[Review] Skullcandy Aviators

[ShearMe]

 

The Skullcandy Aviators - aka an attempt at redeeming their brand name - is a headphone I was skeptical of. How could a brand like Skullcandy, who merely rebrands OEM headphones, possibly make a good product? In addition to shiny color schemes, their past products have been known for terrible sound and horrendous build quality. Search any online forum, and I can nearly guarantee you there will be a thread titled something along the lines of, "Skullcandy - are they really that bad?" to which the answers are nearly always, "Yes." The general rule of thumb is, if they need a celebrity endorsement, they're probably not worth the cost of their packaging. You can really see what I mean by looking at the items in the box which don't go around your head.

 

Packaging

LTT Image Gallery linked for bigger pictures

 

    

 

Everything in the box is fantastic quality - hell, even the box is nice-looking. Herein lies my first concern; take a look at that microfiber cloth and tell me, is that not the best microfiber cloth you've seen included with a product? The carry case is absolutely amazing (I dare say better than the headphones themselves), and the paper used for the user guide is literally the nicest paper I've ever felt. If you've watched a fair bit of Linus's videos, you'll know he occasionally goes on a mini-rant-tangent about how much packaging like this costs manufacturers. So while nice packaging is, well, nice, it is also the first sign of weakness in the quality of these headphones. 

LBF

Looks, Build, Fit

 

As typical of Skullcandy, these look pretty flashy. They come in many color combinations, some of which even have transparent enclosures. I rarely like the look of flashy headphones, but these poke that tween-angst part of my brain that makes me wish I learnt how to skateboard. However, you'll definitely need that microfiber cloth.

 

As untypical of Skullcandy, the shiny bits on the headphone are actually made of metal (mostly). The headband is a pleather top with cotton bottom - zero padding. The hinges squeak a little, but they seem like they'd hold up over time. Earpads are a nice soft pleather, with a forgiving foam inside, and are the nicest part of these headphones in my opinion. The cable is... thin, but braided. Is has an inline mic with Apple volume controls (may also work with some Android products) and the standard play/pause button. The inline bit feels like very cheap plastic and I'd be surprised if it lasted.
 

I've owned one Skullcandy headphone in the past. I spent an hour looking at all the $40 headphones in Best Buy and settled on these (wish I'd gotten the Sony's in hind sight). They didn't fit on my head. The hinge system was some wacko 4-way design that literally would not let them sit over or on my ears. The Aviators are a bit better - out of the box, they sit crooked on my head. I think due to the way they are packaged, the metal brace got bent ever so slightly to favor the right side. I want to say it's gotten better the few hours it's been on my head, but I might just be getting used to the awkward feel. Due to the triangular shape of the cups, these fit rather oddly, but I guess you could get used to it because of the great pads. They feel much better upside down, however (see below).

 

Sound

 

Unsurprisingly, the Skullcandy Aviators sound like an OEM headphone, albeit a good OEM headphone.  I don't have conclusive evidence of them being a rebranded OEM, though another forum member did find these (and I've seen other identical products every now-and-then), which is good enough for me until corrected. I've nothing against OEM rebranded headphones specifically; there's some pretty good manufacturers that simply don't have the resources to bring their products to market. The problems come about when companies like Meze start saying they make the headphones themselves, like [old] Skullcandy who buy the crappiest products out there and sell them at a big markup, and like Beats (do I even have to explain?). Additionally, re-branders often ask the OEM to "add bass" which can turn a good sounding headphone into crap if they weren't designed to sound like that in the first place. Luckily, the Aviators sound pretty good. Not amazing, but good. They lack the bass bloom so many cheap headphones now-a-days have, and shoot for a more treble friendly experience. Do note, they are not lacking in bass, but they're not quite suitable for bass heavy electronic music either. I found them to work best with with Light Rock, Pop, and even some Jazz.

 

For the MSRP of $150, I'd just laugh in a salesman's face. I personally feel they'd be a good choice for $60-$70, though I doubt the price will ever get that low. If the earcups were flipped the other way around, I might have even enjoyed this purchase at the ~$90 I paid if I wanted a light portable headphone.

 

[mr moose]

Nice,  whittling down my list of  future purchases even more :lol: . 

 

Cheers for the review.

[megadarkwood]

lol'ed at this picture

As someone who has never spent over $10 on headphones, I hate skullcandy. They were cool when I was 6

[beebskadoo]

I was wondering about these. Thanks for the review!

[Torg73]

When I seen this review and then the name ShearMe, I was scared you where going to endorse these headphones, and I agree in  part where when the company tries to sell the product with a celebrity like Beats with Dr. Dre what about AKG with Qunicy Jones, he's been in the business for 50 years he must need the cash or he really believe in the company to put his name to the products they sell. 

[mr moose]

When I seen this review and then the name ShearMe, I was scared you where going to endorse these headphones, and I agree in  part where when the company tries to sell the product with a celebrity like Beats with Dr. Dre what about AKG with Qunicy Jones, he's been in the business for 50 years he must need the cash or he really believe in the company to put his name to the products they sell. 

The difference between Quincy Jones and beats is that beats was a money making scam from it's inception, it was never about producing a custom line of headphones for the enthusiasts, it was about making the audio equivalent of hip hop sneakers to sell to tweenies.  Whereas Quincy Jones is about one product, a signature sound customised to his preference for his fans. 

 

Even the FR graphs (which don't always equate to good sound) provide an insight into the difference between the K and Q series.

[_ASSASSIN_]

LOL, THAT'S WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE?!

totally didn't expect that

[ShearMe]

LOL, THAT'S WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE?!

totally didn't expect that

 

cool story bro

[_ASSASSIN_]

cool story bro

and you are still a dick regardless

[ShearMe]

and you are still a dick regardless

 

[mr moose]

I had the opportunity to listen to these cans today, I must say I was not impressed, I think I pulled a face muscle wincing at the absolute blandness.  So bland they sounded like what cardboard tastes like.

[Whiskers]

Ah Skullcandy. The Beats by Dre before Beats by Dre.

 

I still have a pair of Lowriders lying around. They actually aren't too bad for the price really. To be brutally honest they sound better than Beats Solo HD headphones do, which is laughable given the insane price difference.

[LaoJr]

Ah Skullcandy. The Beats by Dre before Beats by Dre.

 

I still have a pair of Lowriders lying around. They actually aren't too bad for the price really. To be brutally honest they sound better than Beats Solo HD headphones do, which is laughable given the insane price difference.

When people talk about beats and celebrity endorsed products. I think of monoprice and the kossporta pro

[ShearMe]

Ah Skullcandy. The Beats by Dre before Beats by Dre.

 

I still have a pair of Lowriders lying around. They actually aren't too bad for the price really. To be brutally honest they sound better than Beats Solo HD headphones do, which is laughable given the insane price difference.

I wouldn't've returned these to Amazon if the cups were the other way around.