Skullcandy Push ANC Active tested: a durable and extra-secure-fitting set of earbuds ideal for workouts
These noise cancelling in-ear music makers cost less than €100 but come packed with features
Push ANC Active are the successor to Skullcandy’s acclaimed Push Active earphones, adding active noise cancellation into the mix.
They enter the market at a competitive price point - with many other brands now offering ANC in earbuds that cost between €50 and €150.
All earbuds at this level must make some compromises to deliver such value, and few excel in any area like higher end models. So what you want is a decent all-rounder set of buds that does everything reasonably well.
Push ANC Active key features
Push ANC Active, as the name suggests, are aimed at fitness enthusiasts and are designed with intense workouts in mind. But they also need to work on other scenarios such as the daily commute.
They have a rugged build and an earhook design that keeps them securely in place when you are running. Built entirely from textured plastic, without looking or feeling cheap, the buds come with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance.
The charging case is on the relatively large side but in my opinion it makes up for this by delivering excellent battery life which I’ll come to below. If it’s too big for your wag or pocket, fear not - there is a handy link to hook it onto your backpack or bag clip.
The earhook ensures a secure fit and I found Push ANC Active were comfortable to wear for hours on end.
Controlling the buds is easy with a mix of responsive physical buttons and touch controls. The physical button on both earbuds enables you to intuitively adjust volume, skip forward and go back a track. The touch controls are accessed where you see the skull logo and these include play/pause and accept call/ end call functions. You can customise these controls in the Skullcandy app.
The app also allows you to tweak the signature sound to get the audio sounding exactly as you like it. That’s probably my favourite feature, and one that’s sadly missing from a lot of competitors’ earphones, even some higher end models. There’s a bass boost feature but I rarely used this as the bottom end is prominent enough without it. Mids and tops are crisp and clear while the overall soundstage was acceptably wide.
The app also houses a personal hearing test that it’s worth taking as it only takes a couple of minutes. I tested the buds on a wide range of music genres, along with podcasts, talk radio and YouTube videos. I was pleased across my testing. THese tick the ‘everyday listening’ box.
Push ANC Active battery life
Battery life is another winner - you get up to 37 hours with ANC on and 58 hours with ANC off. The case supports both wired charging using USB-C and wireless charging. The case supports both wired charging using USB-C and wireless charging. The latter feature is rare in earbuds at this price point, incidentally.
Push ANC Active other features
The noise cancellation is acceptable and the level of environmental noise suppression is what you might expect for this price point. The Ambient mode is hit and miss, especially outdoors, but I can live with that.
Push ANC Active have Bluetooth 5.3, can connect with up to two devices, and support Google Fast Pair.
Push ANC Active verdict
If you a need an inexpensive, secure fitting, set of earphones with wireless charging that work equally well for workouts as they do for everyday use then Push ANC Active are a winner.
Pricing and availability
Push ANC Active cost €99.99 from www.skullcandy.eu and you can get 15 percent off if you sign up for the firm’s newsletter. At the time of publication, Push ANC Active cost just €71.74 on Amazon.
You can also buy the Push Active model (without ANC) from Currys for €69.99.
Sign up for our daily newsletter to get the latest news direct to your inbox
Join the Irish Mirror’s breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Related
Share this page
Guest Posts by Easy Branches
