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We've recently released our Test Bench 1.8 update for Headphones! Read the R&D Article to learn more.

Skullcandy Dime True Wireless Headphones Review

Tested using Methodology v1.5
Reviewed Apr 27, 2021 at 10:00 am
Latest change: Retest Mar 02, 2022 at 03:20 pm
Skullcandy Dime True Wireless  Picture
7.2
Neutral Sound
7.4
Commute/Travel
8.1
Sports/Fitness
6.8
Office
5.5
Wireless Gaming
5.4
Wired Gaming
6.5
Phone Calls
These headphones were replaced by the Skullcandy Dime 2 True Wireless

The Skullcandy Dime True Wireless are budget-friendly earbuds and are the first generation of the Skullcandy Dime 2 True Wireless. They have a very small and lightweight design rated IPX4 for water resistance. They also have a very slightly bass-heavy sound profile that delivers a touch of extra thump and boom to your mixes. They're still well-suited for a variety of audio content, though. However, their continuous battery life is pretty short at 3.8 hours, and their case only roughly holds an additional 2.5 charges.

Our Verdict

7.2 Neutral Sound

The Skullcandy Dime are decent for neutral sound. They have a slightly bass-heavy sound profile but lack any sound enhancement features to help customize their sound to your liking. Due to their closed-back and in-ear fit, they also have a bad passive soundstage. On the upside, they reproduce audio consistently.

Pros
  • Very consistent audio delivery.
Cons
  • Bad passive soundstage.
7.4 Commute/Travel

The Skullcandy Dime are good for commute and travel. They're fairly comfortable and can block out a decent amount of background noise like ambient chatter around you. However, they struggle to cut down the rumble of bus and plane engines, and their continuous battery life of 3.8 hours probably won't last through a long bus or plane trip.

Pros
  • Great build quality.
  • Passively cuts down ambient chatter.
  • Stable and breathable design.
Cons
  • 3.8-hour continuous battery life.
  • Struggles to passively isolate bass-range noise.
8.1 Sports/Fitness

The Skullcandy Dime are great for sports and fitness. They have a stable fit and are rated IPX4 for water resistance, although we don't currently test it. They're also fairly comfortable; that said, you may have to hold the buds down to register a command without putting pressure on your ear. However, they have short continuous battery life.

Pros
  • Great build quality.
  • Stable and breathable design.
Cons
  • 3.8-hour continuous battery life.
6.8 Office

The Skullcandy Dime are alright for office use. They don't leak a lot of audio and they can passively block out ambient noise like office chatter. They also have a fairly comfortable fit, but some users may find that they have a deep in-ear fit. However, they have a short continuous battery life that probably won't last through your workday without pausing to recharge them.

Pros
  • Great build quality.
  • Passively cuts down ambient chatter.
Cons
  • 3.8-hour continuous battery life.
  • No NFC or multi-device pairing.
5.5 Wireless Gaming

The Skullcandy Dime are Bluetooth-only headphones that can't be used on a wired connection.

5.4 Wired Gaming

The Skullcandy Dime are wireless-only headphones and can't be used wired.

6.5 Phone Calls

The Skullcandy Dime are okay for phone calls. They have an integrated mic that does a fair job of recording your voice, although it doesn't sound very natural or full-bodied. However, it has sub-par noise handling, so you may not be clearly heard if you're talking in a loud environment. On the upside, the headphones can passively isolate you from some ambient noise around you.

Pros
  • Passively cuts down ambient chatter.
Cons
  • Mic has sub-par noise handling.
  • 7.2 Neutral Sound
  • 7.4 Commute/Travel
  • 8.1 Sports/Fitness
  • 6.8 Office
  • 5.5 Wireless Gaming
  • 5.4 Wired Gaming
  • 6.5 Phone Calls
  1. Updated Mar 02, 2022: Retested 'Speech + Subway Noise Handling' in Noise Handling. Also retested 'Power-Saving Feature' in Battery and App Support. Updated 'Codec' in Test Settings.
  2. Updated Jun 29, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
  3. Updated Apr 27, 2021: Review published.
  4. Updated Apr 23, 2021: Early access published.
  5. Updated Apr 14, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
  6. Updated Apr 12, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  7. Updated Apr 09, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

The Skullcandy Dime come in four color variants: 'True Black', 'Chill Grey', 'Green', and 'Light Grey/Blue'. We tested the True Black variant and you can see our model's label here. If you come across another variant, please let us know in the discussions and we'll update our review.

Compared To Other Headphones

The Skullcandy Dime are budget-friendly truly wireless headphones. Like the Skullcandy Spoke True Wireless and Skullcandy Sesh EVO True Wireless, they're small, lightweight, and have a good build quality. However, their continuous battery life is very short, and they lack any extra features like a companion app or EQ presets.

Check out our recommendations for the best cheap wireless earbuds, the best earbuds under $50, and the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds under $50.

Skullcandy Dime 2 True Wireless

The Skullcandy Dime 2 True Wireless are the next generation of the Skullcandy Dime True Wireless. They now support Tile, a secondary app that allows you to track your buds if you misplace them, and they have a standby mode to help conserve battery life when you're not using them. However, both models otherwise perform similarly.

JLab Audio GO Air POP True Wireless

The JLab Audio GO Air POP True Wireless are better for most purposes than the Skullcandy Dime True Wireless. The JLab have a much more comfortable fit, a better overall mic performance, and a significantly better battery performance. They also have a somewhat better noise isolation performance and sound customization features, unlike the Skullcandy. On the other hand, the Skullcandy have a more balanced sound profile that some may prefer.

Skullcandy Sesh Evo True Wireless

The Skullcandy Dime True Wireless are slightly better headphones than the Skullcandy Sesh Evo True Wireless. The Dime have a more neutral sound profile out of the box, which some users may prefer, and their integrated mic offers better overall performance. However, the Sesh Evo are more comfortable and isolate more noise passively. They also have better battery performance and have a couple of built-in EQ presets. 

Skullcandy Indy Evo True Wireless

The Skullcandy Dime True Wireless and the Skullcandy Indy Evo True Wireless are somewhat similar headphones, but the Dime are slightly better. The Dime have a more neutral sound profile out of the box, which some users may prefer, and a better battery performance. However, the Indy Evo are more comfortable and rated IP55 for dust and water resistance.

Skullcandy Jib True Wireless

The Skullcandy Dime True Wireless are slightly better truly wireless headphones than the Skullcandy Jib True Wireless. The Dime have a more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer, and a stable in-ear fit. However, the Jib True are more comfortable and can isolate more ambient noise around you. Their overall battery performance is better, too.

JBL Vibe 100TWS True Wireless

The JBL Vibe 100TWS True Wireless are slightly better headphones than the Skullcandy Dime True Wireless. The JBL are more comfortable, have a more neutral default sound profile, which some users may prefer, and have a better noise isolation performance. They also have longer continuous battery life. However, the Skullcandy have a more stable in-ear fit.

Ultimate Ears FITS Truly Wireless

The Ultimate Ears FITS Truly Wireless are better headphones than the Skullcandy Dime True Wireless. The Ultimate Ears come with moldable ear tips that offer a more comfortable and stable fit. Their continuous battery life is longer, and they come with a graphic EQ and presets to help you customize their sound. However, the Skullcandy has better noise isolation.

OnePlus Buds Z Truly Wireless

The Skullcandy Dime True Wireless are more versatile truly wireless headphones than the OnePlus Buds Z Truly Wireless. The Skullcandy have a more neutral sound profile out of the box, which some users may prefer, and passively block out more ambient noise around you. However, the OnePlus are designed to work with compatible OnePlus phones, so you can't use their controls with another device. That said, they're more comfortable, have an auto-off timer to help conserve their battery life, and have a bass-heavy sound, which is sure to please EDM and hip-hop fans.

Apple AirPods Pro Truly Wireless

The Apple AirPods Pro Truly Wireless are better truly wireless headphones than the Skullcandy Dime True Wireless. The Apple are more comfortable, feel better built, have an ANC feature that does a great job of blocking out noise around you, and have a better battery performance. They also have an H1 chip to seamlessly pair them with Apple devices. However, the Skullcandy's mic has a better recording quality.

EarFun Air Pro True Wireless

The EarFun Air Pro True Wireless are better in-ears than the Skullcandy Dime True Wireless. The EarFun are more comfortable and are rated IPX5 for water resistance, although we don't currently test for this. They also have an ANC feature, which can reduce a great amount of noise around you, and their battery performance is significantly better.

Beats Solo Pro Wireless

The Beats Solo Pro Wireless and the Skullcandy Dime True Wireless are differently designed headphones; depending on your usage, you may prefer one over the other. While both headphones have a fairly neutral sound profile, the Beats are on-ear headphones that are better built and have an ANC feature that can block out a lot of noise. They also have around 24 hours of continuous playback time and have an H1 chip, so you can seamlessly pair them with your Apple devices. However, the Skullcandy are in-ears that are more portable and stable.

Skullcandy Indy Truly Wireless

The Skullcandy Indy Truly Wireless and the Skullcandy Dime True Wireless have different strengths, and depending on your usage, you may prefer one over the other. The Indy are more comfortable, have a better battery performance, and block out even more noise than the Dime. In contrast, the Dime feel better built and have a more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer.

Skullcandy Grind Fuel True Wireless

The Skullcandy Grind Fuel True Wireless and the Skullcandy Dime True Wireless have different strengths, and you may prefer either, depending on what you're looking for. The Grind Fuel are much more comfortable, are rated IP55 for dust and water resistance, and have 'Skull-iQ' features, including built-in voice controls. Their continuous battery life is also significantly longer. On the other hand, the Dime have fewer features but may represent a better value to some. They also have a much better passive noise isolation performance and a more neutral default sound profile, which some may prefer.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic

The Skullcandy Dime are small truly wireless headphones with a simple style. They're fairly non-descript and have a brand logo on both stems. They come in four color variants: 'Black', 'Light Grey/Blue', 'Blue', and 'Green'.

6.5
Design
Comfort
Weight 0.02 lbs
Clamping Force
0 lbs

The Skullcandy Dime Earbuds are fairly comfortable. They come with three differently-sized ear tips and don't put too much pressure on the inside of your ear. However, they're a bit bulky and have a deep in-ear fit. To use the controls without putting pressure on your ear, you need to hold the bud in place while making the command.

6.6
Design
Controls
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use Decent
Feedback Good
Call/Music Control Yes
Volume Control Yes
Microphone Control No
Channel Mixing
No
Noise Cancelling Control No
Talk-Through
No
Additional Controls Voice Assistant

The Skullcandy Dime have okay controls. Most controls can be done on either earbud. You can press either earbud once to play/pause audio or answer/end calls. To turn the volume down, you tap the left earbud twice while the same input on the right earbud raises the volume. You can also track skip backward with a one-second hold on the left earbud. A one-second hold on the right earbud skips the track forward. You can also activate your phone's voice assistant by pressing three times on either bud. While there are chimes to let you know when you've reached the min/max volume, and there's audible feedback for connecting, pairing, and disconnecting devices, the buttons aren't very clicky.

9.2
Design
Breathability
Avg.Temp.Difference 0.8 °C

These headphones have an incredible breathability performance. Thanks to their truly wireless design, they don't trap much heat in your ears. You shouldn't feel too much of a temperature difference while wearing them, and you shouldn't sweat more than usual.

9.5
Design
Portability
L 1.5" (3.8 cm)
W 1.0" (2.5 cm)
H 0.9" (2.3 cm)
Volume 1.40 in³ (22.94 cm³)
Transmitter Required No

The Skullcandy Dime are very portable. Like most truly wireless in-ears, they have a small and lightweight design that should easily fit into most pockets. They also come with a very small carrying case that can fit into most pockets.

7.5
Design
Case
Type Hard case
L 2.5" (6.4 cm)
W 1.5" (3.8 cm)
H 0.8" (2.0 cm)
Volume 3.00 in³ (49.16 cm³)

The Skullcandy Dime have a good case. It's very small and can be used to charge the headphones. There are two openings on the lid to see the buds, but you won't be able to see the battery light on the buds when the lid is closed. There's also one small LED on the case near the charging port, which lights up when the micro-USB cable is charging the case. This light turns from red to green to indicate when the case is done charging.

7.5
Design
Build Quality

The Skullcandy Dime have a good build quality. They're mostly made of solid plastic, which makes them feel durable. They're also rated IPX4 for water resistance, although we don't currently test for it. That said, the earbud tips are a potential weak point as they may be prone to ripping over time.

7.5
Design
Stability

The Skullcandy Dime have good stability. Although they stick out of your ears a bit, they should stay in place while you're casually listening to audio or if you're working out.

Design
Headshots 1
Design
Headshots 2
Design
Top
Design
In The Box

  • Skullcandy Dime earbuds
  • Charging case
  • Micro-USB to USB-A charging cable
  • 3x tip size options
  • Manuals

Sound
Sound
Sound Profile
Bass Amount
1.68 dB
Treble Amount
-0.88 dB

The Skullcandy Dime have a slightly bass-heavy sound profile that adds a bit of thump, rumble, and punch to your audio, which fans of EDM and hip-hop can enjoy. It shouldn't be too overwhelming, though, and you can use these headphones while listening to a variety of audio content. However, they lack sound enhancement features to help tweak their sound to your liking. If you're looking for truly wireless earbuds with sound customization features, try the JLab Audio GO Air POP True Wireless.

9.4
Sound
Frequency Response Consistency
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.12 dB

The Skullcandy Dime have outstanding frequency response consistency. Once you get a proper seal with the included ear tips, you should get consistent audio delivery each time you use them.

Sound
Raw Frequency Response
8.6
Sound
Bass Accuracy
Std. Err.
1.96 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
10 Hz
Low-Bass
1.55 dB
Mid-Bass
1.81 dB
High-Bass
2.85 dB

These headphones have excellent bass accuracy. It's slightly overemphasized across the range, which adds a touch of extra thump, punch, and boom. While it shouldn't be too overwhelming, some users may find it to be a little too boomy.

8.7
Sound
Mid Accuracy
Std. Err.
1.79 dB
Low-Mid
1.31 dB
Mid-Mid
-2.12 dB
High-Mid
-0.1 dB

The Skullcandy Dime have excellent mid accuracy. The range is fairly neutral, although the dip in the mid-mids can nudge vocals and lead instruments to the back of the mix. That said, vocals and lead instruments are still clear and accurate.

8.3
Sound
Treble Accuracy
Std. Err.
2.58 dB
Low-Treble
-1.54 dB
Mid-Treble
0.73 dB
High-Treble
-2.5 dB

The treble accuracy of the Skullcandy Dime is great. The range is fairly even, although the left and right drivers are slightly mismatched. As a result, the left driver is more underemphasized in the low-treble range, which slightly veils vocals and lead instruments. That said, sibilants like S and T sounds are bright but not piercing.

8.0
Sound
Peaks/Dips
Peaks
1.25 dB
Dips
0.99 dB

The Skullcandy Dime have great peaks and dips performance. There's a small peak across the high-bass and low-mids, which adds boom to your mixes. The dip in the mid-mids nudges vocals and lead instruments to the back of the mix. There's also some mismatch between the left and right drivers in the low-treble, so the left driver's dip in this range veils vocals and lead instruments. The peak in the mid-treble makes sibilants like cymbals piercing.

5.7
Sound
Imaging
Weighted Group Delay
0.09
Weighted Phase Mismatch
57.77
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
2.39
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
1.45

The Skullcandy Dime have sub-par imaging. The weighted group delay falls below the audibility threshold, resulting in a tight bass and transparent treble. Also, the L/R drivers of our unit are well-matched in frequency response. However, there is some mismatch in amplitude present. There's also a lot of phase mismatch, and we had a hard time matching the right driver to the left one. As a result, objects like voice and footsteps in the stereo image aren't accurately placed and localized. However, these results are only valid for our unit, so your experience may vary.

0.9
Sound
Passive Soundstage
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
N/A
PRTF Size (Avg.)
N/A
PRTF Distance
N/A
Openness
3.3
Acoustic Space Excitation
0.8

Like most truly wireless in-ears, the Skullcandy Dime have a terrible passive soundstage performance. They don't interact with the outer ear, which is one of the key components in creating a large and speaker-like soundstage. Audio also sounds like it's coming from inside your head, rather than from speakers placed all around you.

0
Sound
Virtual Soundstage
Head Modeling
No
Speaker Modeling
No
Room Ambience
No
Head Tracking
No
Virtual Surround
No App
8.0
Sound
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.234
WHD @ 100
0.102

These headphones have a very good weighted harmonic distortion performance. There are a couple of small peaks in the treble range at normal volume levels, but it shouldn't be very noticeable. All frequencies otherwise fall within good limits, which results in clear and pure audio reproduction.

Sound
Test Settings
Firmware
Unknown
Power
On
Connection
Bluetooth 5.0
Codec
SBC, 16-bit, 44.1kHz
EQ
No EQ
ANC
No ANC
Tip/Pad
Silicone (small)
Microphone
Integrated

Update 03/02/2022: We originally reported the Codec to be 'SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz'. However, it's 'SBC, 16-bit, 44.1kHz'. We have corrected our results and updated our review.

These are the settings used to test the Skullcandy Dime. Our results are only valid when using this configuration.

Isolation
6.7
Isolation
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-19.56 dB
Noise Cancelling No
Bass
-7.83 dB
Mid
-15.23 dB
Treble
-36.12 dB

These headphones have satisfactory noise isolation. They struggle to cut down bass-heavy noise like the rumble of bus or plane engines. They do a better job of reducing ambient chatter, though, and they can block out the high-pitched hum of an AC unit.

9.3
Isolation
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
25.49 dB

The Skullcandy Dime have a fantastic leakage performance. They don't leak a lot of sound, and the sound that escapes sounds thin. If you're listening to audio at a high volume, people around you shouldn't be able to hear it unless you're in a quiet setting like a library.

Microphone
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
Yes
In-Line
No
Boom
No
Detachable Boom
No
Mic Yes
6.9
Microphone
Recording Quality
Recorded Speech
LFE
293.44 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
5.58 dB
HFE
6,267.15 Hz
Weighted THD
0.326
Gain
12.36 dB

The integrated mic's recording quality is alright. It can capture your voice clearly, so you're understood by whoever's on the other end of the line. However, it doesn't sound very full-bodied or natural.

5.6
Microphone
Noise Handling
SpNR
7.42 dB
Noise Gate
No
Speech + Pink Noise Handling
6.0
Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
Speech + Subway Noise Handling
5.0
Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample

Update 03/02/2022: We originally scored the 'Speech + Subway Noise Handling' recording too harshly. After further evaluation, we're raising the score from '4.5' to '5.0' to better reflect its performance in these conditions.

The microphone has a sub-par noise handling performance. It struggles to separate your voice from moderate background noise, so those on the other end of the line may have trouble understanding you if you take a call in a loud environment like a train station.

Active Features
5.6
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
Rechargable
Continuous Battery Life
3.8 hrs
Additional Charges
2.5
Total Battery Life
13.3 hrs
Charge Time
0.9 hrs
Power-Saving Feature
No
Audio While Charging
Yes
Passive Playback
No
Charging Port micro-USB

Update 03/02/2022: While testing the second generation of these headphones, the Skullcandy Dime 2 True Wireless, we noticed that the earbuds would disconnect from the device, even if there was music playing. If the headphones weren't moved after some time, they would also turn off. However, when we tried the same thing with this generation, we couldn't replicate these results. As a result, 'Power-Saving Feature' remains as 'No'.

The Skullcandy Dime Earbuds have a sub-par battery performance. They're advertised to have a 12-hour total battery life, although we measured slightly more than that. They deliver under four hours of continuous playback time, which is less than the JBL Vibe 100TWS True Wireless' five hours. Luckily, the case holds around 2.5 additional charges, and it can fully recharge the headphones in just under an hour. You can also use one bud while the other one charges, but they don't have a power-saving feature to help conserve battery life. That said, battery life can vary depending on usage.

4.0
Active Features
App Support
App Name Skullcandy
iOS Yes
Android Yes
macOS No
Windows No
Equalizer
No
ANC Control
No
Mic Control No
Room Effects
No
Playback Control
No
Button Mapping No
Surround Support
No

Update 03/02/2022: Although Skullcandy advertises that these headphones don't support the Skullcandy app, we could connect them to the app. However, it recognizes the buds as the Skullcandy Dime 2 True Wireless, even though the firmware version and serial numbers are different depending on if the first-gen or second-gen is connected to the app. It's also not possible to rename the first-gen in the app. As a result, we have updated our review.

The Skullcandy Dime are compatible with the Skullcandy app, although it's advertised to not support these buds. The app is fairly limited, and there aren't any customization features to help you tweak their sound to your liking. That said, you can see the battery and volume levels, check the firmware version, access the product FAQ, and register the buds. You can also find the buds via Tile, but you need to download this app separately.

Connectivity
6.7
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version
5.0
Multi-Device Pairing
No
NFC Pairing
No
Line Of Sight Range
160.00 ft (48.77 m)
PC Latency (SBC)
243 ms
PC Latency (aptX)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX HD)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX-LL)
N/A
iOS Latency
163 ms
Android Latency
110 ms

The Skullcandy Dime have an okay Bluetooth performance. They don't support multi-device pairing, which is disappointing if you like to keep your headphones connected to your phone and laptop at the same time. They also have high latency on PC, so they may not be suitable for streaming videos. While they have somewhat high latency on iOS devices, their latency on Android devices is much lower, so you shouldn't notice too many issues with your audio or visuals being out of sync when connected to this kind of device. However, some apps and devices compensate for latency, so your real-world experience may vary.

0
Connectivity
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
Non-BT Line Of Sight Range
N/A
Non-BT Latency
N/A
0
Connectivity
Wired
Analog Audio
No
USB Audio
No
Detachable No
Length N/A
Connection
No Wired Option
Analog/USB Audio Latency
N/A

These headphones are wireless-only. They come with a micro-USB to USB-A cable to charge their carrying case.

Connectivity
PC Compatibility
Analog
No
Wired USB
No
Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
PlayStation Compatibility
PS4 Analog
No
PS4 Wired USB
No
PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
PS5 Analog
No
PS5 Wired USB
No
PS5 Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
Xbox Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
No
Xbox One Wired USB
No
Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
No
Xbox Series X|S Analog
No
Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
No
Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
No

These Bluetooth-only headphones aren't compatible with Xbox One or Xbox Series X consoles.

2.2
Connectivity
Base/Dock
Type
Charging Case
USB Input
No
Line In
No
Line Out
No
Optical Input
No
RCA Input
No
Dock Charging
Yes
Power Supply
USB

The Skullcandy Dime's charging case offers around 2.5 additional charges. It has a micro-USB input so you can charge the case, but it doesn't have any additional inputs.