My Sennheiser HD229's were stolen, so I needed something fast to tide me over until I could save up for another pair of Sennheisers (probably something in the HD4xx-5xx range) and happened to be, of all places, at a big chain U.S. pharmacy picking up a prescription and behind the register was a nice big red SALE sign advertising $10 off the Skullcandy 2XL Shakedown headphones, and since they only had one lone pair left and the matte black finish matched my laptop perfectly, I bought them.
I am pleasantly surprised. The highs are very crisp and not at all 'tinny' like I expected, the bass is very 'clear' and not overwhelming at a medium volume, and doesn't distort the music until you reach higher volume levels even when listening to electronic music or (I guess, since I don't listen to it) hip-hop which are both notorious for using a lot of deep bass. They cancel outside noise pretty well, to the point where my wife often has to tap me on the leg to get my attention, and I can take them off of my ears and lay them on the table and I cannot hear the music unless at a very high volume or using music with high pitched sounds (like classical/orchestral with a lot of flutes).
They're reasonably comfortable but, like a new pair of shoes, definitely need to be broken-in a bit before you can wear them for hours at a time. In the first week, I found myself having to take a break every 20 minutes or so, but now over a month later I can wear them for 10 hours at a stretch.
Now, on to the bad.. yeah, these things are FAR from perfect. First, they are constructed entirely of plastic, except for some foam and faux-leather at the top of the band where it rests against your head, and metal bands at the adjustment action. This makes me worry that they will break easily, especially the swivel action. While they may look very slick and smooth, with the branding being very inconspicuous (only the "2XL" logo in a glossy racing-stripe that contrasts against the matte finish), the nice looks do not make up for what feels like a very weak build quality.
Second, I listen only to high quality, lossless audio. They do not sound even half as good if I listen to lower bitrate 'lossy' compressed audio. This is definitely not a trick of the ears, these headphones just really seem to accentuate the hisses, crackles and pops in poorly compressed audio. Even when listening to orchestral classical music, or pretty much anything beyond a 'crooner' style of music at higher bitrate lossless audio (FLAC, ALAC, etc) you must be mindful of the volume and use EQ settings that don't push these headphones too hard. They are a little bit better than other Skullcandy headphones and certainly better than they should be for their price range, they are still entry-level headphones.
And finally, Skullcandy is notorious for using multiple parts suppliers and factories so there's no telling if the pair of Skullcandy 2XL Shakedowns on a shelf are going to sound anything like the pair right next to them. Your mileage may vary!
Overall, if you're in a bind and need a cheap pair of headphones FAST, need a pair that you don't care if they're lost or stolen if you're going somewhere that something like that is likely, you do not need to sacrifice sound quality for frugality. These are (in my opinion) a lot better than most "entry-level" headphones that are more expensive than the 2XL Shakedowns. If you know someone who's interested in becoming an audiophile and wants to experience a taste of what audiophilia is like, these are a great appetizer that will leave them hungering for more without leaving a bad taste in their mouth!
