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

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

• Size (with case) - 102 x 60 x 30mm
• Weight (with case) - 40g
• Water and dust resistance - IPX4
• Colour - Glacier

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?

• Driver - 6mm
• Gesture controls - Yes
• Companion app - No

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

• Fast Charging - Yes (claimed 10 minutes for up to 2 hours)
• Bluetooth - Bluetooth 5.2

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.”

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