The earbuds are also IP55 rated for water and dust resistance, making them a great option for outdoor activities. Overall, these earbuds are a great choice for anyone looking for a reliable, versatile wireless audio option. Though our team generally prefers physical buttons over touch-based controls, the large touch-surface area on these earbuds is more forgiving than other similar systems we’ve tested. It’s still not as foolproof as earbuds that have mechanical buttons to press, but because we didn’t have frequent misfires, we forgave this minor drawback.
The A40’s dual-device connectivity allows you to pair with two Bluetooth sources simultaneously. This is handy when switching back and forth between video conferences on your laptop and streaming music from your phone. I hold a bachelor’s degree in both music performance and audio production from Ithaca College, and I also have tested more than a thousand pairs of headphones and earbuds while working for Wirecutter. You can charge skullcandy bluetooth headphones using the provided usb cable. Plug the cable into a wall adapter or computer and connect it to the charging port on the headphones. Connecting your skullcandy bluetooth headphones correctly ensures the best listening experience, and the following benefits can be expected.
All the earbuds that rely on friction with the ear to stay secure, like the Airpods Pro, work fine outside and for some indoor riding. If you have a truly epic indoor ride though you run the risk of sweat causing a loose feeling and capacitive buttons being pressed when you reposition. In those situations, the Powerbeats Pro end up being more comfortable even for Android users. If you thought the Pixel Buds Pro were expensive though, these are even more money and they lack noise cancellation or hear-through modes.
Those who want to block out higher pitches such as voices or baby cries will find that the Fit Pro offers solid noise isolation. One trick I discovered that helps to combat my ANC collywobbles is to have music playing before activating the noise cancellation. Somehow this keeps my brain occupied enough to reduce the psychosomatic unease. Indoors both modes do work but it can feel very odd to ride with a lack of sound because of a good active noise cancelling system. It all goes back to the point made in the beginning that there’s not a universal pair of headphones that’s best at everything. Adding active noise cancellation is better for everyday use but expect to turn it off when riding a bike.
The charging case holds an additional 18 hours but lacks the option for wireless charging and isn’t as small as we’d like. These true wireless earbuds are among the smallest we’ve seen, and we’re curious to see if they will fit people with very small ears who frequently struggle skull headphones to keep true wireless earbuds in place. The JBuds Mini will have six hours of battery life per charge, and the pair features dual-device connectivity and background-noise-reducing microphones. Once you’ve worked that out, you want to think about what features matter to you.
Usually, you don’t have to spend more than $100 to get a good pair of Skullcandy headphones. Well, the bass lacks a little punch and they’ve got a little too much presence boost (treble push) that leads to them sounding very bright at times. That can be OK with well-recorded tracks but it can lead to some harshness with others. You can really hear it on tracks with tambourines, cymbals or hi-hats (a combination of two cymbals and a foot pedal) and the brightness can lead to some listening fatigue. The Skullcandy Indy wireless earbuds are an $80 AirPods alternative.
Venue were the first Bluetooth noise-cancelling headphones from this brand, and they implemented it really well. With a simple press of the ANC button, you can activate Monitor mode that amplifies your surroundings. These are overall V-shaped with a clear emphasis on bass and sparkly treble, while the mids remain slightly recessed. This sound signature works perfectly with popular music genres like hip hop and electronic dance music (EDM). A redesigned version of the Skullcandy Push Ultra now comes with different types of silicone ear tips for better comfort, great fit, passive noise isolation, and bass extension.
And while the design is lightweight, it doesn’t feel like the most durable. Lastly, the plastic battery module connecting the earbuds can be awkward. At an under-$50 price point, Skullcandy didn’t have much to work with in terms of design. The earbuds are connected to each other via thin audio cables, which don’t exactly scream “durable;” if you pull hard enough on one of these cables, it’ll likely rip out (I did not attempt). With normal use — commuting, at the gym, or at the office — you should be just fine, though.