Review: Skullcandy Hesh Evo (no ANC) wireless headphones

Skull, sweet skull.

Skullcandy Hesh Evo (no ANC) wireless/BT headphones (right, in blue) and Edifier/Hecate Gx wired gaming headset (left, silver)

First impressions

First, I chose to try the Cayin N7 digital audio player (DAP) as a source for the Skullcandy Hesh Evo headphones. This pair of Evo’s don’t have active noise canceling (ANC), though the very comfortable earpads do an excellent job of isolating the listener from ambient sounds. The headphones are extremely light weight. They sound better than I was expecting from a pair at their price point—in fact, I had been assuming they were more expensive than they are. They get low-bass power that beats a nearly comparable pair of Edifier/Hecate Gx wired, USB, over-ear, closed-back headphones. The Gx is not Bluetooth capable, so I compared them in their 3.5-mm wired configurations. I also listened to and generally wore the Hesh Evo’s in a wireless configuration. I even work-tested them in a virtual-meeting situation, and they worked fine (only I wish I could find a mute button somewhere on them…).

Highs are weak compared to most other headphones I have available, including the Edifier/Hecate Gx headset, which was in a wired configuration. While listening, I just adjust and forget about (nearly forget about) what I’m missing, unless I’m listening for a review like this one or for similar, analytical reasons. The imagination does a wonderful job at filling in missing sensory data. Cymbals still sizzle. The Evo’s, like the Gx’s, are over-ear, closed-back headphones, and so might be expected to have a narrower soundstage than, say, a pair of Sennheiser HD600’s, though, since the Senns are at a significantly higher price point, if one pays full, retail price for them, this may not be fair. The comparison is reasonable, even so, because the HD600’s are over-ear, open-back, and open-back headphones typically have a wider soundstage than closed-back headphones.

Still, the sound stage is narrower than I like. I do like that the music is not pressing against my face, as it seems to do with some closed-back wireless headphones, even at rather high price points. There is some depth to the soundstage, though not much. I don’t hear any 3-D . I think their soundstage is narrower than the Gx’s, and the Gx’s were my first pair of headphones I bought that I considered expensive (and they aren’t expensive—or weren’t when I bought them). Still, one can adapt to many different listening situations, and, especially considering the price, these are decent headphones.

Because these are mainly for use as wireless headphones, they open a world of possibilities that are not present with wired headphones. Even wired headphones used with a DAP connected to a computer via BT are much more cumbersome than the Evo’s. It is easy to forget the Evo’s weigh anything, and moving my head around is not affected by wearing them. Not trailing wires is an enormous advantage in many listening situations, and it can make up for a less resolving listening experience simply out of its greater convenience. I cannot count the number of times my headphone wires caught on some object, nor do I remember the exact expletives I often use when that has happened.

In addition to the convenience of their being lightweight and wireless, they fold into a small form factor, perfect for stuffing into a large pocket of a carry-on bag or personal item when flying on an airplane. At their fairly low price point, it would not be disastrous if they were damaged, lost, or stolen during a trip, at least not from a financial perspective. Of course, it would be a real pain to be without wireless headphones if one is used to having them, but you don’t have to take out a personal loan, in most cases, to replace them. For many people (people with larger ears than mine), these may function as para-aural (on-ear) rather than supra-aural (over-ear). They are not large earphones, though my smaller-than-normal ears fit nicely inside them.

The sound is great. If you have never tried higher price-point headphones, you won’t know what you’re missing, and you can be happy enjoying your music in high quality BT reproduction. These lightweight headphones sound excellent with my Cayin N7—admittedly, a higher-than-normal fidelity source—listening to the Valterri Laurell Nonet’s Tigers Are Better Looking, a large-ensemble jazz group with guitar, trombone, trumpet, saxophone, bass clarinet, drums, and bass. If you want to fly without worrying about losing or, worse, having stolen, a costly pair of BT headphones, I recommend the Skullcandy Hesh Evo’s, even these without active noise cancellation. Just keep in mind that, to get the best listening experience, a good source is required. I’ve found my budget Motorola Android phones are awful BT sources. My iPhone 4s is great, as are my higher price-point digital audio players. A laptop computer can typically supply a great BT signal, and an iPad can probably do as good a job, at least, as my iPhone 4s.

As far as low bass goes, the Skullcandy’s can hit some low, low notes, such as the kick drum in the incredible, chaotic, cacophonic “r.a.t.b.o.t.B” by the drummer Kate Gentile and her ensemble.

The combination of free jazz with mostly acoustic instruments, and Gentile’s drums that are strongly reminiscent of extreme death-metal drums, is likely to surprise and stun many listeners. I recommend giving it a fair light and a fair chance before forming an opinion. There is order in the chaos. And Gentile’s drums are amazing.

Wired Configuration Comparison

Using my Astell & Kern SE180 with SEM3, the Skullcandy’s sound good with a wire. I’m listening to Another Land by Dave Holland (b), Kevin Eubanks (g), and Obed Calvaire (d). Both Eubanks and Holland run their instruments through the same brand of bass amp – yes, even the guitar goes through a Gallien-Krueger bass amp of some sort – and this allows their tones to meld in many instances, so it’s not always obvious whether a bass is playing, or the guitar is playing. Typically, wired allows for more bass extension, and I think that is the case with the Skullcandy’s. Holland’s bass goes deeper, though not by a lot, in a wired configuration.

Comparing the wired configuration of the Skullcandy Hesh Evo’s, to the Edifier/Hecate Gx headset in a wired configuration, the Evo’s have much more bass. The Gx’s are lighter in the bass but more extended in the treble. Cymbals get better treatment, and there is more of a wide sound stage with the Gx’s. Both are over-ear, closed-back headphones, though the Gx is not Bluetooth capable. The Gx can use its onboard, hi-res (24-bit / 96-kHz) DAC in a USB-connected configuration.

The soundstage of the Evo’s is very narrow compared to most other headphones I have available. It is not deep, either. Fortunately, it is not the case—as with my Motorola Android budget phones—where everything is packed into the center. The much more powerful bass extension into some sub-bass is where the difference between the Evo’s and the Gx’s is most noticeable. Both are headphones at about the same price point (or, they were when I bought the Gx headset for about what I see the Skullcandy Hesh Evo going for now; Edifier prices have gone up generally, over the last two years). Calvaire’s kick drum is strongly reproduced by the Evo’s in a wired configuration—and somewhat less so in the Bluetooth configuration. Notably, though my device-as-source, the A&K SE180, is of high quality, for some reason it is using the lowest quality Bluetooth codec, SBC, with the Skullcandy Hesh Evo’s. So, some devices, using aptX or some other, high quality, Bluetooth codec, might give better bass extension.

In the End

I am considering getting a pair of Evo’s for exercising. There are advantages, in some circumstances, in having less flashy, lighter, less expensive headphones. And they are great for wearing while lying down. There is no slippage or sagging, as heavier headphones are apt to exhibit. The comfort level is surprisingly high. I found the material the ear pads are made of to disappear from consciousness at times, it is so ligh and soft. I have not worn them until they lost charge, and, since this pair was lent to me and has been in use for I don’t know how long, a battery-life evaluation would not be fair.

The freedom of not having wires, and the safety (for the headphones in this case) of wearing lightweight headphones are not to be understated. Some headphones are better in some circumstances than others, when choosing a set of criteria that apply to both. Few people wear tuxedos, formal dresses, or other formal clothing most of their lives. Not everywhere is the place for a pair of weighty, flashy, costly Focal Clear Mg’s.

If you’re interested in really upping your wireless headphone game, I can highly recommend the Focal Bathys closed back, wireless headphones.