Skullcandy Smokin’ Buds Review: The Bass Boss Goes Balanced on a Budget

TWS is one tech category that keeps giving. Brands keep introducing new TWS, giving a number of choices to users, often causing a ton of confusion in the process. While there are a number of tech brands getting into the TWS game, things get especially interesting when a brand known for its audio gets into the TWS zone.

One such brand is Skullcandy.

Skullcandy has been in the audio game for a long time and has delivered some pretty great earphones over the last few years. And its latest in the TWS market are the Skullcandy Smokin’ Buds. While Skullcandy is known for its bass-heavy audio output, with the Smokin’ Buds, it is trying to change that and deliver clean, balanced audio. Launched at a very pocket-friendly price of Rs 2799 (although their official price is shown at Rs 7,999), with the Smokin’ Buds, can Skullcandy also please the balanced-audio-loving crowd?

Skullcandy Smokin’ Buds Design: Pretty basic, not headturners

Skullcandy has kept the design of the buds rather straightforward, with no conspicuous design flourishes. The Smokin’ Buds come in a squoval-shaped plastic case that flips open to reveal the bulbous buds with a small stem. The case is matte with a small Skullcandy logo in a shiny finish. There is a USB Type C port on the front side for charging, and a small LED battery charging indicator sits right next to it. The buds come in a matte finish, too, but the head has a hint of gloss on the inside. Each bud has a small Skullcandy logo and an LED pairing indicator on the stem. The brand’s logo is also present on the ear tips of the buds.

The Skullcandy Smokin’ Buds are pretty lightweight and weigh just 40.59 grams only with the case. Neither the design of the buds nor the build quality screams premium. They are available in just one color, True Black. The plasticky feel of both the buds and the case overshadows just how lightweight the TWS are and how well they sit in the ears. The fit of the buds is actually quite good, and they stay in the ears even through a particularly intense workout session. Because they are light, you can wear them through a long movie or back-to-back binge-watching sessions, and you will not feel too bothered by them. The petite-sized case would fit in any trouser’s pocket quite easily, too.

The Skullcandy Smokin’ Buds also come with an IPX4 rating, which means they are sweat and water-resistant, making them good for the gym. The design of the Smokin’ Buds will not really turn heads. Perhaps another color option might have helped their cause a bit when it comes to looking standout. The buds do not look bad – they will simply get lost in the sea of TWS that the market has to offer at the moment.

Skullcandy Smokin’ Buds UI: Simple to set up, but it takes some getting used to

Pairing the Smokin’ Buds is a pretty easy, effortless process. You simply have to flip open the case, take the buds out, and put them in your ears. You will be notified that the buds are ready to pair through. Then, you just have to look through your Bluetooth settings, find the Smokin’ Buds in the list, and pair them.

To pair a new device, you simply have to long press on the Skullcandy logo on the stem for three seconds on either of the buds, wait for the notification that says the buds are ready to pair, and then pair them with the device of your choice. You can also reset the paired device list by long pressing the logo on the stem again, but for six seconds, this time while the Bluetooth on already paired devices is off.

Getting used to the controls on the buds is pretty tricky, simply because there are many to remember and get used to. Here is a simple list:

• Play/ pause/ answer/ end calls: a single tap on either bud
• Manual power on/ power off: long press on either bud for a second
• Volume up: double tap on either bud
• Volume down: triple tap on either bud
• Change EQ modes: tap on either bud four times
• Pairing mode: Long press either bud for three seconds
• Reset paired device list: long press either bud for about six seconds

The controls work more often than they do not. You simply have to get used to them and find the perfect balance between taps and long holds. Yes, getting used to them will take some time, but we are impressed at just how much Skullcandy has managed to pack into the buds themselves in control terms. It is rare to see EQ mode controls right on the buds themselves.

Skullcandy Smokin’ Buds Performance: Expected heavy bass, got impressive balance

The Skullcandy Smokin’ Buds come with 6mm drivers and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity. In terms of performance, Skullcandy has taken a completely different route with the Smokin’ Buds from its usual approach. The brand is known for its rumbling, bass-heavy audio output, but with the Smokin’ Buds, the brand has gone down a more balanced audio route. The audio output on the buds is actually very impressive and will be good enough for even ‘audio purists. It definitely cannot compete with a good pair of wired headphones, but for the price, these budget buds do offer some body to the music without completely butchering the mids or the highs in a song, which is a major problem with most bass-crazy TWS in this price bracket.

The buds do not offer ANC, but because the fit of the buds is quite snug, they manage to drown out almost all of the background noise. Yes, particularly loud noises will manage to sneak in but the buds can easily keep out the noisy environment of a cafe or at the airport, giving you quite an isolated audio experience. In our book, this is as good (if not better than) the very token ANC on many budget TWS, which often cannot tackle loud sounds, affects audio quality and drains battery.

The Skullcandy Smokin’ Buds also come with three different EQ modes, Movies, Music, and Podcast, that help you make the most out of your audio experience. We tried the three, and while the difference between them is quite nuanced, it exists nonetheless.

Skullcandy Smokin’ Buds Calls and Battery life: Very good indeed

The Skullcandy Smokin’ Buds come with a mic each in both earbuds, allowing you to use either of the buds on its own to make calls. The call quality of the earbuds is very good, too. Neither did we face any issues with call quality, nor did we hear (pun intended) issues from the receivers’ side. This kind of call handling is very rare in budget TWS, where call quality is often a weak point.

In terms of battery life, Skullcandy claims 8 hours of battery life on the buds, and you get an added 12 hours worth of battery life on the case. This proved to be more or less true during our review period. The battery life of the buds themselves is quite impressive, and they can easily last you through some serious binge-watch sessions. We would have preferred more battery life on the case, but we guess that would have made the case more bulky. Still, there’s enough here to keep you going for a few days comfortably. The single LED indicator switches between green, yellow, and red to give you an idea of the battery left. Once again, we would have liked a few more lights to indicate battery status, but you get used to it, and this is hardly a deal breaker.

Skullcandy Smokin’ Buds Review Verdict: Should you buy these TWS?

The Skullcandy Smokin’ Buds might have an official price tag of Rs. 7,999 but have always been available at Rs 2799 or even lower. And at that price, they are a steal. The TWS are like a breath of fresh air from Skullcandy, a brand that is known for indulging in rather bass-heavy audio output. The buds offer a very balanced, nuanced sound profile and a surprisingly comprehensive on-buds UI. The smart controls that Skullcandy Smokin’ Buds offer, paired with that balanced audio output, good call quality, and decent battery life, make them one of the best options at this price point. There are other TWS with more impressive spec sheets and with ANC (of sorts), but unless you are a bass or spec maniac, there aren’t many TWS that come close to these buds from Skullcandy.

Buy Skullcandy Smokin’ Buds