The Skullcandy Jib Wireless are mediocre wireless in-ears for most use cases but have a decent sound. They have a simple and easy-to-use design, that's compact enough to fit in your pockets. They're also sufficiently stable for running, which makes them a good option for sports. Unfortunately, they have a weak build quality especially compared to other in-ears in their price range. They also have a bulky module on their cable that's slightly bothersome and no volume controls which is a little disappointing.
Our Verdict
Okay for neutral listening. The Skullcandy Jib have a decently well-balanced frequency response although they can sound a bit boomy and cluttered. On the upside, they should sound good enough for most listeners and pack a good amount of bass that will sound exciting on most tracks. Unfortunately, they do not have a large and spacious soundstage due to their small closed-back design, which won't be ideal for more neutral listening.
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Simple and compact design.
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Very low leakage.
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Good Bass.
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Mediocre-at-best noise isolation.
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Weak build quality.
Decent for commuting. They're compact and fit into most pockets. They also have a decent control scheme that you can use on the go with your phone. Unfortunately, the in-ear fit does not block as much noise as typical in-ear headphones but should be fine if you're playing your music at higher than average volumes.
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Simple and compact design.
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Very low leakage.
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Good Bass.
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Mediocre-at-best noise isolation.
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Weak build quality.
Good for sports. These headphones have a decently stable in-ear fit, they're wireless and small enough to carry around on your person wherever you go. Unfortunately, though functional, their in-line remote doesn't have volume controls and the module on the back of the cable may cause the earbuds to slip out of your ears during more intense physical exercises.
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Simple and compact design.
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Very low leakage.
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Good Bass.
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Mediocre-at-best noise isolation.
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Weak build quality.
Fair for office use. The Skullcandy Jib Wireless don't leak, so you can mask the ambient noise of a lively office by playing your audio at higher than average volumes.
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Simple and compact design.
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Very low leakage.
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Good Bass.
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Mediocre-at-best noise isolation.
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Weak build quality.
Sub-par for gaming. They have a mediocre-at-best mic, lack customization options and have a bit too much latency to be suitable for gaming. They're also Bluetooth only headphones that will not pair with your Xbox One or PS4.
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Simple and compact design.
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Very low leakage.
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Good Bass.
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Mediocre-at-best noise isolation.
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Weak build quality.
- 6.7 Neutral Sound
- 7.0 Commute/Travel
- 7.6 Sports/Fitness
- 6.6 Office
- 5.1 Wireless Gaming
- 5.1 Wired Gaming
- 6.8 Phone Calls
- Updated Nov 12, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
- Updated Mar 11, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Jul 06, 2018: Review published.
- Updated Jul 04, 2018: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Jul 02, 2018: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Jun 27, 2018: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Compared To Other Headphones
The Skullcandy Jib Wireless are a basic wireless in-ear decent enough for most use cases, and one of the best cheap earbuds we've tested. They have moderately balanced sound, a fair battery life and wireless range, and a simple design that's easy to use but doesn't volume controls. They're also a bit more comfortable than typical in-ears thanks to their small buds. Unfortunately, they do not come with a lot of tip options, and their build quality doesn't feel as durable as some of the other wireless in ears in their price range compared below. They also do not block noise as well as more conventional in-ear designs. See our recommendations for the best wireless earbuds under $50 and the best earbuds for bass.
Despite their similar names, the Skullcandy Jib Wireless and Skullcandy Jib True Wireless are very differently designed headphones each with their strengths. The Jib have an in-line microphone with better noise-handling capability and noticeably lower wireless latency on iOS and Android devices. However, the Jib True are better built, block out more ambient noise, leak less audio, and last longer on a single charge. They're also more portable courtesy of their truly wireless design.
The Skullcandy Jib Wireless are better mixed-usage headphones than the KZ ZST. Their wireless design makes them more versatile and noticeably better for sports. They also have a microphone and controls, which the ZST lacks. On the other hand, the ZST are noticeably better built and feel more durable than the cheap, plasticky Skullcandy Jib. Also, the wired ZST won’t give you any latency issues, while the Jib Bluetooth connection might result in a noticeable delay.
The JBL E25BT Wireless are slightly better headphones than the Skullcandy Jib, but not by much. The JBL have a better build quality and a longer-lasting battery life. The E25BT also have a slightly better-balanced sound and better cable management, so the module on the back of their cable will not bounce around as much if you use the clip. On the other hand, the Jib have a better mid-range and will not sound as sharp on some S and T sounds.
The Skullcandy Jib Wireless are better headphones than the 1More Piston Fit. These wireless headphones are more stable for sports, have better sound quality, and don't have mismatched drivers like the Piston Fit. On the other hand, they are cheaply made and have a sub-par battery life, unlike the wired Piston Fit.
Test Results
The Skullcandy Jib have a simple and straightforward wireless design. They have small in-ear buds that look a bit cheap and a thin cable that has an additional module to house the battery. They look fairly similar to the Sony WI-C300, but have a larger module that will be a bit more annoying for some. On the upside, it's fairly lightweight. They come in a couple of color schemes but only the earbuds are a different color, which might not be worth it for some. If you prefer the look and cable-free design of a pair of truly wireless headphones, consider the Skullcandy Jib True Wireless.
The Skullcandy Jib Wireless are decently comfortable wireless in-ears. Their buds are very small and do not have many points of contact with the outer parts of your ear canal like conventional in-ears. This makes them a bit less fatiguing to wear for long listening sessions. Unfortunately, they do not come with as many tip options as some of the other in-ears we've tested like the Mee audio M6 PRO, which would have improved their overall comfort level. Also, like the WI-C300, the bulky module on the back of the cable may get a bit bothersome since it will bounce up and down when working out or running unless tucked into a shirt.
These headphones have an in-line remote with a multifunction button for track skipping and call management but no volume controls. It's a little disappointing, especially compared to similarly designed headphones like the WI-C300 or the MEE audio M9B. On the upside, since it's only one button it's really easy to use and delivers decent feedback when pressed.
The Skullcandy Jib Wireless, like most in-ears, have good breathability. They do not touch any parts of your outer ear, so they will not make your ears warmer than usual. They're also a bit smaller than typical in-ears, so they barely cause any temperature difference even during more strenuous activities. They're a good option for sports and working out.
The Skullcandy Jib, like most in-ears, are portable headphones that will easily fit into your pockets. Their earbuds are smaller than typical in-ear designs, but since they have an additional module on their cable they are slightly bulkier overall. They won't be as portable as the Jaybird Freedom but they are still compact enough to easily carry on your person at all times. Unfortunately, they also do not come with a case.
The Skullcandy Jib Wireless have a mediocre-at-best build quality with thin cables. The earbuds are lightweight but look cheap. The in-line remote feels a bit plasticky and has no volume controls, and the audio cable is thin and not as rubberized as some of the other headphones we've tested in their price range like the MEE audio M9B or the Anker Soundcore Spirit X. This all results in a build quality that feels a bit cheap and not very durable. On the upside, they should be sturdy enough for most casual use cases.
The Jib Wireless have decently stable wireless in-ear but also have a fairly bulky module on their audio cable that bounces around if not tucked under your shirt. It pulls slightly on the earbuds making them a bit less stable than other wireless in-ears with a similar design. They also do not come with any additional stability tips so they may occasionally slip out of your ears during more strenuous workouts (see our recommendations for the best earbuds for working out).
- Skullcandy Jib Wireless Headphones
- Earbud tips (x3 sizes)
- USB charging cable
- Manual
The frequency response consistency is excellent. If the user is able to achieve a proper fit and an air-tight seal using the assortment of tips that come with the headphones, then they should be able to get consistent bass and treble delivery every time they use the headphones.
The Skullcandy Jib have a good bass response. LFE (low-frequency extension) is at 10Hz, which is excellent. The overall response throughout the bass range is even and flat but consistently overemphasized, especially in high-bass. This results in a heavy and deep bass, but could also sound boomy and overpower vocals and lead instruments.
The mid-range performance is very good. Low-mid shows a 5dB tilt favoring lower frequencies. This adds a little bit of clutter to the overall sound and makes vocals a tad thick. The 5dB recess around 700Hz nudges vocals towards the back of the mix. High-mid is even and balanced.
The treble performance is above-average. Low-treble is pretty even and flat but underemphasized by about 2dB. Mid-treble is a bit less even, but also underemphasized by almost 3dB. This makes the overall treble balanced but on the darker/veiled side.
The imaging performance is excellent. The weighted group delay is at 0.14, which is very low. The GD graph also shows that the entire group delay response is below the audibility threshold. This ensures a tight bass and a transparent treble reproduction. Additionally, the L/R drivers of our test unit were very well-matched, which is important for the accurate placement and localization of objects (instruments, voice, footsteps), in the stereo image.
The soundstage is poor. This is because creating an out-of-head and speaker-like soundstage is largely dependent on activating the resonances of the pinna (outer ear). The design of in-ears and earbuds is in such a way that fully bypasses the pinna and doesn't interact with it. Also, because these headphones have a closed-back enclosure, their soundstage won't be perceived to be as open as that of open-back earbuds like the Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless, Google Pixel Buds, or the Bose SoundSport Free.
The Skullcandy Jib have a mediocre isolation performance. In the bass range, where the rumble of bus and airplane engines sit, they achieve about 5dB of isolation, which is inadequate. In the mid-range, important for cutting out speech, they isolate by more than 17dB, which is good. In the treble range, occupied by sharp S and T sounds, they isolate by about 32dB, which is also good.
The leakage performance is great. Similar to most other closed-back in-ears, these headphones don't leak in the bass and mid ranges. The significant portion of their leakage is in the treble range and between 3KHz and 7KHz, which is quite a narrow range. The overall level of the leakage is not loud either. With the music 100dB SPL the leakage at 1 foot away averages at 31dB SPL and peaks at around 50dB SPL, which is about the same as the noise floor of an average office.
The microphone has a sub-par recording quality. The bump in low-bass makes this mic prone to pops and low-rumbling noises. The dip around 100Hz makes recorded speech a bit thin. The HFE (high-frequency extension) of 3.3KHz results in a speech that is muffled and lacking in detail.
Update 03/31/2022: These headphones have been updated to test bench 1.5. In this update, we made changes to the way we test noise handling. We now use a subjective evaluation of our audio clips. This new method has resulted in different results than what we had reported in our previous test bench. As a result, the scoring of this box has changed, and we have updated our results.
The noise handling of Jib's microphone is good. It can separate your voice from moderate ambient noise well, so you'll be heard clearly, even if you're taking a call from a busy street.
These headphones have a passable 5.8-hour battery life. You can't use them while they are charging, and they do not automatically turn off once connected to a Bluetooth source. They're also Bluetooth-only headphones with no passive playback and take surprisingly long to charge for their average battery life.
These headphones do not come with a compatible app for added customization options.
Update 03/31/2022: These headphones were updated to Test Bench 1.5 and their latency values have changed. Our previous Test Bench 1.4 measurements reported 'PC Latency' at 183 ms, 'iOS Latency' at 224 ms, and 'Android Latency' at 243 ms. However, our new test bench uses an average of three measurements instead of one, resulting in 252 ms of latency on PC, 118 ms on iOS, and 144 ms on Android. As a result, we have updated our text to better reflect test bench 1.5 measurements.
The Skullcandy Jib have just okay Bluetooth connectivity. They don't support multi-device or NFC pairing. They also have high latency on PCs, so your audio and visuals may fall out of sync. Their latency on iOS and Android devices is much lower, making them a better choice if you like to stream video. Some apps and devices compensate for latency, though.
The Skullcandy Jib Wireless are Bluetooth-only headphones with no wired option. If you want a decent sounding, wired design with a universal in-line remote, then check out the 1More Triple Driver In-Ear.
These in-ear buds do not have a dock. If you want a headphone that's versatile and has a dock, try the SteelSeries Arctis 7. However, it won't be as compact and easy-to-carry around on your person.