OK, so we all know Apple’s AirPods are great, but they’re also really expensive. Every time I look at the news I see Apple’s profits going up and up and at £170 for a pair and £70 just for the case I realised I think they have just got too much money now.
If you’re 12 or 13 and you can’t afford them (and your parents won’t buy them for you) you can buy some cheap and nasty AirPods lookalike things on eBay that are around £20, are not very good at all and will break within a month and you are back to square one again.
Wireless with the price-less
I went looking for some mid-priced earphones that were built to last, sounded great and don’t need a second mortgage to buy. I found these awesome Indy earbuds by Skull Candy.
They are a cinch to connect to your phone (takes a few seconds) and they are a really nice fit without being right tight inside your ear. If you use them for a few hours a day you should only need to charge them up a couple of times per week (officially they should have 16 hours of battery life). There is a nice clear built-in mic and they are also Sweat, Water and dust resistant too. you can skip tracks, change the volume and use call controls all from the EarBuds themselves. They come in their own charging case that will give them more juice when they’re being stored and they also happen to look pretty cool too.
The Sound quality on these Earbuds is noticeably better than budget models and noise bleed is really minimal too, even at the highest volumes. Which is great when you have long hair and want to listen to music at the dinner table. However, the best thing about them is they aren’t made by Apple and they are only £55.99.
Features
Bluetooth® Wireless Technology
Removable Stability Ear Gels for Secure Fit
Up to 16 Hours of Total Battery Life IP55 Sweat, Water and Dust Resistant
Call, Track and Volume via Touch Controls
Noise Reduction for Calls
Tech Specs
Headphone Type: True Wireless In-Ear
Connection Type: Bluetooth® 5.0
Impedance: 16 Ohms ±15%
Driver Diameter: 6mm
THD: <3% @1khz
Sound Pressure Level: 95±3dB
Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20KHz
Weight: 10.5g (earbuds); 59.5g (case)
The earbuds are available in a range of 7 colours Deep Red, Indigo, Black, Fresh Mint, Empowered Pink, Elevated Olive and Independent Purple. There was also some special Valentines Red colours available to celebrate Valentines day this weekend.
If your budget is slightly bigger have a look at the equally awesome Push True Wireless Earbuds (below right) – £79.99, or if it’s a bit smaller the Sesh™ earbuds (below left) are just £39.99.
Skull Candy are a global brand that were founded by snowboarder tech genius and all-round geek Rick Alden from an idea he had at the top of a ski lift – the rest is history! For the sake of transparency, I was provided with a pair of earphones to test, but all thoughts are my own.
For more info visit
www.skullcandy.co.uk
