Skullcandy Crusher Headphones

In the past few years, audio companies have been making headphones with more of an emphasis on bass. Skullcandy has taken this trend to the next level with their brand new Crusher Headphones. They tried to recreate the feeling you get when your at a concert and can feel the music beat. Skullcandy claims they "will literally rattle your brain with bass." I'm not a huge fan of big bass, but I still can't wait to give them a try. Stay tuned for a full review as soon as they become available.

Price: $100
Available: April 1

James Harden Camo Skullcandy Mix Master Mike Headphones

With the 2013 NBA All-Star game being held in Houston, Skullcandy asked Houston Rocket James Harden, “If you could customize your own Mix Master, what would it look like?”  His one word response, “Camo.”  So that's exactly what they did. The Camo design has a silhouette of Harden's signature beard.  Only 50 of these special edition headphones were made, so be sure to get it while you can. For a full review of the Skullcandy Mix Master Mike Headphones, Click Here.

Price: $350

Available Now

Wale signed to Skullcandy Supreme Sound Team

In the last year we've seen Skullcandy start to alter the company image by signing a number of NBA players and supermodels. Today, they have announced the signing of Wale, one of hip-hop's biggest starts. I like the choice because Skullcandy needed to add a big artist to it's endorsement lineup, and Wale's fun and quirky style fits the company well. For more information about Wale and Skullcandy, Click Here.

 

SkullCandy ARTSPROJEKT Collection

ARTSPROJEKT is a platform that showcases emerging and established artists by allowing them to collaborate and connect with fans and each other. The founder, Andy Howell, is an artist who uses influences of skate, surf and music as influences.

SkullCandy has launched the ARTSPROJEKT collection which will offer new editions of different art-inspired Skullcandy Headphones. As of now, the collection has special edition Hesh 2 and Mix Master Mike Headphones. For more information of the project, Click Here.

Skullcandy ARTSPROJEKT Collection
Available Now

"Soul of Greatness" Ambassadors Vs. SkullCandy NBA Crew & Supermodel

In the past few years headphones have become big business, and with this, we've seen a great number of new brands and competitors. Whether its SMS Audio, Beats by Dre, SkullCandy, Soul Electronics, or Sol Republic, all of these companies have one thing in common, their emphasis on celebrity endorsement deals. Like it or not, assembling a celebrity "crew" is now a part of the business of headphones. Most likely if you are a superstar athletes or major celebrity, you can easily get signed to a headphone company. Today let's take a look at the celebrities and athletes who SkullCandy and Soul Electronics have deals with.

Who has the better celebrity crew: Soul Electronics or SkullCandy?

"SOUL of Greatness" Ambassadors

Cesc Fabregas: Star Soccer Player for FC Barcelona & the Spanish National Team

Usain Bolt: World's Fastest Man, 5 Time Gold Medalist

Tim Tebow: 2 Time BCS National Championship Winner, Heisman Trophy Winner & NY Jets QB

Ludacris: Rapper/Producer with over 20 Million Records Sold Worldwide & 6 Grammy Awards

                                                                  VS.

SkullCandy NBA Crew & Supermodel
Kevin Durant: 2 Time NBA All-Star & Already One of the Best Players in the NBA
Derrick Rose: #1 Overall NBA Draft Pick & 2011 NBA MVP
Kyrie Irving: 2012 Rookie of the Year,  Averaged over 17 PPG in Rookie Year
Kate Upton: 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Cover model, Appeared in Countless Magazines

Skullcandy NBA Mix Master Mike Throwback Headphones

Until recently, SkullCandy had never had an ultra premium headphone that could be considered the flagship of the brand. With a $300 price tag, the Mix Master Mike's trump the RocNation Aviator's as SkullCandy's most expensive headphones. For those of you who don't know, Mix Master Mike is a west coast DJ who is most well known for his work with the Beastie Boys. 

The Mix Master's are a full-size, over-ear headphone that are made both for DJ's and music enthusiasts. The design isn't shy as its command attention with its bold style. The best way to describe these headphones is: big, blocky, and glossy. From the large SkullCandy logo on the headband to the over sized earcups, everything about these headphones is BIG (2012 NBA Theme).

My favorite part of the headphones is that they are both comfortable, and don't flare out, unlike both the Beats by Dre Studio's and the Pro's. Because the earcups are longer as opposed to wider, the earcups on the Mix Master Mike's are much more streamlined than most. Although the headphones have a snug fit, soft foam covers nearly every part of the headphones which avoids discomfort from the overall tight fit. Another feature that I like is that either one of the two included cables can not only be detached, but can also be plugged into either earcup. Also, the included carrying case is the most stylish one I have seen to date.

Now onto the reason you're buying these headphones: Sound Quality. First off, the SkullCandy Mix Master Mike's do sound good, just not what I expected. With the bold style and target young demographic, I expected a strong bass with mediocre high's and lows. What I got was an average bass with balanced high's and lows. In my opinion, the people that would buy this headphone are more interested in punchy bass and not as concerned with proper sound quality. With this said, I was impressed with the sound quality, but by no means was I blown away.

Back in 2010, SkullCandy gave away personalized Mix Master Mike's to each NBA All-Star. Now, SkullCandy has brought them back and made them available to the public with its NBA Throwback Series. They are currently available in 5 NBA Teams: Lakers, Bulls, Knicks, Celtics and Heat. I chose to purchase my favorite team, the newly crowned world champion Miami Heat.

Overall, the SkullCandy NBA Mix Master Mike Throwback Headphones don't excel in any one feature. However, they do have several positives, making them a good choice for anyone who wants a premium headphone with bold style. 

Price: $300

Available Now

Pros

• Durable
• Carrying Case & Included Accessories
• Balanced Sound Quality

Cons

• Expensive
• Not Much Bass
• Style Not For Everyone

Overall Rating: 8/10

Usain Bolt Partners with SOUL Electronics

Track and field star, Usain Bolt, has partnered with SOUL Electronics. Although at this point not much is known what this collaboration will mean to the superstar Olympian's fans, we do know that SOUL is planning on manufacturing a line of Bolt Headphones that will be available in the next few months. The Bolt line of Headphones will include a Bluetooth ear bud model with removable safety hooks, as well as a version of Soul's SL300 Headphones (see picture below). The line will most likely be available by the start of the 2012 London Summer Olympics.

Interestingly, many of Beats by Dre's competitors have recently been signing athletes and celebrities to further emphasize the celebrity brand and bring in a new demographic. Earlier this year, SMS Audio signed Jersey Shore's DJ Pauly D, SkullCandy partnered with supermodel Kate Upton in addition to their growing list of NBA player endorsers, and now SOUL has Olympic Superstar, Usain Bolt. Each company has decided to go in different directions, and it will be interesting to see which is the most successful.

SkullCandy NBA Crew Video

Back in October, SkullCandy announced the signing of some of today's newest NBA stars to form the SkullCandy NBA Crew. This crew consists of: Thunder SF Kevin Durant, New Jersey Nets PG Deron Williams, Bulls PG Derrick Rose. Thunder SG James Harden and Sixers SG Andre Iguodola.

With 3 of 5 players still left competing for an NBA Championship, SkullCandy has picked a great group of players. Not to mention that they signed the NBA's most valuable player in Derrick Rose and arguably the best offensive talent in Kevin Durant.

Here is the video:

SkullCandy NBA All-Star Agent Headphones

A few months ago, SkullCandy released so many limited edition NBA All-star headphones that I forgot about the All-Star Agent edition. These became available during All-Stat weekend in Los Angeles and can still be found online at the Best Buy store. I know I am really late with posting these headphones, but I thought some of you might still be interested in seeing them.

Price: 29.99

Available Now

SkullCandy Vandal Dock

Available Now

SkullCandy Icon All American Rejects Headphones

The SkullCandy All American Rejects headphones are affordable and lightweight but also have many flaws. They aren't that comfortable and don't feel as secure as they should when they are on. The sound quality is also mediocre to say the least and the bass level leaves you wanting more. However, the modest price tag and the standard SkullCandy durability that their products are known for make these headphones a decent buy.

Price: $14.99
Available Now

Pros

• Lightweight
• Cheap
• Durable

Cons

• Sound Quality
• Hardly any Bass
• Fall off Easily

Overall Rating: 4/10

Andre Iguodola SkullCandy Hesh Players Series Headphones

Since yesterday I showed you the Deron Williams signature SkullCandy Hesh Headphones, today, I thought I would show you the Andre Iguodola ones for comparison.

Price: $69.95
Available Now

Deron Williams SkullCandy Hesh Players Series Headphones

SkullCandy has had an exclusive contract with the NBA and some of its best players for the past few years. They have customized designs on their Hesh headphones for some of the NBA's new and upcoming young players. The Hesh headphones have been a top seller for SkullCandy for a while now so i thought i would review them. They're made of plastic so they are durable but some complain that they feel cheap. The style options for these headphones are endless. A complimentary travel bag is included with the Hesh headphones; however, the ear-cups don't collapse, so they can be difficult to transport at times. The sound quality is decent, nothing to write home to mom about. The headphones leak a noticeable amount of sound, enough to turn a few heads on the subway (but then again why not share that new track with the guy sitting next to you?). 

The  NBA Players SkullCandy headphones are not the best sounding headphones, but if you like the design (and at the affordable price), they just might be the right headphones for you.

Deron Willams Price: $49.95 (might go on sale now that he's no longer on the Jazz)

Available Now

Pros

• Countless Designs
• Loud Sound
• Comfortable

Cons

• Durability
• Built with Plastic
• Better Options

Overall Rating: 7/10

2010 NBA All-Star Players Series Headphones

SInce I have now blogged about this years new SkullCandy NBA All-Star designed headphones, I thought I would show you last year's model for comparison. For the 2010 NBA All-Star game headphones, SkullCandy worked with professional DJ Mix Master Mike to develop a personalized headphone for each All-Star and their NBA team. The SkullCandy MMM headphones were first announced at the 2010 CES show and were given an upscale and professional packaging. What seemed interesting to me about these headphones is that they seem awfully similar to the Beats by Dre headphones that have become ever so popular. SkullCandy only sold 100 of each headphone to the public. They were sold out in the local Apple Store of each team in minutes. Although you probably missed out on the rare MMM All-Star headphones, SkullCandy is now selling a black edition of the Mix Master Mike headphones to the general public. I will review these headphones in the next few days.

NBA All-Star SkullCandy Aviator Headphones

The Air Jordan packs were just a warm-up for SkullCandy for this weekends NBA All-Star festivities. They have released a Special Edition NBA All-Star Aviator headphone that has been made for both, fans and players alike. The headphones will feature the same design as the RocNation Aviator headphones with the exception that they will feature laser-etched NBA All-Star and LA2011 logos. These headphones won't be as impossible to find as the Air Jordan ones, but they will still be very hard to find after this weekend is over. They are being exclusively sold this weekend at Apple Stores in the Los Angeles area.

SkullCandy has also announced that it will give each of the NBA's 24 All-Star's their own personalized editions of the Aviator headphones. One will be in an all-white color, and the other in an all-black colorway. Each player's personal signature and jersey number will be laser-etched onto each side of the ear caps. However, these personalized headphones won't be available to the public.

Price: $179.95

Available Now in L.A area Apple Stores

Air Jordan 2011 & Retro 3 Headphone Packs

In anticipation of this weekend's NBA All-Star Game and the release of the new Air Jordan 2011 shoes, Air Jordan and SkullCandy have teamed up to create some ultra exclusive packages. The package, that will be released tomorrow, will include a pair of the new Air Jordan's and a set of very limited edition Jordan Headphones. These headphones might look like a brand new product from SkullCandy, but they are actually the same as the Jay-Z "Aviator" ones.

There will be two different Air Jordan packages to choose from. One will include the Air Jordan 3 Cement Grey's with matching headphones. The toe and heel of these new shoes feature the same elephant print design as the headphones. The other package will include the new 2011 Jordan signature shoe with matching headphones. The headphones are blue on one side and red on the other. This design is inspired by the interchangeable "Quick and "Explosive" midsoles that come with the new shoes.  These packages will be exclusively sold at the FootAction in the Westfield Culver City Mall tomorrow.

Price: $500
Availability: Extremely Limited

Jay-Z "RocNation" Aviator Headphones

Hip Hop superstar Jay-Z has teamed up with SkullCandy to deliver his own line of headphones for the company. These headphones are made of stainless steel and aluminum. The use of stainless steel and aluminum is very unique to not only the SkullCandy company, but to all headphones in general. There is no mention of Jay-Z on the headphones but the word "RocNation" is written vertically on the right cup.

The style of these headphones is not my favorite, but also not the worst that I have seen.
One feature that I did like was that the wire from the headphones only comes down from one side, instead of both. The wire is made of nylon so that it can remain tangle free. SkullCandy made these headphones extremely light. The RocNation headphones come with a leather carrying case and come in 3 distinct colors: White, Black and Brown (more of a copper).

Price: $149.95

Available Now

Pros

• Color Options
• Light Material
• Comfortable

Cons

• Sound Quality
• Durability

Overall Rating: 8/10

Snoop Dogg Skullcrusher Headphones

Snoop Dogg has come out with his own signature headphones as part of Skull Candy's Artist Series Headphone lineup. These headphones have a unique design to them because of the print. The headphones have mini sub-woofers which help with the overall bass quality. The sub-woofer is run using a "AA" battery which is installed in an inline unit about half way down the cable. I don't like this design feature because it causes the headphones to drag to the ground because of the weight of the inline unit. It also becomes somewhat annoying to have a bulky box bouncing around in front of you. The headphones will work without batteries but the sub-woofer won't.
Like with most SkullCandy headphones, the sound quality is not the greatest, but also not the worst. SkullCandy has made them completely foldable for easy travel. I am personally not a fan of foldable headphones because it makes them feel a little more flimsy and cheap.  The Skullcrusher Headphones come in 2 colors: Blue and Black.

Price: $79.95

Available Now

Pros

• Unique Design
• Relatively Inexpensive
• Mini Subwoofer

Cons

• Inline Unit
• Mediocre Sound Quality
• Double Cord
• Collapsible

Overall Rating: 5/10