At the beginning of the year, we tried out the Skullcandy Push wireless earbuds and although the look & finish left a lot to desire, the sound quality was great. 6 Months on and the brand have just released a new pair of wireless earphones, ‘Indy’. Smaller case, different design and a fair bit cheaper than the ‘Push’, are ‘Indy’ the new earphones you need? Let’s find out.
These are completely wireless earphones, using the latest Bluetooth technology and includes touch-sensitive controls,
Look & Feel
The earphones come in three different finishes, black, indigo blue & mint/baby green. They come complete with a charging pod, where you store and charge the earphones. It’s a small plastic case, it’s lightweight and fits nicely in your hand or pocket. There is a magnetic lid to the case and once opened, reveals the earphones and illuminates up to 3 small lights on the case, indicating battery lever (3 being full). The earphones fit perfectly within the case moulding and lid, secured with a small magnet, yet very easy to remove. There is a micro USB port on the bottom of the case, required for charging.
The earphones themselves somewhat resemble a traditional earphone, with the driver at the top and a slim tail below it. These however have an extra level of padding, which hopefully will provide a snug fit. There is a traditional plastic ear bud, which is interchangeable, plus a larger plastic cushion you could say, which is also removable. There are no buttons on the earphones, they are touch sensitive.
I was’nt convinced by the look of these at first, mainly due to this extra bit of rubber around the driver but once in the ear, this almost disappears and actually leaves a clean, subtle appearance which grew on me the more I used them.
Setting up the earphones was very straight forward, charge them, remove them from the dock to turn them on and pair them with your smart device. Now, using & controlling the earphones was slightly trickier and I highly recommend you read the instructions. Double tap on the right earphone to play/pause, hold down on the right is next track (left is previous) and swipe up or down on the right is volume up (left for volume down). It takes some getting used to and you will defiantly get muddled at first but each earphone is responsive to touch and it works well.
Performance
The Indy earphones perform exceptionally well for the price. There is ample bass, yet the highs are crisp and the mids are clear. It’s very well balanced. I listened to a variety of music, bass-heavy Stormzy to some more mellow chart hits and in all instances, the Indy’s performance exceeded expectations.
Earphones always offer a level of subtle, passive noise cancellation but due to the additional larger earbud, these offer more cancellation than usual. They are actually incredibly easy to insert and comfortable to wear, to extended periods of time. There is enough support to ensure they remain in your ears during exercise which is good.
If you’ve used the AirPods in the past, then you will know how fluid there connection between them and your iPhone is. These are not as fluid but perhaps I’m just used to the AirPods too much.
It’s hard to determine battery life but it looks to be decent. I used the earphones for about 6 hours on & off but as they always return to the case, their battery level is always topped up. 6 hours in and I have 2/3 battery left on the case.
Verdict
At just £69.99, these are an excellent option for a quality pair of wireless earphones, suitable for casual listeners & sport enthusiasts. For more info and to purchase, head over to the Skullcandy Indy webpage.
