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

Skullcandy EcoBuds are claimed to be sustainable true wi-fi stereo (TWS) earphones. In response to the corporate, they’re made with “65 p.c licensed recycled plastics and 57 p.c fewer heavy metals, ” leading to a 50 p.c decrease carbon footprint than related merchandise out there. Off the bat — spectacular claims. Who does not wish to be part of an try to make the world a cleaner place? The quantity could also be barely extra initially than you’d suppose as a result of the price of environmentally pleasant earphones right here is battery, lithium batteries to be particular.

The storage dock of the Skullcandy EcoBuds doesn’t have battery help. Which means when the earphones are positioned within the magnetic case, they merely fulfil storage functions. They don’t juice up like different TWS earphones often do in charging instances. They’re suitable with reverse charging through an built-in USB Kind-C cable. You’ll be able to plug it into any USB Kind-C port, together with the one in your telephone, and it’ll energy up the earphones. Is that this novelty, alongside sustainability, value Rs. 3,999? Let’s discover out.

Skullcandy EcoBuds Design and Options: Feathery Gentle and Useful

• Measurement (with case) – 102 x 60 x 30mm
• Weight (with case) – 40g
• Water and dirt resistance – IPX4
• Color – Glacier

The Skullcandy EcoBuds include a standard in-ear design and three gel tip sizes — small, medium and enormous. The medium ones match me the perfect. They provide a good match however should not essentially the most comfy for long-duration makes use of. The contact sensors on every earbud are straightforward to find as a result of they’re marked by engraved firm logos. The charging connectors of the earphones are positioned on the within of the stems.

The storage dock comes with a brief inbuilt USB Kind-C cable

The earphones include a magnetic storage dock, which has a built-in USB Kind-C cable that folds again in case it isn’t in use. This lightens the blow of the lacking battery, for my part. I think about I might not be greatest happy if I needed to search for or carry an extra unfastened cable with me throughout. Though the earbuds are held in place by magnets, the case doesn’t have a canopy. Due to this fact, keep away from making the error I manufactured from placing them in a tote bag with a number of different objects. In transit, one of many earphones had dislodged from the case, and I panicked briefly earlier than it dropped out of the umbrella folds. Other than this, the earphones and the case are compact, light-weight, and straightforward to hold.

The Skullcandy EcoBuds can be found in a single Glacier colourway, the place each earphones and storage docks seem in a blue and white marbled sample. The built-in USB Kind-C cable is white with sand-like speckles. The earphones have an IPX4 ranking for splash resistance. With the case, they measure 102 x 60 x 30mm in measurement and weigh 40g.

Skullcandy EcoBuds Specs and Controls: Too Easy?

• Driver – 6mm
• Gesture controls – Sure
• Companion app – No

The Skullcandy EcoBuds carry 6mm drivers, in line with the product’s Amazon itemizing. We’ll talk about their sound high quality in a bit, however for this part, we’ll give attention to the management expertise. Like many different TWS earphones, the EcoBuds help capacitative contact controls, however in contrast to a number of opponents, they don’t include a companion app. This impacted me on two ranges. Firstly, you possibly can solely shuffle between the three preset EQ modes — music, bass and podcast, and never customise the equalisation. Even when I let this slide as a result of I’m not in search of a studio-grade expertise from these earphones, the shortage of an app additionally implies that all controls are primarily based on gestures, which is the second factor. There are a couple of gestures you will have to recollect, so let’s get to it.

The charging connectors are positioned on the facet of the stems

A single faucet on both earbud controls playback and calls, whereas an extended press regulates the quantity (left for down, proper for up). A double faucet on both earpiece advances to the subsequent observe, whereas a triple faucet returns to the earlier observe. A quadruple faucet on the precise earbud toggles by way of the EQ modes. A quadruple faucet on the left earbud prompts the assistant for the paired machine. A six-second maintain disconnects the paired machine, whereas two faucets and a one-second maintain swap off the headphones.

Sure, it’s as tedious to recollect because it was to learn (and write), however I primarily handled the play/pause and quantity controls, which had been easy and direct sufficient. The marginally bothersome motion for the primary few makes use of was shuffling between the EQ modes, however it will definitely grew on me.

Skullcandy EcoBuds Efficiency and Battery Life: Chaotic Impartial

• Quick Charging – Sure (claimed 10 minutes for as much as 2 hours)
• Bluetooth – Bluetooth 5.2

How do the Skullcandy EcoBuds sound? Higher than I anticipated. With 6mm drivers, my hopes for the audio expertise had been set fairly low. The violation of these expectations was welcome. Comprehensively, they provide a transparent and vivid sound expertise. The podcast mode focuses on the vocals over some other particulars. True to its title, the bass increase mode highlights the bass, whereas the music mode provides a extra balanced audio of the three.

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

The sound shouldn’t be outright muddied at any stage, though the upper notes are inclined to crack up at 70 p.c quantity or above. As an illustration, you possibly can hear the distortions with the excessive notes in Nirvana’s About A Woman. For the bigger half, the sounds are clear however lack particulars that you’d get with bigger drivers. From tracks like Gooey by Glass Animals to Ramble On by Led Zeppelin (the latter within the bass mode), you get a adequate audio output to maintain you engaged while you’re on a cleansing binge or strolling to the native market.

Despite the fact that the Skullcandy Ecobuds don’t help energetic noise cancellation (ANC), the corporate claims that the earphones include a “noise-isolating match.” Technically, the declare shouldn’t be fully unfaithful. It does isolate some noise, however not a major quantity. If you’re used to ANC earphones and headphones, particularly in public locations, the swap to the EcoBuds could unsettle you a bit. Nonetheless, the shortage of ANC didn’t alter my expertise a lot since I largely used them casually (learn: to disassociate) and to not take calls or give attention to work.

The Skullcandy EcoBuds help Bluetooth 5.2 and join seamlessly with the paired machine every time they’re taken off the case. You’ll be able to select to make use of each earbuds or only one. The audio syncs up effectively even when you add the second earbuds mid-track. The mic efficiency shouldn’t be superb, however purposeful. It picks up environmental noise alongside your voice. The whirring of the fan can muffle your voice if you find yourself utilizing these earphones. If you’re in a crowded place and even outdoor, you would possibly wish to use your telephone audio to reply calls.

The earphones are available plastic-free, recyclable packaging

In a market the place a number of main manufacturers throughout the board are competing with TWS earphones that provide 30 to 40 hours or extra whole battery life, Skullcandy EcoBuds include about 8 hours of playback time. Which, if in contrast with different standard TWS earphones and simply the earphones, is a good common. On paper, the shortage of battery within the storage dock appears too jarring. Earlier than utilizing them, I couldn’t cease the premonition of being stranded within the metro with out functioning earphones. Nonetheless, I confronted no such challenges. On simply 10 minutes of cost, they provide virtually two hours of playback. For those who can cost the earphones for a full hour, you may get round eight hours of utilization out of them. I clocked eight hours and 13 minutes of playback in a single charging cycle.

Charging the earphones is fairly easy. You pull the USB Kind-C cable out from the again of the storage dock and plug it right into a USB Kind-C port. In my case, I largely charged them utilizing my telephone, and in an hour, they might cost totally. That is environment friendly in additional methods than one. You should not have to hold a separate charger round (sure, generally, the case would suffice, however when in Rome!), and it doesn’t drain the telephone’s battery considerably both. The compact measurement of the earphones additionally permits you to proceed your telephone utilization as standard. You may also use an influence financial institution to cost them, and even your laptop computer, pill, or any machine with a USB Kind-C port.

That mentioned, I’ve to simply accept that the shortage of a charging case was perceivably bothersome for the primary couple of days, if not virtually so. It grew on me fairly rapidly, although. Charging on the go remains to be very a lot potential, and it’s one much less gadget you need to fear about plugging in earlier than mattress.

The compact design of the earphones and the dock make them straightforward to hold

Skullcandy EcoBuds: Verdict

The Skullcandy EcoBuds are good TWS earphones. They’ve steady connectivity, clear sound, and supply the claimed battery life. The sustainability facet of the product additionally provides brownie factors to your consciousness as a citizen of the world (how a lot ever it’s value). Are these earphones value Rs. 3,999, although? Sure and no. The reply depends upon your preferences. Would you place higher sound element and 40-something hours of whole battery life forward of your conscience? For my part, these ought to work superb for informal listeners.

If you’re planning to purchase your solely pair of every day use earphones, nevertheless, and never a supplementary on-the-go wearable, you will discover different choices that include higher match, extra options, charging instances (albeit unsustainable) and companion apps inside this worth vary.

You may get the Realme Buds Air 6 (Assessment) Rs. 3,299 for an virtually 40-hour whole battery life. On the identical worth, you possibly can go for the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 Professional (Assessment) for a greater match and balanced sound expertise.

For simply Rs. 300 extra, you possibly can put money into the CMF Buds Professional 2, which provides as much as 50dB ANC, as much as 43 hours of whole battery life and ChatGPT-integrated options through the Nothing X app.

The shortage of a charging case shouldn’t be a deal breaker for me. Even the audio high quality is sweet for informal listening. On this aggressive worth vary, many different options could make the sound expertise extra fulfilling. Absolutely, there might sometime be a center floor between being an audiophile and an environmentally aware particular person, however possibly, as Dean Martin says, “Right now shouldn’t be the day.”