A relatively cheap Skullcandy gaming headset, we give you an honest review of the Skullcandy SLYR gaming headphones.
STANDOUT SPECS
Skullcandy SLYR specifications:
- Headset Type: Wired Over-ear
- Connection Type: 3.5mm Aux, PC Splitter
- Impedance: 32Ω
- Driver Diameter: 50mm
- THD: <2% at 1KHz
- Sound Pressure Level: 95±3dB
- Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20KHz
- Weight: 265g
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Before opening the box, I knew the headphones were at a relatively inexpensive price around £60, so my expectations in terms of quality weren’t exactly high. The SLYR uses predominantly plastics on the headband and earmuffs which is pretty basic and fits the price range.
The Skullcandy SLYR’s are very lightweight and slender, with very little bulkiness on any part of the headset at all. The funky blue, white and pink pattern on the fully black base did add some flavour, with this design really popping and catching the eye.
The headset was accompanied by a USB-C headphone cable and a 3.5mm aux cord, with no control dial on the cord as it is placed on the left earmuff, also there is a detachable rubber microphone that easily slots into place.
DESIGN AND FIT
As I mentioned previously, the headphones have a black base, which is always a safe choice as you can’t go wrong with a black design on technology. Also, a black base is practical as marks and blemishes won’t show as much on black headphones.
There is a transparent finish on the top of the headband which is accompanied by two small dark blue Skullcandy logos, that I must say looks very nice and fits the kind of digital vibe that the overall headset gives off.
The dark black is contrasted by the previously mentioned blue, white and pink digital patter on the inside of the headband, along with the bold blue on the inside of the earmuffs.
As for the fit and comfortability, these headphones are quite flexible, lightweight and thin, meaning that are not too noticeable when on your head due to the lack of weight.
This also sometimes means that they will feel less stable, however, the earmuffs on the Skullcandy SLYR’s do a good job of smothering the ears, making them feel pretty secure and locked in.
The cushion on the actual earmuffs is comfortable, with the memory foam-like mesh padding being slightly firm, whilst being balanced out by the eventual softness that comes with memory foam.
The headband has a similar memory foam section in the middle, giving an extra slice of comfort. The main area of rigidity comes from the tougher plastic in between the earmuffs and the headband at the joint, with a curved design that makes it much less snappable.
AUDIO QUALITY
The Skullcandy SLYR is equipped with a soft v-shaped sound, which is nicely accompanied by a decent bass and treble. The midranges are not too warm and are rather rough or shrill.
This type of sound works ok for gaming because it highlights sounds such as footsteps whilst also making booming sounds like explosions more immersive, however, the harsh upper mids and highs can come across as a bit too harsh.
The SLYR won’t exactly impress audiophiles, but for a budget gaming headset, I think the sound quality is acceptable and will do the job. One other aspect that I should mention is the decent noise cancellation on the SLYR’s.
When locked into a game with the Skullcandy SLYR’s, you don’t really pay much attention to anything other than the game, which can sometimes be a problem for gaming headsets as outside noise can be distracting.
COMPATABILITY AND OTHER FEATURES
The microphone is detachable which sometimes can be an issue as it can fall off or hamper the sound quality of your voice, however with the Skullcandy SLYR, the mic seemed to be pretty jammed in and stable, with very little flexibility and a very rigid rubber build.
The mics audio settings can be edited more intensively with the Skullcandy App, where you can change the mix between chat and game sound, along with other sound engineering options that help you customize your experience to suit you.
The Skullcandy SLYR is compatible with PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, mobile and PC, which is very handy as if you have multiple consoles, you can just seamlessly plug in the required lead and get playing.
The use of USB for the connectivity did slightly catch me by surprise, with most headphones exclusively using 3.5mm headphone jacks instead of USB, but this added option really was a welcome addition for the extra compatibility.
Conclusion
To conclude, the Skullcandy SLYR is a decent pair of gaming headphones that do the job and when you filter in the price of £59.99 (RRP on Skullcandy’s website), it’s very hard to not see the SLYR as good budget option for a pair of gaming headphones.
The relatively average sound quality performance leaves a good amount of room for improvement, however again for the price, the sound quality is good enough and I would say that if you don’t have the money to get for example the Skullcandy SLYR Pro, the Skullcandy SLYR is a decent option to get you by.
Product Rating:
Design/Fit: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Audio Quality: 3.5 out of 5.0 stars
Compatibility: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Value for Money: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Overall ranking: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
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