The Skullcandy G.I. headphone is one of the few models that Skullcandy refreshed this year giving it more funky designs, improved cables and better sound quality. I didn’t get to try the old G.I. so I’m coming in blind with this one in terms of comparing it to the previous version.
It seems that Rasta, or the Jamaican color way, is popular among Skullcandy fans that it’s applied to almost all of their entry-level to mid-range headphones. The G.I. falls in the mid-range area with a Php4,500 price tag.
Looking at the G.I. Rasta’s design, you would know that it’s not a serious-looking headphone. It was designed for those who want to use headphones as part of their style for the day and here lies the strength of the company, the badass stylish designs on their headphones.
The Rasta color way is evident all over the headphones. From the insides of the wide headband, to the Skullcandy logo on the earcups, and even inside it. The hinges are made of plastic with the earcups having a dull black finish instead of a glossy one. The cups have a comfy soft-leather ear pillows and swivel 180 degrees outward so forcing it the other way around might eventually break it.
Cabling seems ordinary to me. Not flat like their Uprock headphones but doesn’t look frail either.
The plushy wide headband has a canvas material covering it so I don’t know how that will turn out when you’re sweating while wearing this. It has a tiny zippered compartment that stores a bottle opener, which I’m thinking a lot of people this headphone is geared for will find useful.
So how about sound quality? Well sad to say, it was underwhelming to average overall especially for its price. I’m not saying it’s bad but if you’ve been auditioning a lot of headphones, especially over-ear ones with this price, you have this expectation of an enclosed sound stage with good range. I didn’t get it on the GI. Although it tries to deliver good sound quality (I can still somewhat hear the separation of the instruments), maybe the plastic construction of the earcup made the sound too hollow instead of the silky, controlled beats I’m looking for with my over-ears.
Moving on with the sound signature. I think overall it was fun, upbeat but a bit punchy for my taste. The bass is underpowered which I don’t mind at all. Mids will be its strongest suit while highs are too piercing. Yeah, I know it doesn’t too hot but again, if you’re not familiar or haven’t tried other brands in the same price range, you might actually like this.
What I can attest to is that this G.I. headphone is loud. Even at medium volume setting on my music player, I can achieve total noise isolation here although people around me say that music is leaking out of the headphones. Yikes.
Honestly, I can’t say whether Skullcandy improved the sound quality on the G.I. or not but what I can say is that for Php4,500, I would be looking more in terms of performance. However, if you’re the type of person who really values style, and want to wear headphones as fashion accessory, you won’t be disappointed with the SkullCandy G.I. and its funky designs. It can single-handedly make you stand out in the crowd. Oh, and the included bottle opener should come in handy during parties.
Skullcandy G.I. Rasta 2012 Features:
- Enhanced audio drivers
- DJ articulation
- Over ear studio design
- Soft leather-touch ear pillows
- Satin travel bag
- Stereo connector
- Php4,500