Dual Review: Lenntek Sonix vs. Skullcandy INK'D Earbuds
Instead of just reviewing our new red Lenntek Sonix Earbuds on their own, I thought it would be better to compare them to one of our most popular earphones, the Skullcandy INK’d Earbuds. To get the best idea of how they rate against each other, I tested them simultaneously using our Belkin headphone splitter.
I alternated ears, earbuds and tested a variety of genres of music to be sure I covered a solid range of variables. To give you an idea, here are some songs I used, along with notes on the type of elements each featured:
- Rosa Parks, Outkast: heavy bass and synthesized sound mixed with vocals, a capella, gradual lead-in, consistent beat
- In God’s Country, U2: acoustic and electric instruments, dynamic vocals, dramatic musical lead-in, beat changes
- Lazy Eye, Silversun Pickups: similar mix of electric instruments and dramatic lead-in, added distortion
- Kids, MGMT: background sounds (crowd noises), heavily overlayed synthesized instruments/vocals
- Symphony No. 6 in A Minor, Tragic IV, Chicago Symphony Orchestra: strings, brass, tempo and a variety of textures
- Surfin’, Ernest Ranglin: jazz/reggae elements with a solid bassline, instrumental
- Haircut Money, The Mammals: twangy, acoustic bluegrass sound, male and female vocals
Lenntek Sonix Earbuds
Pros:
- Extremely secure fit. Like most earbuds, these come with three silicone tips to fit over the in-ear piece, so I was able to pick a pair that worked well. (I can’t even fit the Apple Earphones in my ear at all, so I really value a pair of in-ear phones that fit well and are comfortable to wear.) They also stayed put—I tested these while running, lying down and just putzing around the apartment.
- Crisp sound. Vocals were really clear, and they do really well with multiple textures in a song (e.g. layer upon layer of instruments/vocals, etc.)
- Wide range of highs and lows. Everything I seemed to listen to in iTunes sounded pretty darn good, from Blues to Pop.
- Sleek hybrid cord. The top part (the separate strands coming from each bud) is the standard rubber casing that most earbuds have, but when the cord merges, it changes to a nylon-covered cord. I’ve found that rubberized cords tangle too easily and cords that are all fabric make too much noise when they rub against your clothes (if you’ve ever experienced that, it’s a really annoying sound that the earbud seems to amplify).
Cons:
- Heavily reliant on EQ settings. Though the sound was clean overall, some EQ settings really made my music sound flat or overly bass-heavy. Once I adjusted the EQ (specifically, I found that the “Piano” setting in iTunes worked really well), the songs were much more dynamic in range.
- Low quality audio is painfully apparent. I especially noticed poor sound quality on various YouTube music videos, and I imagine that poor quality audio files would stick out like a sore thumb as well.
Skullcandy INK’d Earbuds
Pros:
- A wide variety of audio sounded good—from high and low quality files in iTunes to YouTube videos and other system sounds. I was impressed that it was hard to make something sound really bad—I never heard any distortion at all with these.
- Snug fit. They also fit pretty well in my ears, and for the most part, stayed put as well when I moved around.
Cons:
- Slightly tinny when compared to the Sonix Earbuds.
- Range was a bit smaller. Multi-textured tracks lost some of their edge.
After all this, I found that I really would highly recommend both of these products—it just depends on your usage. I’d grab the Skullcandy INK’d Earbuds as a solid choice over the Apple Earphones, and for kids/teens, especially (they come in a bunch of colors as well). For users who have a more sophisticated ear, the Sonix Earbuds are a good choice without breaking the bank.
If I had to choose a winner between the two, though, I’d say that I like the Sonix Earbuds better overall. At $29.99, the Sonix Earbuds are a better value because it’s clear from their sound quality that they are a higher end product (list price is supposed to be $79.99). I was disappointed that they didn’t blow me away in all capacities (music/video, etc.), but I think my standards were probably too high!
Also, it’s important to keep in mind that earbuds can take some time to “break in.” I just grabbed the Sonix Earbuds yesterday, so I don’t think I’ve reached the point where they are fully optimized yet. I expect the sound to get much better over time.
Buy Lenntek Sonix Earbuds, $29.99. (limited time price!)
Buy Skullcandy INK’d Earbuds, $19.99.