Not all wireless earbuds are made equally. You’re almost never going to find the exact same design for any pair of earbuds. Each company is trying to put out its version of the best possible wireless earbud. A company that has been in the audio game for many years is Skullcandy. Its latest entry, the Skullcandy Mod true wireless earbuds, are being marketed for their audio abilities and usability.
There are so many options on the market these days that it’s hard to find out which ones are worth your time and your money. Are you getting what you want out of your wireless earbuds? Are you able to wear them when you want to? I tested out the Skullcandy Mod true wireless earbuds. Here’s how they stack up.
Pros
- 34 hours of total battery
- Adjustable EQ modes
- Multipoint pairing
- Customizable button functions
- Dual noise-reducing microphones
Cons
- Buttons are not easy to push
- Not comfortable to wear for extended periods
- Call quality not great
Skullcandy Mod true wireless earbuds unboxing
When you open up the box, you’ll see the case with the earbuds, the USB-C charging cable, three sets of ear gels to help the earbuds fit your ears better, and a user guide. The case is compact and easy to fit in a pocket, purse, or backpack. I really liked the hinged lid that felt heavier, allowing you to open it the amount that you want in order to get the earbuds out. I didn’t even need to charge the earbuds initially to start, as they came with about a half charge.
Pairing the earbuds with my phone was simple. The user guide was easy to follow and the Skullcandy app was a breeze to download. Once you’ve set up the app and connected your device, it guides you through how to utilize the app to get more out of the earbuds. You can also sync your Skullcandy Mod earbuds with Tile in order to track them, in case they get lost.
EQ modes
There are multiple EQ modes that you can choose from or customize to your liking. If you’re listening to music, you can choose music mode. That enhances the songs you’re listening to. I personally enjoyed the podcast mode setting, which toned down background noise and caused the voices to come in more clearly. The movie mode provides more of a surround sound experience. Then, there is a custom five-band EQ mode that lets you adjust the sound to your liking.
In the app, you can also toggle on Stay-Aware mode, which amplifies external sounds to maintain awareness of your surroundings. This is rather helpful if you happen to be wearing them while walking home at night or listening to something and someone yells from across your home to you. This is also customizable.
Wearing the Skullcandy Mod earbuds
The design of the Skullcandy Mod true wireless earbuds is one that inserts into your ear and the area that stays outside of your ear is soft where the button controls are. The design, unfortunately, feels more like earplugs than earbuds. I tried all of the different ear gels to see which one would fit my ears the best and none of them were comfortable to wear for a long time. The real downfall of these earbuds is when you need to push the buttons.
There are other earbuds, like the AirPods, Nokia BH-805 earbuds, or the Edifier NeoBuds Pro earbuds where the controls are located in the stem of the earbuds. But in the Skullcandy Mod earbuds, it is a physical button that needs actual pressure to push. However, the button isn’t very easy to press. You end up jamming the earbud into your ear more while using the controls. Pressing the button can do things like turning the volume up, powering the earbuds on and off, going forward a track or back a track, and more. You can also customize what they do in the app, which is a great feature. But having to physically push the button while it’s in your ear is not a comfortable task.
Features and battery
Something that you will like about these is the battery life. You’ll get up to 34 hours of battery life, as you get seven hours of battery life plus an additional 27 hours in the case. I wore them for a few hours straight and put them back in the case and didn’t have to charge them again for quite a while. 10 minutes of the buds charging in the case adds an additional two hours of battery life, which is great.
They automatically connect with the last device it was paired with, which is helpful if you are using one device mainly when you use them. They also offer multipoint pairing, so you can connect to multiple devices at once. This works on a multitude of devices and it won’t matter what platform or manufacturer.
This set boasts a clear voice mic that provides a reduction in background noise while you’re on a call. But, because of the intrusive design of the headphones, I heard from multiple people that I called that I sounded muffled during calls. These are also IP55 sweat- and water-resistant, so you can wear them any time of the year and during workouts.
Conclusions
The Skullcandy Mod true wireless earbuds will not set you back a lot, as they are priced at $59.99. But you also will not get long-wearing comfort out of them either. They are fine for wearing around your home, while running an errand, or just while running. The battery life won’t make you worry about needing to bring a portable charger with you everywhere you go. The customizable features are a big plus, especially for people who wear these while listening to podcasts or watching a movie on their device.
The Skullcandy Mod earbuds are available for pre-order on May 17, with full sales to begin later.
The competition
At a similar shape and price point, the Sony WF-C500 true earbuds offer a lot of the same features, including the press button, customizable EQ modes, and compact design. The Sony earbuds are about $10 more but might fit your ears better if you are worried about Skullcandy.
Should I buy the Skullcandy Mod true wireless earbuds?
No. They offer some good audio features, but are generally uncomfortable to wear.
