I never realized just how bad my Apple earbuds suck until I tried the Smokin Buds from Skullcandy.

In three words? They.  Kick.  Ass.

Top 5 Things To Love About Smokin Buds:

1)  They look sweet

Coming in a wide variety  of color combinations (mine are a cool teal/black) they have a sleek, modern look that gets noticed.

2)  They sound great

I’ve never had a pair of earbuds with any bass frequency definition whatsoever.  The first time I switched these bad boys on I was swallowed by the sound.  Rich bass, decent mids and highs. 

3)  They block out the world

Skullycandy bills the Smokin Buds as “noise cancelling”.  With a design that looks and feels like a high-end ear plug, once the Smokin Buds are turned on, any external noise is turned OFF. 
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4)  They have an inline volume control.

Stash your iPod in your backpack or pocket with the volume cranked, and keep the levels solid with the responsive volume slider on the Smokin Buds cord.  A definite step up from fumbling with my Shuffle’s clicker when the music goes from Feist to Van Buuren.

5)  They’re comfortable enough to wear all day

I could tolerate my Apple earbuds for perhaps 45 minutes at a time.  Enough for a workout, but hardly helpful for long plane or bus trips.  Smokin’ Buds are easy on the ears.  3 interchangeable rubber cushions help insure a snug, pleasing fit.

About the only downside I can list with the Smoking Buds is a longish cord that sometimes gets tangled in my messenger bag.

Otherwise, they’re one of the best things to land on my UM review pile yet.

Prices seem to average around $25 (online, and also availabe at Target stores).  They’re worth twice that.

Props to Greg Ostravich who first turned us on to these with his comment here

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