The arrival of truly wireless earbuds a few years back was a real game-changer for runners and cyclists. While the transition away from traditional earphones that plugged into our mobile devices to Bluetooth models that delivered audio wirelessly was a great step forward, there were still issues to contend with.
Most notably, there was still a cord running between the two earbuds, which still had the potential to get snagged on clothing or branches, unexpectedly yanking our tiny little speaker right out of our ears. True wireless models eliminate that cable altogether and use Bluetooth technology to keep everything in sync and work together while also freeing us up completely from the cable.
Of course, these types of earbuds also bring their own set of challenges, namely battery life and the potential for losing them, but for the most part, they are a fantastic step forward.
As someone deep inside the Apple ecosystem, the company’s AirPods have been the standard by which I judge all other true wireless earphones. These audio devices are comfortable, fit nicely in my ears, and have never fallen out in more than a year and a half of active use.
They also offer things like dead-simple pairing with an iPhone, the ability to use them across all of your Apple devices with ease, and a host of other functionality, like the ability to auto-pause what audio content is playing when you pull one from your ear.
The AirPods have one serious flaw that has plagued me on several occasions and has made them difficult to recommend to others who workout a lot. I’ll have more on that in a moment, but suffice as to say I have been looking for a good replacement and recently found one in the form of the Skullcandy Push.
The Push is Skullcandy’s first leap into the true wireless market, although I can assure you it won’t be there last. As you would expect, these earbuds are lightweight, very easy to pair with your devices (although not as easy as AirPods for Apple users), and are comfortable to wear even for extended periods of time.
Multiple Sizes to Fit all Ears
The earphones ship with three different sizes of silicon tips to help you find the right size to meet your needs in terms of fit, and I can tell you that, like the AirPods, I haven’t had them fall out while running once I found the right sizes for my ears.
Great Sound Quality
The sound quality for the Push is quite good. In fact, I’d say it is at least on par with Apple’s offering, with crisp, clear, and bright audio. Bass is rather mild on every true wireless earbud that I’ve tested, and the Push is no exception, but for the most part, anyone who isn’t an audiophile is probably going to really love them. If you are an audiophile, you’re probably not in the market for these types of devices, to begin with.
How they Performed
Once paired with a smartphone and powered on, the two Push earbuds negotiate a connection between each other in just a matter of a second or two. This allows them to stay in sync and playback stereo audio without much of a hitch. The interface caused one or the other earbud to momentarily cut out a few times, but the connection repaired quickly, and the devices were back in sync without missing a beat.
Both earbuds feature a built-in button that gives the wearer some control over their operation while in use. For instance, those buttons allow you to pause or play music, turn up the volume, or skip tracks.
They can also be used to activate the virtual assistant on your phone, such as Siri or the Google Assistant, or take incoming phone calls. Built-in mics make it possible to hold a two-way conversation, although performance varies based on the environment you’re in.
In a quiet office at home, the Push performed nicely, but outside in the wind, not so much.
Battery Life
Battery life on Skullcandy’s earbuds is six hours of continuous use, with an additional six hours available through the included charging case. The initial six hours of playback is longer than what Apple offers on the AirPods, although the charging case for those earbuds is faster, provides more charges, and is more compact too.
That said, the Push charging case works very well and conveniently has a battery life indicator outside the box, which the AirPods could use.
Skullcandy Push vs. Apple AirPods
If there is an area that Skullcandy has Apple beat –– at least for now –– it’s in water/sweat resistance. Early on in this review, I mentioned that I had an ongoing issue with my AirPods.
The charging connectors inside the case would continually get oxidized, eventually causing them to not recharge my AirPods. I’ve had my case replaced at least three times, and it still continues to happen, although curiously, it’s only on the left side.
The only explanation I have is that I wear them all the time while running and that water and sweat must be causing the reaction.
Water-Resistant
This isn’t a worry for the Push because they are IPX7 rated for water and perspiration resistance. That doesn’t mean you can wear them in the swimming pool, but it should be adequate enough to ensure they work fine even after sweaty runs or workouts in the rain. So far, I’ve worn them multiple times in some stormy conditions and have had zero issues yet.
Pricing
The other area where Skullcandy has a leg up on Apple is in price. The Push earbuds are $30 cheaper than Apple’s AirPods. Sure, they don’t offer the same level of convenience for those of us who are Apple diehards, but a $30 difference in price is nothing to sneeze at either.
Plus, the ability to resist water and sweat, as noted above, is a feature that is worth having too.
Final Thoughts
If you’re in the market for a set of truly wireless earbuds but don’t want to break the bank, the Skullcandy Push is a fantastic option. Yes, you’ll find less expensive models on the market, but they come with a steep drop off in terms of audio quality, build quality, and battery life as well.
What Skullcandy has delivered here is nothing short of remarkable, offering a great mix of comfort, performance, and style. That makes the Push very easy to recommend for those looking for wireless earbuds to use on their outdoor adventures.
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