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Skullcandy Hesh Evo Wireless Headphones Review

Tested using Methodology v1.5
Reviewed Jan 29, 2021 at 09:58 am
Latest change: Test bench update Nov 15, 2021 at 02:41 pm
Skullcandy Hesh Evo Wireless Picture
6.7
Neutral Sound
6.4
Commute/Travel
7.1
Sports/Fitness
6.2
Office
5.2
Wireless Gaming
6.8
Wired Gaming
6.2
Phone Calls

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo Wireless are Bluetooth-enabled headphones with a simple design. They offer around 44 hours of continuous playback time, which is a lot more than the Skullcandy Hesh 3 Wireless. They also have an excited, v-shaped sound profile that adds extra boom and thump to your mixes while brightening vocals and lead instruments. However, they lack an EQ or presets to help tweak their sound. They also struggle to isolate noise around you and leak some audio at high volumes.

Our Verdict

6.7 Neutral Sound

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo aren't bad for neutral sound. They have a very excited, v-shaped sound profile so they deliver intense thump and boom, while vocals and lead instruments sound bright and sparkling. While this may be suitable for casual listening, it doesn't sound very neutral, and they lack an EQ to help tweak their sound. There are also slight inconsistencies in bass and treble delivery.

Pros
  • Comfortable and stable fit.
Cons
  • No EQ.
6.4 Commute/Travel

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo are alright for commuting and traveling. While they're comfortable, they block out very little bass-range noise like bus engines. They're also a bit bulky, which makes them less portable, and they leak audio at high volumes. On the upside, they have around 44 hours of continuous battery life, which should be more than enough for long trips.

Pros
  • Outstanding continuous battery life.
  • Comfortable and stable fit.
Cons
  • Poor noise isolation performance.
  • Leakage at high volumes.
7.1 Sports/Fitness

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo are a decent option for sports and fitness. Although they're a little bulky, which can make them harder to take with you on-the-go, they're decently comfortable and have a stable fit. Since they don't have an audio cable, it's much harder for something to snag them off your head. That said, they may fall off your head during more intense physical exercise.

Pros
  • Comfortable and stable fit.
Cons
  • Leakage at high volumes.
6.2 Office

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo are mediocre for office use. Although they're decently comfortable, they struggle to isolate ambient chatter around you and leak a lot of sound, which may disturb others around you. On the upside, they have around 44 hours of continuous playback time.

Pros
  • Outstanding continuous battery life.
  • Comfortable and stable fit.
Cons
  • Poor noise isolation performance.
  • Leakage at high volumes.
5.2 Wireless Gaming

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo aren't suitable for wireless gaming. They aren't compatible with consoles, and their audio latency on Bluetooth-enabled PCs is likely to be too high for gaming.

6.8 Wired Gaming

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo are a reasonable choice for wired gaming. They have full audio and microphone support with PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X consoles. They're also comfortable and have an integrated mic that records your voice decently well. However, they don't have a companion app and lack an EQ.

Pros
  • Decent recording quality.
  • Comfortable and stable fit.
Cons
  • Leakage at high volumes.
  • No EQ.
6.2 Phone Calls

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo are unremarkable for making phone calls. They have an integrated mic that does a decent job of recording your voice, although it can struggle a bit more in noisy situations like on a busy street. However, the headphones have trouble isolating noise around you, which can make it more difficult to hear what the person on the other end of the line is saying.

Pros
  • Decent recording quality.
  • Comfortable and stable fit.
Cons
  • Poor noise isolation performance.
  • Leakage at high volumes.
  • 6.7 Neutral Sound
  • 6.4 Commute/Travel
  • 7.1 Sports/Fitness
  • 6.2 Office
  • 5.2 Wireless Gaming
  • 6.8 Wired Gaming
  • 6.2 Phone Calls
  1. Updated Nov 15, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
  2. Updated Jan 29, 2021: Review published.
  3. Updated Jan 25, 2021: Early access published.
  4. Updated Jan 13, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
  5. Updated Jan 08, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  6. Updated Nov 26, 2020: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo come in two color variants: 'True Black' and '92 Blue'. We tested the 'True Black' variant, and you can see its label here. We expect the '92 Blue' color variant to perform similarly overall.

If you come across a different variant, let us know in the discussions so we can update our review.

Compared To Other Headphones

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo are wireless over-ear headphones. They look very similar in design to the Skullcandy Hesh 3 Wireless and Skullcandy Hesh ANC Wireless, as they have a similarly comfortable design and lack a companion app. What sets them apart from others in the Hesh lineup is their longer-lasting continuous battery life of around 44 hours. However, they also lack an active noise cancelling feature and really struggle to reduce noise passively. If you're searching for an alternative, take a look at our list of recommendations for the best over-ear headphones, the best headphones under $200, and the best wireless headphones.

Skullcandy Hesh ANC Wireless

The Skullcandy Hesh ANC Wireless are better headphones than the Skullcandy Hesh Evo Wireless. Although both headphones are similarly comfortable, the Hesh ANC have a noise cancelling feature, which helps reduce some ambient noise around you. However, the Hesh Evo have a longer continuous battery life.

Skullcandy Crusher Evo Wireless

The Skullcandy Crusher Evo Wireless are better headphones for most uses than the Skullcandy Hesh Evo Wireless. The Crusher Evo feel significantly better built and have a more neutral sound profile right out of the box. They also have a haptic bass slider and are compatible with the Skullcandy app, which offers EQ presets. However, the Hesh Evo have a more stable fit and a longer continuous battery life.

Skullcandy Hesh 3 Wireless

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo Wireless are slightly better headphones than the Skullcandy Hesh 3 Wireless. While both headphones have a similar design and sound profile, the Hesh Evo have a better-performing integrated mic, a longer-lasting continuous battery life, and lower latency on iOS and Android.

Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless

The Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless are better headphones than the Skullcandy Hesh Evo Wireless. The Anker are more comfortable and better built, and have an outstanding active noise cancelling feature. They also have a companion app that offers a graphic EQ and presets and support multi-device pairing and NFC pairing.

Sony WH-H910N/h.ear on 3 Wireless

The Sony WH-H910N/h.ear on 3 Wireless are better headphones than the Skullcandy Hesh Evo Wireless. The Sony are more comfortable and better built, and have a better-balanced sound profile out of the box. They also have active noise cancelling, which helps reduce some ambient noise around you, a companion app with a graphic EQ and presets, and NFC pairing.

Skullcandy Venue Wireless

The Skullcandy Venue Wireless are better over-ear headphones than the Skullcandy Hesh Evo Wireless. The Venue are better built, have more consistent bass and treble delivery, and can reduce the ambient noise around you, thanks to their ANC feature. They can also be paired with up to two devices at the same time. However, the Hesh Evo have a longer continuous battery life.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Type Over-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes
Transducer Dynamic

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo are fairly conservative-looking headphones. They're styled very similarly to the Skullcandy Hesh 3 Wireless and Skullcandy Hesh ANC Wireless with a sleek satin finish and nondescript ear cups. If you prefer a pop of color, they also come in a blue variant with white padding.

7.0
Design
Comfort
Weight 0.47 lbs
Clamping Force
1 lbs

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo are decently comfortable headphones. They have faux leather padding on the ear cups and headband, which feels good on the skin. They're also lightweight and don't clamp too tightly on the head. However, the headband's padding feels a bit thin.

6.8
Design
Controls
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use Good
Feedback Good
Call/Music Control Yes
Volume Control Yes
Microphone Control No
Channel Mixing
No
Noise Cancelling Control No
Talk-Through
No
Additional Controls Voice Assistant

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo have alright controls. All the buttons are found on the bottom of the right ear cup. There are dedicated buttons for raising and lowering the volume. If you hold the '+' button, you can skip the track forward, while holding the '-' button allows you to skip the track backward. You can also press the middle button to play or pause your music as well as answer and end calls. If you press it twice, you can also activate voice assistant. Holding the circle button activates Bluetooth pairing. There are beeps at the minimum and maximum volume as well as audible feedback when you're connected to a device.

6.8
Design
Breathability
Avg.Temp.Difference 4.8 °C

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo are fairly breathable headphones. They have a closed-back and over-ear design which doesn't really allow for a lot of airflow. They trap in less heat than the Skullcandy Crusher 360 Wireless, though. That said, if you wear them during moderate physical exercise, you may notice a difference in temperature and sweat.

6.1
Design
Portability
L 4.7" (11.9 cm)
W 6.4" (16.3 cm)
H 3.0" (7.6 cm)
Volume 89.10 in³ (1,460.08 cm³)
Transmitter Required No

These headphones aren't very portable. While their ear cups can swivel to lay flat, they don't fold into a more compact format to make it easier to fit them into your bag.

5.0
Design
Case
Type Pouch
L N/A
W N/A
H N/A
Volume N/A

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo come with a disappointing pouch. It looks and feels silky, which should help keep dust off of your headphones. However, they don't protect from any physical damage. Unlike the Skullcandy Hesh ANC Wireless, it also lacks interior pockets to store your cables.

6.5
Design
Build Quality

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo have a just adequate build quality. They have an overall plasticky design with a metal frame running through the headband. There's faux leather padding on the ear cups as well as along the headband. However, they don't feel very dense or durable, so they may be susceptible to damage if they're dropped. They also don't have an advertised IP rating for water resistance, although we don't currently test for this.

7.5
Design
Stability

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo are stable headphones. They shouldn't come off of your head if you're working at your desk or walking around. However, they could move or even fall off your head if you're wearing them during more intense physical exercise. On the upside, their wireless design makes it harder for something to snag them off your head.

Design
Headshots 1
Design
Headshots 2
Design
Top
Design
In The Box

  • Skullcandy Hesh Evo headphones
  • 1/8" TRRS cable
  • USB-C to USB-A cable
  • Pouch
  • Manuals

Sound
Sound
Sound Profile
Bass Amount
4.2 dB
Treble Amount
1.31 dB

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo have a very excited v-shaped sound profile. They deliver intense thump and boom, while vocals and lead instruments are bright and sparkling. However, some users may find that they sound overwhelmingly bass-heavy and piercing. They also lack an EQ, so you won't be able to tweak their sound.

6.7
Sound
Frequency Response Consistency
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.7 dB

These headphones have an alright frequency response consistency. There are some inconsistencies in the bass range, and users with thick hair or glasses may especially notice a drop in bass if there's a break in the seal. Treble delivery can also vary due to the positioning and fit of the headphones on your head.

Sound
Raw Frequency Response
5.3
Sound
Bass Accuracy
Std. Err.
7.83 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
10 Hz
Low-Bass
7.25 dB
Mid-Bass
8.77 dB
High-Bass
9.54 dB

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo have poor bass accuracy. It's very overemphasized across the range, resulting in intense thump, punch, and boom. While some users may prefer this sound, others may find it a bit muddy and overwhelming. However, bass delivery can vary across users, so your experience may vary.

8.6
Sound
Mid Accuracy
Std. Err.
1.89 dB
Low-Mid
1.71 dB
Mid-Mid
0.96 dB
High-Mid
0.11 dB

The mid accuracy is excellent. There's some overemphasis coming from the bass range, which can make your mixes sound a bit muddy and cluttered. The rest of the range is fairly flat though, resulting in clear, present, and detailed vocals and lead instruments.

5.2
Sound
Treble Accuracy
Std. Err.
6.8 dB
Low-Treble
4.62 dB
Mid-Treble
9.31 dB
High-Treble
1.2 dB

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo's treble accuracy is poor. It's overemphasized across the range, so vocals and lead instruments sound harsh and painful. Sibilants like cymbals are also piercing. Note that treble delivery can vary across users, so your experience may vary.

6.6
Sound
Peaks/Dips
Peaks
2.27 dB
Dips
1.67 dB

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo's peaks and dips performance is okay. There's a peak in the high-bass, which adds boom while the dip in the low-mids thins out vocals and lead instruments. Another dip in the high-mids further weakens vocals and lead instruments while a peak in the mid-treble makes sibilants like cymbals piercing.

8.0
Sound
Imaging
Weighted Group Delay
0.29
Weighted Phase Mismatch
4.75
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
1.42
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
2.36

The imaging performance is very good. There are a couple of minor peaks in the group delay's bass-range, but this can be difficult to hear. That said, the rest of the response falls below the audibility threshold, so the bass still sounds fairly tight while the treble is transparent. The drivers are also well-matched in amplitude and phase response, which are important for maintaining a stable and balanced stereo image. It's also important for accurate localization and placement of objects (voice, instruments, video game effects) in the stereo image. While there is some mismatch in frequency response, it's somewhat minor. These results are only valid for our unit and yours may perform differently.

6.2
Sound
Passive Soundstage
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
2.32 dB
PRTF Size (Avg.)
4.76 dB
PRTF Distance
7.57 dB
Openness
5.2
Acoustic Space Excitation
5.2

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo have a mediocre passive soundstage. While the soundstage sounds large and natural, it's perceived as coming from inside your head, rather than from out in front of you. They also have a closed-back design, so their soundstage doesn't sound as spacious as that of over-ear open-back headphones like the Philips Fidelio X3.

0
Sound
Virtual Soundstage
Head Modeling
No
Speaker Modeling
No
Room Ambience
No
Head Tracking
No
Virtual Surround
No App

These headphones don't have any virtual soundstage features.

7.4
Sound
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.211
WHD @ 100
0.300

The weighted harmonics distortion performance is decent. All frequencies fall within good limits, resulting in fairly clean and pure audio reproduction.

Sound
Test Settings
Firmware
Unknown
Power
On
Connection
Bluetooth 5.0
Codec
SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz
EQ
No EQ
ANC
No ANC
Tip/Pad
Default
Microphone
Integrated

These are the settings we used to test the Skullcandy Hesh Evo. Our results are only valid when using these settings.

Isolation
4.1
Isolation
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-12.89 dB
Noise Cancelling No
Bass
0.55 dB
Mid
-6.62 dB
Treble
-32.98 dB

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo have poor noise isolation. They don't really block out bass-range noise like bus or plane engines and struggle to cut down mid-range noise like ambient chatter. However, they can help reduce high-pitched noise like the hum of an AC unit. If you're looking for a similar pair of headphones with an ANC feature to help cut down ambient noise around you, try the Skullcandy Hesh ANC Wireless.

5.5
Isolation
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
47.36 dB

The leakage performance is sub-par. A large part of their leakage falls between the mid to treble range, so it sounds a bit thin. That said, if you're listening to your audio at a high volume, people around you can hear it, even in a moderately noisy environment like an office.

Microphone
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
Yes
In-Line
No
Boom
No
Detachable Boom
No
Mic Yes

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo have an integrated microphone.

7.2
Microphone
Recording Quality
Recorded Speech
LFE
302.04 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
2.79 dB
HFE
6,450.8 Hz
Weighted THD
0.071
Gain
-5.96 dB

The mic's recording quality is decent. Your voice sounds thin but neutral and easy to understand.

6.0
Microphone
Noise Handling
SpNR
17.59 dB
Noise Gate
Always On
Speech + Pink Noise Handling
6.0
Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
Speech + Subway Noise Handling
6.0
Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo's noise handling is alright. Although it somewhat struggles to separate your voice from moderately loud background noise, it's best suited for less noisy spaces like at home.

Active Features
7.9
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
Rechargable
Continuous Battery Life
44 hrs
Additional Charges
0.0
Total Battery Life
44 hrs
Charge Time
1.7 hrs
Power-Saving Feature
No
Audio While Charging
No
Passive Playback
Yes
Charging Port USB-C

The battery performance is very good. Although they're advertised to have 36 hours of continuous playback time, we measured around 44 hours. However, battery life can vary according to your usage, so your experience may be different. They're also advertised to have a 10-minute quick charge feature, which is supposed to give you three hours of playback time, but we don't currently test this feature. While they don't have a power-saving feature and can't be used while charging, they support passive playback, so you can listen to audio and use their mic while connected via their TRRS cable.

0
Active Features
App Support
App Name No App
iOS No
Android No
macOS No
Windows No
Equalizer
No
ANC Control
No
Mic Control No
Room Effects
No
Playback Control
No
Button Mapping No
Surround Support
No

These headphones don't have a companion app.

Connectivity
7.2
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version
5.0
Multi-Device Pairing
No
NFC Pairing
No
Line Of Sight Range
293.00 ft (89.31 m)
PC Latency (SBC)
173 ms
PC Latency (aptX)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX HD)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX-LL)
N/A
iOS Latency
56 ms
Android Latency
100 ms

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo have decent Bluetooth connectivity. While they support Bluetooth 5.0, you can't pair them with multiple devices at the same time or quickly pair your device to these headphones via NFC pairing. They also have slightly high latency on PC. However, their audio latency on iOS and Android is a lot lower, which makes them suitable for streaming video. That said, some apps compensate for latency differently, so your experience may vary.

0
Connectivity
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
Non-BT Line Of Sight Range
N/A
Non-BT Latency
N/A

These headphones don't support any non-Bluetooth wireless connections.

9.5
Connectivity
Wired
Analog Audio
Yes
USB Audio
No
Detachable Yes
Length 4.00 ft (1.22 m)
Connection
1/8" TRRS
Analog/USB Audio Latency
0 ms

These headphones come with a 1/8" TRRS cable so you can use them passively. They also come with a USB-A to USB-C cable for charging the headphones.

Connectivity
PC Compatibility
Analog
Audio + Microphone
Wired USB
No
Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
PlayStation Compatibility
PS4 Analog
Audio + Microphone
PS4 Wired USB
No
PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
PS5 Analog
Audio + Microphone
PS5 Wired USB
No
PS5 Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
Xbox Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
Audio + Microphone
Xbox One Wired USB
No
Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
No
Xbox Series X|S Analog
Audio + Microphone
Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
No
Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
No

The Skullcandy Hesh Evo are fully compatible with the Xbox One and Xbox Series X when you plug their 1/8" TRRS cable into your controller.

0
Connectivity
Base/Dock
Type
No Base/Dock
USB Input
No
Line In
No
Line Out
No
Optical Input
No
RCA Input
No
Dock Charging
No
Power Supply
No Base/Dock

These headphones don't have a base or dock.