Skullcandy Hesh

[QueBert]

Have some fricking awesome Phillip HP-910 Hi Fi Stereo Headphones I had got for about $100 at Good Guys. They're comfortable as hell and sound amazing, but I lost one of the ear cups and decided to just get a new set. Wanted something more portable any ways, So I went to the local stores and didn't see much selection at all. I know Skullcandy isn't regarded as a great brand, but they were $50 and I took a chance after reading a few reviews online.

I ran some bassy music threw them for a few nights to help break them in. The bass response seems quite good, maybe a bit exaggerated but it has more punch than my Phillips did. There is some warmth to the mids and highs. I threw on some Donald Byrd to see how instruments sounded. The clarity was good and I noticed the separation of notes. I tossed on DJ Quik Safe + Sound and the bass really started to thump. But it didn't overpower the rest of the music. These things go LOUD, and even at very high volumes there was no distortion. AFter about 80% they were too loud for my head and I started to get a headache after a minute or 2 of listening. At about 70% I could actually feel them vibrating from the bass. They're closed ear and don't sound as good as my Philips or my Grado SR-60's, but for the price + the bass they give I'm impressed. There will be better sounding closed ear cans out there, but I don't think in this price range many will compete.

They fit very well, I have a large dome so finding headphones that fit properly is a chore. My Philips are more comfortable, and I prefer their cloth ear cup material to the leathery stuff Skullcandy uses. They're tight but not overly so, my ear did start to burn after about 1 1/2 hours of use. The cord is super short, but I wanted something to use with my iPod that only had a cable going to a single side. My Grados are amazing but don't work well for me when I'm out and about. They're very light and don't feel like they will fall part soon,
the build material is all plastic so I guess I'll see how they hold up with time.

I played a bunch of Jazz, some rap and some 70's soul. Vocals sound good, instruments sound good and hard hitting music sounded fantastic. It's personal taste but I kind of like the skulls all over them, I like the bold look. I also like the simple retro look of my Grados too. These are definitely marketed for younger people, but the sound quality seems very good. I honestly kind of expected to buy them only to take them back in a few days. I'm no audiophile but if something sounds good to me - it sounds good. And these sound pretty good.

 

[cheesehead]

Now you start with a few reasonably priced cans....next thing you know, you'll end up with $6,000 worth of Stax Omegas.

 

[Oyeve]

The Hesh cans are actually being reviewed as a pretty good set of cans. Been thinking about getting the orange/white striped ones.

 

[QueBert]

Originally posted by: Oyeve
The Hesh cans are actually being reviewed as a pretty good set of cans. Been thinking about getting the orange/white striped ones.

About a week in I really like em, after a few hours my ears start to throb a bit. I'm pretty sure the audio snobs here would tell me I need some Grado 255's with a good headphone amp. All I know is I spent $50 and what I'm hearing is quite good. I'm thankful I don't have the ears to be a Audiophile and I'm not pretentious enough to THINK I'm one when I'm not.

 

[cheesehead]

I hate Grados.

Try some Beyerdynamic DT880s plugged into a good headphone amp, and you'll hear a BIG difference.

Of course, this twice-as-good sound system will cost 10x as much, is huge, and lets in tons of outside noise. I say it's totally worth it.

That said, if you want to make an upgrade, you might want to try the Beyerdynamic K270s, sold at Guitar Centers (almost) everywhere. They're not too expensive, they're very well made, they have good isolation, and if they're "like the K240 but better", they must be pretty good indeed. Alternately, consider the Sony MDR-V6s - I'm not a fan of the sound, but they're inexpensive, collapsible, usable with almost any source and, best of all, completely indestructible.

And you can get a pair - refurb'd - for $50.

 

[Oyeve]

Originally posted by: Cheesehead
I hate Grados.

Try some Beyerdynamic DT880s plugged into a good headphone amp, and you'll hear a BIG difference.

Of course, this twice-as-good sound system will cost 10x as much, is huge, and lets in tons of outside noise. I say it's totally worth it.

That said, if you want to make an upgrade, you might want to try the Beyerdynamic K270s, sold at Guitar Centers (almost) everywhere. They're not too expensive, they're very well made, they have good isolation, and if they're "like the K240 but better", they must be pretty good indeed. Alternately, consider the Sony MDR-V6s - I'm not a fan of the sound, but they're inexpensive, collapsible, usable with almost any source and, best of all, completely indestructible.

And you can get a pair - refurb'd - for $50.

Yeah, my MDR-V6 is going on 24 years now and looks like I bought em a few months ago. A bit on the bright side but they are tanks. I only had to replace the pads twice due to normal wear. Best cans sony ever made.

 

[cheesehead]

Originally posted by: Oyeve


Yeah, my MDR-V6 is going on 24 years now and looks like I bought em a few months ago. A bit on the bright side but they are tanks. I only had to replace the pads twice due to normal wear. Best cans sony ever made.

I don't like 'em much, but I can definitely see the popularity. If you need a pair of headphones that's guaranteed to work - no exceptions - you can't do much better.