the Beholding Part
Make: Skullcandy Skullcrusher
Price: Rs. 4000 MRP, but available for < Rs. 3300 online
Colour: Snoop Dogg (*sigh*) blue
Specs: in-built subwoofer and bass amplifier, 30 mm speakers, over ear
So here’s what you get:
Design and Form Factor
Design. Hmm… It has two cups, so that is ok for anyone who is not from Eroticon Six. The headband is slightly weirdly shaped, making the whole thing look very inorganic and affected. The earpads and headband padding are all leather, which makes the experience incredibly comfortable.
Rolled up
There is the tiny matter of the subwoofer requiring its own power source, i.e. one AA battery. That’s all very understandable, but the attachment for the battery is bulky.
Also, I liked the fact that my Lowriders could fold into a mass that fit in my pocket. Fortunately, these too roll up nicely into a travel friendly size.
Sound
With bass, bigger is usually better
The subwoofers are spot on. I got the same kind of response I would expect from the big black box in my room I adore so much. And scientifically speaking, that is pretty sweet. As far as I know, bass needs big membranes to be produced properly. That is why everyday subs are big and have so much back. And here there are 30mm things throwing you this stuff.
One by one, I tried mainstream rock, prog and metal songs. On most songs the bass was a blessing. It was thumping and buzzing properly, but in some bits the vibration got very intense at the expense of audio quality. There is a vibaration control dial but its just not natural to keep fiddling with it. As soon as you turn off the subs on a song though, you begin sorely missing it immediately.
Funk rock is something you can best enjoy with these. Be it Killing in the Name of by RATM or Give it Away by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, you suddenly know why you bought these.
I also tried hip hop, and I can see why these are aimed at that target audience. (Hint: its not because they go well with blue hoodies.)
Subwoofers switched off too, the lows and mids come out good and there is a lot of depth, but nothing you can’t get from a cheaper pair.
Exhibit AA: The battery case is bulky
Other Stuff
Battery life is a minus. This I haven’t tested yet, but I’m pretty sure it won’t be much to speak of. The noise cancelling is good, and the person sitting next to you won’t be able to tell whether you’re listening to Gaga or Audio erotica (As long as you keep the vibration down of course :P ).
[Try watching a movie with these with subwoofers switched on. Chairs being pulled back sound like whipcracks, and if you're crazy enough you can sit around listening intently for a fart. Or Satan. Or both.]
Verdict
Rating: 8.5/10 If you’re looking for something different from your stick-in-the mud-Sonys, be sure to atleast check this one out.
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And you can use a pokeStone to evolve this into… Subwoofer Chair
