Skullcandy Spoke review: Good TWS earbuds at introductory price of Rs 2,999

American Audio accessory maker Skullcandy in November launched in India its Spoke true wireless earbuds, promising a motley mix of features to make every day use easy and convenient. Available at an introductory price of Rs 2,999, the Skullcandy Spoke boasts a single button control for volume, change audio tracks and calls. Moreover, being a true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds, you can use one of them at a time. The earbuds are IPX4 rated, assuring some level of water resistance for carefree handling. These features make the Skullcandy a good deal for its price, at least on paper. But do these earbuds perform as good in daily life? Let’s find out:

Design and build

 

The Skullcandy Spoke has a minimal design with everything restricted to basic. It stands true on company’s claim of offering ‘everything you need, nothing you do not’. Despite being a basic looking earbuds with minimal design, the Skullcandy Spoke does not look odd or cheap. Instead, the earbuds look neat and classy with decent amount of flair to grab others attention.

The Skullcandy Spoke has a black colour profile, which looks elegant. The earbuds are neither too small nor big. Moreover, they have lightweight built. The in-ear design makes them latch onto the ears securely, and the lightweight built makes them comfortable to wear all day long. The earbuds do not have touch controls but a single button to control volume, change audio tracks and calls. The button is hard to press and does not gain confidence. Instead, it unnecessarily disturbs the earbuds otherwise snug fit.

The earbuds charging-cum-storage case is made of plastic. It has Skullcandy's branding on it. Unfortunately, the case has microUSB port for charging and not USB type-C. The case has three LED indicators at the front to show battery levels.

Both the case and the earbuds have matte finish, that gives it a premium appearance.

Sound and performance

 

Skullcandy has tried to strike a balance between treble and bass in Spoke, something that it failed with in previous earphones such as Indy Evo or Sesh. The earbuds’ 6mm drivers lift up the sound output without making them sound overpowering. You can use the earbuds independent of each other, though they do not sound as good that way.

As for the performance, the sound output is clear with deep bass and crisp treble. The Spoke has mics for voice calls and it works as good for attending calls. The on-battery time is about 4-5 hours with total time (with case) ranging somewhere around 14 hours. This is not much, but not too less either. Charging the earbuds and its case take about an hour.

Verdict

The Skullcandy Spoke is a go-to true wireless earbuds at its introductory price of Rs 2,999. It, however, will soon return to its original retail price of Rs 7,999, which seems way too expensive with regard to what you get from the earbuds as a package. At its introductory price, the Spoke offers minimal yet functional design, decent sound, and a good enough on-battery time.