Skullcandy...so shiny!
The Skullcandy iPhone FMJ in chrome
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)If you listen to the MP3 Insider podcast (which, of course, I think you should), you know that I'm like a crow: inexplicably drawn to shiny things. So when I grabbed a black case, unzipped it, and pulled out the latest review item to discover the Skullcandy iPhone FMJ headphones in all their chromey glory, I "oohed" and "aahed" with the fervor that I reserve for such things. Even the cable is chrome-colored. To top it off, these 'phones have teeny, tiny skulls etched onto the end of each earbud--and a couple more sketched around the edges for good measure. It's almost too cute for words. Almost. Stay tuned for a full review on CNET. Oh, the iPhone FMJ also comes in black or silver, though I personally don't find those color variations nearly as exciting.
For more than five years, Jasmine France has covered a variety of tech products for CNET--from scanners to keyboards to GPS devices--but she's happiest where she is now: sitting atop a pile of MP3 players, "testing" every music service known to man, and jamming a variety of earbuds in every shape and color into her absurdly small ears. E-mail Jasmine. 
"If your not using Shure SE 530's your wasting your time."
First, you lost a lot of credibility when you used "your" instead of "you're".
Second of all, not everyone has $330 to spend on earbuds. Besides, if Skullcandy earbuds fit you perfectly while Shure SE530's just sound tinny because you can't get a proper fit, what's the point? And don't use the "Well you have to play around with the fittings, there are lots included with Shures" retort; I think that anyone, even people who are used to the "crappy" Apple earbuds, would experiment with all the fittings and seek advice if they couldn't get them to fit.
I'll admit it freely: I have a 3g iPod Nano. Why did I buy it? Because it's popular. WOW, maybe you should send people after my life, since you sound like such an audiophile. It doesn't mean that the only things I care about are looks and popularity, as you said. The same goes for many, many other iPod owners.
Also, most people do not rip their music at a sufficient bitrate to appreciate such high-end earbuds. Just leave them be.
- $330 for a pair of earbuds, jasonkinnard???
- by brianmv February 29, 2008 11:48 AM PST
- Man, I sure hope that's worth it. Anything that costs more than an xbox 360 MUST be worth it to be successful. Still, anything's better than what Skullcandy or Apple has to provide. Those things better last a long time...
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- Worth evry penny!
- by jasonkinnard February 29, 2008 1:32 PM PST
- I'm telling you, I was skeptical and I researched these things for about a month and I have no buyers remorse whatsoever. Look them up and read the specs, they are unbeatable! Each ear bud has 3 drivers, 2 woofers and 1 tweeter. I have started listening to my entire music collection all over again because the "high definition" drivers in these things are simply amazing. They recreate sound like an extremely high end home theater, but they're in your ears. Anyone who uses the pack-in earbuds that come with their mp3 players are just ignorant. Why spend 3,4,$500 on a player and use the $10 earbuds? I promise, these are the best by far!
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- Lasts? Only if you treat 'em carefully
- by make_or_break March 1, 2008 2:01 AM PST
- The wire leads going into the earpieces is a common failure point for the E500/SE530s (see the forums at head-fi.org). Some owners have had multiple failures with their E500/SE530s (same product, only updated model number). My E500 set broke when the tip of the right earpiece snapped off when I was switching the tip; probably already had a crack started from all of my usual abusive behavior hauling these anywhere and everywhere. These things ALWAYS ended up caught up in my car keys or crunched against my BlackBerry in any of my pants or jacket pockets. Lasted 6 1/2 months before failure.
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(5 Comments)However it must be said that I couldn't stand listening to any other in-ear set that I have in the three-plus weeks of downtime when I sent them back to Shure for repair/replacement. The SE530s I got back (Shure just replaces them during the warranty period, as long as proof of purchase can be provided) was like being reunited with a long-lost friend...a GREAT long-lost friend.
Even though these things list for $500 (and can be bought from about $300+--see Amazon.com's marketplace), after a while they become just like any other portable device; i.e., it's easy to take for granted. I was extremely careful with them in the beginning, but over time it's incredibly simple to forget that they're as expensive as they are and not treat them just like the oem throw-in earbuds that comes with most MP3 players. Once I fell in love with their great sound, I took mine EVERYWHERE because I couldn't stand listening to any of my lesser sets anymore. And they probably got beat up everywhere as well. Not a good thing to do, since they don't seem to hold up well to harsh treatment...unlike a LOT of those cheap oem buds.
One things for sure...it's a good thing Shure offers the warranty that it does on that set.