Verdict
Solid , if unspectacular , but for £ 50 Skullcandy ’s Mod buds do n’t let down
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Skullcandy is up there withEarFunandRock Jawwhen it comes to unsound names for audio companies , but , dodgy moniker apart , it has establish up a reputation for churning out sanely priced , reasonably well - perform earphone .
At £ 50 , the Skullcandy Mod do n’t charge that trend on the affordability front , but do they voice good enough to stand out in an implausibly overcrowded field ?
Design
Skullcandy is n’t afraid to go garish when it comes to choosing the colour of its headphones , but the mostly black finish of the Mod imply there ’s very small here to make them stand out . They ’re also available in light-headed gray .
The buds themselves are a kind of flattened oval shape , with three pairs of grey eartips included in the box to assist you find the right fit . They fit snugly , and while they stay put after some bursts of emphatic head - shaking , you might not feel totally comfortable fag out them for more lengthy vigorous exercise , although theirIP55 ratingdoes mean they ’ll be able to contend with being drenched in sweat .
Unlike a lot of buds these days , Skullcandy has plumped for physical buttons on the Mod . These obviously require more force to activate than touch - sensitive controls , so the best style to utilize them is by slipping a finger between the back of the bud and your ear , and using your thumb to give the necessary pressure . Some will incur that old - fashioned , but there ’s nothing worse than a set of touch controls that do n’t respond systematically when tapped or swiped .
The case they exist in is a bit on the bulky side and the plastic it ’s made of does n’t precisely scream quality , but the biggest issue is the way the bud sit in the eccentric . The hinge on the lid feels nice and solid , but the holes the bud time slot into to point are pretty shallow , which urinate get them in and out easy , but also increases the chance of them accidentally falling out . It also makes the cause feel a great deal bigger than it really needs to be . What ’s in all that space underneath the buds ?
On the bottom you ’ll find a USB - C larboard for charge the case and a light that scoot every clip you open or exit the lid to suggest how much battery is lead . When it goes red you know it ’s fourth dimension to plug in , with the inadequate USB - C cable you ’ve ever visit in your life included in the loge .
Features
For £ 50 you would n’t necessarily expect to get too many extras with the Skullcandy Mod . And while there ’s no noise - cancelling , which is probably the characteristic that ’d be top of most people ’s most - desire list , there is an accompanying app that offers a few extra caper .
usable for both iOS and Android , Skullcandy ’s well - designed app allows you to customise the controls if you do n’t like the way they ’re set up by default . you may assign different commands to double , triple and prospicient presses , but a single press will always play or pause your tunes . If you ’d rather keep matter mere and prevent any accidental activation , you’re able to turn all the others off completely .
Activation of the Stay - cognisant mode can be assigned to one of the commands , which , despite the want of ANC , uses the built - in mike to let in some of the external earth . you may also use them to cite your earphone ’s vocalism assistant , although I found it easier to keep thing to a lower limit .
The app also gives you access to an EQ , which offer three basic presets – Music , Podcast and Movie – but also has a Custom mode that permit you to tweak five dissimilar frequency bands . luck are , if you ’re only spending £ 50 on a pair of bud , you ’re not start to be too bother about alright - tuning the performance .
Battery life is quoted as up to 34 hour . Testing that with real - world enjoyment is n’t an exact scientific discipline because it depends on multiple variables , but I used them on a regular basis for multiple hebdomad before they need to be plug in . The app will show you how much battery lifespan is left in each person bud , and the luminousness on the case give you an theme when they need charge up , but some sort of audible word of advice would also be ready to hand . There ’s no radio excite either .
One thing the Skullcandy app ca n’t do is activate the Tile tracking . You ’ll need Tile ’s own app for this , but it ’s definitely worth doing if you ’re prone to leaving your earphones lie around the place and can never find them when it ’s time to go out . It only takes a few minute to do , and once you have you ’ll be able to originate a chirp SOS call from the bud that makes them easier to locate . When you get close enough your phone will also hover to let you eff .
Sound Quality
There ’s a checklist of sonic basics you ’re looking for with a pair of budget earbuds and it ’s just to say the Skullcandy Mod fulfil them all . There ’s enough bass to stop them voice thinly , they do n’t miss all their life when toy at lower volume , and they do n’t tinge when you pump it up .
That does n’t mean they ’re unadulterated , of grade . The dispirited - close might be a little overemphasised to some ears , and they do n’t drudge out as much detail or sound quite as melodic as more capable ( and inevitably expensive ) buds , but for the intermediate listener with only £ 50 to expend there ’s little here to really kvetch about .
While there ’s no noise - cancelling here , they still have a Stay - Aware modal value that lets in some of the outside world , but mainly just seems to amplify any breaking wind noise , so it ’s best left turned off .
Skullcandy says it has gibe each bud with a Clear Voice Smart Mic to make calls “ the closest matter to mouth in someone . ” That ’s a bold claim that does n’t really place upright up unless you ’re using them in a smooth way with no background dissonance . present any variety of competition to your voice and it ’s laborious to make out what ’s being said , with louder sounds such as background signal music causing real problems .
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Should you buy it?
These no - frills bud have plenteousness of competitor , but they do the BASIC with no fuss .
If you want the very safe intelligent character . There ’s nothing wrong with how the Skullcandy Mod sound , but they do n’t surpass when it total to audio functioning .
Final Thoughts
A £ 50 brace of earbuds is never going to impress a proper audiophile , but a right audiophile is never go to buy a pair of £ 50 earbuds .
It ’s unmanageable to be too critical of the Skullcandy Mod . They do the basics as well as can be expected for the price , with audio execution that favours the bottom end but hatch all key basis .
The problem , as always in this price range , is the sheer amount of contest out there , which means the Skullcandy Mod do n’t really do anything to make them stick out out .
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How we test
We test every hardening of earpiece we review thoroughly over an extended period of time . We use industry standard exam to equate features decent . We ’ll always tell you what we find . We never , ever , assume money to review a intersection .
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FAQs
There ’s no noise - cancellation on this fashion model but there is a Stay Aware fashion to take in what ’s around you .
