skullcandy

Skullcandy Roc Nation Aviator headphones review: Jay-Z-approved

Skullcandy continues to pursue its youthful listening-device niche with the Aviator headphones, a collaborative effort with Roc Nation, a music publishing and entertainment company founded by hip-hop mogul Jay-Z.

The Roc Nation Aviators are the first set of headphones we've seen from Skullcandy with a subtle aesthetic--the rest of the company's offerings redefine the meaning of words like "bulky" and "overbuilt," but the Aviators bring an elegant flavor to the product lineup with three color choices (Black, Brown Gold, and White) that feature a pliable leather headband and light branding on the silver connection … Read more

Skullcandy 50/50 earphones control your iPhone

Skullcandy has made quite a name for itself in the headphone world, thanks largely to its focus on funky fashion and its aggressive marketing tactics aimed at tweens, teens, and young adults. However, the latest Skullcandy earphones to come down the pipe are perhaps the most adult-oriented we've seen from the company.

The 50/50 earbuds, which are moderately priced at $49.95, come in an array of relatively muted color options and feature inline controls for the iPhone and iPod, as well as a striking low-end response. The audio clarity isn't the best and they feel a … Read more

Skullcandy Smokin' Buds are anything but subtle

Skullcandy has made quite a name for itself in the headphone world, thanks largely to its focus on funky fashion and durable designs aimed at extreme-sports enthusiasts. Indeed, the company is known for a variety of things, and we seriously doubt you'll find subtlety among them.

If ever a product could illustrate this point, it's the Skullcandy Smokin' Buds earphones ($30), with an in-your-face name worthy of their loud design. As we've come to expect from the company's earbuds, these 'phones aren't terribly impressive in terms of sound quality, but they do offer a solid … Read more

Skullcandy Icon 2 earphones: Anything but boring

Some people prefer earphones that blend in so much no one can tell they're even being used, while others like their ear cans to stand out from the crowd. If you fall into the latter crowd, the Skullcandy Icon 2 headphones will probably be right up your alley. This on-ear model lists for $29.95 and features Skullcandy's typical eye-catching design. The earphones offer a couple of fun and useful extras, but the sound quality won't impress many users, and the fit may prove to be an issue for active pursuits.

Read the Skullcandy Icon 2 review.Read more

Skullcandy iCon headphones: Offending adult sensibilities since 2009

Some people prefer earphones that blend in so much no one can tell they're even being used, while others like their gadgets to stand out from the crowd. If you fall into the latter crowd, the Skullcandy iCon Soft headphones might be right up your alley.

This on-ear model lists for $34.95 and has Skullcandy's typical eye-catching design. The earphones offer some nice extras, but the fit and sound quality won't impress many users.

Read the full review of the Skullcandy iCon Soft headphones.

Skullcandy's Double Agent headphones are a bit too funky

Headphones with an integrated MP3 player aren't a new concept by any means, but they've failed to gain much ground in the market. It's a bit of a shame, really, as the all-in-one design allows users to do away with wires.

Perhaps Skullcandy can inspire the market with its affordable Double Agent headphones ($99.95). These heavily stylized cans, which are clearly aimed at active teens and twentysomethings, feature a versatile design that allows the wearer to use them as either an MP3 player/headphone combo or as headphones with a separate audio device. It's definitely … Read more

MP3 watch is MacGyver in name only

In the ever-converging worlds of geekdom and DYI religion, patron saint MacGyver is cited so frequently that he's become a verb. And 23 years since the ultimate DIYer's show first aired, he's still going strong as a brand name.

The latest example is Skullcandy's MacGyver MP3 watch, which includes 1GB of storage to handle a fair amount of your Tears for Fears anthology and other favs. As CrunchGear notes, it comes with a handy USB plug that's already built in, so there's one less cable to carry around for syncing purposes. Then again, that … Read more

Skullcandy partners for a softer touch

Perhaps the most surprising thing about Skullcandy's latest earphones is that they were designed jointly with another company. Why, we wonder, would an outfit that already produces headphones with gunbelts and neon colors solicit help in coming up with a new design?

Maybe they needed a more delicate touch from the designers at La Vie en Rose for "all shades of the pink rainbow" in fuchsia and magenta, as Shiny Shiny says. These pink additions seem somewhat ingruous for lines with names like "Full Metal Jacket" and "Lowrider," but maybe that's the … Read more

CES Notebook: Tales from the show floor

LAS VEGAS--Every year, I schedule too many meetings at the Consumer Electronics Show and don't get enough time to just roam the show floor in search of gadgets that are either ultra-cool, absurd, or preferably both.

This year, I made a commitment to wander the show floor and absorb as much as possible. It should be said, in three hours on the show floor, I covered a very small portion of the south hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

So the seventh wonder of the tech world could have been in the north hall, central hall, or the … Read more

Fashionable headphones for urban warfare

These headphones can beat up your iPod earbuds.

The Skullcandy G.I. headphones are the first we've seen with built-in bullet holders in the headband, as well as a zip-up pouch that holds what looks like a bottle opener. (Update: According to Skullcandy, the tool included in the pouch is a screwdriver/skate tool/bottle-opener combo.)

Available in four styles--Rasta, Desert, Camo, and CCore (pictured here)--the CCore models look like the ones to buy if you want the fewest number of people getting all up in your face and/or messing with your biz.

The ear cans cost $… Read more