Skullcandy released its very first pair of truly wireless earbuds with the “Push.” For a retail price of just over $100, the push was a great pair that showed that the headphones company was headed in the right direction. But for those who aren’t looking to spend more than a $100 on a pair of wireless earbuds, Skullcandy has released a new and more affordable version with the “Indy.”
Design
When it comes to the Indy’s design, Skullcandy stuck with the basics and used a more traditional earbud style, similar to those of the Apple Airpods. Both left and right channels incorporate touch controls that allow you to control a few basic functions of your smartphone. Each channel also includes has a small LED that will indicate the current connection status of the Indy.
For comfort, the Indy will come with three different sizes of silicone ear gels, and for added comfort and security, Skullcandy has included a stabilizing gel that you can wrap around the earbuds that will allow for a more secure fit inside your ear. This is strictly intended for the times that you’ll be doing strenuous activity, such as running or working out. The carrying and charging case opts for the same clamshell design used by the Apple Airpods. This allows for the Indy to be comfortably carried in your pants or jacket pocket, which I personally think is a step up from the pill-shaped case that Skullcandy’s previous model used. On the outside of the case, you’ll find three LED lights that will inform you how much battery power is left on the actual case.
Performance
When it comes to the overall sound, the Indy is evenly balanced. That means you’re not going to get that pumping bass that most people long for, but instead the lows blend in nicely with the mids and highs, giving you a pleasurable listening experience. Though the Indy’s sound is balanced, it doesn’t sound very flat. You’ll still get a real distinction between the tones, which means that regardless of whatever musical genre you like to listen to, your music will still have some vividness to it. As far as volume, the earbuds don’t get too loud, but just loud enough to drown most outside noise, and at its highest volume setting, I didn’t get any distortion or clipping.
The built-in touch controls give you to access to the most common functions that you’ll use when listening to music. Once you’ve connected the Indy to your smartphone, you’ll be able to adjust the volume with a single tap on either the left or right channel. A two-second press will skip music tracks forward or backward, and a double tap will pause or play your music. The great thing about the Indy is that it can auto-connect or disconnect to your phone once you either take it out or place it back inside its charging case.
Battery life will get you somewhere around sixteen hours of total usage time. You’ll get four hours in the earbuds itself, and the charging case will give you another twelve hours. With minimal usage, which equates to about an hour to an hour and a half a day, I found that I needed to charge the case roughly around every five to six days. You can get a full charge on the case in about two or three hours time. Unfortunately, the case still uses a micro-USB cable for charging purposes. I would like to have seen it use a USB-C connection since the previous Push model had one.
Comfort
I mainly used the Indy while I was at the gym, and with the stabilizing gels, I didn’t notice any real fatigue or uncomfortableness while wearing them for longer periods. The stabilizing gels do make it slightly tricky to find a comfortable fit when first placing them in your ear, but once you find that sweet spot, the stabilizing gels do a great job of eliminating that pressure feeling on the outside of your ear.
Final Reaction
We get that Apple Airpods are all the rage, but for those who are not willing to spend $160, there are more affordable options available, such as the Indy. For half the price, the Indy is a fantastic pair of truly wireless earbuds that can get you through your daily commutes or workouts. The water-resistant rating of IP55 makes this a perfect gym companion if you’re looking for something that’s compact and lightweight. The sound is evenly balanced across the board, which means you won’t get any of the tones muddling out each other, giving you some richness to your music. The Bluetooth 5.0 gives you a pretty constant connection, but once in a while, I did experience a few audio cutoffs. The Indy is comfortable to wear for long periods of time, but getting them out of the case can be a bit of a task, especially if you have bigger hands. I did find that adding the stabilizing gels made them easier to pull out of its carrying case. If you’re in need of a true wireless pair and you want to really maximize the bang for your buck, then the Indy is a pair that can give you what you need at a price that you can afford.
Score: 4/5 Atoms
*The Indy unit was provided by Skullcandy for review purposes.
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