Hey folks, Valkor here. A couple of weeks back I attended the pre-show before the big show, CES Unveiled 2012, which is a small gathering of tech companies showing off their latest innovations before they unveil their full line-up in Vegas next year. One of those companies happen to be Skullcandy, whom I mentioned in my Unveiled piece that I'd be reviewing one of their latest products… and that time is now. Let's give it up for Skullcandy and their Fix In-Ear Earbuds. Smooth is the word.
The Fix In-Ear earbuds, up close, have a funky hook design… but it's a design with a purpose. Fix earbuds are made to lock in your ears and stay in place – from light walking or moderate exercising, whether you're on your commute and you should happen to give them an accidental tug, or the little ones want your attention and you know how they like to pull, these babies will hold. Mind you these were the same earbuds that were holding up champagne bottles on the Unveiled showfloor, which is a plus because if you were constantly tugging on a standard pair of earbuds, the wire would pop.
The Fix earbuds also contain a remote and microphone meant to work specifically with iPhones – 3GS, 4G, and 4GS plus they'll work the iPad and the iPad 2. However the earbuds by themselves will work with just about any product with a 3.5mm port. So with that out of the way, how do the Fix earbuds match up against similar products?
Vs. V-Moda Vibrato – Without question, V-Moda's Vibrato is the clear winner with a higher audio clarity and a much richer bass. Though I will say this about the Fix, its bass is consistent and doesn't distort at higher volumes, the Vibratos thump! (Winner: V-Moda)
Vs. Ankit Stay True Earplugs – both have crystal clear audio, however Ankit steps up with a deeper bass, but I'm gonna score this one to Skullcandy because no distortion at higher volumes and the mic/remote give it that advantage. (Winner Skullcandy)
Lift Audio Icon Series – I'm gonna score this one to the Icon series simply because they offer a more immersive experience than the Fix; seriously once you plug them in, you're gone! Plus they offer that same level of thumping bass as the Vibrato. (Winner: Lift Audio)
That's not to say that the Fix earbuds aren't good; on the contrary they performed quite well and are great for casual users who aren't looking for a really deep bass, but great sound quality. But I'll save that talk for the TOV Breakdown.
The Bang:
The Fix earbuds has two positives going for it – sound quality is amazingly clear with just the right amount of bass to make your music that much more enjoyable. The buds work best if the bass in the music isn't too heavy, but even then they don't sound all that bad. And again they don't distort when volume levels are raised. As an added bonus, I used the Fix to watch a few films, namely recently reviewed "Swamp Shark" and "Flypaper" and I enjoyed the experience; the clarity in voice, especially background voices and sounds – very, very nice! Plus the bass... the bass levels work amazingly well. The next positive is how they fit, which the Fix earbuds does have a strong hold in your ears, yet remain very comfortable. I'll admit I've fallen victim to "the tug", which is especially true when I'm racing to catch a bus or train; sometimes I accidently snag the cord. With these, I can snag for days and they're not coming out. I wouldn't go to the extreme of holding a full wine bottle to test them out, but I can attest to the fact that they do work as stated. Bonus, the Fix earbuds offer a passive level of noise isolation, which makes them great for travel.
The Slack:
Now this is more nitpicking than a negative, but I prefer a thumping bass and the bass levels in the Fix earbuds, while smooth, doesn't have that "boom, boom, pow!" like the Vibrato.
Overall the Skullcandy Fix In-Ear Earbuds have gone through Val-Cave testing and passed with flying colors, offering up high quality audio, a nice bass, and a solid lock in your ears so any matter of tugging won't cause these puppies to fly out. Retail goes for 69.99, but with Black Friday and Cyber Monday on the horizon, I'm sure you can find the Fix earbuds at an awesome price. Skullcandy Fix In-Ear earbuds gets a 4 out 5 stars and they have been Valkor tested, TOV Approved!