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Skullcandy Push Active True Wireless Headphones Review

Tested using Methodology v1.5
Reviewed Jan 19, 2022 at 10:27 am
Latest change: Writing modified Mar 20, 2023 at 10:11 am
Skullcandy Push Active True Wireless Picture
7.5
Neutral Sound
7.4
Commute/Travel
8.2
Sports/Fitness
7.0
Office
5.8
Wireless Gaming
5.7
Wired Gaming
6.2
Phone Calls

The Skullcandy Push Active True Wireless are the sports-oriented variant of the Skullcandy Push Truly Wireless. They have a very stable in-ear fit thanks to their stability hooks, a comfortable and well-built design, and are certified IP55 for dust and water resistance. They also have customization features like a graphic EQ and presets to help tweak their bass-rich sound profile to your liking, as well as Skull-iQ, a smart feature that allows you to use voice controls. On the downside, they struggle to block out the low rumble of bus and plane engines, and their mic has a hard time separating your voice from moderate ambient noise around you.

Our Verdict

7.5 Neutral Sound

The Skullcandy Push Active are good for neutral sound. Using the 'Music' EQ preset, their flattest EQ, they have a bass-rich sound profile that adds extra thump, rumble, and boom to their sound. That said, if you prefer a different sound, their companion app offers a graphic EQ and presets so that you can customize their sound to suit your tastes. Unfortunately, due to their in-ear fit, their passive soundstage seems closed-off, small, and as if coming from inside your head.

Pros
  • Graphic EQ and presets available.
  • Very consistent audio delivery.
Cons
  • Bad passive soundstage performance.
7.4 Commute/Travel

The Skullcandy Push Active are decent for commute and travel. They have a comfortable, stable, and well-built design. Thanks to their over nine hours of continuous battery life, they should last through long days on the go, and their small design makes it easy to put them in your pocket or bag. That said, they struggle to block out the low rumble of bus and plane engines.

Pros
  • Comfortable and well-built.
  • 9.5-hour continuous battery life.
Cons
  • Struggles to block out bass-range noise.
  • Bad passive soundstage performance.
8.2 Sports/Fitness

The Skullcandy Push Active are great for sports and fitness. They have a comfortable, well-built design rated IP55 for dust and water resistance. They also have ear hooks, which help keep them stable during your run or workout. In addition to physical controls, you can access the Skull-iQ feature in their companion app if you want to use voice commands.

Pros
  • Comfortable and well-built.
  • Very stable fit.
  • 9.5-hour continuous battery life.
Cons
  • Bad passive soundstage performance.
7.0 Office

The Skullcandy Push Active are satisfactory for office use. They have a comfortable fit, and their 9.5-hour continuous battery life should last through your 9-5 workday without too much of an issue. They don't leak much audio at high volumes either and can block out ambient chatter around you. On the downside, they don't support multi-device pairing, so you can't stay connected to your PC and smartphone at the same time.

Pros
  • Comfortable and well-built.
  • 9.5-hour continuous battery life.
  • Cuts down ambient chatter.
Cons
  • Sub-par noise handling.
  • Bad passive soundstage performance.
  • No multi-device pairing.
5.8 Wireless Gaming

The Skullcandy Push Active aren't compatible with PlayStation or Xbox consoles. You can use them with Bluetooth-compatible PCs, but their latency is likely too high to be suitable for wireless gaming.

5.7 Wired Gaming

The Skullcandy Push Active are truly wireless Bluetooth headphones, and you can't use them wired.

6.2 Phone Calls

The Skullcandy Push Active are okay for phone calls. Their integrated microphone does a mediocre job of recording your voice, and speech sounds understandable but thin and lacking detail. The mic struggles to separate your voice from moderate ambient noise, so if you're taking an important call, it's best to do so from a quiet environment. The headphones also have trouble blocking out ambient noise like the low rumble of bus engines around you.

Pros
  • Comfortable and well-built.
Cons
  • Sub-par noise handling.
  • 7.5 Neutral Sound
  • 7.4 Commute/Travel
  • 8.2 Sports/Fitness
  • 7.0 Office
  • 5.8 Wireless Gaming
  • 5.7 Wired Gaming
  • 6.2 Phone Calls
  1. Updated Mar 20, 2023: We've added a comparison between these headphones and the JBL Endurance Peak 3 True Wireless in Comfort.
  2. Updated Feb 08, 2023: We have added information regarding the 'Pit Viper XTREME' color variant to Differences Between Sizes And Variants and Style.
  3. Updated Jan 19, 2022: Review published.
  4. Updated Jan 12, 2022: Early access published.
  5. Updated Nov 12, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
  6. Updated Nov 09, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  7. Updated Sep 20, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

The Skullcandy Push Active come in three color variations: 'Black/Orange', 'Dark Blue/Green', and 'Light Grey/Blue'. We tested the 'Dark Blue/Green' variant, and you can see our model's label here. In addition to these variants, there's also a limited edition colorway that's made in collaboration with Pit Viper, a company that primarily makes sports-oriented sunglasses and goggles. This model is called the 'Pit Viper XTREME' and is mainly purple with pink and blue accents.

If you come across another variant of these headphones, please let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.

Compared To Other Headphones

The Skullcandy Push Active are the sports-oriented variant of the Skullcandy Push Truly Wireless. Like the Skullcandy Push Ultra Truly Wireless and Beats Powerbeats Pro Truly Wireless, they have ear hooks to help give you a very stable in-ear fit. They have a very robust companion app that offers a graphic EQ and presets as well as Skull-iQ, a smart feature that allows you to use built-in voice commands. However, they struggle to block out the low rumble of bus and plane engines.

Check out our recommendations for the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds for running, the best headphones for running, and the best wireless Bluetooth headphones.

JBL Endurance Peak 3 True Wireless

The Skullcandy Push Active True Wireless and the JBL Endurance Peak 3 True Wireless have different strengths and, depending on your usage, you may prefer either one. While both headphones have a stable ear-hook design, the Skullcandy are more comfortable, have a more neutral sound profile out of the box, which some people may prefer, and have smart commands via the companion app. However, the JBL are better built and have a better overall battery performance.

Skullcandy Push Ultra Truly Wireless

The Skullcandy Push Active True Wireless are the sports-oriented variant of the Skullcandy Push Ultra Truly Wireless and are better overall headphones. The Push Active are in-ears with a more comfortable and stable in-ear fit, and their sound profile is much more neutral, which some users may prefer. They have significantly better battery performance and more customization features, thanks to their companion app. However, some users may prefer the Push Ultra's in-ear fit, which doesn't fit as deeply into your ear.

Skullcandy Grind Fuel True Wireless

The Skullcandy Push Active True Wireless are better overall in-ears than the Skullcandy Grind Fuel True Wireless. While both headphones are customizable via their companion app, the Push Active have a more comfortable and stable in-ear fit, and their sound profile is more neutral, which some users may prefer. That said, the Grind Fuel have a better overall battery performance.

Beats Powerbeats Pro Truly Wireless

The Beats Powerbeats Pro Truly Wireless and the Skullcandy Push Active True Wireless have different strengths, and you may prefer either one. While both headphones are comfortable, well-built, and have a very stable fit, the Beats have a significantly better battery performance, and they have an H1 chip for seamless pairing with your Apple devices. Their integrated mic also offers better overall performance. That said, the Skullcandy offer a more customizable sound performance as their companion app offers a graphic EQ and presets to help you adjust their sound, button mapping, and Skull-iQ, which are smart features like voice control.

JBL Endurance Peak II True Wireless

The Skullcandy Push Active True Wireless are more customizable than the JBL Endurance Peak II True Wireless. While both headphones are well-built, the Skullcandy have a companion app that allows you to customize their sound profile to your liking via their graphic EQ and presets and turn on smart commands. They're more comfortable and have a more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer, and their continuous battery life is much higher. However, the JBL can isolate you from more ambient noise, and their build is certified IPX7 for water resistance, which is higher than the Skullcandy's IP55 rating.

Skullcandy Indy ANC True Wireless

The Skullcandy Push Active True Wireless are better overall headphones than the Skullcandy Indy ANC True Wireless. While both headphones are well-built, the Push Active have a more comfortable and stable in-ear fit, a more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer, and a better battery performance. Their companion app also offers more customization features. However, the Indy ANC have a significantly better noise isolation performance and lower Bluetooth latency on iOS and Android devices.

Beats Solo Pro Wireless

The Beats Solo Pro Wireless and the Skullcandy Push Active True Wireless have different strengths, and you may prefer either one. The Beats are on-ear headphones with a better build quality and a more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer. They also have a very good noise isolation performance thanks to their ANC system, a longer continuous battery life, and an H1 chip for seamless pairing with your Apple devices. However, the Skullcandy are in-ears that are more comfortable and have a stable ear-hook design, making them a solid choice for sports. Their companion app also offers a graphic EQ and presets to help you adjust their sound and smart commands.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic

The Skullcandy Push Active have a two-tone color scheme with looped ear hooks, which is reminiscent of the Skullcandy Push Ultra Truly Wireless. There's also the manufacturer's logo on each bud. They come in three two-tone color variants: 'Black/Orange', 'Dark Blue/Green', and 'Light Grey/Blue'. If you're looking for something more colorful, they also come in a limited edition colorway that's a collaboration with Pit Viper, a company that mainly produces sunglasses and goggles. This model is called the 'Pit Viper XTREME' and is purple with pink and blue detailing.

7.5
Design
Comfort
Weight 0.04 lbs
Clamping Force
0 lbs

The Skullcandy Push Active have a comfortable fit. Unlike the JBL Endurance Peak 3 True Wireless, their ear hooks don't put too much pressure on your ears and are malleable to help better contour to your ear. However, the buds themselves have a somewhat deep in-ear fit, which can cause a plunger-like feeling.

7.0
Design
Controls
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use Okay
Feedback Good
Call/Music Control Yes
Volume Control Yes
Microphone Control No
Channel Mixing
No
Noise Cancelling Control No
Talk-Through
On/Off
Additional Controls Voice Assistant

These headphones have satisfactory controls. There's a physical button on each bud, but they aren't very easy to press, and the controls aren't intuitive. There are also beeps for each press, although some users may find this annoying over time, as well as voice prompts for pairing, cycling through EQ modes, and toggling the voice controls on and off. In addition to physical controls, these headphones also support Skull-iQ via their companion app. It's a smart feature that allows you to make voice commands, which are responsive and easy to use. That said, you can remap these controls using the companion app if you prefer a different layout. By default, you also don't have voice assistant support or talk-through, but you can remap these controls without losing any features.

Î’utton controls

On the left earbud:

  • Double-press: Lowers the volume.
  • Press and hold for one second: Launches and plays Spotify.
  • Press and hold for one second: Join Audio with another pair of Skull-iQ headphones.

On the right earbud:

  • Double-press: Raises the volume.
  • Press and hold for one second: By default, there isn't a command. However, you can remap this control without losing any other command.
  • Press and hold three seconds: Share Audio with another pair of Skull-iQ headphones.

On either earbud:

  • Single press: Plays and pauses audio as well as answers and ends call.
  • Press and hold for one second: Enters manual pairing mode.

Voice controls

You need to say 'Hey, Skullcandy' before each command.

  • 'Play': Plays audio.
  • 'Pause': Pauses audio.
  • 'Next': Skips to the next track.
  • 'Previous': Skips to the previous track.
  • 'Volume up': Raises the volume.
  • 'Volume down': Lowers the volume.
  • 'Stay-Aware on': Turns on Stay-Aware mode.
  • 'Stay-Aware off': Turns off Stay-Aware mode.
  • 'Assistant': Activates voice assistant.
  • 'Accept': Accepts a call.
  • 'Reject': Rejects a call.

9.1
Design
Portability
L 1.9" (4.7 cm)
W 1.7" (4.4 cm)
H 1.1" (2.7 cm)
Volume 3.34 in³ (54.70 cm³)
Transmitter Required No

These earbuds are very portable, thanks to their truly wireless design. They don't take up too much room and can easily fit into most pockets or bags, even when they're inside their carrying case.

7.5
Design
Case
Type Hard case
L 3.5" (9.0 cm)
W 2.4" (6.0 cm)
H 1.4" (3.5 cm)
Volume 11.40 in³ (186.80 cm³)

The Skullcandy Push Active have a good carrying case. It's mostly made of hard plastic, which makes it feel sturdy. It also has four LED lights to indicate its battery life, as well as a charging port with a silicone cover to help protect it.

7.5
Design
Build Quality

The Skullcandy Push Active have good build quality. They're mostly made of plastic and have malleable silicone ear hooks. They're also rated IP55 for dust and water resistance and feel durable overall, making them well-suited for sports and physical activity. That said, while ear hooks have some mobility, the part where they connect to the buds feels like it could rip over time.

8.0
Design
Stability

The Skullcandy Push Active have great stability. Although high-intensity movements may cause the bud tips to pop out of your ears, they shouldn't fall out of your ears as the ear hooks hold them in place well.

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

  • Skullcandy Push Active True Wireless earbuds
  • 3x sets of ear tips
  • Carrying case
  • Reversible USB-A to USB-C charging cable

Sound
Sound
Sound Profile
Bass Amount
1.59 dB
Treble Amount
-2.22 dB

Using the 'Music' EQ, which is their flattest EQ, the Skullcandy Push Active have a slightly bass-rich sound profile that delivers extra thump, rumble, and boom to mixes. That said, their sound profile is still neutral enough to be suitable for a variety of audio content. These headphones also have a graphic EQ and presets in their companion app to help you adjust their sound to your liking. You can also see a comparison of all the EQ presets here. Note that the custom EQ settings, when all set to flat, have the same response as the 'Music' EQ.

9.0
Sound
Frequency Response Consistency
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.21 dB

The Skullcandy Push Active True Wireless Earbuds have outstanding frequency response consistency. As long as you get a good fit using their included sets of ear tips, you should experience a consistent sound each time you use them.

Sound
Raw Frequency Response
8.2
Sound
Bass Accuracy
Std. Err.
2.59 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
10 Hz
Low-Bass
1.6 dB
Mid-Bass
2.61 dB
High-Bass
3.78 dB

The bass accuracy is great. It's slightly overemphasized across the range, resulting in extra thump, punch, and boom. However, some users may find they sound a little muddy.

8.8
Sound
Mid Accuracy
Std. Err.
1.62 dB
Low-Mid
1.67 dB
Mid-Mid
-1.7 dB
High-Mid
0 dB

The Skullcandy Push Active True Wireless have excellent mid accuracy. There's some overemphasis coming from the bass range into the low-mids, which can clutter your mixes, but it's minor. A dip in the mid-mid nudges vocals and lead instruments to the back of the mix. That said, the high-mid is very flat, so these same sounds are clear.

8.9
Sound
Treble Accuracy
Std. Err.
1.64 dB
Low-Treble
-0.71 dB
Mid-Treble
-0.16 dB
High-Treble
-7.86 dB

The treble accuracy is excellent. The response is slightly underemphasized across the range, but it's very minor. As a result, vocals and lead instruments are detailed, while sibilants like cymbals are bright.

8.3
Sound
Peaks/Dips
Peaks
1.09 dB
Dips
0.86 dB

The Skullcandy Push Active's peaks and dips performance is great. A peak in the high-bass to low-mid adds boom to mixes, which may sound a bit cluttered. A dip in the mid-mid nudges vocals and lead instruments to the back of the mix, while a small peak in the low-treble brings out their detail. Another peak in the high-mid makes sibilants like cymbals piercing.

9.3
Sound
Imaging
Weighted Group Delay
0.1
Weighted Phase Mismatch
1.81
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
0.28
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
0.91

The Skullcandy Push Active's imaging performance is outstanding. The weighted group delay falls below the audibility threshold, resulting in tight bass and transparent treble reproduction. The L/R drivers are also well-matched in phase, amplitude, and frequency response. The peak in the phase response's mid-mid is also hard to spot with regular content. As a result, objects like footsteps and voices should be accurately placed in the stereo image. That said, these results are only valid for our unit, and yours may perform differently.

1.0
Sound
Passive Soundstage
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
N/A
PRTF Size (Avg.)
N/A
PRTF Distance
N/A
Openness
3.7
Acoustic Space Excitation
0.8

The Skullcandy Push Active have a bad passive soundstage, which is to be expected for in-ear headphones. By design, they bypass your outer ear, which needs to be activated with sound resonances to create a more immersive sound. As a result, their passive soundstage seems small and as if coming from inside your head, rather than from speakers placed in the room around you. Their soundstage also doesn't seem as open or spacious as that created by open-back headphones.

0
Sound
Virtual Soundstage
Head Modeling
No
Speaker Modeling
No
Room Ambience
No
Head Tracking
No
Virtual Surround
No
8.2
Sound
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.187
WHD @ 100
0.073

The weighted harmonic distortion performance is great. All frequencies fall within good levels, resulting in clear and pure audio reproduction.

Sound
Test Settings
Firmware
4.6.1
Power
On
Connection
Bluetooth 5.0
Codec
SBC, 16-bit, 44.1kHz
EQ
Music (Default)
ANC
No ANC
Tip/Pad
Silicone (small)
Microphone
Integrated

These are the settings used to test the Skullcandy Push Active. Our results are only valid when using these settings.

Isolation
6.2
Isolation
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-17.68 dB
Noise Cancelling No
Bass
-4.11 dB
Mid
-18.02 dB
Treble
-32.29 dB

The Skullcandy Push Active have mediocre noise isolation. They struggle to block out the low rumble of bus and plane engines. That said, they do a better job of cutting down office chatter around you as well as the high-pitched hum of AC units.

9.3
Isolation
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
25.22 dB

The Skullcandy Push Active's leakage performance is outstanding. Their leakage is low, so even if you're listening to audio at high volumes, it shouldn't bother those around you.

Microphone
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
Yes
In-Line
No
Boom
No
Detachable Boom
No
Mic Yes
6.3
Microphone
Recording Quality
Recorded Speech
LFE
343.96 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
4.12 dB
HFE
4,431.55 Hz
Weighted THD
1.941
Gain
8.43 dB

The integrated microphone's recording quality is mediocre. Your voice sounds natural but thin and lacking brightness. That said, your voice is still understandable.

5.6
Microphone
Noise Handling
SpNR
11.89 dB
Noise Gate
Always On
Speech + Pink Noise Handling
6.0
Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
Speech + Subway Noise Handling
5.0
Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample

The integrated mic's noise handling performance is sub-par. It has a hard time separating your voice from moderate ambient noise around you. If you need to take an important call, it's best to do so from a quiet environment.

Active Features
7.0
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
Rechargable
Continuous Battery Life
9.5 hrs
Additional Charges
3.4
Total Battery Life
41.8 hrs
Charge Time
0.9 hrs
Power-Saving Feature
No
Audio While Charging
Yes
Passive Playback
No
Charging Port USB-C

The Skullcandy Push Active True Wireless Earbuds have a satisfactory battery performance. They're advertised to last 10 hours continuously, and we measured nearly that amount. That said, battery performance can vary depending on usage, so your real-life experience may differ. The carrying case supplies roughly 3.4 additional charges, and you can use one bud while the other one charges.

8.0
Active Features
App Support
App Name Skullcandy
iOS Yes
Android Yes
macOS No
Windows No
Equalizer
Graphic + Presets
ANC Control
No
Mic Control No
Room Effects
No
Playback Control
No
Button Mapping Yes
Surround Support
No

The Skullcandy Push Active have great app support. Once you connect the headphones to your phone, your phone will ask you if you want to install the Skullcandy app. The app offers a graphic EQ and presets to help you tweak their sound to your liking. You can also access the buds' user guide, see the battery levels and volume, as well as customize controls to register voice prompts. With this Skull-iQ feature, you can also turn on smart commands like taking a photo remotely by taking out an earbud, sharing audio with other Skull-iQ-supported headphones, and launching the Spotify app with a voice command. The app also lets you find your headphones with Tile. However, you also need the Tile app to use this feature.

Connectivity
6.9
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version
5.2
Multi-Device Pairing
No
NFC Pairing
No
Line Of Sight Range
278.87 ft (85.00 m)
PC Latency (SBC)
233 ms
PC Latency (aptX)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX HD)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX-LL)
N/A
iOS Latency
259 ms
Android Latency
367 ms

The Skullcandy Push Active have fair Bluetooth connectivity. While they support Bluetooth 5.2, they don't support multi-device or NFC pairing. They also have high latency on PCs as well as iOS and Android devices. That said, some apps and devices compensate for latency, so your real-life experience may differ.

0
Connectivity
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
Non-BT Line Of Sight Range
N/A
Non-BT Latency
N/A
0
Connectivity
Wired
Analog Audio
No
USB Audio
No
Detachable No
Length N/A
Connection
No Wired Option
Analog/USB Audio Latency
N/A

These headphones come with a USB-A to USB-C charging cable. However, you can't use these headphones wired.

Connectivity
PC Compatibility
Analog
No
Wired USB
No
Non-BT Wireless
No

These headphones can connect to Bluetooth-enabled PCs with full compatibility. However, you can't connect them to your PC in any other way.

Connectivity
PlayStation Compatibility
PS4 Analog
No
PS4 Wired USB
No
PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
PS5 Analog
No
PS5 Wired USB
No
PS5 Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
Xbox Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
No
Xbox One Wired USB
No
Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
No
Xbox Series X|S Analog
No
Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
No
Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
No
2.2
Connectivity
Base/Dock
Type
Charging Case
USB Input
No
Line In
No
Line Out
No
Optical Input
No
RCA Input
No
Dock Charging
Yes
Power Supply
USB-C

The Skullcandy Push Active True Wireless Earbuds come with a carrying case that has a USB-C port to charge it up. The case holds roughly 3.4 additional charges, handy in a pinch.