Freak369's Full Review: Skull Candy Smokin Buds Consumer Headphones
I never thought that I would pay over $20.00 for a pair of headphones. Call me cheap, call me thrifty, call me a penny pincher but I can't see spending a lot of money on something that is only going to last me, at most, six months of use at the gym, when running or out for a brisk walk. That thought pattern was dashed when I had the chance to try out a SkullCandy CD player and these Smokin' Buds headphones. The clarity is simply unbelievable and if you are someone that wants to hear the music, just the music and nothing but the music then these are the headphones for you. The downside to this is that it eliminates virtually all outside noise so if you are riding a bike, jogging or running on a trail you have to be ultra aware of your surroundings or you may be putting yourself directly in the path of danger.
Skull Candy Smokin' Buds Ear Bud Headphones
If the Skull Candy name isn't familiar to you, you might be a bit skeptical about spending a huge chunk of money on a pair of headphones. Trust me, I was the same way but after I tried them out I was hooked on them. They aren't something that I use all the time but when I know that I am going to be wearing headphones for more than an hour or so, they are the only ones that I will use. What makes them so great? Well, there are a lot of things but for me the biggest is the comfort level. My ears don't get sore and I don't experience ringing or hearing loss when I remove them. You can't blast your music for hours without experiencing some type of post ear trauma so please keep the volume to a moderate level. These will deaden outside noises so if you are wearing them when riding a bike, jogging or exercising make sure you are aware of what is going on around you. As far as what others will hear; if you crank the volume they will be able to hear some of what you are listening to but not as much as with vertical headphones that slide part way into the ear.
Most of the time I use these with my Sony Psyc CD player but I have also used them with my home stereo system and the quality has always been excellent. These aren't something that I would ever purchase for the brood because it is way too easy to exceed a safe volume level and do some serious ear damage. These can be used with almost every type of CD player that has a standard jack and are more than suitable to be used as a replacement pair of headphones. If you want something that you can use with your mobile phone I suggest going with the more expensive LINK compatible headphones that are designed specifically for a variety of cellular phones. From what I have seen from the Skull Candy line [and have been blessed to try out], they are a company that caters to those who are true music fanatics. They do have a lot of different products available and you can check them all out at their website.
Comfort
Until a few years ago I was able to wear almost any and every type of headphone with no problem. Maybe the insides of my ears grew or something happened with my ear canal but standard ear buds just wouldn't cut it for me anymore. They pop out, make the inside of my ears hurt or wiggle around when I am running. The beauty of the Skull Candy Smokin' Buds is that once you slip them in your ear they stay put. The only time I've ever had them pop out was when I dropped my CD player or accidentally yanked on the cord. I can wear these for hours at a time with absolutely no discomfort whatsoever; try saying that about other ear buds. Another thing that makes these more than worth the suggested retail price is the streamline cord. There are no swivel points or sections that will wear out and that means that the wires inside the line are going to last a hell of a lot longer than average ear buds.
Sound Quality
When I was reading about the prior to buying them, the Skull Candy website had this sentence listed in the product description, " Smokin’ Buds deliver the frequency range and fast response found in full-size headphones in a direct-to-ear package all the while isolating you from external haze". Every single word of that is 100% true. The sound that you get from the Smokin' Buds is the same that you would get from the large, oversized professional grade headphones that cover your entire ear. Since I'd had the chance to try these out before buying a pair for myself I knew the sound quality of them and what I could expect from them but I was completely blown away when I played some of my all time favorite CD's with them. Whether you listen to audio books, techno, hard core, metal or even spoken word, if you listen to your favorite tunes or tracks with these ear buds you are guaranteed to get nothing but top quality sound from them.
Color Choices
These are available in three color choices; all white [the ones I went with], all black and a cream and pink combo. More color choices should be available so be sure to check the Skull Candy website for the newest hues. I went with the all white version because I hate having to dig around in my backpack for my headphones; I want to be able to look in and see them instantly so I know I have them for the gym. Since these come with a very nice travel case most of the time I just feel the front pocket of my backpack to make sure that I have them but on the rare occasions that I toss them in without putting them in the case, they are easy to spot. All of the Smokin' Buds have the Skull candy name on one side with the very cool skull logo on the other. They are very cool looking headphones that are sure to have people asking you about them when they see them and if they are like me, they are going to ask to try them out too.
Price
Now that I've ranted and raved about these you are probably wondering how much they cost. They sell for $24.99 at the website and in all honesty, they are worth every single penny. I am the type of person that flat out refuses to pay more than ten dollars for headphones because they get destroyed when I am at the gym; not the case with these. They are strong and well made and chances are that when they do die I'll go with the same ones as a replacement. Because these are so powerful I don't recommend them for teens and tweens because it is simply too easy for them to raise the volume to a near deafening level. Sure I could scout around at places like Target and Wal-Mart for headphones that cost six or seven dollars and end up getting three pairs of them but after trying these, falling in love with them and buying a pair for myself I am hooked on them.
The Bottom Line
Someone can write a glowing review of something and list a thousand perks about the product but at the end of the day there are some things that you just have to try out for yourself. These give you superior sound quality regardless of the type of music you are listening to, come with a cool carry case to help protect them when they aren't in use and they are well made so they aren't something that is going to die on you in a month or so. If you are looking for replacement headphones that are going to keep up with an active lifestyle or just something that you can listen to at home, I highly suggest checking out the Smokin' Buds from Skull Candy.
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