Ok so you have £160 burning a hole in your pocket, what accessory would you go for that will last and please the other half, a new monitor perhaps? No.. A gaming keyboard possibly? Again the answer is no, so what does the gamer who wants to move up to the next level get?
Of course a gaming chair, that's what! Now you could spend a few quid less and go for a bean bag with speakers in it, but we know that at the end of the day it's a bag full of beans, and you will end up sitting on the floor eventually, usually at an important part of the game.
So do we buy a rocking game chair instead? To me I don't find the legless rocking chairs very pleasing on the eye, ( and I am sure many partners/spouses will agree). But then if you want something that looks like a chair, you have to pay through the nose for it.
Or do you? Well my friends the search is over! I have found a high end chair for a mid-range price and it's going to revolutionise the way we look at gaming chairs in the future. LUMISOURCE (a company based in the United States), has developed the SKY LOUNGER BOOMCHAIR which is only available through www.boysstuff.co.uk . The first thing I noticed on arrival is the size of the thing; this is a proper chair, really solid and well-built and looks great in the living room. The design is very modern and pleasing on the eye, at first glance it doesn't look like a gaming chair. The black and chrome give it a sexy yet classy look.
After about ten minutes putting it together, (there isn't much assembly needed just fitting the arm rests and unwrapping it) I plugged it into my XBOX 360 and fired it up and the experience began. The metal frame and chrome rockers on the SKY LOUNGER allow the gamer to rock back and forth with ease and the lumbar support is second to none. I did find the headrest took a while to get used to, but once I had found the right height, it did the job admirably.
Now I have always thought "What is the point of having speakers in a chair? I have a perfectly good surround sound system already!" The answer is that the experience is even more personal. I really could hear more through the SKY LOUNGER, and the vibration of the sub-woofer creates a whole new experience. The 2 three inch speakers mounted on either side of the headrest and the four inch sub-woofer mounted underneath the seat literally blew me away! It surrounds you in a cocoon of sound which certainly makes for a more immediate gaming experience and with the addition of a USB slot on the control panel, charging up a controller or an mp3 player is so much easier. There are adjustable volume and bass/treble controls as well, delivering sound that is pretty full on, (unfortunately I wouldn't like to be in a room below it when it's at full power as it is pretty loud).
The only minor problem with this chair is the lead for plugging it into a console. It isn't very long, the other alternative is to buy the wireless kit which is an extra £25 or just get a longer lead instead. To be honest for the price £159.95 (Dec 28, 2011) it would have been nice to have the wireless kit bundled with it.
Summary
There are shed loads of gaming chairs out there at the moment. Unfortunately I haven't tried all of them so I can't really compare this with any other in the same price range, (not yet any way) but it is unique and very stylish and that's what attracted me to it. The extension lead could be longer and either the wireless kit could be bundled with it or maybe built in for future models as this is the only thing I found that lets it down.
The SKYLOUNGER BOOMCHAIR is a great looking chair, well made and with a great sound system. Will it hold up against other chairs? We will find out in the future, personally I like this chair because it performs well, looks good and is reasonably priced.
SKY LOUNGER BOOMCHAIR certainly sets a new benchmark in the gaming chair market.
- The Skylounger Boomchair
- Audio System with surround sound
- Internal Amplifier
- 2 x Stereo, surround sound satellite speakers
- Chair colour: Black on black design, stainless steel rocker and arms.
- Separately adjustable powered subwoofer (with excellent sound reproduction, vibratory lifelike bass, and a huge volume range, to enhance experience of gaming, music and movies)
- Padded for resting those tired arms.
- Adjustable headrest
- It works with Xbox, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Nintendo gaming units and all major game platforms, including handheld units such as PSP and DS lites
- It also will work with your TV, DVD, VHS, and stereo system, your MP3 and iPod player and your phone if it has a standard earphone jack.
- Can also work with powered amps (up to 80 Watt)
- Extra padded back and base – Comfortable and easy to clean.
- UK (BS) adaptor included
- Wireless adaptor available separately
- RCA cable
- The unit connects through the audio out connection (or headset connection) on your TV so is compatible with HDMI and Scart, and all other units with an audio out connection.
- Dimensions: when assembled – an adult sized – 116cm high x 81cm wide x 70cm depth
- Weight: 25kg
- Price £159.95 (approx. $250 USD)
- Supplied by www.boysstuff.co.uk
