Skullcandy has previously shown an ability to produce high value sound technology for affordable prices. Perhaps it is the combination of sports and music that make its headphones so stylish. This time, Cubed3 gets the chance to look at the new Skullcandy Rail True Wireless Earbuds. Promising amazing sound, comfortable design and a variety of features, it is time to see if the promises hold up!
Perhaps not particularly important, but the look of the packaging is already very cool. Especially the pink highlights on the overall black design stick out in a positive way. Once opened, there aren’t any unnecessary frills. Greeted by the quick start guide, as well as a more complex guide, it’s possible to start right away. The sleek black case, that doubles as the charging station for the earbuds, feels great in the hand, and is small enough to fit in any pocket. It can be charged using the included USB-C cable that may be a bit short, but the case does allow for rapid charge which is really great. Opening the case’s lid is easy, as it is just fastened via magnets. This has the added bonus of no buttons that could break over time while being secure and simple to handle.
The pair of earbuds for review come in black, but straight away something else stands out, and that is the see-through part on both buds, revealing an insight into the intricate technology hidden in these tiny works of wonder. Of course, these aren’t visible when wearing the buds, but it is still so cool to see. The set comes with three different sizes of silicone eartips, allowing to swap them so that each bud fits perfectly. Upon inspecting the earbuds even further, the small Skullcandy logo can be found on each. It is very subtle and perfectly fits here. The earbuds are also labelled with R and L for avoiding confusion, something that is highly appreciated by this reviewer!
Time to plug them in and give them a listen. The fit is surprisingly comfortable and feels very secure. The buds turn on automatically when taken out of the case. It is also possible to use only one earbud. Especially neat is how the earbuds tell the user their charge when popping them into the ears. Connecting them is also incredibly easy, both on PC and phone (Android and iPhone), definitely no problems here. For phones, the earbuds are compatible with the Skull-IQ app. This app is free to download and enables a variety of features for the earbuds.
Firstly, it allows for voice control by saying “Hey Skullcandy”. A variety of commands are available, for example to skip tracks or change the volume, but also to answer calls or open Spotify. These voice controls are available in a variety of languages, and the language can be chosen in the app. They work a charm, it is actually really incredible.
Another feature is the button settings. By default, a variety of commands are already mapped onto the earbuds – for example a single tap on the left earbud will pause music, whereas a single tap on the right earbud reduces the volume and a double tap fast forwards to the next track. These button commands can be changed in the app to create the perfect personalised experience and ensures that buttons are mapped in a way that is important to the user, which is absolutely amazing.
Anyone that has ever been on a train knows the struggle of trying to enjoy some music while keeping an ear out for important announcements. Skullcandy has a solution for this: the Stay-Aware mode. This mode is easy to activate or deactivate, and its intensity can also be set within the app. The Skull-IQ app also offers an Equalizer option. This contains three presets (Music, Bass Boost and Podcast), and a custom option where the individual parameters can be adjusted to the user’s liking.
As with previously reviewed Skullcandy products, these earbuds also offer Personal Sound, for which users first have to do a listening test. Afterwards, music gets adjusted to the results of this test. The listening experiences when using Personal Sound is incredible, with a fuller range of sound, and richer and clearer audio tailored to the user’s listening abilities. Additional features through the app include Multipoint Pairing, allowing for the earbuds to be connected to two devices simultaneously, and the option to use the earbuds for taking photos with the phone.
This is all well and good (actually, it’s all pretty amazing), but how is the actual sound? The sound is great! The earbuds are surprisingly noise cancelling, and the sound is clear and consistent (and can be even more improved when activating Personal Sound). Of course, the app features are only available on devices that support the app, so it is not possible to get personal sound when connecting to a computer. This isn’t really a problem, however. Even when connected to a computer or unable to utilise the app, the button settings are still available, and the sound is crisp and clear. Of course, it cannot reach the sound of a wired set or over-ear headphones, that is to be expected. However, one has to marvel the strength of these tiny earbuds and their ability to convey sound so clear and crisp, regardless.
