50% Off Skullcandy... Worth It Yet?

[BosDef]

I currently own some Audio Technica's (ATH-M50) that I use for all my music production and home listening and I really dig those, but I want something for taking onto a college campus, walking, etc. I do want something that sounds good but hopefully would also be durable and portable. I don't necessarily need it to be as killer as my AT's.
 
Sooooo I work at a retail store that gives me access to a site where I can take quizzes to learn product knowledge and earn discounts on products. I did the Skullcandy tests just to see how much of a discount and what I could get. All the on-ear phones look idiotic and I'm sure they sound awful too. So for this I'll leave it to in-ear buds and over-ears. And remember I can get these all at 50% off retail - does this make ANY Skullcandy's worth it?
 
Over-ear

1. Roc Nation Aviators - $75. I tried them at Best Buy (a long time ago) and IIRC I didn't like the sound all that much but I could be wrong.
2. SK Pro Sparkle Motion - Still $75, probably a little high

In-ear

1. 2011 Fix - $35
2. Ink'd - probably terrible even at $10
3. Smokin' Buds - $15
4. Titan - $20
5. Chops - $10
6. 50/50 - $25
7. FMJ - $35

 
At some point it has to be worth it.... right?

 

[alv4426]

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At some point it has to be worth it.... right?

 
75% off?

 

[BosDef]

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75% off?

Maybe you're right! I am also looking at some of the lower end Audio Tech's like the M30 since I know I like the brand's sound. I just thought if I could get such a discount, why not look into it? Anybody else want to comment on actual sound-quality-to-price ratio for the listed cans/phones?

 

[alv4426]

actually I would probably grab a pair of those Inkd, they make great gym/beater IEMs. One of my friends has been using the same pair for working out for a long time and they are still going (they dont sound great though)

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
As much as everyone hates on Skullcandy here, they do have some decent headphones hidden amongst the heaps of trash they have lining the stores. The Aviators are not bad headphones. The Hesh & Hesh 2.0 are also not bad headphones. Hesh 2.0's are $50ish retail, so getting them for $25 or something is actually a good deal. I bought a pair to test to see if they were truly trash and they reminded me a lot of the Sennheiser HD448.
 
Very best,

 

[pickleweed]

buying something you dont want just because its discounted doesnt make it a good deal for you.....if anything that makes it a bad buy for you.  its just money you wouldnt have spent otherwise.  advice from a cheap ass.

 

[BosDef]

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Heya,
 
As much as everyone hates on Skullcandy here, they do have some decent headphones hidden amongst the heaps of trash they have lining the stores. The Aviators are not bad headphones. The Hesh & Hesh 2.0 are also not bad headphones. Hesh 2.0's are $50ish retail, so getting them for $25 or something is actually a good deal. I bought a pair to test to see if they were truly trash and they reminded me a lot of the Sennheiser HD448.
 
Very best,

 
My problem with the Hesh's available to me is that they're all team/player branded. Brandon Roy, Amare Stoudemire, Derrick Rose... I could probably sticker them up and cover that haha.
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buying something you dont want just because its discounted doesnt make it a good deal for you.....if anything that makes it a bad buy for you.  its just money you wouldnt have spent otherwise.  advice from a cheap ass.

I'm not saying I'm going to buy it JUST because it's discounted. I'm definitely going to look into it though because I am planning on getting headphones, so why not check out what could turn out to be a good deal.
 
And hey, if nothing else I can resell them and make some profit right?

 

[dBz-]

I would go for the Aviators, they sound decent to me and look killer to. For that price why not

 

[bmou]

Aviators for $75 is a ridiculous steal. i used to own a pair and they lasted me through a lot of travels and had a great sound signature for all around. of course, when you look at the money you're putting down, you have to realize what kind of trade off you're getting. don't expect bands to appear in front of you like holograms, but i think they are pleasantly surprising.

 

[thehumantornado]

for $75 you might want to look around the sale forums a bit; seems like you can get a decent used set in that range

 

[dBz-]

Even if you don't want them why don't you buy a pair of Aviators and sell them for twice as much on eBay

 

[thehumantornado]

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Even if you don't want them why don't you buy a pair of Aviators and sell them for twice as much on eBay

true, with the profit you could really expand your options

 

[daySpring]

Regardless of what price you are paying, if you are looking to listen to decent headphones, don't buy ANY skullcandies. If you wanna sell on eBay, that is another story all together, for the price you quoted.

I'd much rather get NVX XPT100 (Brainwavz HM5) or Kingston Hyper-X (Takstar Pro 80) for the same price, or if semi open isn't an issue, Superlux HD 668B or 681Evo. Way better sound quality than even a flagship Skullcandy or a flagship Bose will ever provide. I haven't tested the Superlux closed back HD662F, but reading positive reviews and my experience with the brand leaves me optimistic. All for less than $35.
As for IEM's, Xiaomi's newer triple driver hybrid Mi IEMs are quite good, if you like the V signature and punchy bass. They are Hi-res certified, too and selling for less than $25 at gearbest.