Headphone Review: Skullcandy Derrick Rose Hesh

Skullcandy’s new line of headphones was built in collaboration with some of the basketball scene's top players of the day: Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls shares the limelight with the likes of Kobe Bryant, and Dwyane Wade.

I don’t follow the NBA, but it sure was sweet how the Bulls' angry ox logo is emblazoned on each ear muff. Plus, the headband is set off nicely with Rose’s number one jersey on top. I’ve also seen the Miami Heat version and the white and red on that is hands down head-turning.

The Chicago Bulls fan will go gaga over these, to say nothing of Rose fanatics, especially with the excellent red and black color scheme. It's stylish and sleek, with the ubiquitous SK logo in silver at the top of each muff.

Sound range

Like all SK Hesh headsets, these are comfy to wear throughout the day and offer enough sonic isolation from the outside world to let you enjoy your tunes in peace. Just don’t have them on while crossing the street or operating heavy machinery. It’ll muffle the rest of the world and make your reaction times way slower.

Fortunately, this is a good thing when it comes to blasting out tracks: the highs are cutting but always smooth. Things can get grating at higher levels past your volume knob's halfway point, but that pretty much goes for everything anyway.

The lows are where the DR Hesh shines, though, with an attack that’s cutlass clean and yet solid —a rarity in some of today’s more stylishly designed headphones.

Albums on play

I put it through its paces with the new Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds album, plus new stuff from Meshuggah and punk icons Bad Religion. Hip-hop and soul also shine here, especially those with the driving bass oomph. There’s absolutely nothing lacking there, and in fact even enhanced some songs when you listen to the FLAC version.

To balance it out I put, on some shoegaze with My Bloody Valentine’s MBV and some post-rock (Cormorant and Godspeed You! Black Emperor), and only then did it show some signs of slowing down with the higher mids cutting off a bit.

Trust me, those Brits and Canadians do know their midrange boosts. Jazz can also be flat unless you tweak the levels on your stereo.

I guess that’s what SK calls its “Supreme Sound.” It’s not that supreme to me (of course the higher-end Boses deliver better sound, pound for pound) but it sure is mighty sweet for this unit's middle range price (at Php P4,950).

Design notes

A double-edged sword, though, is the unpluggable cord with two male ends. Now, this is great for those times when a quick tug of said cord is necessary —like, oh, I don’t know, maybe when you actually need to answer your phone?

The SK design guys also thought about this and crafted a built-in mic (called the Mic1) with features that allow you to switch the track, take or make calls, play or pause, and works with most smartphones that don’t need proprietary peripherals to work.

Nifty, that. But you can also pretty much lose the darn thing, especially if you’re a disorganized guy like me who leaves stuff everywhere. The almost neon red color of the cord (which is the “no tangle” kind, by the by) might help you to find it in a dimly lighted room. But otherwise, you’re out of luck and will need to buy another. And no, SK doesn’t sell just the cord.

Another issue is the weight of this thing. It’s almost as heavy as an old iPhone, though of course when you buy headsets you’re not expecting stashability or a three ounce object. But still, wearing this around your neck for the whole day or on your noggin WILL get tiring. Okay? You have been duly warned.

Lastly, the cloth that wraps around the headband and makes it softer will definitely accrue dirt and grime overtime unless you keep a conspicuously clean skull. Well, everything gets dirty and this one’s no different. The package comes with a black stash bag that’ll hopefully make it last longer with that just-out-of-the-box shine.

With 50mm drivers and the kind delectable ear blasting times you can spend with this those who want a taste of the world of audiophile heaven can start with the DR Hesh and sample the sonic entre. — TJD, GMA News