Skullcandy Mod S2FYW-P740

The Skullcandy Mod nails durability and connectivity with an IP55 rating, 91st percentile build quality, and multipoint Bluetooth, but the sound quality is near the bottom of our database at the 6th percentile. Battery life is solid at 34 hours total, and the Tile tracking is a nice touch. US pricing ranges from $45 to $62, so shop around. Buy these for workouts and rough conditions, not for music.

Let's start with the good news, because there's plenty of it. Battery life is a genuine strength here. You get 7 hours from the earbuds themselves and another 24 from the case, putting total battery in the 81st percentile. The 10-minute quick charge giving you 2 hours of playback is also legitimately useful when you're heading out the door and realize you forgot to charge. And the connectivity is excellent. Bluetooth 5.2 with multipoint means you can be connected to your laptop and phone at the same time, which is something earbuds twice this price sometimes skip. Our data puts connectivity in the 93rd percentile, and that tracks with real-world use.

The 6mm dynamic drivers are where things fall apart. The frequency response covers 20Hz to 20kHz on paper, but the actual tuning is rough. Music sounds thin and muddy, with bass that's either bloated or absent depending on the track. The sound score of 29.8 out of 100 for music is one of the lowest we've recorded in this category. The transparency mode works fine for staying aware of your surroundings, and the mic is serviceable at the 56th percentile, but if you're buying these to enjoy music, you're going to be disappointed. These are utility earbuds, not audiophile gear, and the numbers back that up hard.

The Skullcandy Mod sits in a crowded budget true wireless space, and the competition is fierce. The Soundcore P31i is probably the most direct rival. It's in a similar price bracket and Anker's sound tuning is consistently better than what Skullcandy delivers here. You'll trade some of the Mod's durability and Tile tracking for audio that doesn't make you sad. The Sony WF-C700N is a step up in price but brings actual active noise cancellation and Sony's much more refined sound signature. If you can stretch your budget, the Sony is the better all-rounder.

The EarFun Air Pro 4+ and Anker Space A40 both offer ANC at prices that aren't far off from the Mod's higher end. The Space A40 in particular has become a budget favorite for good reason. It's comfortable, sounds decent, and the ANC is genuinely useful. The JLab JBuds Pods ANC is another option if you want noise cancellation on a tight budget. The Mod's advantage over all of these is durability and the Tile integration. None of those competitors match the Mod's IP55 rating combined with its build quality percentile. So the Mod isn't a bad product, it's just a specialized one. It wins on toughness and connectivity, loses on everything audio-related.

The pricing on the Skullcandy Mod is all over the place depending on where you shop. In the US, we're seeing listings from $45 to $62 across four vendors. That's a $17 spread for the exact same earbuds, which is annoying. If you're in the US, shop around before you commit. The best deal we're seeing is at the lower end of that range, so don't just grab the first listing you see on Amazon. In Europe, the EUR 30 price point is more consistent across German, Spanish, and Italian retailers, which makes the value proposition a bit clearer.

At $45, the Mod is a solid deal for what it does well. You're getting durability, battery life, and connectivity that punch above the price. At $62, it's a harder sell, because that's creeping into territory where competitors offer meaningfully better sound. The value here depends entirely on what you prioritize. If you want earbuds that survive your lifestyle and don't care much about audio quality, the Mod earns its keep. If sound matters at all, even $45 feels like a lot for something that ranks in the 6th percentile for music.

The Skullcandy Mod is one of those earbuds that makes you realize how much the budget true wireless market has matured. For somewhere between $45 and $62, you get multipoint Bluetooth, an IP55 rating, Tile tracking built in, and a case that'll keep you going for over 30 hours total. That's a spec sheet that would've cost double a few years ago. But the Mod also shows where corners get cut to hit that price, and the cuts land right in the one place you'd hope they wouldn't.

These are aimed at people who need earbuds that can take a beating. The IP55 rating means sweat and rain aren't a problem, and the build quality sits in the 91st percentile of everything we've tested. That's genuinely impressive for the price. Skullcandy clearly designed these for commuters, gym-goers, and anyone who's ever dropped an earbud on concrete and winced. The Tile integration is a nice touch too, since losing one earbud is basically a rite of passage.

But here's the thing. Our database puts the sound quality at the 6th percentile. That's not a typo. These rank near the bottom of everything we've tested for music. So the Mod is a weird mix: fantastic durability and connectivity, paired with audio that'll make you wonder if you accidentally enabled some kind of low-power mode. If you're mostly listening to podcasts or taking calls, that might not matter. If you actually care about how your music sounds, keep reading before you click buy.

If you care about music quality at all, skip these. The 6th percentile sound ranking means you'll be disappointed every time you hit play on a favorite track. Look at the Soundcore P31i or Anker Space A40 instead. Both deliver dramatically better audio for similar money. If you take a lot of calls in noisy environments, the average mic quality here will frustrate you too. The Sony WF-C700N has much better call handling and adds ANC, though it costs more.

Also skip these if you want active noise cancellation. The Mod only offers passive isolation from the in-ear seal, and the ANC score sits at the 65th percentile, which reflects the lack of real noise cancellation. If you commute on public transit or work in a loud office, the EarFun Air Pro 4+ or JLab JBuds Pods ANC will serve you better. The Mod is for people who need toughness and battery life, not for anyone who wants to get lost in their music or block out the world.

If you need earbuds for the gym, for running in the rain, or for a job where they're going to get knocked around, the Skullcandy Mod makes a lot of sense. The IP55 rating, the 91st percentile build quality, and the Tile tracking mean these are built to survive. The battery life is genuinely good, and the multipoint connectivity is a feature you'll use more than you expect. For podcasts, audiobooks, and calls, the Mod is perfectly serviceable. The transparency mode is a nice bonus for outdoor runs where you need to hear traffic.

But if music is your main thing, look elsewhere. The 6th percentile sound ranking isn't just a number, it's a daily reality. Every time you play a song you love, you'll notice something missing. The bass is weak, the mids are muddy, and the overall presentation is just flat. For the same money or slightly more, the Soundcore P31i or Anker Space A40 will give you audio that's dramatically better while still covering most of the durability bases. The Mod is a tool, not a toy. Buy it for what it survives, not for what it sounds like.