Skullcandy - Push In-Ear True Wireless Sport Headphones
The version being tested is V1.5; Firmware V3.2.23, summer 2020
I’ve tried wireless (literally, no wires between earbuds or phone) earbuds before. Unfortunately, those previous efforts proved too frustrating to establish reliable Bluetooth connections. These Skullcandy earbuds are the easiest to connect of any other wireless earbuds I’ve used. Skullcandy’s App, is pretty limited in its functions, but it makes setup and achieving a reliable connection a breeze. I’ll get into details below, but spoiler …. very nice sound, but with comfort issues for me.
SETUP: Before you do anything else, install the Skullcandy App on your phone (iOS or Android). The App provides the most readable, most convenient, and most complete instructions. You’ll be directed to connect to Bluetooth, and the result is quick and repeatable. Low frustration.
There are 3 buttons on both earbuds that control every function. Redundancy that’s useful. It also means Skullcandy can enable a mono, single-earbud-only feature if you want to use only one earbud with full feature control. They both are fully functional as mono earbuds or stereo, and the earbuds know when one is being used, as long as you place the unused earbud back in the case.
The case is reasonably sized, but it’s a bit bulky for a pocket. It’s soft-touch and zippered closed for a reliable storage and charging solution. The case can be charged by the included cable as well as a charging plate. Although a longer button press turns off the earbuds, simply placing them back in the case does the same thing, and begins the charging process.
SOUND and COMFORT and USABILITY: Great and Not Great and Very Good
I really liked the sound quality. Very nicely balanced, broad tonal range with no extraordinary emphasis on any frequency. A button sequence gives you a “Music or Movie or Podcast” sound contour. This is an easy to get used to earbud with everything I listened to sounding enjoyable. I can easily recommend the Skullcandy based on sound, and my wife’s very favorable response to these earbuds suggests to me that they will be liked by others, also.
I really didn’t ever get completely comfortable with how these earbuds felt. They are very nicely designed and I love the way the supporting “hook” can be adjusted to ensure a snug and reliable fit. These earbuds, although unique in their style, remind me of the original wired Apple earbuds (if you add that “hook”). The material is a bit hard, designed to rest (as opposed to pushed) in the outer ear structure, and shaped so the sound is aimed down the ear canal without a tight fit. My wife has good luck with this design. Oddly, my left ear accommodated to the feel eventually. My right ear was never happy with the feel. I know; it’s me. My wife will lay claim to these. This is a reminder that personal comfort and a good return policy is important. My wife won’t let me send these back, but try them out for yourself.
That very easy and fast Bluetooth connection was repeatable and reliable. I did have occasional, very brief (1-2 second) sound interruptions that needed no intervention from me to get back to normal playing.
Other Features: Bluetooth Version 5.0
# IP67-rated for protection against water, dust, and sweat.
# Skullcandy includes access to TILE software and you have a pretty effective “FIND MY EARBUDS” feature. For no added charge there is a basic TILE functionality to send a warbling sound to the earbuds so you can find where they’ve fallen.
# Charging times:1 hour to charge earbuds in the case to 100%; 2 hours for the case to charge to 100%..
# Play Times: 6+ hours for earbuds; 10 minutes of charge provides 2+ hours’s of play time.
Keep the charge/storage case with you because there is 34+ hours of additional playtime available in the case before it needs recharging.
SUMMARY: There’s a lot to like about these earbuds. The sound quality is very pleasing and encourages long-term listening. Set-up and connectivity is fast and easy. TILE “Find My Earbuds” is thrown in as an added feature. The stability of that connection is mostly reliable, although I had some infrequent, very short, self-correcting, sound hiccups. If I have any reservations, it’s about comfort. But, this should not be a surprise. Earbuds especially, and especially of this design, are completely dependent on how your ear anatomy matches with this shape. Skullcandy has a one-size fits all design, that may not fit everyone. I can recommend them on sound quality, but you will want to try them on for fit.