Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to sound. But the basics of clarity and detailing do not change, irrespective of the kind of music you like (bass heavy or vocal leaning ) or the headphones you use (inexpensive, or the pricier wireless solutions that pair with your phone or PC).
Audio brand Skullcandy’s Grind Wireless headphones have evolved from the cable-only predecessor, called Grind. While the Grind Wireless is dressed in a simple combination of black and tan colours, it manages to look appealing. It could perhaps be the metal headband and plastic earcups, which are wrapped in plush fabric, leather and suede-like materials. The overall design is lightweight but sturdy. However, we have a couple of gripes about the design. First, the headphones cannot be folded, which can be annoying if you’re travelling. Second, Skullcandy doesn’t provide any carry case or pouch to store the headphones in.
The Grind Wireless remains comfortable to wear for long durations, and sits snugly on the ears without really pressing inwards, a big problem with a lot of headphones.
Performance is, to be honest, better than expected. It is one of the very few wireless headphones in this price range that has been able to reproduce the sub-bass in The Knife’s Silent Shout track, without any distortions. Switch to a completely different genre of music, and Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters comes through with pristine clarity, including the string work at the beginning of the track. Even though the Grind Wireless does not have a very wide soundstage in terms of being able to reproduce some minute instrument sounds, it still does enough to reproduce a rich and vibrant sound, which seems to work well across genres of music.
The battery lasts anywhere from 9-12 hours on a single charge, depending on the playback volume.
If you have been eyeing the likes of the Plantronics BackBeat Sense (approximately Rs.7,900) or the Sony MDR-ZX330BT (approximately Rs6,990) headphones, we would recommend giving these a try as well.
