Skullcandy Hesh ANC review: Comfy over-the-ear headphones for everyday use

Wireless headphones market is abuzz with new products from both traditional audio accessory makers and otherwise. Among other features, noise cancelling is something that the brands are betting big on in their 2021 line-up. Fresh entrant in the active noise cancelling wireless headphones segment is the Skullcandy Hesh ANC. Priced at Rs 10,999, the Skullcandy Hesh ANC seems to be an interesting proposition in the budget headphones segment with ANC capability. Is it? Let’s find out:

Design and build quality

 

Made mostly of plastic, the Skullcandy Hesh ANC looks neither premium nor cheap but decent. It has a sturdy built with lightweight (228g) collapsible design, which makes it easy to carry and use. The headphones come with a carry bag, which adds a layer of protection against dust and scratches besides making it easy to store.

Coming back to the headphones, the Hesh ANC has a matte finish for premium look and feel-good touch. The headphones’ ear-cups have padding, which is neither soft nor too hard. Therefore, the headphones are comfortable to wear, even if you use them for extended hours. There is a cushion on the headband too that gives it a good grip. As for the ports and buttons, the right ear-cup is home to USB-C charging port, an AUX port, and buttons for play/pause, volume, and ANC. There is also a tiny LED here that indicates battery level and Bluetooth pairing mode.

Features, sound quality, and performance

 

The Hesh ANC features Bluetooth 5.0. Besides, it is one-of-its-kind headphones with Tile tracker built-in. The Bluetooth connectivity is spot-on and the headphones connect with supporting devices without any hiccups. Besides, the connection range is good and at no point the connectivity breaks abruptly, unless you go too far away from the connected device. The Tile tracker is a good addition here. It makes it easy to locate the headphones remotely.

Speaking of the sound quality, the Hesh ANC has a powerful and punchy audio output delivered by its massive 40mm audio drivers. With ANC on, the experience is even better as the headphones filter the ambient noise. As far as versatility is concerned, you can listen to vast music genres yet do not find the headphones lacking anywhere. I subjected the headphones to all things peppy to test how far the headphones can deliver, and it lived up to the expectation. From STRFKR to San Halo, or from Coke Studio to MTV basement, I enjoyed all sorts of music using the headphones. The thumping bass with enough room for treble makes the sound quality quite balanced.

Although the default sound output fits well with most of the genres, I felt the support for the Skullcandy app to change the equalizers setting would have made the experience better.

The headphones are good for attending voice calls too. I was able to attend calls using the headphones and at no point I had to repeat myself so the caller on the other side could hear me properly.

Battery

 

Skullcandy claims the Hesh ANC's battery will last for over 20 hours with the ANC on. With the ANC off, it can go up to 30 hours. In my experience, the on-battery time comes close to the claims, which is impressive. Besides, you get 3 hours of on-battery time in ten minutes of charge. Since the headphones support USB-C charging, they are convenient to charge using a smartphone charger, if the smartphone also has a USB-C port for charging.

In case you still run out of battery, you can use the headphones by plugging in the 3.5 mm cord that comes in the box.

Verdict

At Rs 10,999, the Skullcandy Hesh ANC is a good deal. The headphones are worth considering if you are looking for a versatile audio accessory that can handle the everyday grind. The Skullcandy Hesh ANC offers more than just the basics. It is an impressive pair of headphones with powerful sound quality, effective ANC, and long on-battery time.