I'm often asked if I know of any excellent but cheap upgrade earbuds, because the querying party doesn't want to spend a lot but still demands superior audio performance. My answer is always "No." After all, you get what you pay for, right? Skullcandy is a manufacturer that offers reasonably priced earphone upgrades, but they're certainly not cheap. At $80, I consider the Skullcandy iPhone FMJ a great example of affordable, quality earphones that provide a big step up from the 'buds you'll get with almost any digital music player or cell phone.

The headphones are ergonomically well designed but may be a bit flashy for some—you'll either love or hate these edgy earbuds that feature earpieces emblazoned with skulls. There are black, silver, and chrome versions—mine were silver. The cable is bright silver in a transparent plastic coating, and the mic and phone button sit on an oblong, capsule-shaped piece of plastic on the left earpiece's cable. Also included is a small carrying case with a black, rubbery circular zip-up pouch featuring an embossed skull logo.

The iPhone FMJ has a thin 3.5mm connector that—you guessed it—works with the iPhone's recessed jack. It also features an in-line (on-the-cable) microphone so that you can answer calls and drop them with a click of its single button near the mic. The earphones sat well in my ear and eliminated some outside noise without ever coming loose. This should hold true for most ear types, since the iPhone FMJ comes with a few different silicon ear-tip sizes.

Anyone who compares these earphones to the earbuds that come with the iPhone will immediately notice the difference. First of all, since they are earphones, they go inside the ear canal a bit, as opposed to earbuds, which are flat and generally don't create a good seal. The most noticeable difference is the increase in low-end frequencies, or bass, with the iPhone FMJ. It's not booming, but it's certainly present, making tracks from The Knife, for example, an electronic group that features deep bass beats, feel much fuller than they ever could with earbuds. I just wish the sound were a bit brighter. And even with its rounder low end, the iPhone FMJ doesn't distort at high volumes. (Still, you shouldn't be listening to sound that loud if you want to be able to hear 30 years from now!)

The phone feature of the iPhone FMJ worked perfectly—I made and received calls on an iPhone with no problems. When you're listening to music, the ringtone from a call will interrupt, and pressing the button on the in-line mic answers the call. To disconnect you press it again to resume your tunes.

The iPhone FMJ's closest competitors are probably the lower-end offerings from Shure (which require an optional accessory to work with the iPhone) and Ultimate Ears (the Super.fi 4 vi is iPhone-ready), as well as some gym-friendly (but non-iPhone compatible) options from Sennheiser. Spend some more cash ($179) and buy the Etymotic hf2 if you're looking for high-caliber audio performance in a dedicated iPhone stereo headset. At this lower price point, however, the Skullcandy iPhone FMJ may not be a standout audio performer, but it delivers dependable sound in a flashy and interesting package.

Skullcandy offers a limited lifetime warranty on all its products. For more information, visit: http://www.skullcandy.com/warranty-information.html

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