Skullcandy is a brand we have covered a number of their latest releases over the years from the most recent Skullcandy Mod to the Skullcandy Crusher Evo we did 2 years ago. The brand has really grown with its audience and in this review, we got to test out the latest release the Skullcandy Sesh ANC.
First Impressions
You might be thinking this name sounds familiar and you would be right two years ago they released the Skullcandy Sesh Evo and the Sesh TWS are effectively the upgrade on that model.
The Previous Model Skullcandy Sesh Evo VS the Skullcandy Sesh ANC
The Skullcandy Sesh ANC falls into that budget part of the market only costing £69.99 and comes in one colour, black. The key features include:
- 4 Digital ANC Microphones
- Clear Voice Smart Mic
- 46 Hours of Battery life (ANC Off) or 32 hours (ANC ON)
- IP55 rated
- Compatible with the Skullcandy App
- Built-in Tile technology
Unboxing
Skullcandy just like many brands we have reviewed recently have considered there packaging and made everything fully recyclable from the cardboard box to the card packaging inside the box that holds the charging case, USB-A to USB-C charging cable, 2 pairs of ear tips (Large & Small). You also get a user guide and a small control guide.
Design
The first thing you will notice when you have unboxed these is the earbuds come in a rather large charging case. The charging case is made of plastic with a matte finish and is pilled-shaped. The case has the Skullcandy logo on the top with 4 LEDs on the front of the case to indicate the level of battery life the case has to offer. When it’s time to charge the case you have a USB-C port at the rear.
The case has a magnetic lid and is very easy to open you will just notice the size of the case does take up quite a bit of pocket space. When placing the buds in the case we found they fit nice and firmly in the cut-outs and when tested they did survive the shake test. The Buds themselves do not have stems instead they fit in your ears and are turned vertically but the outside of the bud sits horizontally and this really does aid with the comfort in your ears.
The controls of the earbuds are via a physical button which needs a hard press to pick a control I did not get on with this as I found myself pushing the buds further into my ear. I felt this impacted the comfort levels of the buds.
To use the controls are done by a series of presses or holds and below is the full list of controls.
| Control | Actions | Left or Right Bud |
| Press 1 time | Play/Pause or Answer/End Call | Either earbud |
| Press 2 times | Volume up | Right Earbud |
| Volume Down | Left Earbud | |
| Press 3 times | Activate Assistant | Either Bud |
| Press and hold 1 second | Track Forward | Right bud |
| Track Back | Left Earbud | |
| Press and hold 3 seconds | ANC ON/OFF
Stay-Aware Mode |
Either Earbud |
| Press 1 time then press and hold 1 second | Pair New Device | Either Earbud |
Last but not least the buds are protected with an IP55 rating which means they are can handle being caught in the rain or when building up a sweat in the gym.
Battery Life/Connectivity
The battery life on the Skullcandy Sesh ANC does vary depending on if you have the ANC on for example you get 9 hours in the buds and 37 hours stored in the case giving you a total of 46 hours with the ANC off compared to when the ANC is on which is 6 hours in the buds, 26 hours in the case totalling 32 hours which is a big difference but understandable due to the use of ANC. We tested these with ANC on and 75% volume and got about 5 ½ hours of battery life which was still acceptable considering the cost of these buds.
A nice feature you have when it comes to battery life is the charging case offers rapid charge meaning 10 minutes gives you 2 hours of playback.
Moving on to the connection of the Sesh ANC they come with Bluetooth 5.2 which is the most current version at the time of writing. However, the buds do not have any hi-res codecs which is not surprising considering the price point. The negative of lacking any codecs is when watching a video on Youtube you will suffer a bit of audio-visual lag. This won’t cause a massive problem but is noticeable.
Sound Quality
If you have listened to a few pairs of Skullcandy buds the sound profile is the same which is basically boosting the bass as much as possible without causing any distortion. This provides you with a strong bass with the Sesh ANC.
When we tested a variety of music, especially with bass-heavy tracks like “I Can’t Stop” by Flux Pavillion”. The issue you have is the bass is so strong it does impact other parts of the song, especially the instrumentals. When songs like “Alice Merton – Why So Serious” that does not feature a prominent bass the mids really do shine and you can hear the vocals very clear.
The Sesh ANC also comes with a built-in microphone and when making calls the sound was a bit tinny which does impact those who speak with lower vocals as they will sound a little distant.
Another use for their built-in mics is ANC. I found when using these on my commute to work they helped reduce the unwanted traffic noise or conversations on the train you do not want to hear. When using these while I went for a bike ride it did help reduce a significant portion of wind noises.
Skullcandy App
The Skullcandy app is also included and this is where you will find the battery levels of each bud, The Tile app is for when you need to find your buds, and the EQ comes with Music, Podcast & Movie presets as well as a custom EQ level.
In addition to this, the app allows you to switch on the ANC or Stay-Aware modes. The Sesh ANC also comes with a gaming mode. The app also allows you to update the firmware downloads. I really like what Skullcandy has done with the app it’s easy to use and looks well-designed allowing the user to navigate with ease.
Verdict
The Skullcandy Sesh ANC are an excellent option for those who are on a budget but are looking for a pair that are safe to use in the gym due to the IP55 rating makes them sweat resistant. I also found the battery life worked well and the rapid charge is great if you are in a rush and want battery life quick these are for you.
They sound average compared to the rest of the market but just do not offer anything new or exciting. They are a solid pair of buds that do things well but I think you will get annoyed with the controls. I would have liked touch control over a physical button. The sound quality is very bass-heavy and if that is something you like in a sound profile these are well worth considering.
Product Rating:
Design: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Battery Life: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Sound Quality: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Skullcandy App: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
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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