Skullcandy Smokin Buds 2 Review, Both the wired and wireless Earbuds

Looking for some quality In-Ear Earbud? Then Skullcandy is a brand that will never disappoint. Now, the question is which one to get. To help you out with that, I bring Skullcandy Smokin Buds 2. It comes in wired and wireless variants, so you have options to go for any of them.

As an audio expert, I go through many earbuds to find the best quality that suits my needs. I often require functionalities of both wired and wireless operations. So, I got both of these earbuds.

Before I got them, I did my little research. So, what I will be discussing from here on is my experience and other users’ experience of these earbuds. Let’ get started.

Product specifications

Smoking buds 2 wired Specs

• Connectivity: 3.5mm jack
• Color: Hot red/ black
• Sound output: Stereo
• In-line remote: Yes
• Weight: 0.53 ounces
• Dimensions: 0.5 x 0.5 x 0.5 inches

Smoking buds 2 wireless Specs

•  Connectivity: Bluetooth 
• Color: Black, Red, Blue, White 
• Sound output: Stereo 
• In-line remote: Yes 
• Weight: 2.2 ounces 
• Dimensions: 5.1 x 1.3 x 7.2 inches
  

Related: Best Bass Earbuds 

The benefit and drawbacks of the product

When I was testing them, I found out quite many benefits and a few drawbacks here and there. They are as below-

Benefits of the Smokin Buds 2 Wired

• This is a very affordable and reasonably priced earbud
• The inline remote can control volume, playback, and much more.
• You get a good comfortable fit from the earbud
• You will never have to worry about running out of battery as it’s wired
• There are no connection issues whatsoever

Drawbacks of the Smokin Buds 2 Wired

• It doesn't come with the best sound quality for the price
• You don’t get many color options on this one

Benefits of the Smokin Buds 2 Wireless

• You get a lot of color choices on this earbud
• It comes with a wireless connection, so no hassle of wires
• 6 hours of battery life is something you may enjoy at this price range
• It’s value for money for sure
• The bass you get from this one is surely lovable

Drawbacks of the Smokin Buds 2 Wireless

• Sometimes the bass from this may disrupt the balance of the sound
• It doesn’t have the best battery life out there

Product Details

Now, let’s check out the detailed information of both the earbuds-

What’s the product like physically?

First of all, the wired Smokin Buds come with some sturdy buds and clean looks. It doesn’t have anything fancy going on. As for the build quality, you won’t have anything to complain about it, in terms of looks. Also, you get two color choices in the earbuds, which in truth, didn’t impress me that much.

Coming to the wireless smoking buds, I surely loved it more than the other one. The looks are modern and stylish that comes with a sporty finish. The neckband makes all the difference in the looks of this one. And the build quality is also quite impressive.

Both the headphones have an in-line remote control for controlling music playback and calls. So, you don’t have to worry about getting your phone out to do all these.

Related: Everyday Raycon Earbuds Review

How is the product used?

This is the part where you should focus your decision. With the wired one, you can listen to stuff without having to worry about the duration. This is great if you have to use your headphones for long hours. It has a 3.5mm jack so that you can use it for your phone as well as your computer.

Now, if you want to avoid any hassle of wires, going for the wireless one would be a great choice. Also, this comes with a sporty look that will suit you best when you are going jogging or running in the morning. You can also use these if you are going out somewhere for a while and listening to some music. It’s a great option for listening to music while commuting.

What sets the product apart from competitors?

When you consider the competition for these earbuds, you can't find many. Because the quality, brand value, and feature you get within the price range is something rare to find. You can’t expect branded earbuds of such caliber at an affordable price. This fact sets apart both the earbuds from the competition.

Key features and performance ratings

Here are some of the key features of these earbud, and I also did a bit of rating so you can easily decide how good or bad they are-

Aesthetics

The Smokin buds 2 wireless variant comes with some great sporty looks. It has got modern vibes and a wireless design so you can get convenience as well. Also, you get so many color options on this one.

On the other hand, the Smokin buds 2 wired variant looks decently only. It’s not something extraordinary to look at.

• Rating Smoking buds 2 wireless: 4/5
• Rating Smoking buds 2 wired: 2.5/5

Sound quality 

If you love some boost in your bass, then I would say you will love the smokin buds 2 wireless one. It comes with some powerful bass. However, this also leads to lower mid and highs. So, all in all, you will have to sacrifice the balance of the sound quality and opt for bass-driven sound.

As for the wired variant, you get decent sound quality; all I can say is it's above-average, nothing extraordinary.

• Rating Smoking buds 2 wireless: 3.5/5
• Rating Smoking buds 2 wired: 3/5

Usability 

Now, this is a tough one. Because the wireless variant gives you a wire-free operation which is a great convenience, but the battery life is only 6 hours, which means you can't use it for long hours.

Whereas you can use the wired one as long as you want. But it comes with the wired functionality, which you may not like when you are constantly moving. Also, both of these earbuds come with an inline remote, which is a great plus.

• Rating Smoking buds 2 wireless: 3/5
• Rating Smoking buds 2 wired: 3/5

Verdict 

In short, the decision comes down to choosing wired and wireless. Also, as a bass lover, you should go for the wireless variant of the earbuds anyways. But if you are someone who needs to use the earbud for a long time, then a wired one is a better choice. Then you can use it on your computer as well.

Aside from these factors, both headphones are pretty decent for an affordable choice. The price you pay for these shouldn’t raise any complaints with them whatsoever.