I was gifted the Panasonic Sound Slayer Gaming Speaker in exchange for an honest review on Panasonic’s website. As someone who has stopped using headsets for 4 years because of how hot and uncomfortable it can be to wear them for long periods of time, and at the same time forgoing quality surround sound to instead use external speakers, the SoundSlayer is the perfect balance of both and have been an absolute pleasure to use. It is quite lightweight and you almost don't feel you're wearing it at all which is fantastic for long periods of gaming or even working. When I first used the SoundSlayer I noted how loud it was next to my ears and took me about a week of regular use to adjust to it. This could also be from years of not wearing headsets, so I'm not sure if this is a common thing people encounter. I love the multiple modes it comes with (I swap between FPS, RPG and cinema mode depending on what I'm doing and all are outstanding) and the FFXIV job swapping sound it plays is a very nice touch for any fan. The fact that this product was made in collaboration with the sound devs from FFXIV means that any sounds you hear when playing FFXIV are more nuanced and any fan of FFXIV or it's music will appreciate the little details you can hear with the SoundSlayer. The fact that the microphone doesn't pick up the sound it plays is a big advantage (no echoing!), however the quality of the mic isn't very good... I have had complaints from friends in discord that I am very distant and even turning my volume up to 200% was not good enough to hear me. I also have long hair which sometimes get caught in the product which can be a bit annoying, but I have had worse hair snagging problems with other headsets. Overall, the product is very comfortable and easy to use and sits very naturally on my shoulders and provides very high quality surround sound. A great replacement for headsets if you're like me who does not like wearing them for long periods of time!

I was gifted the Panasonic Sound Slayer Gaming Speaker in exchange for an honest review on Panasonic’s website. My primary reason for wanting to try these speakers is due to being quite a frequent raider in Final Fantasy XIV while also having quite bad tinnitus, which results in me avoiding headphones wherever possible. In my very specific use case it does the job quite well. That said, for most people, it can be a little hard to recommend. Not to say it's a bad product, which is not the case at all. I'm still very happy with them. They're just a very... niche product. The sound quality is quite nice, but could be better. The mic quality is good, but could be better. The fact that it's wired is not ideal, but not a deal breaker. As someone who is going from speakers with a separate mic to using just the SoundSlayer, I can say I have enjoyed my time using it and can see the pros. However, it would be fairly difficult to recommend to most when the job can be done just as well with a good quality mic and headphones, which will provide better sound quality and better mic quality without having what you're listening to be audible for everyone around you as well. That said, if you are someone who is like me who wants to tailor their individual sound setup to meet very specific needs, and these speakers meet those specific needs, then you will likely enjoy this product very much. For fans of Final Fantasy, the fun little additions are quite cute, and having a personal surround sound experience is quite interesting, and I do enjoy it quite a bit. All in all, I can definitely recommend it to those who are specifically after the unique features that these speakers provide, but would not recommend it to anyone who can make do without, especially for the price.

I was gifted the Panasonic Sound Slayer Gaming Speaker in exchange for an honest review on Panasonic’s website and was amazed by how quickly I fell in love with the system. My first impression after unboxing and trying them on was how light the unit was. Several times while playing I actually forgot I was wearing them until a sound would come from behind me. The surround sound soundstage feels nice and wide and detailed enough to hear enemies sneaking up behind or the subtle sound que that is pointing you to the next shiny thing. Listening to Mimir and Atreus chat behind me as I ran around in God of War Ragnarok was particularly fun. Having a small child at home I have found myself wearing my headphones less and less as to be alert enough to respond if something happens and I'm sure most gamers would know the uncomfortable feeling of wearing headphones with one ear popped out. With the Soundslayer I don't have to sacrifice the surround sound or the sound quality and can stay both immersed in the game and connected to my home and family. The sound is directed at the player well enough that I can even have a conversation with my parter without disrupting what they are watching but still hear everything clearly in game myself. The speaker connects to console or with a usb cord with the option of 3.5mm via a seperate cord provided. My only gripe would be that the usb cord, while quite long at 3m, was just a little short for my lounge room setup where I play my Ps5.