Starting from the box design, it's as sleek and neat looking as expected from Skullcandy products. The inside reveals a manual, the case with the earbuds and a short charger cable using USB and USB-C. A cool feature of the case is how the earbuds make out part of the box, also showing right away their charge status. The other awesome feature here is the integrated lanyard loop that allows the case to be connected to a keyring or lanyard.
The case is a bit tricky to open, but it's reassuring to know it will stay shut in a bag or when carrying it on a lanyard. The earbuds fit snuggly into the case, and the magnetic fit ensures an extra layer of safety. Each earbud dons the iconic Skullcandy logo and is also labelled with either L or R. The shape looks promising, and there are different sizes of gel tops that can be exchanged.
Connecting to the phone is quick and simple. While these earbuds are not compatible with any of the Skullcandy apps and therefore do not offer personal sound, the integrated features and sound are still amazing. Features are being controlled by different ways of pressing the earbuds and the response is immediate and accurate. These features include managing calls, volume control and activating the phone's voice control, amongst others.
Sound is crisp and clear, with the EQ automatically set to 'Music'. The EQ mode can be changed to 'Bass Boost' or 'Podcast'. It is also possible to activate 'Stay Aware Mode', which allows to stay connected to one's surroundings without having to remove an earbud. This is handy, as the earbuds are quite noise cancelling, and that way music can be enjoyed while listening out for important things such as train announcements.
The earbuds promise 8 hours of battery life when used, with an additional 12 hours in the case. Additionally, rapid charge technology allows 2 hours of listening after a mere 10-minute charge, perfect for emergencies. The integrated microphones, one in each earbud, also use AI technology to ensure the speaker's voice is always clear and background noise is filtered out. This works reasonably well, as expected from a Bluetooth connection.
Finally, by being sweat and water resistant, these earbuds are the perfect companion to a gym session, and, of course, they look amazing.