One man's opinions, comparing the Skull Candy JIB ($12 from Amazon Prime) to the SIIG SonicBuds
($10):
1. neither one is what would be called a flat frequency response, but both do a good job with
relatively deep bass. The Skull Candy are what I'd call somewhat muted in the "bright" frequencies,
which is appealing to my ears with lossy file formats and listening to streaming video. The
SonicBuds seem to be more extended at the top but also accentuate what I call the "scraping metal"
frequencies which are really annoying in lossy file formats.
2. the SonicBuds are more sensitive, and because of the brighter sound quality, it may be possible
to listen to them at a slightly lower SPL, at the expense of bass energy but with the gain of
clarity.
3. the Skully Candy fit tighter in my ears, and this is totally based on how my ears are shaped. It
may be completely different for someone else.
4. the SonicBuds cable is bulkier but the overall build is more solid. However, the less flexible
and larger cable is more likely to snag on something at the gym.
5. I would say, if your high frequency hearing is somewhat to seriously diminished, go with the
SonicBuds. Women and younger men may prefer the Skull Candy due to being less "screamy" with that
annoying "bright" band which sounds really bad with lossy formats. However, if your hearing is
dropped off in that band, you might prefer the clarity afforded by the SonicBuds. I could also see
how the SonicBuds may be better in a really loud environment, although the SkullCandy fit tighter in
my ears and thus afford more mechanical isolation.
6. I'd put them in a tie as far as being comfortable. They both were soft and stayed in place in my
ears, even during sweaty workouts.
7. as far as creating the illusion of very deep bass, I'd go with the SonicBuds. But the Skull Candy
present plenty of bass.
Final conclusion -- for most lossy-format listening, I'd probably choose the Skull Candy because the
sound quality is less fatiguing. But, I can see how someone might want more brightness and deeper
bass with some material, and the SonicBuds deliver that. As far as being more gym-friendly, I like
the smaller Skull Candy, with a lighter and shorter cable. Overall edge to Skull Candy for utility
but SonicBuds wins on value and may be preferred by some.
-- Tom Fine
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