The Skullcandy Sesh ANC are a sibling of the Skullcandy Sesh Evo True Wireless. While not much is new in their design, these buds feature active noise cancellation (ANC), which lets them block out background noise like traffic or chatty coworkers. They're also the first earbuds in Skullcandy's Sesh lineup to have full compatibility with a companion app, which lets you fine-tune the sound to your liking using a graphic EQ and presets, as well as change their ANC settings.
Our Verdict
The Skullcandy Sesh ANC are decent for neutral sound. The bass and mid ranges are both well-balanced, but the treble range suffers from an underemphasized low-treble and overemphasized mid-treble. As such, vocals and instruments lack detail, while sibilants, like cymbals, sound piercing. Fortunately, you can fine-tune the mix how you'd like with their companion app's graphic EQ and presets. Being closed-back earbuds, however, they don't create an immersive soundstage.
- Graphic EQ and presets in the companion app.
- Uncomfortable for long durations.
The Skullcandy Sesh ANC are great for commuting and travel. Their long battery life lasts through both short commutes and long flights alike. Their powerful ANC system also isolates you from pesky background noise, like rumbly bus engines and chatty passengers. They're also compatible with the Tile app, so you won't need to worry if you misplace them at the airport or if your luggage gets lost. However, they're fatiguing to wear for long periods due to a protruding bump in their inner shell.
- Long battery life.
- Powerful ANC system.
- Good stability.
- Uncomfortable for long durations.
The Skullcandy Sesh ANC are great for sports and fitness. Their IP55 rating protects them against water splashes, making them well-suited for the outdoors. They don't move around during light workouts but are likely to fall out with more intense movement, like a jog. However, they're only decently comfortable and may cause some in-ear fatigue during longer workouts.
- Long battery life.
- Powerful ANC system.
- Good stability.
- Uncomfortable for long durations.
- Mic makes your voice sound thin.
The Skullcandy Sesh ANC are decent for use in an office. Their ANC does a good job of blocking out chatty coworkers and whiny AC systems. With ANC on, the battery lasts long enough to get you through most of your workday. Unfortunately, a bump on the inside of the buds makes them uncomfortable after prolonged use. They also don't feature multi-device pairing, so you can't keep them connected to your laptop and phone at the same time.
- Long battery life.
- Powerful ANC system.
- Uncomfortable for long durations.
- High latency on PCs.
The Skullcandy Sesh are Bluetooth-only earbuds and can't connect to Xbox or PlayStation consoles. That said, while their default Bluetooth connection's latency is too high for gaming, their 'Gaming Mode' substantially lowers audio lag on PCs and mobile devices. Their nearly eight-hour battery life lasts through long play sessions, and their mic makes your voice sound clear and understandable, if not a little thin, over team chat. Unfortunately, their build isn't suited for every ear shape, so you're likely to feel discomfort after a few hours with them in.
The Skullcandy Sesh ANC are Bluetooth-only headphones, and you can't use them for wired gaming.
The Skullcandy Sesh ANC are satisfactory for phone calls. The internal microphone makes your voice sounds natural and understandable but thin and lacking in body. Fortunately, they do a decent job of separating your voice from moderate and louder background noise.
- Powerful ANC system.
- Mic makes your voice sound thin.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Skullcandy Sesh ANC come in one color variant: 'Black', and you can see our unit's label here. If you come across another variant, please let us know in the forums, and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Skullcandy Sesh ANC are an upgraded version of the Skullcandy Sesh Evo True Wireless. They feature ANC and can now connect to a companion app to adjust ANC settings and fine-tune your mix using a graphic EQ and presets. Their continuous battery life of over seven hours can get you through most of your day without an issue, but they don't last as long as some of Skullcandy's other non-ANC earbuds, like the Skullcandy Grind Fuel True Wireless. Although they perform well for their price, cheaper earbuds are available that do a better job of isolating you from background noise, like the Anker Soundcore Space A40 Truly Wireless.
Looking for more options? Check out our recommendations for the best noise cancelling earbuds, the best Skullcandy headphones, and the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds.
The Skullcandy Sesh ANC True Wireless are better earbuds than the Skullcandy Sesh Evo True Wireless. The Sesh ANC are an updated version of the Sesh Evo and come with new features, like ANC and compatibility with a companion app, allowing you to change the ANC settings and fine-tune the mix using a graphic EQ and presets. The Sesh Evo don't have a customizable sound profile and can't isolate you from as much noise since they don't have ANC. Their battery also doesn't last as long despite their more stripped-back features — nearly five hours continuously compared to the Sesh ANC's nearly eight hours. However, their default sound profile is much more bass-heavy, which you will prefer if you listen to EDM or hip-hop.
The Skullcandy Sesh ANC True Wireless are better in-ears than the Skullcandy Indy ANC True Wireless. Their ANC can isolate you from low and mid-range background noise, like rumbly bus engines or chatty coworkers. The Sesh ANC also have a longer continuous battery life and access to a graphic EQ via their companion app, unlike the Indy ANC's preset-only app, which limits personalization. However, the Sesh ANC's mic isn't as good for calls, making your voice sound thinner and quieter than the Indy ANC's mic. If you're a fan of the bud-and-stem design, like Apple's AirPods lineup, you'll also prefer the Indy ANC's design to the Sesh ANC's more compact build.
The Skullcandy Sesh ANC True Wireless are better noise-cancelling earbuds than the Beats Studio Buds True Wireless. Their ANC can isolate you from lower-frequency background noise, like the deep rumble of a bus or plane engine. Their companion app also lets you fine-tune their sound profile using a graphic EQ and presets, a feature that the Beats' companion app does not have. The Beats' battery life also isn't as long, but if you're a dedicated Apple user, you'll benefit from the Beats' H1 chip for seamless pairing with Apple devices, as well as their compatibility with Apple Music's Spatial Audio feature, which creates a more immersive virtual soundstage via head tracking.
Ultimately, the deciding factor between the Skullcandy Grind Fuel True Wireless and the Skullcandy Sesh ANC True Wireless comes down to your preferences around noise isolation. Since the Sesh ANC are noise cancelling, they can block out much more background noise during a commute or busy workday in a loud office. Since the Grind Fuel don't have ANC, they can't isolate noise in the same way. However, they're substantially cheaper than the Sesh ANC and have a longer battery life.
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