound thanks to the Dolby algorithms
used by the two drivers. Although it’s impossible to have
real surround sound in a headset, the technology employed by
Skull Candy successfully manages to mimic this feature
extremely well. Games such as Battlefield 3 and the
new Tomb Raider really gave a true sense of surround
sound. Equally, movies worked well, especially films such as
Iron Man 3 and Indiana Jones and the Raiders of
the Lost Ark that gave us a real sense of directional
sound, particularly during the action scenes. For games, it
did sound like bullets were whizzing by my head in all
directions.
Needless to say when you hear someone firing
from a particular direction, the PLYR 1 does a decent job at
tricking your brain into the right direction. The headset
also does a decent job with music and I tested a variety of
genres from heavy metal to rock and even classical and then
back to pop. The singing was clear and the instruments
sounded full with no distortions whatever. For movies and
even games, dialogue was crystal-clear and this is where the
EQ switch comes into play.
The 3-position EQ switch allows you to swap
between three distinct settings, Bass, Supreme and Precision
Modes. Precision mode is perfect for games such as first or
third person shooters where you need to hear every sound
clearly. Supreme mode is great for music that really
produces some great audio clarity, especially for songs.
Bass mode is great for racers and music that needs pumping
bass and it's great that this mode does not distort the
music either.
The microphone of the headset worked well and
my teammates noted that my voice was quite clear on their
end. Although it's not the same as being in the same room,
it's more than ample for gaming. I also love how Skullcandy
have included an onboard voice balancing system. There is
actually a small joystick on the right earcup which allows
you to easily increase or decrease the volume to help
balance between in-game sounds and voice chat. Unlike
switches or dials, this feature is quite easy to use and
really allows you to concentrate on your gaming.
Final Thoughts?
With no setup issues or quality problems, we
found the Skullcandy PLYR1 a well made product that is
definitely built by gamers for gamers. As the headset uses
2.4Ghz wireless, this ensures for a relatively interference
free experience and you would need to have something
seriously strong in your home or office to cause major
interference. Charging the headset is also a breeze and you
simply put the headset back on the transmitter stand and it
automatically begins to charge.
With a handful of great audio features, the
Skullcandy PLYR1 is the perfect accessory to your gaming
lifestyle which we would happily recommend to gamers of all
walks and whether you’re a PC gamers or console gamer, these
headsets not only fit perfectly but produces crystal-clear
audio wirelessly. As you wear this comfortable headset while
you play games, listen to music, chat to friends or watch
movies, I would almost dare say that the PLYR 1 give the
Astro A50’s a run for its money… but considering that Astro
are now part of Skullcandy, it’s easy to see why!!!
For more information, check out
http://au.skullcandy.com/
