I’m standing in the kitchen and sigh as the sound of arguing teenagers escalates. Normal sibling rivalry? Nope. They’re arguing over who gets to try the new Skullcandy Sesh Evo Series ear buds that just landed.
Mutters of “They’re really cool, I could definitely use them at work” rebutted by “Yes, but I could use them whilst I study for the HSC” escalate into beseeching looks from both of them. You get the drift. Having established that the Skullcandy Sesh Evo Series ear buds are on trend, the questions remains of will it blend, I mean, will they stand the test of time, teenagers and work. Let’s find out.
Overview
Skullcandy have brought out the big guns for their ear buds. With an auto pairing mode at first power on, you can switch between devices with ease. And with the added benefit of volume adjust, call taking, adjusting EQ modes and more at the press of the ear bud, your phone is almost defunct. Well, almost.
With an IP55 rating for sweat, water and dust resistance, Skullcandy’s Fearless Use Promise ® makes the deal so much sweeter – lose or break a component of your Sesh Evo and they’ll replace them, no questions asked. Just return all remaining parts, pay only for the missing part and Skullcandy will ship you a complete, new pair. The Built-In Tile TM technology, and downloadable Tile app means you’d be hard pressed to misplace them but it does happen. To top it off, a 24 hour total battery + Rapid Charge feature means you can rely on them to last when you need them the most.
Design
On first inspection, Skullcandy has created a sleek matte case, which when opened, presents you with a pair of glossy Sesh Evo ear buds.
The Sesh Evo charging case is a sturdy bit of hardware that would be difficult to lose (unlike other brands). It comes with a USB-C /USB charge cord – no plug. Solid with good hinges and a flip top lid, the ear buds are secure within their allocated slots. They come in three colours: Pure Mint, Bleached Blue and True Black. In my case I have the True Black version and they’re quite nice and look great whether you’re 18 or 50yo.
Ear Buds
A solid button tab that fits snugly into your ear, the Sesh Evo are both stylish and mostly discreet, none of this dangling down past your ear lobe business. Initial impressions are good and the teens agree. You get three soft ear bud covers from which to choose; I swapped the medium out for the small and it worked well for me.
Auto power on, pairing is a dream with a simple click either right or left side ear bud. Power Off is simple too; use the same button. You can track, adjust volume, hit play, active Voice Assistance, answer/end calls and pair with other devices. The world is literally at your fingertips and ears.
Charging
Skullcandy spruik that the buds themselves hold up to 5 hours whilst the case charges the buds up to 3 times between plug-ins. Bonus points for the Rapid Charge feature – put your buds in the case for 10 minutes and you receive 2 hours of play time. In comparison with other brands of ear buds of which we have a few, I honestly didn’t notice any time difference. The connected Sesh Evo ear buds probably charged quicker to be honest.
Instructions & Set up
The instruction sheet is comprehensive and comes with a handy QR link encouraging troubleshooting any problems. Don’t take it back to the place of purchase – just DIY. And as we’re all technologically inclined, this is a no brainer. I checked out the support site; it was helpful and walked the consumer through product set up and any issues that may arise. Skullcandy’s support was excellent – no endless loops through product sub links – just plain English and a multitude of other languages for the diverse local and international market.
Device Control
Remove the Sesh Evo’s from their case and you’re in business. Auto pairing mode commences immediately and similarly they switch off if returned to the case. The device control is extensive once connected; press either ear once to start/pause playback, or hold for a longer period to manually turn them off. Same goes for taking calls; the Sesh Evo has excellent clarity of speech not often found in this price range. Volume control is a breeze; press either ear bud twice and the left hand side ear bud reduces noise levels whilst the right increases. The buttons on the ear buds are small but easy to get the hang of quickly. Overall range is around seven to eight metres which should be enough for everyone considering most people are permanently attached to their phones anyway.
Sound
I admit I wasn’t initially that thrilled with the sound. It was muffled and seemed dense with no obvious treble. However, after adjusting the equaliser on my phone, I sudden found myself in an unexpected musically sweet spot. A rich timbre and clarity of tone streamed through the Sesh Evo’s, transporting me to a concert hall in Vienna one minute and a rock stadium in Homebush, before the NSW Government tore it down, the next. The noise cancellation aspect is a welcome feature too, giving you the freedom to truly enjoy your music/calls without external interruptions.
Admittedly, accidently pushing a Nickelback song midway through a Paganini concerto gave a breadth to the listening test I hadn’t planned on; nonetheless, the contrast in sound retained the depth and clarity of the varied music genres. You don’t need to stand in line for clubs you’ll never get in with the Sesh Evo…
Comfort
Honestly, they take a bit of fiddling initially. But once you have them right, they don’t budge and are very comfortable, more so than some other hard plastic brands with no soft covers. They’re not too heavy and not too light – at 5grams per ear bud you could say they’re the Goldilocks of ear buds if you will. My ears always hurt with other brands but not with the Sesh Evo. Bonus points!
Resilience
The teens elected to put them through their paces and so a gym session, vigorous walk and a day on the manufacturing floor delivered good feedback. They remained secure and weren’t fazed or budged by a spin class, handled walking Wilson Wonder Dog superbly and took calls from the multitude of teen friends easily and clearly.
The fact you can wear just one ear bud and still have great sound quality was a winner in everyone’s eyes/ears, especially the 18yo son who looked beseechingly at me as he handed them back.
I conducted some business calls that enabled me to work on my laptop with no issue and no feedback – clarity of sound and the menu options available by tapping the ear bud enhanced my already high opinion of the ear buds.
Price
At RRP $139.95, the Skullcandy Sesh Evo Series are a great buy for those who want a decent set of ear buds that will pair with anything, are resilient and stay the course. Sign up on the Skullcandy website and you get a 15% discount code which could knock the price down for the Covid-cash strapped. Also available at JB Hi-Fi and various electronic retailers, there are some good deals out there for the discerning consumer.
Conclusion
Skullcandy Sesh Evo are the perfect ear buds for all ages, situations and sturdy enough to make it through rain, hail or shine. And with Christmas fast approaching, they’re priced just right to buy a pair each for the whole family. Finally, there’s an old adage that you should never put anything bigger than an elbow in your ear… but when it comes to the Skullcandy Sesh Evo ear buds, I’m 100% willing to make an exception.
