There’s no way that a pair of $30 earbuds actually sound good right? Well, Skullcandy would at least like to have a word. Because if you’re going to make that claim you haven’t listened to its new Dime 3 buds. Packed with increased battery life and other notable inclusions like multipoint pairing, I am checking out to see if the new Skullcandy Dime 3 can make a last-minute cut on my list of favorite earbuds in 2023.
Over 2 years ago I took a look at the original pair of ultra-affordable earbuds from Skullcandy. Since that first release in 2021, a lot has changed in the earbuds game. We routinely focus on the higher-end buds out there, but the more affordable end of the market has also come increasingly competitive. I personally adored Anker’s newest earbuds that brought flagship features to a $100 price point that frankly felt a little too good to be true.
But now I am moving down to an even lower price point with the new Skullcandy Dime 3. This headline with a pair of earbuds this affordable is that they cost just $30. But the story goes a lot further than just saying these are fine for the MSRP. In fact there’s more than fine, and go above and beyond with some compelling features for the price that I would be happy to see included on far more expensive pairs of buds.
Being the third-generation pair of earbuds to don the Skullcandy Dime name, the new edition pack much of the same build as before. It’s not the most premium design ever, but the company leans into having a rugged form-factor with a solid plastic shell. A lot of earbuds under $50 under feeling incredibly cheap, so I was happy that Skullcandy is continuing to use a material that actually feels pretty good. It has a textured finish that should help live up to its more rugged claims and has a lid that physically clicks into place rather than just being held in with magnets.
The earbuds themselves continue the same design approach, and actually stick out of the shell when it’s closed. I enjoy that the Dime lineup is still doing something unique here with the actual build and continuing to release something distinct. Then to round out the package, you’ll find a USB-C port on the back for charging and a refreshed braided nylon strap on the side for clipping to a keychain or your keys.
As for what’s new, the Skullcandy Dime 3 do have an increased price point. The original clocked in with a $25 MSRP, and now you’ll be paying an extra $5 more for the latest pair. The spoiler is that the company is packing in plenty of features to justify that increase, with battery life making one of the more apparent changes. This time around you’ll find 20 hours of playback in total, with eight from the earbuds being paired with another 12 in the charging case. That’s well above the original 12-hour runtime from the first pair.
The rest of the story on what’s new are features that are making the cut for the first time – rather than just being upgraded specs. Tile finding tech is now on board and works wonderfully for keeping tabs on where your earbuds are. Even if these are a $30 pair of earbuds and replacing them isn’t quite as costly as a more flagship counterpart, being able to track them down with your phone is incredibly helpful.
There’s also multipoint Bluetooth pairing, which is frankly absurd to see on a pair of earbuds as affordable as the Skullcandy Dime 3. It’s a feature that is omitted on some of the more expensive earbuds we’ve reviewed, and isn’t something I thought we’d ever get on a release that costs this low. Being able to quickly switch between two different devices without having to go through the whole rigamarole of unpairing and repairing the buds is truly a godsend, and easily the one feature to me that completely justifies the price hike.
But these are earbuds after all, and sound quality is also incredibly important. Thankfully, the Skullcandy Dime 3 match all of the features with sound quality that also doesn’t feel like it’s from a pair of $30 earbuds. It’s not going to blow you out of the water or anything. But the stereo playback sounds fine and even manages to stay that way higher volume levels. The soundstage is more narrow than on a higher-end pair of buds, but there’s adequate bass while still ensuring that vocals sound distinct.
At the $30 price point, there does have to be a catch. There was no way that Skullcandy was going to deliver every feature for a modern pair of buds, and so there are some omissions. Ear detection is the biggest one that I immediately noticed, and is something that definitely makes sense for why it wasn’t included. There’s also no ANC, which isn’t much of a shocker. Qi charging for the case is also being ditched in favor of just USB-C – but that is far better than relying on something like micro USB.
Electronicsforward’ Take
I’ve been listening to the Skullcandy Dime 3 over the past few weeks as my everyday drivers. They’ve honestly stayed in my bag a lot longer than I was initially expecting them too. With all of the high-end earbuds I have been listening to this year, I expected the juxtaposition between these $30 releases and those flagship models to be far more apparent in the sound department. But the Dime 3 have proven that they are actually more than just tolerable.
Like I said, these aren’t going to win any awards for how they sound. But if you’re on a tight budget and want a reliable pair, the Skullcandy Dime 3 are going to be a great option. Or maybe we want a dedicated pair of workout earbuds to hit the ground running in 2024? Because these are also going to be perfect, especially with the improved battery life.
The first thing that comes in to my mind when I hear “$30 pair of earbuds” is that I’d take one listen and immediately put them right back in the charging case. But Skullcandy has proven yet again that there’s room to innovate at such a low price point while delivering an all-around very solid listening experience.
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