‘$10 and the best for any song with bass’: Woman says Skullcandy headphones are the reason why she’s ‘going deaf’ at 25. Are they harmful?

A content creator is going viral on TikTok after suggesting that Skullcandy’s headphone products are responsible for early deafness.

In her video, Sarah Tonen (@sarahtonen) said she believes that Skullcandy earbuds are the culprit for deafness in Gen-Z users, specifically.

“The reason that all of us are going deaf at 25, 26 is because of Skullcandy earbuds,” she said. “No one can tell me differently.”

Tonen doubled down on her take in the accompanying video caption, where she suggested that the supposed side effect of using the ear buds would eventually lead to some sort of class-action suit.

“I feel a wind in the east,” she wrote. “A lawsuit [is] coming in.” As of Friday, Tonen’s video had amassed more than 6.6 million views. 

What are Skullcandy headphones?

Despite expanding to the premium audio market, Skullcandy is known as a popular Walmart brand of accessible, affordable headphones that were popular with teens. Their checkout aisle prevalence means tons of young people have worn them since the company was founded in 2003.

Can Skullcandy products cause deafness? 

There’s no evidence suggesting that Skullcandy products, specifically, lead to hearing loss. But that hasn’t stopped buyers from asking the question. In a 2023 Reddit post in the r/Skullcandy subreddit, one user said that they were “seriously considering” buying their headphones, but was curious whether others had experienced ear damage as a result of them.

“I want to know if there is any damage that is done to the ears or head with the bass,” the redditor asked. They also wondered what users recommended setting the maximum volume to.

In the comments, viewers said that Skullcandy buyers only risk ear damage if they listen to music at high volumes—which can be said of any headphones or earbuds.

“The real damage is done when you listen to it at a high volume, but if you keep it at a moderate volume and the bass all the way up, you should be fine,” one commenter advised. 

Why were these products so popular? What made Skullcandy different?

Part of what makes Skullcandy headphones so popular is that its lineup covers a wide range of price points for wired and wireless models that fit either in-ear, on-ear, and over-ear. One review website said that the brand is unique, in part, because it sells bass-heavy headphones with “intense haptic bass that wearers can feel.” It added, too, that select models have noise-canceling capabilities.

On its website, however, Skullcandy warns buyers against listening to music at excessively loud volumes. 

“Over exposure to excessive sound levels can damage your ears resulting in permanent noise-induced hearing loss,” they said. Skullcandy also issued a set of guidelines on  “maximum time exposure to sound pressure levels before hearing damage occurs.”

And in its safe use and hazard warnings, Skullcandy advised only turning up the volume far enough to hear properly. It said that ringing in the ears means that your product’s volume is too high. “Have your hearing checked by an audiologist on a regular basis,” it said. “If you experience wax buildup, discontinue use until a medical professional has examined your ears.”

Viewers say they’ve experienced hearing loss—but it’s unclear if Skullcandy is the culprit 

In the comments of Tonen’s video, some viewers who say that they wear Skullcandy products reported hearing loss. 

“I’m a cashier… oml I have to say ‘what’d you say’ legit a million times throughout my shift bc I can’t freaking hear,” one user shared. 

“Them [expletives] were $10 and the best things for any song with bass,” another said. “This checks.”

“Those gumy airbuds STAYED at an unsafe noise level,” a third person wrote. 

“I had to turn my volume up to hear you,” a fourth user quipped. 

Others, however, said that the problem might not lie with Skullcandy—but with listeners. 

“Are you sure it was the ear buds and not the level in which we were listening [to] said music at,” one viewer asked. 

“It is because we ignored the warnings our devices gave us when we used to raise the volume up all the way,” another person added. 

“I think it’s actually bc i feel like my music is never loud enough,” a third Skullcandy buyer admitted.

Regardless of the dangers that come with listening to music at excessively high levels, though, some users said that they simply don’t care enough to change their ways.

@sarahtonen I feel a wind in the east… a lawsuits coming in???? #skullcandy #joke #dontsueme ♬ original sound - Sarah Tonen

“Jokes on you I’m wearing skull candy headphones,” one person said. 

“Leave my and my skull candy alone,” another joked.

The Daily Dot has reached out to Tonen via TikTok comment and to Skullcandy by email.

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