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Skullcandy Roc Nation Aviator headphones review
Jason Tsay
Skullcandy isn’t well known for excellent design choices nor astounding audio quality. But the first time we saw the Roc Nation Aviators we were instantly drawn to their slick and fashionable looks. And after spending some time with these Jay-Z approved headphones, we can definitely say the phrase “more than meets the eye” applies here.
Features
- Platinum Sound Performance
- Ideal Contour Fit
- Optics-inspired Polycarbonate Speaker Housing
- Premium Polished Surface
- Stashable Travel Design
- Stainless Steel, Aluminum, Polycarbonate
Our Impressions
The Roc Nation Aviators come folded up in a clear plastic canister, which also contains a leather carrying pouch, microfiber cleaning cloth, and some manuals.
The design of the headphones is possibly one of the largest selling points. They are incredibly slick with an iconic aviation-inspired design. Earcup is finished with an immaculate gloss and bits of chrome. Cushy leather pads rest on the rounded triangular earcups; the headband features leather on the outside and a soft cloth on the inside. A tiny RocNation plaque and Skullcandy logos decorate parts of the band. Imprints of the latter are also found in each earcup. Two metal wires run the length of the headphones which actually act as the size adjustment system. A thin braided wire runs into the bottom of the left earcup. Directly below this you will find a chrome plastic remote pod with an inline mic. Disappointingly, the pod feels super cheap and doesn’t look much better either, reminding us of certain other Skullcandy headphones. And since we’re talking about remote pod, I’d like to add that it doesn’t work all that well either. All the controls are on one button, making the center “button” difficult to activate. All in all, there’s no doubting that this is by far one of the most stylish pair of headphones we’ve come across for some time. (They go nicely with the Ray Bans of the same name).
Let’s talk a bit about the sound reproduction from this set of cans. Bass resonated nicely but washed out neither vocals nor highs. In fact, we could easily say that this is the best sounding pair of Skullcandy headphones we’ve used. Obviously, that isn’t saying too much in comparison to other headphones in the same price range but we appreciate the improvement over other offerings in the past. In terms of noice cancellation, these headphones won’t do you much good. However, the earpads make them damn comfortable to wear. When you’re not wearing them, they fold up nicely and can easily go into the aforementioned carrying case.
Overall
With the Roc Nation Aviators, Skullcandy has permanently changed the way we will perceive that brand name. They have proven to us that they can successfully manufacture a pair of headphones that both look and sound fairly good. It’s clear that the $150 price tag goes toward design more than anything but the headphones don’t sound half bad either.
Pro’s
- Stylish design
- Produce decent sound
- Equipped w/ accessories
Con’s
- You can find better headphones for price
- Remote feels really cheap
Where to buy
MSRP: $149
This review was done by Jason Tsay, who was provided the Roc Nation Aviators by Skullcandy.
