The Skullcandy Mod is a recently launched set of earplugs that is in the shops for 59.99 euros. A cheap alternative to the current offer, but what exactly do you get for this? We will discover that in the Skullcandy Mod review.
Skullcandy Mod
MSRP €59.99
Colour black
Link Bluetooth 5.2
Battery life 34 hours (total)
Weight 54.6 grams (charging case)
Features microphone, ambient sound mode, IP55, voice control
To upload usb c
Website https://www.skullcandy.eu/mod-wireless-earbuds/
7 Score 70 
- Pros
- Fit
- Audio (with custom euqalizer)
- Affordable
- Affordable
- app
- Negatives
- Physical Buttons
- No (real) noise reduction
- IP certificate
Skullcandy is an audio manufacturer that we have come to know as a great player in all kinds of segments of the wireless earbuds and headphones market. The company regularly releases new earplugs, each offering a slightly different experience.
The latest set, the Skullcandy Mod, is the cheapest package we’ve tested so far. With a price of 59.99 euros you should not raise expectations, but that does not mean that the company has nothing to prove. What does the Mod offer for this amount?
come from a good house
As a supplier of earplugs you have to be in good hands. The competition is fierce, so several features – in addition to audio quality – can make all the difference. The Skullcandy Mod has two 6 millimeter drivers, which have a range of 20Hz to 20kHz. You connect the device to your smartphone or laptop via Bluetooth 5.2 and play audio in the codecs aac and sbc. Unfortunately, there is no support for (any form of) aptX.
A nice aspect of the Skullcandy Mod is the support for Multipoint Pairing. This allows you to connect the earplugs to two devices at the same time. This way you can watch a video on your laptop, while no one is bothered by it. In the meantime, if you receive a call on your smartphone, you can easily take that call.
The Skullcandy Mod then switches sources automatically, while you don’t have to mess around with disconnecting and installing. A cool and handy function that we don’t encounter very often in the lower segment. Furthermore, the Mod can tolerate some dust and water thanks to the ip55 certificate; but that does not apply to the charging case.
The earphones do not offer noise reduction in any form, which makes the certificate a bit disappointing. Anyway, the better the certificate, the higher the price of the product – so that is a trade-off that you make as a manufacturer and consumer. However, it could be better.
What could have been a little better: the buttons on the earplugs. You have to press the buttons pretty hard to control your music, so you really push them into your ear canal. That is not comfortable, while the caps themselves are comfortable for a long time.
The app offers some practical options
All control options can of course also be found within the app (apart from the fact that you control your music via your favorite service). So you are not dependent on the physical buttons, but it is a pity that this works so difficult. You can read more about the options within the app. So if you are not familiar with something, Skullcandy explains very clearly what you can expect from it and what you can do with it. That makes the products of this brand generally accessible, even for people who are less tech savvy.
For example, you can use the app to set the functions of the physical buttons, see how the battery in the earbuds is doing and adjust the volume. In addition, there is a very handy equalizer, with which you adjust the audio quality. The app has three preset modes: Music, Movie, and Podcast. But you can also set your own setup. Like most people, you probably make some sort of V shape, because that sounds good or better in most cases. But whatever you want to achieve with it: it can be done via the app and you will immediately hear the result of your work.
Then we also have the Stay Aware mode. This is another name for a transparent mode. Ambient sounds are amplified when you activate the function, so that you can always hear what is happening around you while exercising or walking. The earbuds don’t have active noise cancellation, but they can keep out some noises when you turn the mode off. Don’t expect miracles, but the ‘noise cancellation’ that is there is subtle and you can really appreciate it at times.
Audio quality leaves something to be desired
One of the most important qualities of a set of earplugs is of course the audio quality. Again: for less than sixty euros, you don’t have to expect to match Sony or Apple. When you first start up the Skullcandy Mod, you will hear your music through the Music mode. The sound then sounds both hollow and cloudy, which produces a strange effect. The bass layer sounds fairly dull, while the higher notes disappear completely into the background. It looks like a spatial effect, but that may be what your brain is trying to make of it.
If we’re honest, that doesn’t sound too good. If you switch to Movie, the audio playback will sound a bit better. The bass is less dull, but also not very present – especially the highs and mids – and the notes that fall in between – come out much clearer. But here too we miss that Skullcandy character that we know from the Push Active and Grind Fuel. With the Custom equalizer you can solve a lot of problems with the sound. With us the sound now sounds a bit warmer and, above all, very clear. Even the bass comes out nicely.
So the first impression is not convincing. But after a bit of fiddling with the equalizer, the Skullcandy Mod does produce a nice sound. There are not many options in terms of sound, so you won’t be spending hours with it. But it is clear that you have to use the equalizer to get decent sound out of it.
Finally, about the battery; the earplugs offer up to seven hours of listening pleasure. If you put them in the box in the meantime, you stretch the listening time to 34 hours and that is just very respectable. Charging is via USB-C.
Skullcandy Mod – Conclusion
It’s not that the Skullcandy Mod is the best set of earplugs the brand puts out. You can even argue that the audio quality is also somewhat disappointing for the price-quality ratio, especially when you compare with other earplugs. For example, Anker often offers extensive, accessible and crystal clear earplugs with its Soundcore line, which cost one or two tens more. But in terms of functions, you will not soon come across a lot within this segment. And that makes the Mod at least worth considering in your search.
You have to keep in mind that you have to spend some time in the equalizer, because without that personal touch you won’t last long with these earplugs. The Skullcandy Mod is fine, lasts a long time and has a nice app. There are also some drawbacks: the IP certificate is a bit disappointing, the physical buttons are difficult to operate and there is no noise reduction. The box is also not waterproof. So that’s quite a few caveats, which are not so strange within this market segment.
.