Skullcandy Dime 3

Great connectivity, disappointing sound. Buy these for calls and podcasts, not for music.

The connectivity is the real surprise here. Bluetooth 5.3 with multipoint pairing lands in the 98th percentile, which means you can hop between your laptop and phone without the usual budget earbud drama. The mic is also solid at the 82nd percentile, so calls sound clearer than you'd expect for the price. But the 6mm dynamic driver struggles. Sound sits at the 9th percentile, and owners consistently mention weak bass and quiet volume at max. The 8-hour earbud battery is fine, but the 21st percentile overall battery ranking reflects that 12-hour case, which is stingy compared to competitors offering 30+ hours total.

The Soundcore P31i and EarFun Air Pro 4+ both beat the Dime 3 where it matters most: sound and battery. The P31i delivers noticeably better audio and a larger case battery for a similar price. The EarFun Air Pro 4+ adds ANC and a more refined sound signature, though it costs more. The Anker Space A40 is the pick if you want real noise cancelling on a budget, something the Dime 3 only pretends to do with its noise-isolating fit. The Dime 3's one genuine advantage is that multipoint pairing and Tile tracking combo, which none of these competitors match at this price.

At USD 20 to USD 35 depending on the vendor, the Dime 3 is cheap enough to be an impulse buy. But the value story is complicated. You're getting top-tier connectivity and a decent mic wrapped around bottom-tier sound. If you just need something for podcasts, calls, and casual listening, the lowest USD 20 listings make this a reasonable grab. But if you care about music at all, spend a bit more on the Soundcore P31i or EarFun Air Pro 4+ instead.

The Skullcandy Dime 3 is a budget true wireless earbud that gets the basics right and fumbles the details. You get Bluetooth 5.3, multipoint pairing, an IPX4 rating, and a genuinely useful integrated lanyard for under $35. But our database shows sound quality sitting in the bottom 10% of all earbuds we've tested, and user sentiment isn't much better at the 11th percentile. The one thing to know: this is a convenience-first earbud, not a sound-first one.

If you care about music quality, skip these. The sound is bottom-tier and the bass is weak. Go get the Soundcore P31i or EarFun Air Pro 4+ instead. If you want real noise cancelling, the Anker Space A40 is the better budget pick.

The Skullcandy Dime 3 is a frustrating product. The connectivity is genuinely impressive, the mic is solid, and the Tile tracker is a smart addition. But the sound quality is a real letdown, and the connectivity bugs owners report, like earbuds staying connected in the case, are the kind of thing that'll drive you nuts. If you're buying these for music, don't. If you want a cheap pair for calls and podcasts with multipoint, they're worth a look at the low end of the price range.