How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a single wireless headset that doubles as a gaming rig and a music-and-jogging companion, choose Skullcandy PLYR Multi-Platform; if you need a featherweight open-ear headset built purely to keep your voice clear on noisy drives, choose BlueParrott M500-XT. These two look similar on a spec sheet because both are Bluetooth, both are wireless, and both cost roughly the same kind of money — but they are aimed at completely different people. One is a chunky over-ear gaming headset that also happens to work for jogging. The other is a mono call headset for people who talk for a living behind the wheel.
• Skullcandy PLYR Multi-Platform — biggest strength: it is a true multi-platform gaming headset. Bluetooth 5.2 plus an included 2.4GHz ultra-low-latency transmitter (delays as low as 20ms) for PC and PlayStation, a 3.5mm cable for Xbox controllers, a removable boom mic, and roughly 47 hours of average battery life.
• Skullcandy PLYR Multi-Platform — biggest trade-off: it is heavy. At about 315 g with 50mm over-ear drivers, it is a lot of headset to wear while jogging, and it isolates sound passively rather than with active noise cancellation.
• BlueParrott M500-XT — biggest strength: AI-powered dual-mic noise cancelling that filters up to 93% of background noise, a sub-one-ounce open-ear design, IP54 dust and light-rain protection, and a 100m Bluetooth 5.3 range.
• BlueParrott M500-XT — biggest trade-off: it is mono and voice-first. A 10mm driver with a 20Hz–7000Hz frequency range is tuned for speech, not music, and 11 hours of talk time is a fraction of the PLYR's runtime.
• Who each is for: pick the Skullcandy PLYR Multi-Platform if you game across PC, PlayStation and Xbox and want one headset for everything, including a jog. Pick the BlueParrott M500-XT if your priority is crystal-clear calls in a loud car or on a busy street.
The PLYR is the more versatile of the two by a wide margin. It is a 50mm dynamic-driver over-ear headset with Bluetooth 5.2, a removable boom microphone, and a bundled 2.4GHz transmitter that cuts latency down to roughly 20 milliseconds on PC and PlayStation. That transmitter is the whole point: it is what separates a gaming headset from a pair of ordinary Bluetooth headphones. Xbox players aren't left out either — you just run the included 3.5mm cable straight into the controller. The box also ships with a USB-C cable and a 5-pole-to-4-pole aux cable, so you can go wired without buying anything extra.
The feature set is unusually software-driven for this category. Enhanced Sound Perception runs a short hearing assessment and builds a personalized sound profile, which is genuinely useful in shooters where you're trying to pick out footsteps and distant audio cues. Game/chat mic mix, EQ controls and sidetone all live in the Skullcandy app on desktop or mobile, while the basics — volume, mute, power — stay on the earcups as touch and button controls. In my opinion, that split is smart: you set the complicated stuff once and never think about it mid-match.
BlueParrott M500-XT: Who It's For
The M500-XT is a specialist, and it is unapologetic about it. This is an open-ear mono headset with a 10mm driver, a 20Hz–7000Hz frequency range and a 32-ohm impedance. That narrow frequency band tells you everything: it is tuned for the human voice, not for bass. What it does exceptionally well is make you sound clear. The dual intelligent microphone system uses AI-powered noise cancelling to filter up to 93% of background noise, with speech-optimized audio and precision voice pickup, so the person on the other end hears you rather than your engine, your window, or the city around you.
The physical design backs that up. It weighs less than an ounce, rests just inside the ear with multiple EarGel sizes, and uses an IP54 rating to shrug off dust and light rain — the kind of abuse a headset takes sitting in a cup holder or clipped to a visor all day. Bluetooth 5.3 gives you a 100m wireless range, which is the standout spec here: you can leave your phone in the vehicle and keep talking while you walk to a door. Battery is 11 hours of talk time with a 2-hour charge, and in my opinion that is the correct trade-off for this product — you charge it nightly like a phone, and it never dies mid-shift.
Who should buy it? Rideshare drivers, taxi drivers, short-haul and local delivery drivers, and anyone who spends their day on calls in loud traffic. Who should skip it? Gamers — there's no boom mic, no low-latency transmitter and no game/chat mix. And music listeners: a mono open-ear headset with a 7kHz ceiling is a voice tool, not a listening device. For jogging, the light weight and open-ear fit are genuinely comfortable, but you get one ear of audio only.
• Best for gaming across multiple platforms → Skullcandy PLYR Multi-Platform. Bluetooth 5.2, a 2.4GHz low-latency transmitter for PC and PlayStation, and a 3.5mm cable for Xbox.
• Best for battery life → Skullcandy PLYR Multi-Platform. Around 47 hours average versus 11 hours of talk time.
• Best for clear calls in loud environments → BlueParrott M500-XT. Up to 93% background noise filtered by an AI-powered dual-mic system.
• Best for all-day wearing comfort on the move → BlueParrott M500-XT. Under one ounce, open-ear, IP54-rated, with multiple EarGel sizes.
• Best for music and immersive game audio → Skullcandy PLYR Multi-Platform. 50mm dynamic drivers with a full 20Hz–20,000Hz range versus a speech-focused 10mm driver.
• Best for range away from your phone → BlueParrott M500-XT. 100m Bluetooth 5.3 range lets you leave the phone behind.
• Best for a jogging headset you can also game with → Skullcandy PLYR Multi-Platform. It handles a run, but it is the heavier option on your head.
• Best for a single-purpose comms tool → BlueParrott M500-XT. It does one job — voice — and does it with focus.
If I were buying for myself, I would take the Skullcandy PLYR Multi-Platform. The reason is range of use: one headset that covers PC, PlayStation and Xbox gaming, doubles as everyday Bluetooth headphones, and is comfortable enough to wear for a jog is simply more useful to more people than a mono call headset. The 2.4GHz transmitter, the removable boom mic and the roughly 47-hour battery are the specs that keep it on my head all week. I would only switch to the BlueParrott M500-XT if my day revolved around phone calls in loud traffic — in that one scenario, its AI noise cancelling and 100m range win outright. Check the current price on Amazon before you decide, since both sit in a similar bracket.
FAQ
how to bluetooth headset to pc
how to bluetooth headset to ps5
The M500-XT is a standard Bluetooth headset, but the PLYR is the more capable option here because it includes a 2.4GHz ultra-low-latency transmitter designed for PlayStation and PC. Plug that transmitter in for delays as low as 20ms. If you use Bluetooth instead, the M500-XT's 100m range is the advantage.
how to bluetooth headset to xbox series s
Microsoft's consoles don't accept Bluetooth audio directly, so neither headset connects over Bluetooth to an Xbox Series S. The PLYR handles this with its included 3.5mm cable, which plugs straight into the controller. The M500-XT has no 3.5mm jack, so it isn't the right pick for Xbox.
how to bluetooth headset to xbox
Same answer as the Series S: Xbox consoles use their own wireless protocol rather than Bluetooth. The PLYR sidesteps this with the bundled 3.5mm aux cable into the controller. The M500-XT has no wired jack, so for Xbox the PLYR Multi-Platform is the one that actually works.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.
See also: MUSICOZY Headband Sleep Headphones vs SUPWISER Costume Antennae Headba, Pomya Monitor Earbuds vs HGCXING USB C Headphone, QCY Crossky C30 vs YINYOO HiFi IEM comparison, JBL Tune 510BT vs Dnil Headphones: Music Headphones