The Skullcandy Smokin' Buds/Buds XT True Wireless are budget in-ears designed for everyday use. These lightweight, portable buds are geared towards people on the go, whether this means soundtracking your daily commute or your weekly hike. They have a sleek, unobtrusive design and are made of plastic that the manufacturer advertises is 50% recycled. They also come with 3 EQ presets you can use depending on whether you're listening to music, podcasts, or movie audio.
Our Verdict
The Skullcandy Smokin' Buds XT are okay for neutral sound. They have a bass-rich sound well-suited to genres like electronic and hip-hop, where a bit of rumble and boom can emphasize kicks and bass instruments. While vocals and lead instruments sound clear, sibilants and higher frequency sounds like cymbals can sound harsh and add a brittle quality to the mix. A few EQ presets are available via the controls that let you adapt the sound profile based on what you're listening to, but these aren't further customizable.
- Decently sturdy and comfortable.
- Three built-in EQ settings.
- Small soundstage.
- No companion app.
The Skullcandy Smokin' Buds XT are good for commute and travel. The buds are small and lightweight, and the carrying case is portable enough to slip into a travel bag easily. While achieving a comfortable fit at first can be difficult, they do a decent job blocking out lighter, ambient noises after getting a good seal. However, they lack active noise cancelling (ANC) and struggle to block out the low rumble of bus and plane engines. Their continuous battery life of eight hours, combined with 12 hours of extra charge from the case, is enough to get you through even the longest journeys.
- Lightweight and portable.
- Provides good passive isolation against ambient noise.
- 8-hour continuous battery life.
- Decently sturdy and comfortable.
- Disappointing noise handling performance.
- No companion app.
The Skullcandy Smokin' Buds are very good for sports and fitness use. They're lightweight and provide a stable fit for most workout types, but particularly intense exercise activities might require you to adjust the fit. They're also IPX4 certified, meaning they're protected against water splashes. That said, while the controls are convenient and easy to use, the location of the tap sensor means that you can accidentally enable functions while adjusting their fit in your ear.
- Lightweight and portable.
- Provides good passive isolation against ambient noise.
- 8-hour continuous battery life.
- Decently sturdy and comfortable.
- Can move around from more intense head movements.
The Skullcandy Smokin' Buds XT are adequate for office use. They're decently comfortable and provide a degree of passive isolation that will prevent you from being distracted by nearby conversations. They also leak very little audio, so your music is unlikely to be audible to coworkers, even at loud volumes. Their eight hours of continuous battery life will get you through the average workday, with an additional 12 hours' worth of charge available via their case.
- Lightweight and portable.
- Provides good passive isolation against ambient noise.
- 8-hour continuous battery life.
- Decently sturdy and comfortable.
- Disappointing noise handling performance.
- No NFC or multi-device pairing.
- High PC latency.
The Skullcandy Smokin' Buds XT 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.
The Skullcandy Smokin' Buds are Bluetooth-only headphones; you can't use them wired.
The Skullcandy Smokin' Buds are passable for phone calls. The integrated microphone has decent recording quality but still struggles to separate your voice from louder environments, like busy streets or subway stations, so it's better suited to taking calls from home or the office. However, the buds provide a good amount of passive noise isolation, thanks to their in-ear fit, which means you'll hear whoever's on the other side in all but the loudest environments.
- Provides good passive isolation against ambient noise.
- Decent mic recording quality.
- Disappointing noise handling performance.
- No NFC or multi-device pairing.
Changelog
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Updated Oct 29, 2024:
We've added the 'Bone/Orange Glow' colorway to Differences Between Sizes And Variants and Style.
- Updated Dec 14, 2023: We've added a comparison between these headphones and the Skullcandy Dime 3 True Wireless in Noise Handling.
- Updated Sep 29, 2023: Review published.
- Updated Sep 21, 2023: Early access published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Skullcandy Smokin' Buds/Buds XT True Wireless come in one size and are available in three color variants: 'True Black,' 'Bone/Orange Glow,' and 'Matcha.' We tested the 'True Black' variant; you can see our model's label here.
If you come across a differently configured variant, let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Skullcandy Smokin' Buds XT have similar features and design to the manufacturer's other budget-friendly in-ears: the Skullcandy Dime 2 True Wireless and the Skullcandy Sesh Evo True Wireless. The Smokin' buds have a longer continuous battery life than either of these but lack the 'Tile' feature present in the Dime 2 and Sesh Evo, which allow you to track down missing buds via a smartphone app. All three have similar neutral sound performance, but fans of a more bass-heavy sound profile will prefer the thumpy bass of the Dime 2 and Sesh Evo. The Smokin' Buds also feature three built-in EQ settings that you can activate via the controls—a feature that isn't present in other budget earbuds from this manufacturer.
Check out our recommendations for the best AirPods alternatives, the best Skullcandy headphones, and the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds.
The Skullcandy Dime 3 True Wireless and the Skullcandy Smokin' Buds/Buds XT True Wireless are similar buds with different strengths. Both buds have a similar continuous battery life, but the Dime 3 carry an additional half-charge in their case. The Dime 3 also feature multi-device connectivity with Bluetooth, but the Smokin' Buds' mic has better recording quality.
The JLab Audio GO Air POP True Wireless and the Skullcandy Smokin' Buds/Buds XT True Wireless are budget in-ears with similar sound profiles designed for everyday use. They have similar battery life performance, but the JLab provide slightly more continuous battery life and much more battery life if you include charges via the case. The JLab also feel slightly better built and feature a superior integrated microphone, making them the better choice for commuters and people who like taking calls on the go.
The Skullcandy Dime 2 True Wireless and the Skullcandy Smokin' Buds/Buds XT True Wireless are similar budget in-ears for everyday use with a few small differences. The Dime 2 have a more balanced sound overall, with accurate bass performance and a treble response that is less harsh than the Smokin' Buds. Both headphones are lightweight, comfortable, and stable, making them good choices for fitness and sports use. However, the Smokin' Buds' 8-hour continuous battery life is significantly better than the 3.5 hours of playtime from the Dime 2, making them a better fit for on-the-go use. However, if you're prone to misplacing your earbuds, the Dime 2 have the useful Tile feature, which allows you to locate a lost earbud via a smartphone app.
The Skullcandy Smokin' Buds/Buds XT True Wireless and the Skullcandy Sesh Evo True Wireless are similar wallet-friendly earbuds for on-the-go use. However, the Smokin' Buds are more suited to commuting, traveling, and office use thanks to their eight hours of continuous battery life. They also have superior microphone recording quality and better noise-handling performance, making them a more natural choice for taking calls.
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