dagadgets.co.uk
audio

Skullcandy EcoBuds Review: Good for the Ear(th)?

DA Gadgets
October 27, 2024


Skullcandy
EcoBuds
are
claimed
to
be
sustainable
true
wireless
stereo
(TWS)
earphones.
According
to
the
company,
they
are
made
with
“65
percent
certified
recycled
plastics
and
57
percent
fewer
heavy
metals,
”
resulting
in
a
50
percent
lower
carbon
footprint
than
similar
products
in
the
market.
Off
the
bat
—
impressive
claims.
Who
doesn’t
want
to
be
a
part
of
an
attempt
to
make
the
world
a
cleaner
place?
The
number
may
be
slightly
more
initially
than
you
would
think
because
the
cost
of
environmentally
friendly
earphones
here
is
battery,
lithium
batteries
to
be
specific.

The
storage
dock
of
the
Skullcandy
EcoBuds
does
not
have
battery
support.
This
means
that
when
the
earphones
are
placed
in
the
magnetic
case,
they
merely
fulfil
storage
purposes.
They
do
not
juice
up
like
other
TWS
earphones
usually
do
in
charging
cases.
They
are
compatible
with
reverse
charging
via
an
integrated
USB
Type-C
cable.
You
can
plug
it
into
any
USB
Type-C
port,
including
the
one
on
your
phone,
and
it
will
power
up
the
earphones.
Is
this
novelty,
alongside
sustainability,
worth
Rs.
3,999?
Let’s
find
out.

Skullcandy
EcoBuds
Design
and
Features:
Feathery
Light
and
Functional

The
Skullcandy
EcoBuds
come
with
a
traditional
in-ear
design
and
three
gel
tip
sizes
—
small,
medium
and
large.
The
medium
ones
fit
me
the
best.
They
offer
a
decent
fit
but
are
not
the
most
comfortable
for
long-duration
uses.
The
touch
sensors
on
each
earbud
are
easy
to
locate
because
they
are
marked
by
engraved
company
logos.
The
charging
connectors
of
the
earphones
are
placed
on
the
inside
of
the
stems.


The
storage
dock
comes
with
a
short
inbuilt
USB
Type-C
cable

The
earphones
come
with
a
magnetic
storage
dock,
which
has
a
built-in
USB
Type-C
cable
that
folds
back
in
case
it
is
not
in
use.
This
lightens
the
blow
of
the
missing
battery,
in
my
opinion.
I
imagine
I
would
not
be
best
pleased
if
I
had
to
look
for
or
carry
an
additional
loose
cable
with
me
all
around.
Although
the
earbuds
are
held
in
place
by
magnets,
the
case
does
not
have
a
cover.
Therefore,
avoid
making
the
mistake
I
made
of
putting
them
in
a
tote
bag
with
several
other
items.
In
transit,
one
of
the
earphones
had
dislodged
from
the
case,
and
I
panicked
briefly
before
it
dropped
out
of
the
umbrella
folds.
Aside
from
this,
the
earphones
and
the
case
are
compact,
lightweight,
and
easy
to
carry.

The
Skullcandy
EcoBuds
are
available
in
a
single
Glacier
colourway,
where
both
earphones
and
storage
docks
appear
in
a
blue
and
white
marbled
pattern.
The
integrated
USB
Type-C
cable
is
white
with
sand-like
speckles.
The
earphones
have
an
IPX4
rating
for
splash
resistance.
With
the
case,
they
measure
102
x
60
x
30mm
in
size
and
weigh
40g.

Skullcandy
EcoBuds
Specifications
and
Controls:
Too
Simple?

The
Skullcandy
EcoBuds
carry
6mm
drivers,
according
to
the
product’s
Amazon
listing.
We
will
discuss
their
sound
quality
in
a
bit,
but
for
this
section,
we
will
focus
on
the
control
experience.
Like
many
other
TWS
earphones,
the
EcoBuds
support
capacitative
touch
controls,
but
unlike
several
competitors,
they
do
not
come
with
a
companion
app.
This
impacted
me
on
two
levels.
Firstly,
you
can
only
shuffle
between
the
three
preset
EQ
modes
—
music,
bass
and
podcast,
and
not
customise
the
equalisation.
Even
if
I
let
this
slide
because
I
am
not
looking
for
a
studio-grade
experience
from
these
earphones,
the
lack
of
an
app
also
means
that
all
controls
are
based
on
gestures,
which
is
the
second
thing.
There
are
a
few
gestures
you
will
need
to
remember,
so
let’s
get
to
it.


The
charging
connectors
are
placed
on
the
side
of
the
stems

A
single
tap
on
either
earbud
controls
playback
and
calls,
while
a
longer
press
regulates
the
volume
(left
for
down,
right
for
up).
A
double
tap
on
either
earpiece
advances
to
the
next
track,
while
a
triple
tap
returns
to
the
previous
track.
A
quadruple
tap
on
the
right
earbud
toggles
through
the
EQ
modes.
A
quadruple
tap
on
the
left
earbud
activates
the
assistant
for
the
paired
device.
A
six-second
hold
disconnects
the
paired
device,
while
two
taps
and
a
one-second
hold
switch
off
the
headphones.

Yes,
it
is
as
tedious
to
remember
as
it
was
to
read
(and
write),
but
I
mainly
dealt
with
the
play/pause
and
volume
controls,
which
were
simple
and
direct
enough.
The
slightly
bothersome
action
for
the
first
few
uses
was
shuffling
between
the
EQ
modes,
but
it
eventually
grew
on
me.

Skullcandy
EcoBuds
Performance
and
Battery
Life:
Chaotic
Neutral

How
do
the
Skullcandy
EcoBuds
sound?
Better
than
I
expected.
With
6mm
drivers,
my
hopes
for
the
audio
experience
were
set
pretty
low.
The
violation
of
those
expectations
was
welcome.
Comprehensively,
they
offer
a
clear
and
bright
sound
experience.
The
podcast
mode
focuses
on
the
vocals
over
any
other
details.
True
to
its
name,
the
bass
boost
mode
highlights
the
bass,
while
the
music
mode
offers
a
more
balanced
audio
of
the
three.


The
charging
cable
neatly
folds
back
into
the
dock
when
not
in
use

The
sound
is
not
outright
muddied
at
any
level,
although
the
higher
notes
tend
to
crack
up
at
70
percent
volume
or
above.
For
instance,
you
can
hear
the
distortions
with
the
high
notes
in
Nirvana’s
About
A
Girl.
For
the
larger
part,
the
sounds
are
clear
but
lack
details
that
you
would
get
with
larger
drivers.
From
tracks
like
Gooey
by
Glass
Animals
to
Ramble
On
by
Led
Zeppelin
(the
latter
in
the
bass
mode),
you
get
a
good
enough
audio
output
to
keep
you
engaged
while
you
are
on
a
cleaning
binge
or
walking
to
the
local
market.

Even
though
the
Skullcandy
Ecobuds
do
not
support
active
noise
cancellation
(ANC),
the
company
claims
that
the
earphones
come
with
a
“noise-isolating
fit.”
Technically,
the
claim
is
not
completely
untrue.
It
does
isolate
some
noise,
but
not
a
significant
amount.
If
you
are
used
to
ANC
earphones
and
headphones,
especially
in
public
places,
the
switch
to
the
EcoBuds
may
unsettle
you
a
bit.
However,
the
lack
of
ANC
did
not
alter
my
experience
much
since
I
mostly
used
them
casually
(read:
to
disassociate)
and
not
to
take
calls
or
focus
on
work.

The
Skullcandy
EcoBuds
support
Bluetooth
5.2
and
connect
seamlessly
with
the
paired
device
each
time
they
are
taken
off
the
case.
You
can
choose
to
use
both
earbuds
or
just
one.
The
audio
syncs
up
well
even
if
you
add
the
second
earbuds
mid-track.
The
mic
performance
is
not
very
good,
but
functional.
It
picks
up
environmental
noise
alongside
your
voice.
The
whirring
of
the
fan
can
muffle
your
voice
when
you
are
using
these
earphones.
If
you
are
in
a
crowded
place
or
even
outdoors,
you
might
want
to
use
your
phone
audio
to
answer
calls.


The
earphones
come
in
plastic-free,
recyclable
packaging

In
a
market
where
several
leading
brands
across
the
board
are
competing
with
TWS
earphones
that
offer
30
to
40
hours
or
more
total
battery
life,
Skullcandy
EcoBuds
come
with
about
8
hours
of
playback
time.
Which,
if
compared
with
other
popular
TWS
earphones
and
just
the
earphones,
is
a
decent
average.
On
paper,
the
lack
of
battery
in
the
storage
dock
seems
too
jarring.
Before
using
them,
I
could
not
stop
the
premonition
of
being
stranded
in
the
metro
without
functioning
earphones.
However,
I
faced
no
such
challenges.
On
just
10
minutes
of
charge,
they
offer
almost
two
hours
of
playback.
If
you
can
charge
the
earphones
for
a
full
hour,
you
can
get
around
eight
hours
of
usage
out
of
them.
I
clocked
eight
hours
and
13
minutes
of
playback
in
one
charging
cycle.

Charging
the
earphones
is
pretty
straightforward.
You
pull
the
USB
Type-C
cable
out
from
the
back
of
the
storage
dock
and
plug
it
into
a
USB
Type-C
port.
In
my
case,
I
mostly
charged
them
using
my
phone,
and
in
an
hour,
they
would
charge
fully.
This
is
efficient
in
more
ways
than
one.
You
do
not
have
to
carry
a
separate
charger
around
(yes,
in
most
cases,
the
case
would
suffice,
but
when
in
Rome!),
and
it
does
not
drain
the
phone’s
battery
significantly
either.
The
compact
size
of
the
earphones
also
allows
you
to
continue
your
phone
usage
as
usual.
You
can
also
use
a
power
bank
to
charge
them,
or
even
your
laptop,
tablet,
or
any
device
with
a
USB
Type-C
port.

That
said,
I
have
to
accept
that
the
lack
of
a
charging
case
was
perceivably
bothersome
for
the
first
couple
of
days,
if
not
practically
so.
It
grew
on
me
pretty
quickly,
though.
Charging
on
the
go
is
still
very
much
possible,
and
it
is
one
less
gadget
you
have
to
worry
about
plugging
in
before
bed.


The
compact
design
of
the
earphones
and
the
dock
make
them
easy
to
carry

Skullcandy
EcoBuds:
Verdict

The
Skullcandy
EcoBuds
are
good
TWS
earphones.
They
have
stable
connectivity,
clear
sound,
and
offer
the
claimed
battery
life.
The
sustainability
aspect
of
the
product
also
adds
brownie
points
to
your
consciousness
as
a
citizen
of
the
world
(how
much
ever
it
is
worth).
Are
these
earphones
worth
Rs.
3,999,
though?
Yes
and
no.
The
answer
depends
on
your
preferences.
Would
you
put
better
sound
detail
and
40-something
hours
of
total
battery
life
ahead
of
your
conscience?
In
my
opinion,
these
should
work
fine
for
casual
listeners.

If
you
are
planning
to
buy
your
only
pair
of
daily
use
earphones,
however,
and
not
a
supplementary
on-the-go
wearable,
you
will
find
other
options
that
come
with
better
fit,
more
features,
charging
cases
(albeit
unsustainable)
and
companion
apps
within
this
price
range.

You
can
get
the

Realme
Buds
Air
6
(Review)
Rs.
3,299
for
an
almost
40-hour
total
battery
life.
At
the
same
price,
you
can
opt
for
the

OnePlus
Nord
Buds
3
Pro
(Review)
for
a
better
fit
and
balanced
sound
experience.

For
just
Rs.
300
more,
you
can
invest
in
the

CMF
Buds
Pro
2,
which
offers
up
to
50dB
ANC,
up
to
43
hours
of
total
battery
life
and
ChatGPT-integrated
features
via
the
Nothing
X
app.

The
lack
of
a
charging
case
is
not
a
deal
breaker
for
me.
Even
the
audio
quality
is
good
for
casual
listening.
In
this
competitive
price
range,
many
other
features
can
make
the
sound
experience
more
enjoyable.
Surely,
there
could
someday
be
a
middle
ground
between
being
an
audiophile
and
an
environmentally
conscious
person,
but
maybe,
as
Dean
Martin
says,
“Today
is
not
the
day.”

Exit mobile version