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Jib True Wireless earbuds are an overall decent package of good sound and battery, mixed with cheap build and underwhelming microphone quality.
Skullcandy Jib True Wireless earbuds are pretty comfortable due to the ergonomic design that doesn’t cut into your ears. Tips do create a bit of pressure, but it isn’t too distracting.
Furthermore, they’re built quite well for the price. The case feels decent and much more in line with the rest of Skullcandy’s truly wireless earbuds. They also sport an IPX4 rating, so sweat and rain shouldn’t pose a problem.
Moreso, they come with good battery life. You can now expect around 6 hours per single charge and another 16 hours inside the charging case.
The audio, while overall good, tends to sound muddy and can occasionally distort.
Also, the mic quality drops significantly when making calls in a loud environment. The clarity is at least usable when taking in a quiet room.
Since Skullcandy Jib True Wireless are the second cheapest TWS earbuds in the Skullcandy headphones catalog (the most affordable being Skullcandy Dime), you can’t expect too much.
But why should you pick the Jib True Wireless earbuds over their competition? Find more details below.
- Decent sound
- Good battery life
- Use each buds in mono mode
- Colorful designs
- Subpar microphones
- Ancient micro-USB port
Sound
An enormous bass boost of the Skullcandy Jib True Wireless earbuds wrecks the overall smooth and natural frequency response.
Check the Skullcandy Jib True Wireless Sound Test
Learn how to understand sound comparisons.
Skullcandy almost made another great-sounding earbud for under $30.
The Jib True Wireless sound signature is V-shaped but smooth and free of any harshness. However, they’ve gone too far with the bass, which consequently lowers the final rating.
Bass
Low-end has a heavy emphasis and extends pretty deep. It’s punchy but also a bit sloppy. On faster tracks, it can become muddy and lack control.
Because of the boost, the bass starts distorting when playing bassier music genres. The lower frequencies also lack texture and refinement, which is noticeably better in cheaper Skullcandy Dimes.
Midrange
There’s a reasonable amount of mid frequencies, however, due to a strong bass presence, they sound warm and veiled.
Thankfully, the tuning is done right, so the vocals and lead instruments still sound very natural, albeit a bit quiet due to a slight recession of the mid-tones.
Treble
Higher frequencies are in line with the midrange in terms of quantity and quality. It’s surprisingly textured for the price, giving cymbals a nice crispy sound.
The soundstage is fairly narrow, so all of the sounds play inside your head. And due to relatively quiet treble range, you can’t expect precise imaging, either.
In conclusion, Skullcandy Jib True Wireless earbuds are tuned for the masses, which makes them enjoyable for casual listening.
However, you’re quickly aware of their technical limitations when the bass kicks in and the audio quality drops severely. Nevertheless, that will only matter to purists.
They’re still a good choice if strong bass is what you look for in your music, but hate sibilant treble.
It’s worth mentioning that these cheap earbuds can get really loud very quickly. Make sure you don’t blast them for too long to prevent hearing loss.
Skullcandy Jib True Wireless Frequency Response
Comfort & Fit
Due to their feather-like weight and ergonomic truly wireless design, the Jib True Wireless earbuds are suitable for long listening sessions. The fit is good for casual use but not for sports activities.
Cheaper products aren’t known for providing good comfort and fit. Thankfully, Skullcandy Jib True Wireless earbuds are an exception.
They’re overall pretty comfortable to wear for longer durations. Even though ear tips support the majority of the weight, earbuds never feel heavy or bouncy inside your ears.
Since earbuds are so tiny, they’re suitable for users with smaller ears, as well.
You might feel some pressure when inserting them into ear canals. Thankfully, you don’t feel it during listening unless you press on the physical controls.
When pressing the control button, you push the earbud further into your ears, creating an unpleasant sensation as the pressure builds up.
The fit and stability are good as well, but not rock steady. Earbuds stay in your ears during regular use.
However, they can gradually lose their seal when you start running or walking on uneven terrain.
At that point, you have to readjust them to regain the optimal bass performance.
Durability
Despite being made of cheaper, light grey plastic, both the carrying case and the earbuds seem solid enough to survive a couple of years of regular use.
Holding the case and the earbuds for the first time gives an impression of holding something cheap.
However, not everything is that bad. Compared to a slightly cheaper Skullcandy Dime, the overall construction of the Jib True Wireless earbuds feels much more reassuring.
Earbuds are made of 3 parts that are firmly glued together. A small rubber patch with the Skullcandy logo covers the physical button.
The Jib True Wireless earbuds can certainly survive a couple of drops or getting chewed by a pet. And with an IPX4 rating of water resistance, they prevent smaller splashes of water from damaging the internals.
Since they aren’t also dust-resistant, try to avoid rolling them in the dirt.
The case is also made of plastic and feels a bit hollow. However, having thick walls and strong magnets for the lid provides excellent protection for the earbuds.
Battery
With 6 hours on a single charge and another 16 inside the case, the Jib True Wireless earbuds aren’t too shabby. However, they lack Qi wireless charging and fast charging. Plus use an antiquated micro-USB port.
Skullcandy Jib True Wireless Battery Comparison
Cheaper earbuds usually suffer from poor total battery life that doesn’t pass the 5 hours mark. But, the Jib True Wireless earbuds are different.
While not impressive, having six hours of playtime is more than enough to make your long bus ride more exciting.
The charging case has an additional 16 hours of battery life. However, since it lacks fast charging, it might take a bit more time to juice the earbuds up.
Also, the case still uses a micro-USB port for charging. While that’s a cost-saving measure, it’s hard to find micro-USB cables these days, and the included one is comically short.
Features
Skullcandy Jib True Wireless offer all the essential components, from a wide control scheme and a built-in mic. However, the latter is terrible for making phone calls.
Instead of touch controls, Skullcandy Jib True Wireless earbuds are using more reliable physical ones. They’re hidden underneath the Skullcandy logo. Simple controls provide volume controls, the ability to skip tracks and call smart assistants.
However, much like with the Skullcandy Dimes, these too are unbearable to use. By pressing them, you’re pushing earbuds deeper into your ears, creating pressure and painful sensation.
That’s a shame since they offer a good selection of possible commands.
Skullcandy Jib True Wireless controls:
- Play/pause | answer/end call – one tap on either side
- Track forward – hold the button for 2 seconds on the right side
- Track backward – long press for 2 seconds on the left side
- Volume control up – double press on the right side
- Volume control down – double tap on the left side
- Activate voice assistant – triple press on either side
You also can’t pair Skullcandy Jib True Wireless earbuds with the Skullcandy app.
Microphone Quality
Earbuds’ mic is pretty usable when making calls in a quiet room. While your voice will lack fullness and clarity, it’s at least understandable to the person on the other side.
However, as soon as you move to an area with more outside noise, the voice quality drops severely.
Noise cancellation for calls tries hard to reduce the background noise but, in the process, creates artifacts and distortion.
Your voice becomes muffled to a point where it’s hard to pick up the words. It’s quite a disappointing performance, even for cheap true wireless earbuds.
Noise Isolation
Earbuds do a good job blocking surrounding noises and preventing them from interfering with your music. But, they’re still far from in-ear design headphones with multi-flange ear tips.
If you don’t want the noise on your commute to annoy you, then these earbuds should do the job.
Their noise-isolating fit blocks a similar amount of noise as other wireless in-ears, which means that you isolate yourself from the outside world as soon as you start playing your music.
However, the loudest sounds, like a motorcycle passing by, can still come through. To block that, you have to resort to more sophisticated solutions like multi-flanged ear tips.
Bluetooth
Overall Bluetooth connectivity is good, with a decent Bluetooth range, SBC and AAC codecs, and mono mode support. Sadly, no multipoint, and the audio lag is pretty noticeable.
Skullcandy earbuds have an average Bluetooth range of around 33 feet. They managed to pass 2 brick walls before the audio cut off completely.
Thankfully, there were no random stutters when listening to music during regular use.
The first pairing process is also straightforward. Earbuds show in your Bluetooth menu as soon as you take them out of the case.
To initiate pairing mode again, you only have to hold the physical buttons of both earbuds for 2 seconds or until you hear “pairing.”
And for those who like saving battery life, the Jib’s support for mono mode lets you use only one earbud at a time while having the other one ear open.
Unfortunately, you don’t get multipoint support.
What Bluetooth Codecs Do They Use?
Earbuds use a standard SBC and more Apple-friendly AAC Bluetooth codec. The latter is a bit surprising at this price point yet a nice touch for users who’re rocking iPhones.
Is There an Audio Lag?
The lag when watching videos is minimal but still noticeable. If you primarily watch YouTube videos with people speaking, this lag isn’t a problem.
However, you will notice it in movies and games where effects on-screen happen before you hear them, which can be annoying.
Forcing earbuds to use SBC instead of AAC doesn’t resolve the issue.
Should You Get Skullcandy Jib True Wireless?
If you’re on a tight budget of under $30, then the Skullcandy Jib True Wireless are worth checking out. Compared to the competition, they have good battery life and overall pleasant sound quality.
However, their controls are painful to use, and the case still relies on ancient micro-USB to charge.
Interestingly, their biggest competition are the Skullcandy Dime, even though the Jib are more expensive earbuds. While the Jib True earbuds beat them in almost every area, the Dime simply sound much better.
Therefore, it’s a toss-up between sound or practicality.
How do Skullcandy Jib True Wireless compare to the competition?
- They have overall similar sound quality. While the bass response can be a tad too aggressive, a nicely balanced mids and treble help to make them sound more pleasing.
- Build quality is also on par, if not slightly better than the competition. It’s still mostly plastic but feels reassuring for daily use. On top of that, they’re also sweatproof.
- Call quality in noisier places is terrible. Even other headphones, while not great, can pick up your voice clearer than the Jib True Wireless.
Skullcandy Jib True Wireless Alternatives
Skullcandy Dime
Noticeably more balanced ear buds with clearer sound throughout the frequency range.
However, they aren’t as comfortable, the battery life is lower (3.5 hours + 8.5 hours inside the case), and they feel cheaper. Buds also lack a companion app.
Both use a micro-USB cable for charging and lack fast charging. Also, physical controls on both cause discomfort when you try using them.
Aukey EP-T21
Budget AirPods lookalikes with solid sound quality, suitable for most music genres.
The ergonomic design fits comfortably into your ears. Earbuds are also stable enough for some working out.
They have shorter battery life at 4.5 hours per charge. On the other hand, they pack 4 hours more inside the charging case.
KZ ZST
KZ ZST are a great pair and a wired alternative with a V-shaped, bassy sound but a more focused, energetic performance.
Wired in-ear headphones are gaining popularity for their dependability and retro looks.
While not sweatproof like the Skullcandy Jib earbuds, they come with removable cables and, with good care, can last for many years.
They’re also comfortable and easily pocketable, unlike the bulky case of the Jib.
What’s in the Box?
- Skullcandy Jib True Wireless earbuds
- Charging case
- Micro-USB charging cable
- 3 pairs of silicone ear tips (S, M, L)
- Quick guide & user guide
Specifications
| Type: | True wireless |
| Connection: | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Back design: | Closed-back |
| Drivers: | 6mm |
| Frequency range: | 20-20.000Hz |
| Impedance: | 32 Ohm |
| Weight: | 48.5g (both the case and buds) |
| Mic & Controls: | Yes |
| Water resistance: | IPX4 |
| Battery life: | 6h + 16h in case |
| Charging time: | Micro-USB |
| Active noise cancelling: | No |
| Bluetooth codecs: | SBC, AAC |
| Wireless range: | 33ft (10m) |
| Microphone: | Yes |
From a childhood fascination with sound, Peter’s passion has evolved into a relentless pursuit of the finest headphones. He’s an audio expert with over 5 years of experience in testing both audiophile and consumer-grade headphones. Quote: “After many years, I can confidently tell which headphones are good and which are terrible.” Find his honest opinion in his reviews.
1 Comment
Ben
Jib True ear buds are shit. The sound is good quality but that’s irrelevant when you can’t get them to recharge without holding the bud down on the contact point which obviously isn’t practical. Needs allot of work on the design and functionality of the product.