As earbuds become part of our daily outfits, the options continue to proliferate. There are waterproof earbuds, wired earbuds, hooked earbuds and cheap earbuds.
All of them have their pros and cons. And with budget earbuds, you sometimes buy a product that sounds and feels cheap. Not only is the sound mediocre, but the earbuds themselves feel flimsy or not well constructed. Those inherent issues are reason enough to cock an eyebrow at Skullcandy’s Dime 2 True Wireless Earbuds. Priced around $30, the brand intends the Dime 2 to prove they can do quality at a budget. How do they fare? Read on for SPY’s review.
Skullcandy Dime 2 True Wireless Earbuds
Setting Up Skullcandy Dime 2
Upon removing the Dime 2 from its packaging, I opened the charging case and removed the stickers on the charging ports of each earbud. Pairing them with my iPhone was simple; I selected the earbuds on my iPhone, and they were paired and ready to go. However, I found that the case and earbuds seemed low on their charge and weren’t quite ready for listening out of the box. I’m unsure if this was just my specific pair or if that’s the case in all units. Either way, I fully charged them before testing.
Skullcandy Dime 2 Design
What’s immediately striking about the Dime 2 is the case. There are two almost hash-like marks at the top of the case that I realized were the earbuds themselves. The catch lid for the case is stiff to ensure I couldn’t casually flip open the lid, causing the earbuds to fall out (there’s also a magnet closure). I had to be intentional about removing them, which I appreciated. The case is smaller and lighter than I’m used to with standard earbuds; the result feels like a fob you’d have for a push-to-start car in both size and weight. That’s especially welcome when earbud cases start to feel like they’re on the heavier side.
The earbuds are standard in both size and look. The one standout feature on the Dime 2 is also functional — the subtle Skullcandy branding doubles as the skip track/play pause functionality. Another design touch we love is the included wrist strap, which allows you to keep better track of it when traveling or even when it’s in your pocket.
Dime 2 Features and Performance
The Dime 2 are budget-friendly, so they’re light on features. Even still, there are a handful of things to get excited about, including the ability to use just one earbud, auto-connecting, IPX4 resistance against sweat and water and, most impressively, Tile finding. Most of those features are pretty standard, but the one which stands out is the Tile functionality. Users can download Tile and pair the Dime 2 with the mobile application, allowing each earbud to be found should it get lost. Tile will go through a step-by-step process to find each earbud, even emitting a noise to help discover them. However, Tile can’t help recover a lost case.
As for the sound quality of the Dime 2, I’m impressed. While slightly bass-forward, the overall response of the audio is clear and layered for the most part. For example, the horns of Phoebe Bridgers’ “I Know the End” sound rich and clear, but her vocals were slightly muddled in places, although not enough to lessen the experience of the song overall. In short, the Dime 2 won’t provide an incredibly nuanced listening experience, but they’re not meant for diehard audiophiles. When using the Dime 2 as my workout earbuds, I didn’t need to have all of that depth of song layering — I just wanted something that sounded good while I lifted, and the earbuds certainly did the trick.
I will say I struggled a bit more with the fit on the Dime 2 than I have with other earbuds. The out-of-the-box ear tips worked for a bit, but then I felt as if they were pinching my ear. Changing the tips worked, so you might need to experiment with a few options if you don’t have a great feel right out of the box. Additionally, the battery life on the Dime 2 leaves a little to be desired. I only got about 3.5 hours in my testing before they needed to go back into the case for another charge. That’s not awful for a set of workout earbuds, but any day-long listening goes out the window. And the microphone isn’t great for filtering out external audio, so don’t count on these as an option for calls.
The Verdict: Should You Buy the Skullcandy Dime 2 Earbuds?
We can give a hearty recommendation to the Dime 2 as a good set of value workout earbuds, but anything else beyond that might leave you feeling slightly disappointed. The IXP4 water resistance is excellent for tackling sweat, and the overall sound quality is enough to propel you through a heavy workout.
Pros:
- Tile functionality
- Lightweight
- Good audio
- IXP4 rating
- Price
Cons:
- Poor microphone
- Bad battery life
- Might be slightly uncomfortable for some ears
Skullcandy Dime 2 True Wireless Earbuds
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