The true wireless space is so competitive right now that we’re seeing several low-priced models undercut the best true wireless earbuds. You can find some amazing options that deliver rich sound and upscaled functionality for a third of what category leaders like the AirPods Pro 2 and Sony WF-1000XM5 sell for online.
Two of our favorite picks — the EarFun Air Pro 4 and OnePlus Buds 3 — are selling for less than $100. If that’s too high, there are other praiseworthy buds priced at $50 or less. The all-new Skullcandy Dime Evo are the latest to capture our attention.
Bargain bin shoppers may have stumbled upon previous Dime releases, which are known for their impressive audio and unique car-key-fob-inspired charging cases. This new version takes things up a few notches with broader functionality, refined sound and an upgraded design.
Scroll down to see why Skullcandy’s newest creation is one of the best audio deals out there.
The Dime Evo buds provide great sound, long battery life, and special features that you won’t find on many sub-$50 rivals.
How I found the Skullcandy Dime Evo
Skullcandy gave me a heads up about the Dime Evo several weeks before they arrived, and a comprehensive look at their spec sheet prompted me to request a sample for editorial consideration. These are some of the best budget earbuds at their price point. You can purchase a pair in three striking colorways: Bone (White), Preppy Sage, and True Black.
Why it’s a score
One way to describe the Dime Evo is well-rounded. Battery life and construction are on point, though it’s their audio that stands out most. You can expect dynamic, personalized sound. Skullcandy’s soundstage has improved from past series entries like the Dime 2, producing well-balanced frequency range with strong bass that stands out on contemporary and up-tempo recordings.
I love Skullcandy’s simplistic approach to sound personalization via a customizable five-band EQ, which makes tweaking bass, mids and highs easy. More importantly, the feature is effective when properly adjusted. Scaling back the emphatic drum break on Victoria Monet’s “Coastin’” let me enjoy the lush synths and the singer’s soulful vocals. The three preprogrammed presets — Bass Boost, Music, and Podcast — are all fine for their purposes, granted Bass Boost is overly aggressive with hip-hip and rock tracks.
Skullcandy’s Adjustable Stay-Aware mode is useful for increasing your situational awareness while you’re listening to music. I could communicate clearly with the missus from several feet away and hear high-frequency sounds (e.g., emergency vehicle sirens, whistles) from far away. It’s not as powerful as Jabra’s HearThrough technology, but at least it’s something.
The charging case with translucent slide-out cover is uniquely attractive and can be mistaken for one of the best portable chargers. Details like the durable hard-plastic exterior and built-in lanyard loop with detachable carabiner for hooking onto other items (e.g., backpack, keychain) stand out. The buds look exactly like their predecessor and have the same IPX4 sweat- and water-resistant rating. They don’t stick out awkwardly like other long-stem buds either (cough, Samsung Galaxy Buds 3, cough).
Adding to the Dime Evo’s robustness is adequate battery life: 8 hours per charge and an additional 36 hours with the charging case. I got a solid 2.5 hours of playtime daily for 3 days straight before recharging, which didn’t take long thanks to powerful quick charging (10 minutes = 2 hours). High volume and special features can decrease listening time by about 2 hours.
These buds have a few other neat tricks up their sleeve, such as a low-latency mode that slightly enhances audio synchronization when watching videos and multipoint technology to pair to two devices simultaneously. Android users even receive Find My Device support to locate the buds when lost or misplaced.
The Dime Evo aren’t without their imperfections. Voice calling is skippable, as the company’s AI microphone technology does a poor job of isolating the speaker’s voice and removing background noise. More disappointing is the app experience, which is buggy to say the least. I had to access the Skullcandy IQ app through my phone’s Bluetooth settings for the software to recognize the buds. Opening the app any other way resulted in a “no headphones found” error.
Judging the Dime Evo completely on their flaws is foolish, especially since they sound great and come with a variety of serviceable extras in a sleek, modern package. There’s a lot of value here for $50.
