Skullcandy Holua

Skullcandy Holua

Skullcandy’s Holua earbuds couple bodacious fashion sense with ridiculous portions of bass. “The wood is good,” says the packaging, calling attention to the fact that these buds’ shells are crafted from once-live trees. We don’t know if the wood is responsible for the Holua’s double-deep bass response, but the tiny fashion plates delivered glowingly warm bottom end with everything from the Fab Four’s forlorn “She’s Leaving Home” to the White Rabbits’ masterful rattler “Percussion Gun.” In the words of Pat Travers, “Boom-boom, out go the lights.” But when it came time to evaluate their delivery of anything higher than mid range, from the fret noise on Stevie Ray Vaughn’s haunting “Love by the Drop” to the immaculate vocal separation on the aforementioned “She’s Leaving Home,” the little woodies just couldn’t get it up. If “how do they look?” is as important to you as “how do they sound?” nothing else in this round-up comes close to matching the Holua’s style, from the exotic wood to the chic rope-like cord (with an in-line mic for your cell phone). If your quest is for a more perfect harmonic union, keep looking.