The Skullcandy Push Ultra True Wireless Sport Earbuds. Skullcandy is an American company based in Park City, Utah that markets headphones, earphones, hands free devices, audio backpacks, MP3 players, and other products. The company ranked among the thriving industry’s global top ten vendors in both volume and revenue. The brand is known for its cool, durable designs and sound quality for an affordable price.
Unboxing experience
I found the unpacking experience very satisfying. The EarPods came in a dry bag with a fleece interior which contained the actual box and flyer. The packaging contained the EarPods, together with the wireless charging case and a USB-C Charging Cable.
Comfort & features
The Skullcandy Push Ultra come in three colours: black, energized yellow (the ones we reviewed), and light blue, which should be released in the coming year. The EarPods and charging case are coated in a rugged, silicone-like material which is very soft to the touch and the mouldable ear hooks are very flexible, allowing me to wrap them securely around my ears, with there no risk of them falling off. Even high shocks will not get these to drop off, making them perfect for high-impact sports like mountainbiking, snowboarding or skateboarding.
The earbuds are what Skullcandy calls Stay-Aware buds. The removable silicone tip do not go deep in the ear meaning that you can hear your surroundings. This can be very useful when training outdoors where being aware of your surroundings can be important. However, the absence of a seal with the ear means that you do miss out on some sound quality. We will discuss this more at length later in this article.
Both ear pieces have been designed to carry the same controls, giving the ability to use each ear piece independently which is a welcome change from competing brands. Each ear has a multifunction button on its outer panel controlling power, the controls for playback and call management, and summoning up your phone’s voice assistant. The device also has 3 in-built EQ modes—Movie, Music, and Podcast.
Finally, the Skullcandy Push Ultra has an IP67 rating, meaning that they will survive a dunk in water up to 1 meter deep. This is a great feature as it enables you to wash your earbuds after a particularly intense sport session without having to worry about damaging them.
Sound quality
The Skullcandy Push Ultra’s sound is acceptable in a quiet setting but I found that when exercising outdoors, I would have to increase the volume a lot to compensate for my surroundings, and the wind noise.
Due to the fit of the ear pieces, getting the optimum sound can be frustrating as each earpiece will deliver a different sound depending on its exact placement in your ear. Overall however, I would say that these EarPods have crisp highs, and mids but are generally lacking in the bass department. If sound quality is what you are looking for, there are several competing products that deliver a better sound performance though they do tend come at a higher price point.
I experimented with the different EQ settings (Movie, Music, and Podcast) but didn’t find them to have much impact on the listening experience.
Usability
The earbuds are comfortable and stick to the ear thanks to the mouldable ear-hooks. They are light which makes them easy to wear for long stretches at a time. The quick charge function of the battery case make it a great option for lengthier trips as it will charge up to 2 hours of listening time within 10 minutes.
Speaking of the battery case, it is bulky when compared to some competitors but can still fit in a pocket and it carries a whopping 34 hours of battery charge.
Additionally, you can use the TILE app to find your EarPods if you’ve misplaced them at home. Once registered in the app, you can track them down by making them ring. Definitely a good feature to have!
The only complaint I have with regards to practicality is the Skullcandy app as it does not allow you to make any adjustments to your EQ settings or even to switch between listening modes. Perhaps this will be added to the app in the future though.
Conclusion
I was really looking forward to see what Skullcandy would come up with to create an impact in the true wireless market and they didn’t disappoint. The design in on point and the water proof rating make these EarPods some of the most useable ones I’ve tested so far. It’s a pity the soundscape has to suffer so much for it.
Pros & cons
+ Good Design and overall functionality
+ Mouldable ear hooks make it almost impossible for them to fall out
– The sound will leave audiophiles wanting
– Lack of features in the Skullcandy app
The Skullcandy Push Ultra True Wireless Sport earplugs cost € 130 and are available at Bol.com
