Review: Skullcandy SLYR Headset

Skullcandy’s latest foray into gaming headphones leaves a sweet taste in our mouth

Developer: Skullcandy/Astro
Publisher: Skullcando/Astro
Platforms: PS3/ Xbox 360/ PC

Last year audio headphone maker Skullcandy purchased gaming audio darling Astro Gaming, makers of some of the highest quality audio headsets around. While Skullcandy has always had some rather delectable designs, on the actual quality and audio crispness front they’ve been a bit of a mixed bag. You’re likely to find a Skullcandy owner who’s had a pair of cans that have lasted them 2-3 years or just as likely to find someone who will trash the company for their pair lasting no more than 6 weeks. When it came to audio, they’re quality was always nice, but nothing to write home about and even more so when they decided to dip their toes into the gaming audio business a few years back. 

Thankfully, today’s Skullcandy isn’t the same company and we can thank the acquisition of Astro Gaming for that. Skullcandy is once again diving into the gaming audio pool with their new series of gaming headsets, this time built from the ground up with some tech from the fine folks at Astro. The new SLYR series is aimed right at the budget conscious gamer who wants something that looks sweet, but also will perform like a champ. Let’s take a look. 

Skullcandy has always been a company big on aesthetic appeal and design and they’ve stuck to their guns with the SLYR series. Coming in a stylish black and yellow box, the SLYR’s look quality just from the box. Look, I’m a sucker for presentation - and right off the bat the SLYR packaging gave off a, “This is some hot sh*t vibe”. I can dig it. 

But we’re not going listen to a box, so let’s get down to the real nitty gritty. 

The set itself feels incredibly solid, and while light, still has that quality heft that most electronic fiends love from their gear. Molded with smooth curves and a beautiful design, the SLYR’s feel classy but also amazingly comfy. I’ve always loved a nice solid pair of headphones but more often that not, have always has a hard time finding a pair that I could stand to wear for more than 20 minutes at a time; the SLYR’s have finally remedied that dilemma. 

Skullcandy has wrapped these bad boys cups in a gentle cushioned fabric that feel heavenly.

No really, these things are without a doubt the most comfortable pair of headphones I’ve ever worn. Putting these things through their paces with an hour of Black Ops II and 2 hours of Halo 4’s War Games, my ears were dry and comfortable. Not once did I feel the urge to yank them off. They’re so light and comfortable that I literally forgot I had them on. 

Gamers looking for crisp and clear sound will be pleased. Halo 4 sounded fantastic. Grenades crack and roar and small effects like the clanking of Spartan armor are all distinct with no audio blending. The headset may not be 7.1, but produce outstanding stereo with Skullcandy’s proprietary ‘Supreme Sound’ system. I have no idea what that is, but it sounds fantastic! Movies and even TV shows all produced a punchy sound and for those that want to get some multipurpose use out of their headset, these can be easily used on your iPod or mobile device. 

You control the set via Skullcandy’s GMX in-line mixer that’s powered via a USB port on your PS3, Xbox 360 or simple plug-and-play on PC. Programmed with three different audio settings for music, gaming and movies - the GMX controller isn’t as fully featured as some of the pricier sets out there but it gets the job done. A nice feature is the ability to balance game and voice audio while playing online. Which brings me to one of the nicest features of the set, a clever fold out microphone that resides on the left cup.

Instead of constantly having a mic in the way when not gaming, or having to attach and detach when when not in use; the SLYR’s design has a comfortable microphone that can be stashed away hidden in the headset itself for when you just want to play a game solo of just enjoy some tunes. 

Skullcandy’s latest effort in gaming audio is a smashing success for the gamer looking to step-up their gaming audio experience, without having to drop a small fortune. Comfortably under the $100 price barrier ($80), the SLYR series are a highly polished gem that just about any gamer can afford. Slick, sexy and able to spit out some superb audio - these are easy to recommend. Totally a worthy buy.