I've always stuck with those Sony ear buds that come in that wind-up case that never cost more than $15. In fact, I find $15 too expensive for them. I can usually find them for $10 at Fry's Electronics.
However, I wanted something better, and actually bumped into several reviews here at Epinions about them that were simply raving about them. I had to check them out.
Now, I've seen Skull Candy before, but never actually heard of them. I figured they were a no-name brand, so I never gave them a chance. I've always looked towards the Sony ear buds I've always bought whenever the current one breaks.
So, with the advice here of the many Epinion reviewers, I searched for them. At Best Buy, they were $15, which was cheaper than I expected them to be! Then at Fry's Electronics, I found a pair for $10! Needless to say, I picked a pair up.
I keep hearing that they sound as good as some of the more expensive in-ear buds like Shure. I never had any experience with Shure, but since they cost upwards of $300, it was very high praise.
In the PackageThe Skull Candy Smoking Buds INK'D were packaged in a plastic form case that was backed by cardboard. It's cheap packaging, much like the Sony ear buds I always got.
I almost lost the silicon ear fittings that came in the package. The earbuds already came with the medium size fittings installed, while a pair of smaller and larger ones were included.
Other than that, there is not much else in the package.
ComfortInstalling a different silicon fitting is easy. You just pull the old ones off and insert the new ones. They fit in pretty tight, so you will need a bit of force if you ever need to remove them.
I actually found the medium size that was already installed the most comfortable. It holds in place without falling for the most part. Yeah, it comes off every once in a rare while though, such as when I get it caught on something, or after a long walk. I don't think they will hold up while running, but since warm weather is over here in Chicago, I'll have to find out much much later.
They feel weird upon inserting them into your ear canal. Even after using them for a while, they still feel a bit strange. For the most part, you tend to get used to it and focus more on the music or whatever else you are doing while wearing them, much like contact lenses.
They don't hurt or cause discomfort, even with extended use.
The amazing thing is that they block out a lot of surrounding noise without any active noise cancelation circuitry! It's simple and old fashioned - just plug your ears up!
When I was listening to these, I was at my friend's house. They were playing Gears of War 2 while I was playing around with my
iPod Touch and the Skull Candy ear buds. After a while, I decided to pull them off and was startled with all the noise around me! I didn't realize how loud they were playing their game!
I guess you'll have to be very careful with these if you walk in the streets. It's perfect for blocking out the enviroment if you ride the train or bus, though.
Sound QualityYou have to get used to it first before you can evaluate the sound quality. The reason why is because the bass relies on the resonance of your head! It sounds erie at first, but you get used to it. The drivers are very small, so you just can't expect them to create stunning bass on their own.
Instead, the highs and mids are very good. I still found myself turning the treble up a bit on the iPod to make it feel and sound a bit more natural. I had to contemplate on lowering the bass, since the resonating booms was just disconcerning at first. I got used to it, and actually found myself enjoying them.
After a while, you get used to the feeling and just evaluate the sound quality itself. I must say, they are surpisingly full sounding! The bass can be strong enough to make you feel like you're in a club!
The UpshotThe Skull Candy Smoking Buds INK'D are awesome! They sound great, and are priced very low! They are priced so low, that it actually detered me from buying them at first glance since I thought they were a no-name brand that would sound as good as the price tag said they were worth. Boy was I wrong!
The only really bad thing I have to say about them is that Skull Candy did not include any case for the buds. It would have been nice to include a case for the buds and the silicon fittings so you don't loose them. This would have added a bit more to the cost, but I wouldn't have mind paying for this convience.
Lastly, the ear buds do not have any indication of which goes to the left or right. It doesn't cost them that much more to print a small L or R, or even color code them! Instead, I got around this by finding out which side goes where using a sound-test mp3 file, then marking the left bud with a black Sharpie. I then marked the right side with a red Sharpie just for the heck of it.
Still, it's not enough for me to ding Skull Candy a star. But in the future, I hope they will not over look this simple issue!
