Special edition styling stuffed with easter eggs; Sound is on the money; Reasonably priced;

Wireless transmitter an optional extra; Looks won’t be for everyone;

You can't get true surround sound in headphones. This makes designing gaming headsets tricky, when directionality can offer an edge. Fortunately, while true surround sound isn't possible in a headset, you can get a passable facsimile with stereo drivers and sophisticated audio processing. The Skullcandy PLYR 1 is the high-end upgrade to the mediocre PLYR 2($149.99 at ThinkGeek) headset, sharing its design but adding 7.1-channel surround sound processing, optical passthrough, and a very handy charging base and receiver that doubles as a stand. While the surround effect can't be seen as "genuine," it comes close enough to make it compare favorably to the Razer Tiamat 7.1( at Amazon), last year's Editors' Choice wired headset. At $179.99 (direct) it costs as much as the Tiamat 7.1, but is completely wireless with a handful of tricks and design elements from the $300 Editors' Choice Astro Gaming A50. Astro Gaming and Skullcandy are the same company, and while the Skullcandy PLYR heads...

The Skullcandy PLYR 1 gaming headset combines wireless performance, simulated surround sound, and flexible connectivity into a single attractive package.

Skullcandy has been a headphone company for a long time, but lately it's been looking to get into gaming products. This started with the company's acquisition of Astro Gaming, which makes our Editors' Choice A50 wireless gaming headset. Now, Skullcandy is releasing its own line of gaming headsets, lower-end than Astro's headsets and more targeted toward affordability. The Skullcandy PLYR 2 is its first wireless gaming headset, and it's built very much like a scaled back Astro A50 with a very reasonable $129.99 (direct) price tag. However, that price cut means it takes a big hit in audio quality from its alternatively branded bigger brother. DesignThe PLYR 2 features a wireless module shaped vaguely like a hockey puck with a glowing white skull on it. It has USB, mini USB, and 3.5mm audio ports on the back, and a notch around the sides for holding the included cables when not in use. To set it up, connect the longer USB-to-mini-USB cable from your computer to the puck, then plug ...

The Skullcandy PLYR 2 is a relatively inexpensive, lightweight gaming headset that lets you cut the cord for $130.