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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-25 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• Skullcandy Dime 2 — biggest strength: a genuinely pocket-sized design with an integrated lanyard and built-in Tile finding technology, so losing a bud is far less of a disaster.
• Skullcandy Dime 2 — biggest trade-off: the lightest battery of the two at up to 12 hours total (3.5 in the buds, 8.5 in the case), and it charges over Micro-USB.
• Groovz True — biggest strength: up to 27 hours of total playtime (5 in the buds, 22 in the case) plus an LED battery display on the case so you can see your charge at a glance.
• Groovz True — biggest trade-off: it's a bulkier case with no lanyard and no tracking feature, so it's a "keep it in your bag" pair rather than a "clip it anywhere" pair.
• Buy the Skullcandy Dime 2 if you want the most portable, hardest-to-lose budget earbuds for commuting, walking and quick errands.
• Buy the Groovz True if you want the longest runtime, newer Bluetooth and noise cancellation for long workdays, flights and calls.
The Dime 2 is built around one idea: getting out of your way. The buds are tiny, the case is plastic and pocket-able, and there's an integrated lanyard so you can hang the whole thing off a backpack zipper, a belt loop or a keyring. In my opinion that lanyard is the single most underrated feature here — it's the difference between earbuds that live in your pocket and earbuds that live in a drawer because you keep forgetting them.
The spec sheet tells a coherent story for casual, on-the-go listening. Bluetooth 5.2 with a 10-metre range is fine for a phone in your pocket or on a desk. The 6 mm dynamic drivers cover a 20 Hz–20,000 Hz range at 16 ohm impedance and 95 dB sensitivity, which is a normal, easy-to-drive profile for a phone — nothing exotic, but nothing that will struggle either. IPX4 sweat and water resistance means rain and gym sweat are acceptable, though I wouldn't dunk them. Battery is up to 12 hours total, split as 3.5 hours in the buds and 8.5 in the case, and charging is via Micro-USB, which is the one spec that dates this product in 2026.
The clever bit is Tile finding technology: register the product in the Tile app and you can locate the buds if they go missing nearby or further away. Combine that with the lanyard and you get a pair that's unusually hard to lose for the money. There's no active noise cancellation — noise control is listed as "None" — so isolation comes purely from the rounded-tip in-ear seal. Media controls run through the app or the buds themselves. A 1-year USA limited warranty backs it up.
Who should buy it: students, commuters, runners and anyone who wants a light, cheap-feeling-but-capable second pair they can clip to a bag and forget about. Who should skip it: heavy users who hate charging, anyone who wants active noise cancellation, and anyone who has fully moved to USB-C and doesn't want to carry a Micro-USB cable.
The Groovz True is the more feature-dense of the two. The headline number is battery: up to 27 hours total, with 5 hours in the earbuds and 22 hours in the charging case. That's more than double the Dime 2's total runtime, which matters a lot if you're the type of person who never remembers to charge anything. The case also has an LED battery display, so you can see how much charge is left before you walk out the door — a small thing that removes a lot of low-battery anxiety.
Bluetooth 5.3 is the newer standard here, and pairing is described as instant, with smart touch controls for playlists and calls. Dual microphones with noise reduction are there specifically for calls, which is where the Groovz True is strongest: the spec sheet lists active noise cancellation as the noise control method, so you're getting both quieter listening and clearer conversation. The frequency range matches the Dime 2 at 20 Hz–20,000 Hz with dynamic drivers, so the raw audio architecture is comparable; the difference is in the extras around it.
Fit is handled with three ear tip sizes (S, M, L) rather than one, which is genuinely useful because a proper seal is what makes in-ear bass and isolation work. It's IPX4 water resistant, same rating as the Dime 2, and the design is also plastic with rounded tips. The colour on this model is Peacock, and Groovz leans into "earbuds with personality" as a selling point. It's also described as designed and engineered in the USA. The case is a wireless charging case, though there's no lanyard and no built-in tracking, so this is a pair you keep in a bag or on a desk rather than clip to your keys.
Who should buy it: people who take a lot of calls, work from home, travel, or just want one pair that lasts through a long day without babysitting the charger. Who should skip it: minimalists who want the smallest possible case, and anyone who specifically wants a tracking feature to find lost buds.
• Best battery life → Groovz True. Up to 27 hours total versus up to 12 hours on the Dime 2.
• Best portability → Skullcandy Dime 2. Compact case, integrated lanyard, and a tiny 0.03 kg build.
• Best for calls → Groovz True. Dual microphones with noise reduction and active noise cancellation.
• Best for not losing your buds → Skullcandy Dime 2. Built-in Tile finding technology plus the lanyard.
• Best connectivity → Groovz True. Bluetooth 5.3 versus Bluetooth 5.2.
• Best charging convenience → Groovz True. A wireless charging case and an LED battery display; the Dime 2 uses Micro-USB.
• Best fit flexibility → Groovz True. Three ear tip sizes (S, M, L) versus the Dime 2's single included eartip.
• Best for outdoor sweat and rain → a tie. Both are rated IPX4.
• Best warranty confidence → Skullcandy Dime 2. A 1-year USA limited warranty is explicitly listed.
If I were buying for myself, I'd take the Groovz True. The 27-hour total battery, Bluetooth 5.3, active noise cancellation, dual-mic call handling and the LED charge display are the things I'd actually notice day after day, and the three ear tip sizes make a proper seal much more likely. The Dime 2 is the better pick only if portability and anti-loss features are your top priority — the lanyard and Tile tracking are genuinely smart, and it's the lighter, more clip-and-go option. In my opinion the Groovz True is the more complete everyday pair, and the Dime 2 is the better travel-and-backup pair. Either way, check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since both sit in the budget tier and small differences matter.
Not universally — it depends on what you value. The Groovz True wins on battery (up to 27 hours vs up to 12), Bluetooth version (5.3 vs 5.2), noise cancellation and call microphones. The Dime 2 wins on portability and anti-loss features thanks to its lanyard and built-in Tile finding technology.
No. Its noise control field is listed as "None," so isolation comes only from the in-ear seal. The Groovz True, by contrast, lists active noise cancellation, which is a real functional difference if you want to block out background sound.
Skullcandy Dime 2: up to 12 hours total — 3.5 hours in the earbuds plus 8.5 hours in the case. Groovz True: up to 27 hours total — 5 hours in the earbuds plus 22 hours in the case. If charging often annoys you, the Groovz True is the easier pair to live with.
Both are rated IPX4, so they handle sweat and light rain. Neither is rated for full submersion. The Groovz True's three ear tip sizes make it easier to get a secure, sealed fit, which matters more during movement than the water rating itself.
The Skullcandy Dime 2. Register it in the Tile app and you can locate the buds, and the integrated lanyard gives you somewhere obvious to clip the case. The Groovz True has neither feature.
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See also: RED STAR TEC T-90 vs Groovz Open-Ear Plus True, TALIX Open Ear Clip-On vs Groovz Plus True: True Wireless, Philips True vs StitchGreen LX-10