Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
Skullcandy is light on accessories here. There's a micro USB charging cable and a 3.5mm audio cable, both of which connect to the right earcup. Though there's no included tote or case, the earcups do swivel and fold down into a compact size for easy stowing. The Hesh 3 are Bluetooth headphones, but they don’t offer more special features such as aptX HD and active noise cancellation. However, if you’re simply after a solid, affordable wireless set of headphones then you won’t necessarily be wanting these extras. Despite being a V-shaped sounding headphone, it is not really your typical V-shape where full-bodied bass hits hard where you can feel your heart thumping to the beat. It really takes on a more relaxed type of bass while giving enough quantity. Hence, it is more suited for pop and vocal/acoustic but not for EDM as it does not get your feet tapping. Portability is definitely a factor when considering these as part of your everyday carry for your daily commute to school, to work, or to shut out your naggy spouse…
Bass is still emphasised, but it’s closer in style to other street headphones, with less of a swamping effect. Mids are slightly recessed, but are much better defined than those of the Motorola Escape Pulse+. There’s some texture and detail here, with none of the boxy or flat sensibility demonstrated by some entry-level wireless headphones. The mic offers solid intelligibility. Using the Voice Memos app on an iPhone 6s, we could understand every word we recorded, although the audio was laced with typical artifacts, making it fuzzy in spots. This is pretty much par for the course with Bluetooth headphone mics, and the Hesh 3 has better intelligibility than plenty of models we test. Performance If you’ve got small ears then this is unlikely to be a problem. This is one instance when it might be wise to try before you buy. The Skullcandy Hesh 3 pairs well with neutral or dark sounding sources to give the headphones a little more bass if that’s your thing. Treble is surprisingly crisp, far more than is on display in other Skullcandy headphones I’ve used. This treble is responsible for quite a lot of the Hesh 3’s energy; the sound isled by the treble and bass, not just the low-end.
If you’re happy to switch to on-ear headphones then the AKG Y50BT and Urbanista Seattle Wireless sound better. But if you’re not too treble-sensitive and love the look of the Skullcandy Hesh 3, you could do a lot worse. Verdict The treble has an unfortunate side-effect, though: it magnifies hiss and digital noise. There’s a frequency spike in the upper registers. It doesn’t sit in the same register that causes sibilance, but it does highlight digital noise introduced by either the Bluetooth transmission or the DAC. It could be either, but since the Hesh 3 don’t support the higher-quality aptX codec, it could well be the Bluetooth stream at fault. I felt Skullcandy could have done a better job with the headband. It could have been longer and more flexible. The current design grips far too tightly and may cause discomfort to the ears, especially during longer listening sessions. Skullcandy hasn’t just taken the insides of the old Hesh 2 and plugged them into the Hesh 3’s grown-up shell. The sound is significantly different, and offers a huge improvement. While the Skullcandy Hesh 3 don’t come with a carrying case, they fold flat or up for easy transport. It would have been nice to see a carrying pouch or case but the headphones feel durable enough to be stuffed in a bag without a case. Features and performance
Female vocals shine slightly brighter than male vocals as it brings out the details in them more clearly. Guitar strings response pretty well, and this would be able to handle fast-paced songs; aka pop, EDM, etc. Treble The mechanism swivels around the X-axis only, which has its limitations. However, putting it on is no effort at all. The headphones collapse compactly for convenient storage when not in use.
Hear It First
The Hesh 3 was tested with my iPhone 7+ via the wireless connection. The Hesh 3 carries a V-shaped sound signature with a slightly more forward midbass, leaning towards treble and technical issues due to its treble performance, which I’ll go into below. Throughout the battery test, I detected very minimal heat. When plugged into a 2A charger, it takes about 2.5 hours to go from 0 to 100. The Hesh 3 also sports a Rapid Charge function which provides 4 hours of play time after a 10-minute charge. Comfort Attention fellow spectacle wearers! Despite the ear pads clamping your glasses to your temples, there’s no pain or discomfort at all.
If you rather not take a risk on the build quality, I would recommend going for the Skullcandy Hesh 2 Wireless instead. Other than the battery life (15hr vs 22hr) and aesthetics, the Skullcandy Hesh 2 is pretty much similar to the Hesh 3 except with a more stable frame. Skullcandy Hesh 2 Wireless Vocals (especially female) are very sweet sounding to the ears as the treble causes it to sound airy and detailed. However, more bass could have been “injected” into the headphones to make the sound signature more energetic.
Even though more oomph could have been added to the bass, I’d say the Skullcandy is enjoyable. It provides a very fun sound that caters to non-audiophiles, also known as consumers on-the-go. Please note that these are not meant for bass addicts. Mids Zooming into the midrange, the mids are slightly more recessed than the lower mids and upper mids. It has a tinge of warmth but it leans more towards the brighter end (detailed sound).
Great Deal 
New Comment