[xluben]

My wife was in the market for some new in ear headphones. She wanted
something cheap, small, comfortable and fun to listen to. NOT a critical
listener. Everything is listened off of her iPod Nano. Often it is audiobooks
and TV shows as much as music. In the past she has been happy with Sony
EX-51's (broken several pairs), but did not like the fit of any of the larger
IEM's I've had (Shure E2's, Super.fi 5Pro, Super.fi 5EB, etc).

She preferred to spend less than $30! I talked her into getting the Skullcandy
Titans (from Target for $38). This was mainly based on the the review at
Headphone.com:

Top 10 Best Headphones - 2009 Gear Guide | HeadRoom Audio

She also liked the fact that they came with a handy little case and volume control...

Came in some terrible blister packaging, like all the Skullcandy headphones.
Upon opening them I was quite disappointed by the cabling. This is normally
what fails in her use, and these seemed just as bad (or worse) than the
similarly priced Sony offerings. They have a short cable with a very slim
(straight) 3.5mm connection. Works great for use on an iPod.

The earpieces are similar to the Sony's (and Super.fi, Shure soft tips, etc).
The fit is shallow, more like the Sony's. They're a metal body, but they are
fairly small and are pretty comfortable to wear.

Based on a very short listening period the main thing I noticed was the BASS!
Very plentiful, probably moreso than my Shure E2's. Overall the sound is
pretty decent, but nothing great. IMO, I much prefer the sound of the
Shure's, but they do cost 3x as much. The mid/high range is acceptable but
not great and bass, while plentiful, is not super tight. Sound is no where near
as good as the KSC 75's and 35's that I have, but I can't stand the earclip
style.

Overall I think they're about what I expected. The sound is good (for a $40
headphone), but not great. They are small, light and comfortable, but not
necessarily durable. For a fun, portable headphone I would suggest them over
anything else I've tried (for the price), but I don't think they will compete with
anything in the $100 range, or if you're interested in accurate sound
reproduction.

Here are some quick photos:

 

[priest]

Thank you for the informative review and pictures. I bought a pair from J&R the other day just to see what all the fuss was about (and judging from the 5 star value rating from HeadRoom, figured I couldn't go wrong). They are back-ordered though, so I don't have them yet.

 

[muxenle]

it looks like you could break that wire just when pulling the ear phones out...

 

[jjmai]

What is that clear tube around the cable coming out of the volume control?
Did that come with the Titan? Looks like something that could be use for over-the-year wearing.

 

[migsev]

How do these compare to $40 ADDIEMs?

 

[thechungster]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjmai /img/forum/go_quote.gif What is that clear tube around the cable coming out of the volume control? Did that come with the Titan? Looks like something that could be use for over-the-year wearing.

I'm assuming it's the wire that connects from the volume control to the 3.5mm jack.

 

[Mr C]

It'd be nice if anyone could compare these to the PL50.

 

[xluben]

Quote:

Originally Posted by priest /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thank you for the informative review and pictures. I bought a pair from J&R the other day just to see what all the fuss was about (and judging from the 5 star value rating from HeadRoom, figured I couldn't go wrong). They are back-ordered though, so I don't have them yet.

As long as you have realistic expectations you will be fine. Headroom's ratings must be heavily weighted by cost.

Quote:

Originally Posted by muxenle /img/forum/go_quote.gif it looks like you could break that wire just when pulling the ear phones out...

They are a little bit hard to grab onto when removing them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjmai /img/forum/go_quote.gif What is that clear tube around the cable coming out of the volume control? Did that come with the Titan? Looks like something that could be use for over-the-year wearing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by thechungster /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm assuming it's the wire that connects from the volume control to the 3.5mm jack.

^Correct. After the volume control the two wires are side-by-side.

Quote:

Originally Posted by migsev /img/forum/go_quote.gif How do these compare to $40 ADDIEMs?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr C /img/forum/go_quote.gif It'd be nice if anyone could compare these to the PL50.

Sorry, I don't have any experience with those headphones. The last time I actively posted here was probably around 3 years ago. Back then IEM choices were VERY limited. Shure, Etymotic, cheap Sony's, and the UE Super.fi series was just being released...

 

[captian73]

More power to those who buy, try and then give an opinion, rather than just following the pack of those who simply give negative comments. nice little review.

 

[jjmai]

@xluben:
how are the microphonics with Titan? I read somewhere that the old 2008 model (last gen) of titan with the black cables had horrible microphonics. I wonder if that's been improved in this newer model.

 

[xluben]

Quote:

Originally Posted by captian73 /img/forum/go_quote.gif More power to those who buy, try and then give an opinion, rather than just following the pack of those who simply give negative comments. nice little review.

Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjmai /img/forum/go_quote.gif @xluben: how are the microphonics with Titan? I read somewhere that the old 2008 model (last gen) of titan with the black cables had horrible microphonics. I wonder if that's been improved in this newer model.

I did not check for this, I was just listening to them sitting at my computer. I will try it out sometime.

 

[Thecoolguy]

for 40 dollars, i think you would have been better off getting the Radius Atomic Bass.  they have some nice bass as well as some pretty nice highs for the price point

 

[hanglee65]

My impressions on Titans are very good. They come in multiple colors, have a metallic finish, better sounding  and more dynamic than the supplied apple earphones. The price is about the same. You could buy a pair for $34.99 USD at any Newbury Comics stores in the Boston area. When compared to other good quality ear sets, like my reference, the $70.00 A-Jays Fours, the Titans need a more refined musical experience. Even the Thinksound's  range of eco-friendly monitors do a better job in the bass area. But for the price, they are for the entry-level buyer who wants a better sound than the Apple offerings.
 
Rating: 4 stars out of 5 for budget, entry-level audiophiles. 3 out of 5 for the experienced headphonephile.