What’s the trade-off between user experience and sustainability when it comes to a pair of wireless earphones? That’s the question Skullcandy tries to tackle with its earth-loving EcoBuds wireless earphones, which are made of recycled materials. The company claims a reduction in heavy metals use and a smaller carbon footprint, which calls for some sacrifices from the user‘s end. 

After using the Skullcandy EcoBuds for about two weeks, here’s what we think about the eco-friendly earbuds.

Skullcandy’s EcoBuds will suit users who want a light and super-compact product | Photo Credit: Sahana Venugopal

Design

Skullcandy makes sure its EcoBuds will be a conversation starter from the very second they enter the scene. The Glacier variant features a baby blue, open-design plastic case with cobalt blue ink swirl designs, while the similarly shaded earbuds are also made out of rough plastic. This was a smart move, since it means the product case is less likely to show embarrassing scratches or signs of wear and tear. Skullcandy’s iconic skull logo serves as the touch sensor on the earbuds, and there is a tiny speckled white USB-C cable tucked into a hollowed-out strip at the bottom of the case, with a more subtle skull logo. The design is open, so there is no lid or flap to cover your earbuds when you are not using them. The product is so compact that you can nearly make a fully closed fist around the entire thing.

According to Skullcandy, the EcoBuds achieve a 50% reduction in the product’s carbon footprint through the use of 65% recycled plastics and a 57% reduction in heavy metals when compared to similar products, along with 100% recyclable packaging.

What does this mean for the end user? Quite simply, that the Skullcandy EcoBuds do not come with a top cover, or a battery in the resting case. The earbuds can be set down in their magnetic resting case, but there is no point in charging the case alone when the earbuds are not in them. In lieu of this, Skullcandy provides a tiny built-in USB-C cable so that you can charge the EcoBuds in their case by connecting them to your phone.

Whether this is an ideal workaround depends on the user. A casual and more easy-going listener will quickly get used to not having a charging case for their TWS earphones and might even enjoy having the ultra-light and compact product in their pocket. But for a long-distance commuter without a spare minute, whose phone is always running out of battery, the lack of a dedicated TWS earphone battery case could be a turn-off.

That being said, the light build of the EcoBuds and their case makes them perfect to connect to your phone and charge the device on the go.

We appreciated the sentiment behind the Skullcandy EcoBuds’ eccentric design, but would have preferred a light covering on top to keep the earbuds free of dust. In addition to this, the device’s IPX4 water-resistance rating is a bit low when considering that the product has no lid or cover for protection from the elements.

The stems of the earbuds have a pin-sized light indicator to show the battery status and Bluetooth connectivity, but the choice of colours (amber and blue-white) was a little confusing.

The magnets on the resting case aren’t very forgiving either; you will need to consciously press your earbuds into their groove or risk them being attached to the case the wrong way.

Skullcandy’s EcoBuds are durable, and survived a few short falls and drops without suffering any damage. The earphones can be used in the gym thanks to a firm fit, but may not hold up to very watery activities due to the IPX4 rating–even though Skullcandy’s promotional images show EcoBuds users snowboarding and surfing.

The EcoBuds are comfortable, ensure a good fit, and isolate noises even without ANC | Photo Credit: Sahana Venugopal

Audio

If you are looking for swoon-worthy studio audio quality and raging bass, the Skullcandy EcoBuds may not be the best fit for you. However, if you want to listen to some music between your podcasts or audiobooks, the Skullcandy EcoBuds can be a comfortable choice. The default music mode ensures a robust soundscape that allows one to enjoy most tonal ranges, though brightness is on the lower side. Instrumental and orchestral elements end up feeling rather smashed together. Bass is on the lighter side even when the dedicated mode is active, but it will suffice for most listeners.

Despite lacking a dedicated active noise cancellation feature, the EcoBuds provide a tight fight and some noise isolation, so there is a strong reduction in external noises. However, there is a certain degree of volume loss, so you will have to turn up your music or podcasts for the best listening experience. This will not do for listeners who are commuting during heavy traffic hours or listening to softer tracks over the sound of a plane engine.

On the other hand, call quality was exceedingly poor. Volume was low, tempers ran high, voices were unclear, and we were forced on several occasions to switch to the phone’s speaker in order to have a coherent conversation.

When connecting the EcoBuds to our phone, we also faced an issue where only one earbud would broadcast the audio unless we disconnected and reconnected the earphones a few times to sync the sound. This was another point of irritation.

Adding to this, the touch sensors on the earbuds are frustrating to use and struggle to pick up the user’s tapping. For example: switching between musical modes, which requires four taps, is close to impossible on the first try and is a little uncomfortable for the wearer as well.

Gamers will need a TWS earphone product with far more seamless controls.

Sustainability

This is the EcoBuds’ unique selling point, so let’s take a closer look at it.

Skullcandy is banking on buyers who might not mind sacrificing some sound quality or the ease of a charging case in order to try out a new TWS earphone product that is made of recycled plastics, includes fewer heavy metals, and boasts of a lower carbon footprint. However, we weren’t very convinced by this logic, as a true blue environmentalist would be more likely to pick wired earphones (that have the smallest carbon footprint) over even eco-friendly TWS earphones.

What’s more, the Skullcandy EcoBuds product–despite coming without a battery-enabled charging case–is priced on par with rivals that do come with charging cases. In essence, Skullcandy has removed a vital TWS earphone feature that customers depend on daily, without adjusting the price of the product accordingly. This means the EcoBuds fail to disrupt their market segment, and the venture ends up feeling more like a marketing gimmick.

On the other hand, if Skullcandy had managed to develop a TWS earphone product that did not simply cut a vital product feature in the name of sustainability but instead replaced it–say, perhaps, with a solar or motion-powered battery that would last longer than traditional batteries, or maybe a battery replacement/recycling programme–an increase in the product’s price would have been well justified.

All this goes to say that while Skullcandy’s EcoBuds are fun and quirky, the product’s eco-friendly credentials feel performative.

Battery

The Skullcandy EcoBuds do not come with a charging case, but the makers have promised eight hours of playtime through the earbuds alone. We personally found that listening to music for close to an hour brought down the battery by around 10%. Based on our experience, would put the battery life in the 6-8 hour range. The low battery announcement that periodically comes through the earphones from the 30% level onwards was irritating, and an on-screen notification could have solved this.

When the EcoBuds’ battery levels are low, a few minutes of charging the device on your phone quickly gives you several more hours of listening time, without draining more than 10% of your phone’s charge.

We were impressed to see that we could charge the product from almost zero to 100% well within an hour.

The default music mode on the Skullcandy EcoBuds allows one to enjoy most tonal ranges | Photo Credit: Sahana Venugopal

Verdict

Skullcandy’s EcoBuds are meant to help tech users start a conversation about the impact of heavy metals in wireless products, the need to recycle plastics, and the consequences of the trail of e-waste we leave in our wake as wireless devices become cheaper to buy and more tempting to replace. However, the EcoBuds concept needs far more work than simply removing a battery from the earphone charging case and whacking the product in a recyclable box.

Adding to this, the lid-free/battery-free case may not meet the needs of sound puritans, athletes, long-haul travellers, video callers, or budget-conscious buyers.

While Skullcandy’s EcoBuds can deliver satisfactory sound to those looking for an ultra-light and compact TWS earphones product, it is best when bought with a generous discount.

The Skullcandy EcoBuds retails at ₹7,199 on the Skullcandy India website and ₹2,499 on Amazon India.