It isn't easy to stand out in the true wireless earbud market in 2021 but, with the Dime, that's exactly what Skullcandy has managed to do. Thanks to a combination of shockingly great sound for best cheap wireless earbuds available today.
When people think of true wireless earbuds, products like AirPods and Samsung Galaxy Buds often come to mind. That shouldn't come as any surprise considering the massive size of the companies they come from, but just because these earbuds are popular doesn't mean they're the only options available. There are countless other companies making earbuds that are more expensive, the same price, and considerably cheaper than Apple and Samsung's go-to audio gear.
Take Skullcandy, for example. Recent years have seen the audio brand going all-in with true wireless earbuds, with one of its most recent releases — the Indy ANC — offering an AirPods Pro-like experience for almost half the price. The Indy ANC are fantastic earbuds for $130 but, for many people, that's still too much money to spend. For those shoppers, Skullcandy thinks it has an answer for them with the Skullcandy Dime. Skullcandy claims the Dime deliver a quality listening experience for just $25 and, while that may sound like an impossible feat, Skullcandy has pulled it off.
Skullcandy Dime Sound, Look & Feel Amazing
Let's kick things off with one of Dime's most impressive qualities — the size. The charging case measures just 2.45 inches long by 1.53 inches wide and, when the earbuds are placed inside, it has a weight of 32 grams. That makes it among the smallest and lightest packages in the true wireless earbud space, which is a huge win for easy portability. Skullcandy even includes a (removable) lanyard so s can easily attach it to a keychain. Skullcandy also deserves props for the Dime's aesthetics, which are quite unique. Rather than having the top lid completely enclose the earbuds inside the case, two slats line up with the stems of the buds when placed inside. The earbuds are still securely held in the case just like anything else, but this gives it a striking look — almost mimicking a car's key fob. It's made even better with the Dark Blue/Green and Light Grey/Blue colors available for the Dime, which allow for a sleek two-tone style.
The Dime earbuds themselves also get a lot of points in the design department. They're just as impressively small/lightweight as the case, and thanks to a few included ear tips, offer a customizable fit for a variety of ear shapes. All of this contributes to the Skullcandy Dime being extremely comfortable to wear. They form a secure in-ear fit, have some ive sound isolation, and can be worn for long periods of use with minimal discomfort. Add that together with IPX4 water resistance and it's a strong package for just $25.
That's great and all, but one big question still needs to be answered — How good do the Skullcandy Dime actually sound? Expectations were pretty low going into this review, but after listening to the Dime for a couple of weeks, they've been nothing short of impressive. Audio is plenty loud, there's no muffled effect that's often heard with other similarly-priced earbuds, and Skullcandy manages to deliver a surprising amount of bass when it's needed. The Dime don't necessarily excel in one area or another, but they're consistently enjoyable for all types of music. That's a high compliment for any pair of earbuds, but especially so when considering just how little the Dime cost.
Elsewhere, the rest of the Skullcandy Dime experience has been equally commendable. The Bluetooth 5.0 connection has been rock solid with a paired iPhone 11 Pro, the Dime automatically connect/disconnect every time they're removed or placed in the case, and either earbud can be used on its own for mono playback (a feature more expensive earbuds sometimes don't offer).
Dime Earbuds Do Miss Some Important Features
That said, there are a few areas in which Skullcandy had to make some cuts. Compromises are to be expected when spending $25 for a pair of earbuds, and in the case of the Dime, one of the worst is battery life. The Skullcandy Dime deliver around 3.5 hours of continuous listening time, with the included charging case offering two full recharges. That works out to about 12 hours of total battery life, which is a lot weaker than competing earbuds. Looking at other earbuds that are similarly priced, the TOZO T6 feature 30 hours of total battery, the Aukey EP-T21 have 35 hours, and the Back Bay Duet 50 are rated at 40 hours. Similar numbers are seen with most competing earbuds these days, making this the weakest link of the Skullcandy Dime experience.
The other annoying thing about the Skullcandy Dime is the playback controls. There are buttons on both earbuds for managing music on the fly, allowing s to play/pause music, skip to the next track, go back to the previous one, change volume, and more through a series of presses. It's great that Skullcandy built so much functionality into the Dime like this but, unfortunately, the execution isn't all that great. Pressing the buttons often means shoving the Dime deep into the ear, resulting in an uncomfortable fit. As such, most people are probably better off just using their phone to control these things.
There are some other missing features, such as a companion app and active noise cancellation, but it feels unfair to label these as knocks against the Dime. These aren't features people should expect with earbuds this cheap. While it would be amazing if Skullcandy did find a way to include them, they also don't make the Dime experience worse because of their absence.
Skullcandy Dime Are Among The Best Cheap Earbuds In 2021
Even after regularly using the Skullcandy Dime, it still feels impossible that they're as good and as cheap as they are. There are endless $20-$40 earbuds on Amazon trying to be as affordable as possible, but few have this level of execution with such a low price. Competing in this niche of the earbud space is no easy task, yet Skullcandy has come out of it with flying colors.
For shoppers who want the absolute best earbud experience money can buy, the Skullcandy Dime aren't for them. The options are plentiful for earbuds that outperform the Dime in one way or another, but those improved specs/features will also come with higher price tags. However, if $25 is the max budget someone has or they're just looking for earbuds that are good, reliable, and affordable, the Skullcandy Dime are an easy recommendation. They may not be the most technically impressive earbuds Skullcandy has ever released but, as a complete package, they're easily among the best.
Source: Skullcandy