We finally found a set of spectacular-sounding in ear earphones that equal or perhaps even surpass the Apple stock iPod / iPhone / iPad earbuds; that being the Skullcandy Fix Earbuds with supreme sound.
Skullcandy Fix Earbuds Intro
At roughly $40 per copy, these earphones cost over double what we had been used to paying, for what we thought were decent earphones. Hard to be comfortable with this added expense, until we spent a few hours listening to our music collection on the iPod Touch with them.
All we could mutter at first, was wow ! The Skullcandy Fix earbuds represent a higher grade product than sub-$20 earbuds (a whole different class in fact), and after examining several of those medium to low-end models, we began to accept, and happily mind you, that to get truly accurate audio reproduction, you just can’t go cheap on your earphones. We took the cheap route often, but really never found the consistently high quality, across all headphones parameters, that is available in these Skullcandy Fix earbuds.
Wearing the Skullcandy Fix earbuds never grows tedious, and their low-mass and flexible cable keeps microphonics to a minimum. Flexible strain relief is provided at the gold-plated connector end of the cord as well as at each ear driver, and they appear well constructed, for years of trouble-free listening and talking.
But these earphones surpass Apple’s in several key quality measurements, discussed below.
Benefits, Pros, Advantages, and Features of the Skullcandy Fix Earbuds
In ear, Yes, but Not Inside the Ear Canal
Like the Apple buds, the drivers here sit just at the entrance to the ear canal. So, they’re more sanitary, less apt to become misaligned, and you can still hear very well your surrounding environment. So these buds improve safety outside, as you can still hear cars coming and people talking to you, so long as you’re playing these at moderate and not excessive volumes.
No Ear Tips to Fit, Lose, or Change
Instructions with the Skullcandy Fix earbuds tell of how to safely listen and avoid possible hearing loss, as well as detailed procedures for how to use the built-in in-line remote control and microphone.
Good Strain Relief
Flexible and effective strain relief on the mm male plug (that plugs into your audio device), and at each earpiece.
Gold Plated Connection on these Skullcandy Fix Earbuds
The Skullcandy Fix earbuds have a stereo gold-plated 3.5mm male plug, along with a very light-weight, low mass audio connecting cable keep the
Very Low Microphonics
Nice packaging and travel bag included. These Skullcandy Fix earbuds indeed look expensive due of this.
No Jagged Edges
The edge rims around each audio driver appear to be a soft rubber composite, that is rounded, and effectively covers any sharp edges. Enhances comfort.
Flat Sound
Reproduces all audio frequencies very well. No noticeable sound coloration or harshness thus. They sound very flat (the good kind of flat, that is).
Clearly Labeled Left and Right Speakers
The left and right speakers in the Skullcandy Fix earbuds are embossed with easy-to-read L and R letters, found at the inside middle of the ear stem. See them near where the rubber strain relief sleeve begins. Easy to find therefore.
Yet the speaker named as LEFT fits just as well into the RIGHT ear and vice versa. So unless you’re a purist audiophile who wants correct stereo match up (left speaker to left ear, and right speaker to right ear), you’ll like that it doesn’t matter for proper Skullcandy Fix earbuds fit.
Skullcandy Fix Earbuds Need Little Driving Power for Plenty of Volume
Good sensitivity, producing about the same level of volume as the iPod stock buds for a given volume setting.
Comfortable Fit
Same front-to-back depth as the iPod stock earbuds. So the Skullcandy Fix earbuds do not jut outward from the ear any further than necessary. So they’re fairly comfortable when listening in bed, with one ear resting on a pillow.
High Flex Cord
3 feet of highly flexible audio cable is provided from the bottom of the Y vertex to the audio connector.
Supreme Sound Technology
The Skullcandy Fix earbuds, built around Skullcandy’s Supreme Sound technology, faithfully stay in the ear, needing little adjustment or re positioning, even in long listening sessions. They really do feel and sound supreme.
Included Mic Remote
There’s a built-in high fidelity microphone that can be used on some iPod and iPhone models, for recording memos and carrying out hands-free phone calls. Plus, the remote also features buttons for adjusting the volume as well as pausing and navigating tracks on iPods et al that support this function.
The Skullcandy Fix Earbuds Come in Multiple Colors
Our Skullcandy Fix earbuds are black and silver-gray (carbon). However, they’re also available in red.
Skullcandy Fix earbuds Specs, Decent
- Frequency response: 20 – 20,000 Hz.
- Driver diameter: 13.5 millimeters.
- Magnet type: Neodymium, NdFeB. These magnets are quite strong, and so, are likely quite permanent. They’ll remain fully magnetized throughout the life of these ear buds.
- Impedance: 32 ohms.
- Maximum power input: 8 milliwatts.
Also, these have a rear acoustic port (neither open nor closed air, but a cross between the two), to help enhance and flatten the bass response.
Limited Lifetime Warranty
Long Lasting
The profile is simple, to the point, and appears quite durable.
Disadvantages, Cons, Problems, Limitations, and Concerns of the Skullcandy Fix Earbuds
No Harmonic Distortion Figure in Specs
How about these numbers, please.
Not Cheap to Buy
These are expensive earbuds, and indeed most of us hate expense. But you get what you pay for in this product; a great-sounding, well-supported earphone.
No Sound Isolation
May be wrong for certain environments, where the user would like not to hear much outside noise. Since these earbuds do not “plug up” the ear canal, they only somewhat reduce outside noises.
Plus, these do not keep the sound inside the ear very well either. So you may disturb nearby travelers on trains and planes, if you play your music too loudly.
Skullcandy Fix Earbuds can Rattle when Played Loud
Our first set of these buds had a slight rattling sound in the right speaker when listening to particularly bass-laden content. But defects like this are atypical for the SKullcandy brand.
Hard to Fix
Given the small form of the cables and connections here, you cannot easily repair these earphones, as the wires inside are hair-thin. So once they break, they’re done. We don’t mind this for el cheapo earbuds. But we’d like to be able to fix our earbuds should they fail, the more expensive they become.
Should Last Longer Before Falling Apart
After a year or so, the glue holding the speaker grills in place dried out and let go. So, we suggest a more durable design.
Our Skullcandy Fix Earbuds Rating
These phones do just about everything that’s important, quite well, from rich but not boomy bass, to distortion-free midrange, to crisp and accurate high frequencies. They don’t distort, even when playing an iPod at full volume through them. They’re easy to place in the ear and remove, and they stay in place, without having to fiddle with them every few minutes, to reposition them for the best sound.
So with nary a reservation, we declare them to be a high fidelity audio product, which is perfect for us. We would, without hesitation swap the Apple stock earbuds for these. No attribute that you’d care to discuss on the Apple buds is better than the same in this set.
We’d rate these Skullcandy Fix ear buds at 97 out of 100, and they’re among the best quality earbuds we’ve tested. We just couldn’t find much bad to say about them, and so, would recommend them to even our audiophile friends and novices alike. A novice listener though, might not fully appreciate just how great these buds sound, until she’s heard some bad ones first. These are nonetheless, and excellent replacement for Apple’s stock earphones.
Where to Buy the Skullcandy Supreme Sound Fix Mic3 S3FXDM-209 Earbuds
We purchased ours at a mall Radio Shack store. But they’re also available online, and all around the Internet, on Amazon and eBay et al, Look for them in the white and black box that features a clear plastic inner holder (pictured above), allowing for easy viewing of both earbuds and some of the cable.
Related Posts to Skullcandy Fix Earbuds Review
References for Skullcandy Fix Earbuds
Revision History
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- 2019-05-02: Added targeting for ‘Skullcandy Fix Earbuds’, removed ad code, and added more tags and subheadings. Fixed picture display problems.
- 2016-12-20: Minor fixes and extensions.
- 2015-11-11: Added appropriate tags
- 2014-10-14: Added pictures, extended the References section, and added more information about our experiences with these ear buds, now that we’ve used them for over two years.
- 2012-09-30: Originally published.