Skullcandy Hesh ANC, stylish headphones with excellent noise-cancellation
Skullcandy Hesh ANC headphones. Pic: Noel Campion.
Skullcandy is a well-known headphone maker that specialises in quality headphones at affordable prices. I’ve been testing the Skullcandy Hesh ANC headphones for the last few weeks and while they’re not perfect, it’s another reminder that you don’t always have to pay big money to get decent performance.
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC come in three colours; chill grey, true black and mod white. I received the white version for this review and really like the fresh look. The mostly plastic construction features a matte finish with glossy accents. I like the stylish mix of the mod white headphones and tan coloured earpads. You may prefer the other two colour options whose earpads match the colour of the headphones. I also like that there’s only a subtle Skullcandy logo on the side of the headphones which is a nice touch.
The right earcup contains all the ports and buttons including a 3.5mm headphone jack that some headphones makers don’t bother with anymore. I often use this jack with a portable DAC for the best audio quality but it also comes in handy if the battery runs out.
The USB-C port offers fast charging and while there are no touch controls, the buttons provide all of the basic controls including volume, playback and ANC on/off. The buttons have embossed shapes that help distinguish one from the other while feeling for them blindly.
The ANC button toggles between ANC on and off with a single button press but there’s also an ambient aware mode that’s activated by double-pressing this button. The controls work consistently, unlike so many flawed touch controls that can be frustrating to use. A female voice will provide a confirmation of which mode you’re in each time you switch.
You can rotate the earcups over 180-degrees and fold them in to make them compact and easy to store. While the Hesh ANCs come with a soft pouch, it would have been nice to see some sort of hardshell case included.
The ear padding is soft and just large enough to comfortably fit my medium-sized ears. They’re also lightweight at only 228g and I had no problem wearing them for long periods. The headband has a good range of adjustability and the clamping force is just enough not to cause any pain if you wear them for long sessions.
Skullcandy claims up to 22 hours of battery life, which is decent, but hardly class-leading. However, a 10-minute charge is good for up to 3 hours of playtime.
While the active noise cancellation isn’t as good as more expensive headphones, I wasn’t expecting these headphones to be as good as they are. There’s a good seal around the earcups, even while wearing glasses and I think this helps to cut out some of the external sounds passively. The rest is down to the excellent Skullcandy active noise-cancelling tech inside the cans.
There’s a slight change in the sound when you turn ANC on but nothing significant to worry about. The ambient mode works well to amplify the sound around you but isn’t in the same league as more premium headphones like the AirPod Max.
There’s no wear detect feature or any companion app which is a pity. Instead, you get built-in Tile technology that makes it easy to find the headphones if you misplace them. You will need to download the Tile app and sign up for a free account. You can then use the Tile app to ring them by playing an audible tone through the headphone speakers. The sound should be loud enough to help you locate them. If you pay for an optional Tile subscription (€33/yr) you get premium benefits including smart alerts.
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC are not neutral sounding headphones but I think most users will enjoy the sound signature. The sound is bright and with lots of energy that doesn’t suit all genres of music but they’re lots of fun for general listening.
There’s a heavy emphasis on bass that works great for pop, EDM, soul and so on but less so for classical or folk. I found the bass was a little overpowering at times.
All of this is to be expected on a set of cans at this price range and I think most people will be happy but for those looking for a flat and neutral sound signature, it’s best to look elsewhere and expect to pay a lot more.
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC offer exceptional value for most people who want stylish, lightweight headphones with excellent ANC performance.
Skullcandy Hesh ANC €129.99 at Skullcandy
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