There is an old adage that states, “Form follows Function.” The Pyramat 300 is an excellent example of this saying. The idea behind the Pyramat is to give the user a more immersive experience while playing video games, watching movies, or even just listening to music while at the same time keeping them comfortable. To achieve this, the designers put together a 3 piece speaker system in the shape of a wedge or pyramid (hence, the name “Pyramat”). Both ends of the wedge have a speaker and sub-woofer output on them. The back side contains all the inputs and outputs the unit needs to function, while the bottom lies on the floor, bed, or whatever, and the third side is where the user rests his back. Also on the third side, under the foam padding, is another speaker. Attached to the unit are 3 square foam pads that can wrap around the pyramid for storage. When unrolled, the mats are used to lie on while using the Pyramat.

The Pyramat is designed to be a slick, trendy product; even the box screams, “Hey, look at me! I’m a hip product!” The unit is mostly black, and has green and orange accents on it. It’s a very attractive looking design. The only blemish on the product is the area surrounding the input/output panel. It is possible to view the foam padding inside the unit here. While not really ugly, it draws away from the overall design and appeal of the product.

The Pyramat is designed so that the three padded squares can wrap around the pyramid’s center for storage. To aid in storage, there are three pouches on the back of the unit which are extremely useful for storing the wired remote and other cables. A very nice addition is a handle for carrying the unit anywhere you need to take it. Even if you’re just moving the Pyramat from the closet to the living room floor, the handle is a lot easier than carrying it in your arms. The Pyramat can be configured in two different ways. It can either be completely unrolled into a mat with a back rest, or the last two squares can be folded under the pyramid and one section to create a more chair-like configuration. However, the mat may feel a bit on the short side for anybody over 6ft. tall. They may find that their feet will hang of the end of the mat a bit. With just a little more length this problem would be solved.

However, the folding squares also create an annoyance with the entire unit. If you lay the unit down and unravel it, it ends up up-side down, forcing you have to flip it over. The Pyramat is also rather bulky (especially when unrolled), making flipping the unit over more difficult than it should be. This problem could have been easily solved by simply having the mats roll around the pyramid in the opposite direction.

One concern people might have about the Pyramat is whether or not the cords are going to be long enough. It’s a reasonable concern, as the system is designed to lie on the floor, which is likely a decent distance from your game console. The audio cables included are 12 feet long; combine that with the length of the cables coming out of your game system and there is plenty of cable length between you and your console. The power cable is also pretty long, and if it’s not long enough a simple extension cord can fix that. The cable on the included hand remote, which controls power and volume, is also sufficient.

The two most important aspects of the Pyramat are how comfortable it is and the quality of the sound (or lack thereof). The Pyramat was designed to be a comfortable product, and it really shows. The padding is quite thick and firm. Minor indentations are made after a few hours of use, but the foam is resilient and they disappear by the next time the unit is used. There shouldn’t be any worry of flattening the padding out. The padding in the pyramid part of the unit is even thicker, and provides excellent back or neck support. While soft and cushy, the Pyramat doesn’t feel cheap at all.

The two side speakers do an admirable job of enveloping you in sound. The 4 inch woofer inside the system is just about right for shaking you along with the bass rumbles in your favorite game or movie. If the bass is too high or low, it can be adjusted with the bass knob on the back of the unit. However, the full potential of the Pyramat is not revealed until it is used with two more speakers in front of it. While it doesn’t offer surround sound natively (though if you set it up right you could accomplish something similar), having two more speakers in front really fills out the sound around you. Along with the woofer pumping directly into your back, the speakers can completely immerse you in the game. The back of the unit has two ports so that you can output the sound out to the front.

The Pyramat works great not only with games that are heavy on bass but also with games with very full sound. This bass gives you a nice shake, especially in games like Metroid Prime. Plus, it’ll help clue you in to where those powerups are by making their low-frequency hum easier to hear (and feel). Games with especially symphonic qualities, such as Sega’s Skies of Arcadia Legends, also benefit greatly from the Pyramat. Everything in the game sounds more rich and full; the Pyramat really enhanced this game’s epic musical score. Also, all the ships in Skies of Arcadia emit a very low-frequency rumble. This causes the Pyramat’s woofer to put out a lot of shake, and makes it feel almost as if you are right on the deck of the ship.

The Pyramat is designed to compliment your home audio system, and make your games more immersive. Not only can it hook up to your game consoles, it can also be wired up to a Game Boy Advance. This will require a cable with a 1/8 inch minijack (headphone plugs) on both ends, which can be found at stores such as Radio Shack. When used in conjunction with the Pyramat, Game Boy Advance games became much, much richer in quality. The ambient bass in games like Metroid Fusion will rock you on a level like it has never done before. The Pyramat also greatly enhances the stereo separation while playing GBA games. Like when playing with headphones, it is very easy to hear what is happening on either side of your character in the game. Not only does it enhance the sound, but the Pyramat also serves as a very comfortable place to play your Game Boy Advance.

The Pyramat 300 is a really great accessory, but the only thing keeping it from becoming a mass-market product is the price. At an MSRP of $150, it’s not the cheapest accessory out there. You could pick up a second GameCube for that price. Though it is pricy, the quality of the components used is more than adequate and the unit works exceedingly well. The price just feels a tad too high. A decent three piece speaker system can be had for about $100 and all the padding and design might not be worth that extra $50. If you’re really heavy into your gaming audio, you are definitely better off spending more money and getting a surround sound system. But for those of you with the money that want a very nice 3 speaker system that also happens to be extremely comfortable, the Pyramat is exactly the product you are looking for.