Skullcandy's Grind Fuel and Push Active Are Excellent for the Price GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Opinion News > Smart & Connected Life

Skullcandy's Grind Fuel and Push Active Are Excellent for the Price

These earbuds don't drop the bass

By Joshua Hawkins Joshua Hawkins Freelance Technology Reporter Full Sail University Josh Hawkins is a freelance writer for Lifewire who loves writing about the latest tech and gadgets that help make people’s lives easier. As an avid gamer and VR enthusiast, he also enjoys diving deep into the technology that helps bring those kinds of experiences to life. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on September 28, 2021 04:53PM EDT Fact checked by Rich Scherr Fact checked by Rich Scherr University of Maryland Baltimore County Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Smart & Connected Life Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming

Key Takeaways

Skullcandy’s newest earbuds offer a cheaper alternative to more expensive options like AirPods and AirPods Pro.The new Skull-iQ technology makes it easy to use your voice to interact with the earbuds to control volume, skip tracks, and more.Both the Push Active and Grind Fuel earbuds work well and sound good, though they aren’t the most comfortable earbuds available on the market right now. Skullcandy Skullcandy’s latest earbuds bring a lot of bang for your buck, and if you’re looking for a new set of earbuds to jam out with, then you might want to check out the Grind Fuel or Push Active. While Skullcandy has become synonymous with budget-friendly headphones and earbuds, that hasn’t stopped the company from trying to break into the more premium offerings of the audio world. A few short months ago, it debuted the Skullcandy Dime, an affordable set of earbuds retailing for $25. Now, Skullcandy is aiming its sights at the quality offered by more expensive sets, like AirPods, with the Push Active and Grind Fuel. I’m more of a fan of the Grind Fuel than the Push Active, but both sets of earbuds offer great audio quality and features. Being able to quickly change settings within the Skull-iQ app is a big improvement, especially compared to the options Skullcandy has offered in the past. But is it enough to pull Apple fans from their beloved AirPods? Probably not, but if you aren’t married to your AirPods, then Skullcandy’s latest offerings are a great grab if you’re working with a tighter budget.

Fine-Tuned

This isn’t the first time that Skullcandy has taken a swing at a more premium earbud offering. However, this time it’s a surefire home run. Not only do the Push Active and Grind Fuel offer great sound quality, but the features that they have helped make them even more appealing to audio lovers. Skullcandy Push Active. Skullcandy First, there’s audio quality. Everything sounds good right out of the box. The bass and treble are both well balanced when listening to music, something that we’ve often seen skewing in one direction or the other in the past. The Skullcandy app also opens the door to setting up an equalizer, which can be handy for setting your audio content to sound the way you want it to. There are a few different presets, and each one works well. Skullcandy also lets you set up personalized sound, which uses beeps and tones to help you fine-tune the audio playback for your hearing. It’s a nice touch, but it takes quite a few minutes to set up. Still, if you’re someone who loves fine-tuning your sound, you’re going to be very happy with the options available.

And the Kitchen Sink

One of the best things about Skullcandy's Push Active and Grind Fuel earbuds is the extra features that both sets offer. Part of its new smart feature tech, Skull-iQ, makes interacting with your media easier using voice command and tap options. I hate touching the earbuds once they're in my ear, and a lot of earbuds let you control the music with short taps or swipes on the buds themselves. This usually results in pushing the earbud into your ear more, which can be uncomfortable. With the voice commands, you can say, "Hey, Skullcandy," then follow it up with another command to interact with your music without ever touching the bud itself. Skullcandy Grind Fuel. Skullcandy If you don't mind the taps, then you can use Skull-iQ to set up different things like Spotify Tap, volume changes, track skips, and even an option to take a photo when you tap the side of your earbud. The buttons on the side of the Grind Fuel and Push Active both require a bit of pressure to work with, though, so it does make the earbuds uncomfortable after a bit if you're pressing them often. Both the Push Active and Grind Fuel come with over 40 hours of battery life, including the case's battery. Individually, you're looking at around four to five hours per earbud if you're listening to something consistently. Still, that's a good deal of time if you're listening to something while working or out and about, and being able to chuck them in the case for a quick recharge is nice. Overall, both sets of Skullcandy's new earbuds bring a lot to the table for what they cost. Admittedly, they aren't the best set of earbuds under $100, but if you like Skullcandy and you want a lot of customization, there's a lot to love here. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire The 9 Best Wired Earbuds of 2022 9 Ways to Fix It When AirPods Are Too Quiet The 6 Best Budget Earbuds of 2022 Anker Soundcore Liberty Air Review: Affordable AirPod Alternatives 7 Things to Consider Before Buying Headphones The 10 Best Earbuds of 2022 The 8 Best Wireless Earbuds of 2022 Apple AirPods Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy Buds Live: Which Noise-Cancelling Wireless Earbuds To Get? The 9 Best Headphones for Under $50 in 2022 The 7 Best Wireless Earbuds Under $50 in 2022 Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Earbuds Review Grado GT220 Review: Audiophile True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds Samsung Galaxy Buds Live Review: The Only Earbuds You Should Have in Your Pocket Bose SoundSport Free Review: Excellent And Simple True Wireless Earbuds Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Review: Affordable Airpods Alternative The 9 Best Headphones for Running, Tested by Lifewire Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies