On paper, Skullcandy’s Grind Fuel true wireless earphones seem promising, with long battery life, adjustable EQ, and app-based voice controls for $99.99. In reality, however, nothing about these earbuds stands out, including their bass-heavy sound signature. Skullcandy’s $79.99 Push Active in-ears offer similar functionality in a more workout-friendly design for $20 less, while Anker’s $79.99 Soundcore Life P3 earphones earn our Editors’ Choice for their excellent sound quality and good noise cancellation for the price.
Large Earpieces With a Big Battery
The Grind Fuel earphones (available in black) are made of plastic and feel solid. The earpieces are slightly bulky, but that size helps secure them in your ear, along with three pairs of silicone eartips in small, medium, and large sizes. Internally, 12mm dynamic drivers deliver a frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz.
You can control the earpieces via buttons or with your voice through the Skullcandy app (we discuss voice controls in the next section). A single press controls playback, a double press adjusts the volume (down on the left ear and up on the right), and a press-and-hold launches Spotify. A longer press-and-hold shares audio with other Skullcandy Skull-iQ enabled products—you can set this integration up in the app.
The earpieces sport an IP55 rating, which means that they are highly resistant to dust and can withstand light splashes and low-pressure jets from any direction. Wearing them during a sweaty workout or in the rain won’t be an issue, but you should avoid rinsing them off under a faucet or submerging them in water for cleaning. The case isn’t water resistant at all, however, so make sure to completely dry the earpieces before you dock them for charging.
The case houses a USB-C port on its rear panel for the included (but very short) USB-C-to-USB-A charging cable. A flip-top lid reveals the charging docks, as well as internal status LEDs that let you know how much charge remains in the case.
Skullcandy estimates that the earpieces can last roughly 9 hours on battery. The charging case is bulky (and gets noticeably warm when charging), but it holds an additional 31 hours of charge. Both of these numbers are excellent for true wireless in-ears, but keep in mind that your results will vary based on your volume levels.
The earphones are compatible with Bluetooth 5.0 and support the SBC Bluetooth codec, but not AAC or AptX. This limited codec support isn’t ideal if you’re looking to stream high-fidelity audio.
App and Voice Features
The Skullcandy app (available for Android and IOS) has adjustable EQ, lets you change the earpiece controls (you can enable quick access to Spotify and/or remote control for your phone’s camera), and has a Tile-linked Find My Earbuds feature. Stay Aware mode allows you to hear your surroundings.
Another potential reason to download the app is for the voice controls. If you use Spotify, for example, you can say, “Hey Skullcandy, Spotify,” to play music. If Spotify isn’t your default music player, you can still use voice commands for basic playback controls. This voice integration isn’t overly useful, however, because they require the Skullcandy app to be running.
Tuned for Bass
On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the Grind Fuel earphones deliver powerful low-frequency response. At top, unwise listening levels, the drivers don’t distort, and at more moderate volumes, the bass still sounds deep and full.
Bill Callahan’s “Drover,” a track with far less deep bass in the mix, gives us a better sense of the Grind Fuel’s sound signature. The drums on this track sound heavy and almost thunderous, while Callahan’s baritone vocals also get an extra dose of low-frequency richness. The acoustic strums and higher-register percussive hits typically receive a little more high-mid and high-frequency presence than they do here—the mix doesn’t sound muffled, but it’s missing a bit of brightness and treble edge in spots. You can address that shortcoming with the EQ.
On Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “No Church in the Wild,” the kick drum loop receives enough high-mid presence for its attack to retain its punchiness, but the beefed-up low-end of the drum loop stands out here. The highs get enough emphasis that we hear more of the vinyl crackle and hiss in the background than is typical, but this doesn’t seem to extend as much to the high-mids. The sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat comes across with serious depth and power, for subwoofer-like bass response. The vocals are clear, but again, a bit more high-mid presence would considerably improve the sound signature.
Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary, are relatively balanced. The lows aren’t pushed too far forward here, and the brass, strings, and vocals exhibit enough brightness and high-mid presence to avoid sounding dull.
We tested the built-in mic using the Voice Memos app on an iPhone, and could understand every word we recorded. We noticed hints of typical Bluetooth audio artifacts, but the signal still sounds strong. Over a solid connection, callers should have no trouble understanding you.
Not Quite Worth It
The Skullcandy Grind Fuel earphones have long battery life and sound decent (despite supporting only the SBC Bluetooth code), but neither of these qualities helps them break through the crowded market of competitors. In the sub-$100 price range, we’re bigger fans of the aforementioned Anker Soundcore Life P3, as well as the $80 Jabra Elite 3. For a different Skullcandy pair, the Push Active in-ears cost less and work similarly. And if you’re willing to spend a bit more, Anker’s $129.99 Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro earphones deliver the best noise cancellation you’ll find under $150.
