CES Days 2 and 3: Skullcandy. That's right...Skullcandy.
Apr 28, 2011 at 10:42 PM Post #181 of 198
I judge headphones on their sound, not their name. I'm really looking forward to demoing some headphones when I see roma101 again... 
 
Apr 29, 2011 at 12:28 AM Post #182 of 198


Quote:
I judge headphones on their sound, not their name. I'm really looking forward to demoing some headphones when I see roma101 again... 



i judge them by sound to but i just can't see myself buying anything skull candy ever again.( to many pairs break in under 1 month. )
but then again i never used the warranty.
i heard the warranty is only applicable at a 50% of next purchase kind of deal. also i am still skeptical on durability from the look they seem to be made out of cheap materials. but i don't know for certain. heck maybe i will pick up a pair. at least people won't criticize me for big headphones. how much are they in canada?
 
May 1, 2011 at 12:54 AM Post #183 of 198


Quote:
I judge headphones on their sound, not their name. I'm really looking forward to demoing some headphones when I see roma101 again... 


Definitely dude.
 


Quote:
 
Yes, a few months later, and I still really dig the Aviator, and have no hesitation recommending it at its price.  To me, the biggest caveat is the level of isolation (as you've noticed, roma101)--if you need a lot of isolation, this isn't the headphone for you.  My second biggest caveat is for bass-heads--if you've come to associate Skullcandy with bloated bass (and so that's what you're expecting or wanting), the Aviator doesn't fit that bill.  Like I said earlier (and like roma101 is saying above), the Aviator is quite well balanced.
 
 
Exactly.  Again, I didn't recommend a Skullcandy headphone that nobody else would have a chance to listen to--some one-off prototype.  I'm talking about a headphone that a great number of Head-Fi'ers are within a 20-30 minute trip to the nearest Apple Store to audition.

No kidding.
 
As most here know, Skullcandy is known most for its OEM headphones.  Two of their first ODM efforts, though, may actually be promising indications of where Skullcandy can go when they actually develop their own products--the Aviator is one of them.

 
Hi Jude, I know this may be a long shot but how would you compare the Aviators to the DT1350's? Just curious. I'm guessing the 1350s are more refined, tight and balanced (along with better isolation of course) but I'd love to hear your impressions on both compared.
 
Thanks in advance and love your headfi episode btw!
 
 
May 7, 2011 at 8:09 PM Post #184 of 198
I know Jude has taken a lot of flack for saying nice things about the Aviators, with people even suggesting he is only doing it because they are a sponsor and all that, but I did go into the Apple store the other day and try a pair and, I agree with him, they do sound very decent for the money they are asking.  They weren't like the Beats, which sound good with the store-iPod pop, but crap with, say, jazz, but even with my wide variety of music, for casual listening they were good.
 
Jun 3, 2011 at 5:20 PM Post #185 of 198
I wrote a my mini review of the headphones about 2-3 months ago and I talked about how the pair at the apple store sounded much better than the new pair I had purchased, I would like to follow-up after about 50-100 hours of listening, I think they are finally broken-in and the sound sig is the same as the one I tried at the apple store.  I went back with my pair and did some side by side listening with my ipod touch and they sounded about the same, the Apple pair well a little more flat with a little less bass.  Out of the box I was a little dissapointed when compared to what I remembered from the demo pair, kind of plastic sounding, no seperation of instruments, detail was not very good/kind of cluttered, and no airyness.  Now they are perfect.  I use them in the city therefore I like the fact that they isolate but not noise cancel, don't want to get hit by a car walking down the street.  I find that the best sound is with the EQ off on the ipod touch.  Very good headphones,I highly recommend them, just remember to break them in 25-50 hours at least, thats when I noticed a difference.
 
Jul 21, 2011 at 2:48 PM Post #186 of 198
I just ordered these from Amazon for $110.
 
For reference, the headphones that I own are in my sig.   I love my Alessandro "MS1000s" (modded MS1's). But after a year of heavy usage, the cables are falling apart on me, and frankly they aren't very good work phones --- too loud for people around me, too big and bulky, people give me a funny look (they look a lil old-fashioned and clunky... I personally love the style, but not everyone does). I still love the MS1000's, but they have become strictly an at-home phone and a pair that I have to put quite a bit of maintenance in.++
 
So what I was looking for was a nice set to have at work (write code for a corporation, so work in an office building, fairly quiet, I need to be able to hear if someone is talking to me).  I wanted comfort, didn't want the entire office hearing my music, and I want sound quality.  Style is good, too.
 
So I trekked off to BestBuy (ya ya) to just try out some stuff.  Listened to a buncha Beats by Dre (not nearly as impressive as I thought they'd be for the price and as much as people talk about 'em).  Tried some Sennheiser's, Klipsh's, Sony's, Bose (ya ya) ---- pretty much everything they had.  Most had issues that turned me off.  They either sounded bad; they weren't comfortable; they blocked out too much noise, so I couldn't hear people talking to me, or looked awful.
 
I saw those Aviators also, and recognizing them as Skullcandy's (and knowing how they are frowned upon by this board), I didn't even try them on until almost near the last pair.  Got around to them and think, "ah what the hell, let's give 'em a shot".
 
Put them on and --- pleasantly surprised.  It was by far the most comfortable pair there.  Very comfortable.  Light, airy, soft.  So I think to myself, "well, they probly sound like ****.".  Plugged them into my Blackberry and turned on some Pink Floyd Have a Cigar ---- "mmmmmmm these sound better than any pair here."  And that was driven off my freakin' Blackberry!  It was actually fairly enjoyable.  My Blackberry can't push crap, everything sounds awful on there, but these phones were changing my mind.
 
So I stuck it in the back of my mind to research them when I got home.  BB had them for $150, and I was sure I could get them cheaper on Amazon (God Bless Amazon).
 
Sure enough, Amazon has 'em for $110.  I read some reviews, all of them saying pretty much what I had found for myself --- they look great, they are surprisingly good-sounding, they are very comfortable --- and completely better than expected for Skullcandies.
 
So they are on the way.  I'll let y'all know how they sound when they get here.  I'll drive 'em off my Nuforce uDAC.
 
Jul 29, 2011 at 12:44 AM Post #187 of 198
Alrighty, got 'em today!  First impressions: they look fantastic, the carry bag is a little iffy.  They don't "fold up" in a way that is very...intuitive, I guess.  But those are minor.
 
Plugged 'em in and immediately they were a lil bloated in the low end, so had to tone down the bass a bit.... gave 'em a good 5 hour burn-in on my ears. I had to adjust the ol brain a bit, but now that I've got a few hours under my belt, they are a very respectable can.  They are like a better version of my Sony MDR's, better bass, decent separation and detail.  They are a closed can, but they "breathe" --- keep most of the sound in, but they still allow me to  hear *some* of what's goin on around me, enough for me to feel comfortable that I mostly know what's goin on.  With wife, kid, co-workers around, I can't block out the world.  The Sony's completely block out the world, they just don't work for me anymore.  They were great when I was a kid and had no responsibility in the world.
 
I still consider my MS1000's to be my best sounding can, but these aren't too far behind.  The MS1000s place the driver farther off the ear and are way more open, so they are inherently more quiet and require more juice to push 'em to the same level, but once you crank the volume up, the MS1000s still have these beat in overall sound quality and detail, spacing, soundstage.  The real area the MS1000s beat the Aviators is the rich, textured mid-range which brings out that beautiful fuzz in those tube-amps.  But... that's not to say these Aviators don't sound good --- they do.  Can't complain about the sound for $100.  And to be fair, the MS1000s are about a $200 investment when you consider the mods, so it *should* sound better.  My MS1000s have a lot of miles on 'em and are hard to travel with (if I had one complaint about the MS1's, it's the cables to each ear and a completely free-swiveling earcup which basically promotes excessive twisting and eventually breaking of the cables).  These Aviators feel a lot more sturdy, a little more compact and not so bulky on my head.  These are a better work 'phone, imo.
 
I like 'em.  My wife gives me all sorts of weird looks, since they're brown and have skulls on 'em.  Gonna be interesting to see co-workers reaction to these.
 
Jul 29, 2011 at 1:10 AM Post #188 of 198
I've wanted to try the Aviators for awhile but I just can't get over the fact the cups are ergonomically upside down.  Must be my fickle gene.  Sigh....
 
Jul 29, 2011 at 1:05 PM Post #189 of 198


Quote:
I've wanted to try the Aviators for awhile but I just can't get over the fact the cups are ergonomically upside down.  Must be my fickle gene.  Sigh....



It would seem that way at first inspection, but they fit nice.  I have small ears, so that might be a factor.  Those big-eared folk might not agree.
 
 
Jul 29, 2011 at 9:38 PM Post #190 of 198


Quote:
I've wanted to try the Aviators for awhile but I just can't get over the fact the cups are ergonomically upside down.  Must be my fickle gene.  Sigh....



I tried them despite that, but that oversight STILL bothers me. I mean, did the Skullcandy design team never see an ear before to know the wide part is on top??? Though they did sound pretty darn good despite that. I was overall pleased and would like to demo them more in depth for more than 3 hours.
 
Jul 29, 2011 at 9:43 PM Post #191 of 198


Quote:
I tried them despite that, but that oversight STILL bothers me. I mean, did the Skullcandy design team never see an ear before to know the wide part is on top??? Though they did sound pretty darn good despite that. I was overall pleased and would like to demo them more in depth for more than 3 hours.


I saw them at a store today.  Was going to buy them but I looked and don't think my ears will actually fit.
 
 
Aug 2, 2011 at 10:50 PM Post #192 of 198
The Aviators do sound quite nice.
 

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