It’s not often I get worked up enough about a product to want to review it. It’s even less often I feel compelled to write a negative review. But after picking up the Skullcandy 50/50 Earbuds w/ Inline Mic late last year, that’s exactly where I find myself. Here’s why you should avoid making my mistake.

Photo from www.skullcandy.com

Maybe the reason I’m so bitter is because up until I bought my Skullcandy 50/50 buds, I had nothing but great things to say about the company. My previous earbuds had been from Skullcandy, and when I bought them I had been blown away by the quality of their 11mm drivers’ sound compared to the stock Apple in-ears. The lows were rich and full, and the highs were crisp with no noticeable clipping. I heard plenty of bang for my buck. Plus, the buds were comfy.

Hell, I even had a pleasant experience with their Customer Service people. When the wire snapped near the inline mic thanks to my fidgeting with it, I emailed them and they simply had me send in the broken buds, then emailed me a voucher for a new pair (complete with hilarious redeem code). That new pair never gave me an ounce of trouble in the two years I owned it. In fact, I was so impressed with Skullcandy that I bought my cousin an identical pair as a birthday present, and she too was impressed with the quality of the sound and the product build.

Fast-forward to a few weeks ago, when my trusty buds finally gave out after a tragic vinegar spill. Naturally, I went out and bought new Skullcandy buds to replace them. I didn’t even look at what was on the shelf; I just went straight for whatever their updated offering of my trusty buds was. What I walked away with was a pair of Skullcandy 50/50 Earbuds w/ Inline Mic, for roughly the same price I had paid last time. Unfortunately, it turned out the 50/50’s were comparable to my old buds by name and price only. More