Skullcandy’s Jib True Earbuds Prove You Can Get a Good Audio Experience for Under $100

I have never been one to spend a lot of money on headphones. I guess I’ve never been particularly fussy in that department. To the horror of my audiophile friends, I used the Apple headphones that came with my phone for years. Eventually, I tired of cords and decided to grab myself a set of wireless headphones, but they were cheap AF (I can’t even remember the brand name) the sound was tinny and eventually they broke apart. This was during my freelancing days, I should point out.

In the years since I’ve become a little more interested in my audio experience while wearing headphones. I’m still not game to drop hundreds of dollars on them, but I’ve decided I’d like a set that don’t cut out mid-song and feel comfortable over slash in my ears.

So, when I was given the opportunity to trial Skullcandy’s Jib True wireless buds (priced at $79.95), my interest was instantly piqued. The buds have been advertised as a simple set of affordable headphones for folks who want good sound but aren’t fussy about the extra details. They sounded like they were made for me.

Here’s how my experience with them went.

What’s good?

From the set up these little blue buds are easy as hell to use. They paired up with my phone with no dramas and once connected, haven’t once had an issue with connectivity. They’re also super responsive when it comes to song changes, volume variations, or powering on and off.

One of my favourite features is how the bud power button can be used to activate solo headphone listening – which is useful in an office environment. I also love that powering down the buds in-ear will pause your music then resume the track where you left off when you tap the power button again.

Skullcandy promotes a 22-hour battery life for the Jib True buds and I feel they came through on that. They come with a chargeable case that holds 16 hours of battery power; the buds themselves will last 6 – although I’ve used them for entire workdays without having to pop them back into the case.

When it comes to sound itself, I have no complaints. Admittedly, I am no stickler for audio quality but in my experience, these little guys offer rich sound and a good range in volume.

I’ve used the earbuds during workouts, for calls, and while working at my desk. They worked beautifully in each. And while they’re not strictly noise-cancelling the noise-isolating fit does do a great job at tuning out surrounding sounds.

What’s not so good?

I have had occasions where one or both of the buds have fallen out of my ears. This can likely be boiled down to me not loving the sensation of having the bud pushed right into my ear, and only happened a handful of times over weeks, but it can still be disruptive.

The buds have also been advertised as an option that can be used by kids, so have been released in a blue-and-yellow colour combo that feels very child-like. While I get the purpose, the colour is a little loud – the buds don’t exactly camouflage into my hair, y’know? There is a black option for those after a simpler look, however.

The verdict

I love these little blue babies. Sure, I’d prefer a more subdued colour so the buds can’t be seen in my ears from across the street, and maybe the in-ear fit presented a couple of hiccups for me, but the experience of using these incredibly affordable earbuds has been hugely positive overall.

So, if you like me are keen on a great audio experience, but don’t have any interest in dropping a mint on your buds, the Jib True wireless buds are absolutely worth a look. And judging by the website stating stock is limited right now, I’d guess there are a few others who agree. Read more about the specs here.