Skullcandy Sesh True Wireless Review

True Wireless Earbuds on a Budget

Skullcandy boasts a massive range of earbuds and headphones. Ranging from premium headphones like the Crusher 3.0 all the way down to their pocket-friendly budget options like the Sesh TWS earbuds.

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Coming in under $60, these earbuds compete with a wide range of popular earbuds, from Apple’s Airpods, which cost almost three times more, to lesser-known brands like Anker’s Liberty Air 2 earbuds, which can be picked up for under a hundred dollars.

With such a low price, it is astounding to see that the earbuds are fully wireless and even boast water and dust resistance. What else do these earbuds have in store? Are they the best true wireless earbuds?

Let’s find out in our in-depth Skullcandy Sesh True Wireless review…

Our rating:

(4.1 / 5)

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The Design

The first thing you interact with when it comes to these earbuds is the case. It is pilled shaped, with a plastic cover that has a nice feeling matte finish. It is small and easy to open with one hand and won’t take up too much pocket space.

Our only issue is that the pill shape does make it a little harder to grip. So taking out the earbuds needs some extra attention and care.

Not an active case…

Opening and closing the case does nothing other than keep the earbuds inside. However, while on that subject, the earbuds sit nice and firmly in their little cut-outs. Even after giving the case a few shakes, the earbuds did not budge at all.

The case has LED indicators that show the battery life of the case and if the case is charging or not. Charging is done via micro-USB, which is a little outdated. But as one of the best budget earbuds, we aren’t complaining.

Finding your fit…

The design mimics earbuds like the Sony WF-1000XM3 or SP-700. But unlike Airpods, these earbuds do not have stems. Instead, the earbuds go in your ear and are then turned vertically. This means the earbuds in your ears are aligned vertically, but the outside sits horizontally. This doesn’t just look great but also results in a comfortable and stable fit.

Controls and protection…

On each of the earbuds, there is a physical button. It can be a little hard to push without squeezing it further into your ear, but with time it became easier for us. The earbuds do have an IP55 rating, which means these can easily be taken on hikes or gym sessions. Making them a great choice for the best workout earbuds, especially for anyone on a budget.

The Sound

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These earbuds sound like typical Skullcandy earbuds. This is due to Skullcandy’s well-known sound profile, which is essentially boosting the bass as much as humanly possible without distorting the drivers. No wonder Skullcandy can lay claim to the best bass earbuds.

Built for the low end…

This can become quite apparent, especially when you listen to music where the bass is already mixed quite loudly. EDM music especially. We found it difficult to distinguish a lot of the other instruments from each other due to the tremendous amount of audio masking.

That being said, the mid-range frequencies sound great. Especially when we were listening to singer-songwriter Jack Johnson’s “Sleep Through the Static”, which does not feature a prominent bass, but instead just vocals and a guitar.

The mic…

The microphone quality on the Sesh is not bad at all and is usable in situations where you have no other option. It does still sound a bit tinny. Meaning a lot of the low-end has been rolled off, which makes people with lower vocals sound robotic or distant.

Sound isolation…

This is decent, considering these have no form of active noise canceling. We took these on a run and had no issue with wind noises or traffic noise. This will mostly depend on how well the earbuds fit, but if you play around with the different ear tip sizes, you will find a fit that seals well.

Battery Life and Connectivity

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Battery life is not as great as other earbuds. Skullcandy claims these earbuds will last just over three hours on a full charge, and that is exactly what we got in our tests. Playing them at 75% of their volume, we got three hours and five minutes before the earbuds needed a recharge.

You will get another two full charges before the case needs recharging as well. This gives you around ten hours of playtime at best, which isn’t great. Other earbuds in this price range, like the Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2, have a battery life of seven hours and offer another three charges before the case needs charging again.

Some limitations…

The earbuds make use of Bluetooth version 5 but have no hi-res audio codecs, using only SBC for connectivity. This is the case for most earbuds at this price. Unfortunately, there is a bit of audio-visual lag. Not enough to make videos unwatchable, but noticeable nonetheless.

Who is the Skullcandy Sesh For?

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If you are looking for a budget-friendly pair of workout earbuds, these are a great option. Their IP55 rating makes them sweat resistant, and the shorter battery life would most likely not be a problem. Most gym sessions won’t run over three hours.

However, if you are looking for a pair of earbuds to take on an international flight, these might not cut it. They lack active noise canceling. That means you will still hear the airplane and people around you. Plus, the batteries will run out after only three hours of use.

Check your specs…

If you subscribe to any music streaming services like TIDAL or Deezer that offer hi-res music, you should also stay away from these. This is because of the SBC codec. To listen wirelessly to hi-res music, you will need a pair of earbuds that support AptX HD or AAC for iOS users.