MANILA, Philippines?When Beegirl of San Francisco, California, is in the mood for some music, she slips on her Skullcandy Ti Chick Stereo Headphones. Her headphones, which are huge, pink and furry, are a far cry from your boring old earphones. They are adorable, yes, but Beegirl insists that?s not the only attraction. She wrote online, ?These puppies are functional as well as cute.?

They are functional?and in some cases, crazily so.

Skullcandy, a brand that has already gained a cult following in the United States and other parts of the world, hit the country?s shores earlier this year.

Power, personality, attitude

Although Skullcandy offers apparel as well (the t-shirts are pretty cool), a huge chunk of its product lineup is devoted to earphones and headphones that pack a lot of power, personality and attitude.

And the good news? With the wide range of products, there?s bound to be a set of headphones or earphones to suit your needs, tastes and budget.

Beegirl?s choice, the Titanium, costs P4,500 and comes in a variety of other colors, not just furry pink. There?s white and gold, furry white, pink and white, gold and black, gold rasta, green and yellow and black. This DJ-style headset is equipped with 40mm titanium drivers to give you fast high-end response.

Big seller

The current big seller in the country is Hesh, and it?s no big surprise. For P2,500, you get stereo headphones that are packed with 50mm power. According to Skullcandy.com, ?This joint roars like a sea monster whupping Batman?s ass. Torture if inflicted upon you by someone else with bad taste in music.? It doesn?t hurt that they come in cool designs too, including red and black with zebra print.

If you like bass, pick up the Skullcrusher for P3,500. These headphones come equipped with stereo speakers plus mini-subwoofers in each ear. According to Skullcandy.com, ?Those pesky voices in your head will never know what hit ?em!?

Skullcandy G.I. is a major find for music warriors. Sold for P3,500, it comes with interchangeable ear pads, a travel bag and a home stereo adaptor. It comes in fun prints and colors including camo skulls.

A dozen colors

Lowriders are another big Skullcandy hit. Available in over a dozen colors, these headphones are sold for P2,000 each. Ultra-portable and completely foldable, these headphones are equipped with 40mm Power Drivers, 91 Degree swivel DJ Style speakers and come with a travel pouch and a 6.3mm stereo adaptor.

Check out iCon too, headsets that are so light they weigh less than 45 grams. You can switch colors with the hop-up set which comes with each package. P995 each, the headsets come in white and blue, white and pink and black.

Skullcandy?s Marc Frank Montoya headphones are extra special. Named after a world renowned Pro Snowboarder, this DJ-style headset comes with a built-in MP3 player.

To block out the sound of the outside world, Skullcandy also has noice-cancelling headphones (P5,000).

More goodies

If headphones aren?t your thing, Skullcandy has a lot of different earphones to offer as well. There?s the Full Jacket which comes in a metal alloy casing, P3,000; the Smokin? Buds, P995, and Link which is capable of dual connection for simultaneous use with your mobile phone and music player, P2,000.

You may also want to try Chops?soft touch sport earcups which are sold for P995. They come in a variety of colors as well.

As if the headphones and earphones aren?t enough to make you drool, Skullcandy also offers other goodies for musicphiles.

There?s the Skullcandy Link Pack which comes with a built-in MP3 player, amplifier, speaker and controls. The bag, which comes in two sizes and four colors, costs P7,500. There?s even a model with a hydropack, perfect for biking enthusiasts.

Another thing to check out is the MacGyver MP3 watch, which has a 1 gigabyte memory and is equipped with a 5-mode audio equalizer, a 3-D stereo sound, a shuffle play feature, voice recorder and USB cable?all for P6,000.

Skullcandy is a favorite of boardsports enthusiasts, but don?t worry, boards aren?t a requirement. Visit Republ1c and get a dose of Skullcandy.

Republ1c, which is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Mondays to Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays, is located at Unit 5 and 6 La Fuerza Plaza Don Chino Roces Ave., Makati. For inquiries, call 8640774 and 8640402. Skullcandy is also available in R.O.X. in Bonifacio High Street, J&S in Pasong Tamo, Go Gadgets, PowerMac, Mobile 1 and Axis.