Skullcandy Headphones: Powerful Sound with Stylish Design

Experience powerful sound and stylish design with Skullcandy headphones—the perfect blend for sports, gaming, and everyday listening.

An In-Depth Look at the Best Skullcandy Headphones

Skullcandy is a brand known for its wide range of attractive headphone models designed for everyday music listening, sports, and gaming. We've tested over 25 pairs of Skullcandy headphones, covering a broad price range and including wired and wireless options. Whether you prefer in-ear, on-ear, or over-ear styles, Skullcandy offers something for you.

One standout feature of the brand is its bass-heavy headphone series—you can literally feel the powerful bass. Some models include the Tile feature, which helps find lost headphones via an app, while others offer an equalizer for personalized sound. Although active noise cancellation (ANC) isn't a hallmark of the brand, some models do provide this functionality.

Top Skullcandy Headphones Overall

Skullcandy Push Active True Wireless

• Neutral Sound: 7.5
• Commuting/Travel: 7.4
• Sports/Fitness: 8.2
• Office Use: 7.0
• Wireless Gaming: 5.8
• Wired Gaming: 5.7
• Phone Calls: 6.2
• Type: In-Ear
• Case: Closed
• Wireless: True Wireless
• Driver: Dynamic
• Noise Cancellation: No
• Microphone: Yes

The Skullcandy Push Active True Wireless headphones are the best we've tested from the brand. These compact sports earbuds feature ear hooks for a secure fit during movement and boast an IP55 rating for dust and water resistance. The bass-rich sound pumps extra energy into your workout mixes, with additional rumble and thumping beats.

The companion app includes a graphic equalizer and presets if you want a different sound vibe. Plus, the Skull-iQ feature lets you use hands-free voice commands, making these earbuds smart and adaptable. With over nine hours of battery life and roughly 3.4 extra charges in their case, they offer great value.

Do note, they lack active noise cancellation and only block out background noise moderately. Bus or plane engine hums may still come through, which some runners might appreciate to stay aware in busy city environments. For those craving better noise isolation, the Skullcandy Sesh ANC True Wireless is a solid alternative, though it lacks the secure fit of the Push Active.

Best Budget Skullcandy Headphones

Skullcandy Dime 3 True Wireless

• Neutral Sound: 8.0
• Commuting/Travel: 7.4
• Sports/Fitness: 8.1
• Office Use: 6.9
• Wireless Gaming: 5.4
• Wired Gaming: 5.2
• Phone Calls: 6.4
• Type: In-Ear
• Case: Closed
• Wireless: True Wireless
• Driver: Dynamic
• Noise Cancellation: No
• Microphone: Yes

Looking for an affordable option? The Skullcandy Dime 3 True Wireless stands out as the best budget headphones we've tested from the brand—an excellent AirPods alternative. Made from lightweight plastic with short stems and buttons, these earbuds are ultra-portable. The transformer-style lid gives quick access but is less secure than fully closing cases.

They sport an IPX4 water resistance rating, making them adventure-ready, and they’re cheap enough to serve as a backup pair when you don't want to risk your premium buds. Three ear tips come included for a custom fit, ensuring comfort and solid hold.

Though the headphones only offer passive noise isolation, they effectively dull chatty neighbors and urban noise while still allowing some low engine rumbles to seep through. Unlike the previous Dime 2, these don’t support an app but compensate with longer battery life, multi-device Bluetooth pairing, three EQ presets, and a transparency mode.

Their punchy bass, typical of Skullcandy, pairs well with relatively neutral overall sound. For higher IP ratings and app support, the Push Active model might be a better pick.

Top Skullcandy Headphones with Noise Cancellation

Skullcandy Hesh ANC Wireless

• Neutral Sound: 6.9
• Commuting/Travel: 7.0
• Sports/Fitness: 7.1
• Office Use: 6.7
• Wireless Gaming: 5.2
• Wired Gaming: 6.9
• Phone Calls: 6.5
• Type: On-Ear
• Case: Closed
• Wireless: Yes
• Driver: Dynamic
• Noise Cancellation: Yes
• Microphone: Yes

If noise cancellation is your priority, the Skullcandy Hesh ANC Wireless delivers. These wireless on-ear headphones provide decent ANC that blocks out high-frequency sounds like office chatter and fridge hum but struggles with low-frequency noises such as engine rumble.

Battery life is impressive, lasting up to 24 hours, though actual runtime depends on usage intensity. They’re comfortable and well-built, with bass-heavy tuning that emphasizes EDM and hip-hop beats. However, they lack a sound equalizer or customization features, so the preset sound profile is what you get. A good-quality mic and the option for wired analog connection round out their features.

Best Over-Ear Skullcandy Headphones

Skullcandy Crusher Evo Wireless

• Neutral Sound: 7.5
• Commuting/Travel: 6.5
• Sports/Fitness: 7.0
• Office Use: 6.5
• Wireless Gaming: 5.7
• Wired Gaming: 7.4
• Phone Calls: 6.3
• Type: On-Ear
• Case: Closed
• Wireless: Yes
• Driver: Dynamic
• Noise Cancellation: No
• Microphone: Yes

For those who prefer over-ear models, the Skullcandy Crusher Evo Wireless are exceptional. Known for their tactile bass slider, these headphones let you dial bass intensity from warm and rich to earth-shaking levels ideal for EDM and hip-hop fans.

Even at the lowest bass settings, mixes sound full without burying vocals or instruments. Battery life is stellar, exceeding 34 hours, and if the battery dies, you can switch to passive mode with the 1/8 inch TRRS cable.

Build quality is solid, and comfort is decent, though the ear pads may trap heat over long sessions. Noise isolation is weak against low rumbles from buses or planes but might be adequate for quieter environments.

For bass lovers wanting noise cancellation, the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 series is worth watching—they promise deep bass with added ANC features.

Skullcandy Compared to Other Brands

Pros of Skullcandy:

• Vibrant Designs: Skullcandy stands out with some of the most colorful headphones on the market. Whether you want bold two-tone or camo patterns, they have you covered.
• Wide Range: Their lineup includes many models tailored for sports, gaming, and casual use, with prices that can fit many budgets.

Cons of Skullcandy:

• Build Quality Varies: While generally affordable, Skullcandy headphones can feel less durable compared to other brands. They surpass very cheap alternatives but might not last as long as competing models.
• Limited App Support: Higher-end models support the Skullcandy app for EQ, button customization, and battery info, but budget models usually don’t. Some have built-in EQ presets or bass controls for sound management without an app.

Skullcandy vs. Anker

Both brands excel in budget to mid-range markets with bass-heavy on-ear and in-ear headphones. Anker offers more features like multi-device pairing, Hi-Res Audio, and LDAC codec support, plus robust noise cancellation rivaling premium brands. However, Skullcandy wins on vivid designs and usually has slightly tougher over-ear models, while Anker tends to offer a more polished finish.

Skullcandy vs. JBL

For budget headphones, both are popular. JBL provides a broader lineup for sports, everyday use, and travel with more sound customization options, including parametric EQs and presets via companion apps. Skullcandy sticks to bass-forward sound profiles and colorful styles, but lacks some of JBL's tuning flexibility.

Skullcandy vs. Beats

Founded around the same time, both brands share flashy designs aimed at casual listeners and gym-goers. Beats has shifted toward more balanced sound and Apple ecosystem features like H1/W1 chips, but tends to be pricier. Beats supports the “Find My” feature natively, while Skullcandy uses Tile. Budget Skullcandy models often include basic EQ presets, whereas Beats sometimes omits EQ on lower-end models. Only Beats currently supports Apple Spatial Audio for immersive sound.

Skullcandy Model Lineup Explained

Skullcandy names their models distinctively, sometimes offering variants with specific features. Here's a quick guide to their lineup:

• Crusher: Wireless over-ear with powerful bass.
• Hesh: Wireless over-ear headphones.
• SLYR: Wireless gaming earbuds with boom mics.
• PLYR: Wired gaming earbuds with boom mics.
• Grind: True wireless earbuds with Skull-iQ smart features and voice control.
• Indy: True wireless earbuds with ear hooks and fixed stabilizing fins.
• Push: True wireless earbuds with ear hooks.
• Sesh: True wireless earbuds with simple design and no app support.

Variants often include:

• Active: Sport-friendly with enhanced stability.
• ANC: Includes active noise cancellation.
• Evo: Base model.
• Fuel: Case supports Qi wireless charging.
• Transparency: Transparent design.
• Ultra: Discontinued, with higher battery life, fast charging, better IP rating, app support, and Tile integration.

There are also standalone models like:

• Dime: Cheap, simple true wireless earbuds.
• Ink’d: Wired earbuds.
• Mode: Wireless earbuds with many customization features.
• Riff: Wireless on-ear headphones.
• Spoke: Discontinued cheap wireless earbuds.
• Venue: Wireless on-ear with ANC and multi-device pairing.

Wrapping Up

Skullcandy has expanded their range, moving away from loud colors and logos to more subdued tones and subtle branding. Their collection includes plenty of headphones suited for everyday listening, sports, and gaming, though audiophile-grade models are missing.

Generally, Skullcandy headphones emphasize bass-heavy sound profiles, which might not suit those looking for neutral audio. Durability is a mixed bag: some models feel robust, others a bit plasticky. On the bright side, many options come at wallet-friendly prices.

"Skullcandy offers a wide choice of trendy headphones in various unique colors that match your taste, style, and preferences."

Frequently Asked Questions

• What makes Skullcandy headphones special?
  They combine bold, colorful designs with powerful bass-focused sound, making them ideal for casual listeners and active users.
• Do Skullcandy headphones have noise cancellation?
  Some models like the Hesh ANC Wireless offer active noise cancellation, but it’s not a universal feature across all their headphones.
• Are Skullcandy headphones good for sports?
  Yes, models like Push Active True Wireless are designed with secure fits and water resistance, perfect for workouts.
• How long does the battery last on Skullcandy headphones?
  Battery life varies by model, but some, like the Crusher Evo Wireless, can last over 34 hours on a single charge.
• Can I customize the sound on Skullcandy headphones?
  Higher-end models support app-based equalizers and presets, while some budget models have built-in EQ presets or bass sliders.

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