Skullcandy is a brand known for producing budget-friendly audio products and has even been pumping out the latest technology with products such as Skullcandy Grind Fuel, Skullcandy Push Active and Skullcandy Dime and last year Skullcandy Indy ANC. The release of the Skullcandy Mod has stripped back some of the technology found in the push active and kept things simple. In this review, we take a closer look at the Skullcandy Mod.
First Impressions
The Skullcandy Mod Costs £49.99 they keep the design very simple and focus on what really matters. Such as strong battery life, strong bass and offer durability for someone on a budget. Audio quality has some limitations but step back and consider the cost of these and drop their expectations and you won’t be disappointed.
The key features to expect when it comes to the Skullcandy Mod are:
- Multipoint Pairing
- Adjustable Stay aware mode
- 34 hours of battery life
- Bluetooth 5.2
- IP55 rated
- Built-in Tile finding technology
Unboxing
When the Skullcandy Mod’s arrived the packaging is quite simple with a picture of the buds and the key features described on the front of the box and more detail described on the rear. Skullcandy is really pushing the fact they are pocket-sized and customizable and that is the first thing you see this is finished off with a lovely blue and pink two-tone colouring around the box. What will please some readers is all the packaging is 100% recyclable.
Inside the box, you are greeted by a useful quick start guide in either English or French. You also get a very short USB-A to USB- C charging cable, pair of small and pair of large eartips and a charging case with the bids inside. They also provide you with a more detailed user guide if you need it.
Design
The Skullcandy Mod keeps things simple they only come in one colour black and the earbuds are quite chunky in design and you will notice the prominent logo that appears on the bud itself and also on the eartips.
They do provide you with a few additional pairs of eartips but I found the medium pair already on the buds provided to be the best fit. They will securely fit in your ear and even hitting the gym you won’t have any concerns they might fall out.
Skullcandy has replaced the touch controls with a physical button and the button does have its benefits the number of accidental commands is reduced. However, the button does require some pressure to activate which results in you pushing the bud further into your ear which can be annoying to some users.
In terms of controls is quite a simple process which requires a number of presses to activate the controls below is a handy guide on how many presses does what:
| Play/Pause | Single press either bud |
| Answer/End Call | Single press either bud |
| Increase Volume | Double press right bud |
| Decrease Volume | Double press left bud |
| Track Forward | Press & hold for 1 second on the right bud |
| Skip back a track | Press & hold for 1 second on the left bud |
| Pair to new device | Press 1 time then press and hold for 1 second. |
The control layout can be a little problematic for example many of the functions require you to hold down a button and if you get the timings wrong you could bring up the wrong command. I would have liked the multipoint pairing replaced with the ability to use a smart assistant but that is the only negative I see with the controls.
Inside the buds, you are provided with a 6mm dynamic driver that provides a frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz. In terms of connectivity, the buds use Bluetooth 5.2 and provide support to both the AAC & SBC codecs. The Mods also offer multipoint connectivity which is helpful if you listen to music while working and you get a video conference call on your laptop the connectivity will switch to that device so you can take the call.
Last but not least you will notice the buds are IP55 rated meaning they can handle the odd splash from any direction and also comes with a level of dust resistance. Just remember the charging case is not IP55 rated so make sure the buds are dry before you charge them up.
Moving to the charging case it’s not the biggest case on the market and its lunchbox style makes it the perfect size to fit in your pockets without any problems. The case is made of plastic and has a lightly textured surface which means you can get a better grip on the case.
I also found the lid was easy to open but also gave you some protection when it comes to the shake test the mods survived due to the magnets holding the buds in the case. The case also comes with a USB-C port to the rear and this is also paired with the LED status that is positioned next to the port so you can see when the buds are charging.
In addition to the case, you have a very short USB-C to USB-A charging cable to allow you to charge them. Now USB-C is a very commonplace charging connector I have longer cables with the same USB-A to USB-C so just used one of them cables to charge the device as you will notice the provided cable is very short.
Moving to the battery life that the charging case and buds provide. The buds themselves offer an impressive 7 hours of playback after a single charge and the case provides you with an additional 27 hours which offers nearly 4 full charges. The charging case also comes with a rapid charge feature so plugin for 10 minutes and gain 2 hours of listening time.
Audio Quality
The Skullcandy Mods allow you to adjust the EQ via the Skullcandy app which is available on either iOS or Android devices and has some presets for the EQ such as –
- Music
- Podcasts
- Movies
- Custom EQ: This allows you to customise your audio experience.
The Skullcandy app also allows you to switch on the ambient aware mode which is designed the dial outside noise levels up or down depending on the amount of ambient noise you wish to let in. The App also allows you to use the Tile app to find your buds if you have misplaced them. However, the tile app has its limitations.
It’s useful if you have misplaced them at home or the office but if you put them down on a park bench or something it’s unlikely you will see them again.
Moving to the audio quality we tested these mainly in the default EQ setting and when you listen to tracks with strong sub-bass content expect a thumping low-frequency response that did not distort the audio quality either at max volume or even when the sound was at 50%.
When listening to “Kate Bush – Running up that Hill” the bass does get a serious bass boost but does not take it to the point where you can not enjoy the song. Her vocals were given plenty of low-mid richness and just the right amount of high-mid presence to prevent any muddiness. You may notice the audio signature tries to push you towards the lows but the custom EQ via the app allows you to adjust this.
If you were to then listen to something a bit more classical with more focus on the orchestra you will find you have a decent balance the bass takes a back seat and the instruments like the strings keep some of their natural brightness.
Take a Call!
When using these either for video conferences or just calling your friends you will notice the built-in mic works perfectly this is due to the clear voice smart mic technology that utilises AI to reduce background noise and isolate the speaker’s voice. This results in crystal clear calls regardless of whether if it’s just on the phone or on a conference call.
Verdict
The Skullcandy Mod offers you a bass-forward offering with impressive battery life for those who are on a budget. The adjustable EQ is a welcomed addition and the button controls are not very difficult. I was happy with the audio quality considering the cost and the addition of multipoint pairing is also a nice feature to have but the lack of smart assistance and ANC do not make these buds jump out at me.
If your looking for additional features such as ANC then for a little extra spend the market really opens up and even brands like Jabra and Sennheiser come into the mix and then you will see buds with the better build quality and better audio. However, Skullcandy Mods are targeted toward value-minded fans and the Mods offer an excellent offering.
Overall, the Skullcandy Mods are designed for someone who just wants the buds regardless of the situation – On the way to work, At the gym or just chilling at home. The IP55 rating will protect you if you get caught in the rain and the built-in Tile feature allows you to ring the buds in order to find them or view the last known location on a map which is easier said than done.
The audio quality is decent but could be improved but at the price point, you won’t be disappointed if your expectations are low but adjust the EQ and that should improve the audio experience. The star of the show is the battery life at 34 hours in total you will enjoy music or podcasts when and wherever you like.
Product Rating:
Design: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Fit: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Features: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Sound Quality: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Value For Money: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Overall Rating: 4.4 out of 5.0 stars – 4.4 Stars
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