The Skullcandy Push Active‘s target audience becomes apparent immediately upon opening the packaging: the true wireless earbuds illuminate with a bright blue LED, signaling their readiness for use. After a brief initialization period of approximately twenty seconds, the earbuds are operational and paired with a smartphone. While the Push Active is geared towards fitness enthusiasts, it offers features that extend its usability beyond the gym and running track.
Fit
The fit is adequate, although achieving a secure and tight seal can be challenging. This can be attributed to two primary factors: The included eartips, available in three sizes, are somewhat too pliable. Given the weight of eight grams per earbud, a firmer eartip is necessary for optimal stability within the ear canal. Secondly, the ear-hook design, intended to secure the earbuds, lacks adjustability. In contrast, Shure’s SE series exemplifies earpieces that allow for custom shaping, ensuring a perfect fit.
Sound Experience Skullcandy Push Active
With a proper fit, the Push Active provides a passable sound image. However, the ear’s natural adaptation can subjectively improve the perceived audio quality. When compared directly to other in-ear models, such as the more budget-friendly Sudio Vasa Blå, the sound quality is less impressive. The Skull-iQ app offers EQ settings (discussed further below), but excessive adjustments can distort the sound image rather than enhance it.
The bass response can be adjusted to provide a clear and impactful low-end on tracks like Seven Lions – Freesol or Solar Fields – Sombrero. However, the Push Active struggles with tracks like Dave Weckls – Dis´Place This or Thomas Bergersens – Empire of Angels. The overall sound and midrange frequencies lack depth, resulting in a somewhat thin and hollow experience.
What is Skull-iQ?
The Skull-iQ app, available through standard app stores, offers a range of useful features, previously highlighted in our review of the Skullcandy Grind Fuel. Voice control is a central function, allowing users to execute commands such as pause, play, next, previous, and activate their device’s voice assistant with relative ease. Volume adjustment and activation of Skullcandy’s ambient sound mode, Stay Aware, are also supported. Programmable buttons on the earbuds provide an alternative to voice commands, suitable for quiet environments.
Other notable features include Share Audio and integration with Tile, a feature Skullcandy has incorporated into its earbuds for several years. Share Audio enables users to share their audio with other Skull-iQ users, providing a useful function in various situations. Tile integration assists users in locating lost earbuds. The earbuds can also be used as a remote shutter release for a smartphone camera.
The app also provides access to an EQ, quick contact to Skullcandy’s customer service, and a user manual, all presented in a clear and organized manner.
What is really good about Skullcandy Push Active
Skull-iQ deserves reiteration as a key strength. The app broadens the Push Active’s utility and makes it suitable for everyday use. The Stay Aware mode is particularly useful in environments where situational awareness is important, such as listening to podcasts in the kitchen while monitoring children. The option to temporarily disable Stay Aware provides moments of quiet. Voice commands offer convenience in situations where physical interaction with the device is inconvenient, such as pausing audio in winter without removing gloves. Furthermore, Stay Aware facilitates falling asleep to podcasts while maintaining awareness of the surroundings. These features expand the Push Active’s versatility.
Battery life is another notable strength. Fully charged earbuds provide ten hours and ten minutes of playback, with the charging case providing an additional 34 hours, for a total of 44 hours. During testing, the earbuds consistently provided ample battery life. An inactive earbud enters a sleep state but instantly reconnects upon touch. The Push Active includes a USB-C cable for convenient charging.
What needs polishing
Stay Aware, while useful, is susceptible to environmental noise in the absence of active noise cancellation (ANC), which requires specialized hardware and software. Wind noise, in particular, can render the function unusable.
The Push Active’s performance as a phone headset is also underwhelming, primarily due to the directional microphones. While the user can hear clearly, the remote party may experience difficulty due to the distance between the earbud and the mouth.
The charging case design presents a minor but persistent inconvenience. The case is adequately sized given the battery capacity, but its smooth and featureless surface makes it difficult to open with one hand. This is a minor annoyance, but a notable one given the reliance on voice commands. An ideal case design would allow for easy one-handed operation.
Conclusion Skullcandy Push Active
The Push Active presents several positive attributes, but its shortcomings impact its overall value. The fit and sound quality detract significantly from the experience, and are areas Skullcandy should address in future iterations. Potential improvements include larger (8mm) drivers and redesigned eartips and ear-hooks. While the Skull-iQ platform is promising, the Push Active’s shortcomings, combined with a price point not significantly lower than the superior Grind Fuel, make it a questionable purchase at approximately 900 SEK, given the availability of several compelling alternatives.
- Playlist for the test
- Thomas Bergersen – Empire of Angels
- Seven Lions – Freesol
- Solar Fields – Sombrero
- Hans Zimmer – Mombasa
- Agnes Obel – Familiär
- Really Slow Motion – Dominus
- Alan Jackson – Drive
- Dave Weckl – Dis´Place This
- Junkie XL – Roland of Eld
- Ulrich Schnauss, Jonas Munk – Sirocco
- Armin van Buuren – Beautiful Life
