Say what you will about Apple’s AirPods — love or hate the design, you can’t argue that it has taken off popularity-wise. And, because of that, there are plenty of companies that are imitating the look.
The Skullcandy Indy true wireless headphones are a clear imitation of the AirPods, but they’re not a simple blatant ripoff. There are a few things that make the Skullcandy Indy headphones unique, including the price. But how do they sound? Are they worth buying at $80? We’ve been testing the Skullcandy Indy true wireless headphones to find out.
Design
The first thing you’ll notice about the Skullcandy Indy headphones is their design, and as mentioned they bear a resemblance to Apple’s AirPods thanks to the arm that extends down below your ears. We don’t necessarily hate the look, though many will.
On each earbud you’ll find the Skullcandy logo and a small LED light on the top to indicate status, but apart from that there’s not much to say about them. The face of each earbud is touch-sensitive, which is good news — it means that it’s super easy to control playback and volume, as long as you learn the appropriate gestures.
The charging case is relatively well-designed too. The case is basic and also matte black, with three LED indicators on the front to indicate charging. On the bottom of the charging case, there’s a MicroUSB port, which was a little disappointing to see — we would have liked to see USB-C here.
Generally speaking, we liked the look and feel of the Skullcandy Indy headphones. They’re not for those that don’t like the AirPods aesthetic, but for those that don’t mind it they look pretty good.
Comfort
The Skullcandy Indy headphones are pretty comfortable, which we appreciated. Generally, we were able to wear the headphones for a few hours before they approached getting uncomfortable, and considering the fact that they only have a battery life of four hours anyway, you’re unlikely to find yourself getting frustrated at their comfort level.
The headphones are pretty great at staying in your ears too. They come with three different ear tip sizes, so it’s worth experimenting to find the tips that are best for your needs, but once you do we found that the headphones will be perfectly good at staying in your ears, even during exercise.
Sound
So the Skullcandy Indy true wireless headphones are pretty well-designed and comfortable — but how do they sound? Well, thankfully, for the price they don’t sound bad at all.
The headphones could definitely be described as bass-forward, so if you like extended bass response they might be worth considering. Ultimately, we think the headphones were a little heavy on the bass — as it overshadowed other aspects of the frequency range, but some will appreciate the heavy kick drums and smooth bass guitars.
The mid range is definitely scooped a little. There’s quite a bit of low-mid response, which carries over from the low-end, and the highs aren’t very pronounced.
The high end is a little weak. There’s not a ton of clarity, and while there is some high end response it’s a bit overshadowed by the low end.
Still, despite the downsides the frequency response isn’t bad for the price, especially for those that like a heavier bass response and don’t really care about the rest. Sure, audiophiles will probably want to steer clear, but most won’t mind the sound issues.
Performance
The Skullcandy Indy true wireless headphones connect to your listening device through Bluetooth 5.0, and we found that they generally retained a pretty good connection. We rarely experience skips or jumps during playback, and usually they were only at unreasonable distances or with lots of obstacles.
The battery life on the headphones comes in at four hours on a charge, which is fine but not spectacular. The charging case, thankfully, gets you an extra three charges, so you’ll get a total of 16 hours of playback, as long as you don’t use the headphones for more than a few hours at time,
Conclusions
The Skullcandy Indy true wireless headphones look pretty good and are relatively comfortable, and while they stumble a little in the sound department , they’re a solid option for those that don’t mind the AirPods aesthetic.
But are they the best in their price range? Well there are better prices, but they’re not necessarily in this price range. If you were willing to go up in price, the JLab Audio Epic Air Elite headphones are still an awesome choice — but if $80 is a hard budget, then these may be the headphones to go for.
Because of their excellent value for money, we’ve awarded the Skullcandy Indy headphones the Headphone Review Bronze Medal.
| Store | Price |
|---|---|
 |
$78.95 |
 |
$79.99 |
| Skullcandy | $79.99 |
| Frequency response | 20Hz – 20kHz | Active noise cancellation | No |
| Driver size | 6mm | Noise attenuation | Unknown |
| Driver type | Dynamic | On-ear controls | Yes |
| Design | Closed | Microphone | Yes |
| Sensitivity | 95dB | Eartip material | Gel |
| Rated impedance | 16Ω | Magnet material | Unknown |
| Total harmonic distortion | <3% | Water resistance | No |
| Rated input power | Unknown | Battery life | 4 Hours (+12 Hours) |
| Maximum input power | Unknown | Wireless distance | 10m (33ft) |
| Wireless connection | Bluetooth 5.0 | Cable length | N/A |
| Wired connection | No | Case type | Charging case |
| Detachable cable | N/A | In-the-box |
|
| Weight | 70g (2.5oz) | Colors | Black |