Skullcandy Dime 3 vs Dime Evo
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Quick Summary
If you’re stuck choosing between the Skullcandy Dime 3 and Dime Evo, here’s the short answer.
Dime 3 (white) and Dime Evo
Dime Evo is basically a Dime 4 – better sound (and bass), app support, and much longer battery life
Same tiny earbuds & controls – the Evo keeps the same overall Dime design
Dime 3 still wins on case size – much smaller and easier to pocket
Price matters – Dime 3 is usually cheaper, but the Evo is the better buy overall
TL;DR: If you’re choosing purely on performance, the Dime Evo is the clear winner. The only real reasons to buy the Dime 3 are the much smaller case and the lower price.
Connectivity
Both the Dime 3 and Dime Evo use Bluetooth 5.3 with multi-point. This means they can be connected to two devices at once, but they only play audio from one at a time.
Neither of these have active noise cancellation, but both passively seal out a lot of background noise and they have a stay aware mode.
Both devices have Tile.
Controls
Both devices use physical controls, which is both a big positive and negative. The good part is you won't accidentally press these easily when taking them on or off.
Unfortunately, when you do want to press them, unless you get the angle just right, you'll push these further into your ear which causes jarring pressure. There's not much tactile feedback, but they do mimic a click sound.
Below are the default controls for both earbuds (click to enlarge), but only the Dime 3’s controls can be customized.
Dime 3 controls
Dime Evo default controls
Case & Battery Life
Both earbuds last for a max of 8 hours without factoring in the case. (In reality, it’s closer to 5 hours)
The Dime 3’s case gives it 12 additional hours for a total of 20 and the Dime Evo’s case gives an additional 28 hours for a total of 36. They both charge with USB-C.
Here are the quick differences between the cases:
Dime 3
Pros
Very small, pocketable case
Magnetic earbud seating
Cons
Shorter total battery life (20 hours)
Occasionally doesn’t power on when removed from the case
Dime Evo
Pros
Much longer total battery life (36 hours)
Magnetic earbud seating
Clip-on option for bags or belt loops
Cons
Long, bulky case that’s uncomfortable in a pocket
Doesn’t fully seal shut and can slide open by itself
Awkward carabiner placement
Shared Issue
HUGE: Both earbuds don’t always turn off when placed in the case, even when the case is charged.
Headphone Audio Quality
The Dime Evo's audio quality is significantly better than the Dime 3, but it's not amazing.
I measured these with my miniDSP EARS (not industry standard) with the Dime 3 on "music", and Dime Evo set to all flat with a custom EQ.
On paper, the overall tuning looks pretty similar, though the Dime 3 measures with more sub-bass and more treble. While I do hear that extra treble in real use, the bass story is more complicated than the graph alone suggests.
If you turn on the bass boost EQ preset on these, the Evo can handle increased sub-bass far more without distorting. It is surprisingly strong for the price. The Dime 3 always sounds a bit tinny in the mids and highs, and it cannot push the bass to the level of the Dime Evo while maintaining clarity.
While the Dime Evo has legitimate bass, the sub-bass isn't as strong and full as Skullcandy's higher end products like the Rail ANC.
Honestly the Evo has some pretty tough competition even amongst other super budget earbuds. I feel the JLab Pop+ and JBL Vibe Beam 2 beat it out in terms of both bass power and clarity but I won't get into the weeds here, and I'll make a separate article for those earbuds.
One downside both Dimes share is a very noticeable noise floor. Anytime audio is playing — especially at low volumes or when sounds start and stop — there’s a very distracting hiss.
Microphone Audio Quality
These seem to be using the same microphone. The clarity isn’t amazing, but they cut out a decent amount of background noise. They’re pretty standard Bluetooth mics - I’ve yet to hear one that’s legitimately good.
Comfort and Build
I give both of these a B in comfort, and there’s no real difference between them that I could discern. These are pretty standard with a 3 pairs of soft, plastic eartips. The stem occasionally makes contact with my skin, but not too much.
The only reason they don't get an A is because both of these very gradually slide out over time, even the largest size.
Fortunately, unlike sensitive touch controlled buds, pushing them back in doesn't activate any controls unless you press extra hard and click the physical button.
The build, meh. C. It’s all plastic, except the magnetic charging portion.
Durability is quite weak on the Evo, but I think both are the same. The right button of my Dime Evo got jammed in somehow, so I have to press it in very deep for it to accept presses.
They're both rated IPX4, meaning they're water resistant for splashes, but can't be fully submerged.
Software
Only the Dime Evo actually gets a phone app so it wins this category by default. It uses the Skullcandy app, but fortunately it doesn't retain some of the most irritating software features in the Method ANC.
I have two main gripes with the app. First, it isn't that reliable in actually recognizing the earbuds. Secondly, the voice prompts in both are incredibly loud and cannot be turned down.
Some of what you can control in the app:
equalization, though you only get one custom 5-band EQ
toggle stay aware mode and adjust its volume
change the controls
