Tom's Guide Verdict
The Skullcandy Method In-Ear Sport headphones are cheap buds with secure inserts and big bass, but overall their audio quality lacks clarity and definition.
Pros
- +
Sweat-resistant design
- +
Secure ear inserts
- +
Inexpensive
Cons
- -
Relies heavily on bass
- -
Muddy highs and mids
- -
No volume controls on inline remote
Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.
Skullcandy hopes the Method In-Ear Sport headphones will be the perfect choice for those in need of cheap, sweat-resistant buds. While their design is bold and lightweight — and their price super affordable at $29 — we have some reservations about their bass-heavy audio.
Design
Skullcandy wants you to never forget you're wearing a pair of its earbuds. There are four company logos on the lightweight Method earbuds: one on the jack, one on the centerpiece of plastic in the middle of the wires and two on the back of each bud. On the left wire is the inline remote, and on the back of it is the printed Skullcandy name.
My review unit was yellow accented with gray, making the earbuds pop against my typically dark-colored workout clothes. The wires are thin, and the pieces of hardware attached to them are jagged and slightly misshapen, giving them the appearance of bones. Even without the logos, everything about these earbuds screams Skullcandy.
The buds are positioned off-center from their base, allowing them to slide easily into the caverns of your ears. This design also makes it easier for them to stay put during intense workouts, and since they're sweat resistant you can go the extra mile without worry.
MORE: Best Headphones
Comfort and Fit
The Skullcandy Method Sport earbuds come with two pairs of ear inserts; I stuck with the larger pair, which fit my ears snugly. Skullcandy claims that these "StickyGels" are made of a material that's more secure in your ear when you sweat, but I didn't find them to be any better than the Sennheiser CX 685 Adidas Sport headphones. They did, however, feel slightly more secure than the Panasonic Ergofit earbuds.
Audio Quality
Skullcandy hopes that big bass will be enough to sustain you through a workout. The Method earbuds played Imagine Dragons' "Radioactive" with deep bass and drums, but the song suffered from weak highs and muddy vocals.
Out of the Skullcandys, the Sennheiser CX 685s and the Panasonic Ergofits, the CX 685s earbuds were the most well-rounded, with crisp vocals and moderate bass. The Panasonics were closer in audio quality to the Skullcandys, featuring bass that had a little more power and depth, but better vocals than the Method earbuds.
The Method earbuds played a lackluster version of "Harlem" by New Politics, muffling the claps in the intro of this fast-paced track and totally missing David Boyd's jumpy, poppy vocals. Out of the three sets of earbuds, the best middle-ground options are the Panasonic Ergofits, which sacrifice some sharpness on the highs and mids in favor of deeper bass. However, the most well-rounded and accurate sound comes from the Sennheiser CX 685s.
Bottom Line
The Skullcandy Method In-Ear Sport headphones give you booming bass and a secure fit, but that's about it. If you're looking for well-fitting, solid sports earbuds, the Sennheiser CX 685 Adidas Sport earbuds are worth the extra $15 thanks to their excellent sound. However, if you want the cheapest earbuds you can find that don't compromise sound quality, the Panasonic Ergofits are only $10 and have more well-rounded sound than the Skullcandy Method earbuds.
Follow Valentina Palladino at @valentinalucia. Follow Tom's Guide at @tomsguide and on Facebook.
