Odi Productions
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST Skullcandy Hesh Evo review for those who are wondering whether they are WORTH IT in 2025. I’ll also be comparing the Skullcandy Hesh Evo vs Hesh ANC, Crusher Evo, Crusher ANC 2, Sony ULT Wear, Anker Soundcore Space Q45, Beats Studio Pro, JBL Tune 770NC, and more!
I’m going to do my best to share whether these headphones are worth it, and ideally who these headphones are for. I’ve owned these headphones for a while now and have quite a few thoughts.
I’ll be sharing my critical opinion with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, and tech journalist.
Let’s dive right in!
Skullcandy Hesh Evo Headphones Review in Short
The Skullcandy Hesh Evo has decent sound quality for modern music, but lacks modern features including Active Noise Cancelling, multi-point connection, transparency mode, and smartphone app with EQ. Competes in the wireless over-ear headphone class with Skullcandy Hesh ANC, Skullcandy Crusher Evo, Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2, Anker Soundcore Space Q45, Sony ULT Wear, JBL Tune 770NC, and Sony WH-CH720N.
Skullcandy Hesh Evo Pros and Cons
- Decent sound quality for modern music
- Lightweight
- Good value on sale
- Doesn’t include Active Noise Cancelling
- No “Crusher Bass” feature
- Lacks modern features
- Tinny treble and loose bass
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Skullcandy Hesh Evo Sound Quality
So when it comes to sound quality, Skullcandy clearly aims their products at a younger crowd who likely listens to mostly modern music genres like Pop and Hip Hop.
Now one drawback to the Hesh Evo is that it does not contain Skullcandy’s patented “Crusher Sensory Bass” technology, found on the Crusher ANC 2 and Crusher Evo models.
From what I’ve tested, bass is what the Skullcandy brand is all about, and lacking that “Crusher” bass is probably the most notable drawback to the Hesh Evo and Hesh ANC models.
Prior to this, I recently tested the Hesh ANC model and can confirm that they have nearly identical sound to the Hesh Evo.
I will say there’s a bit of a big dropoff in bass response/quality, and just overall satisfaction from the Hesh Evo compared to the Crusher models.
Bass is their biggest strength, so that leaves the Hesh Evo with a fairly average sound quality performance.
Now, these don’t sound bad, but they are quite tinny with a looser, less impactful bass than on the Crusher models.
Also, it doesn’t help that these don’t have any custom EQ like the Crusher ANC 2, so what we’ve got out of the box is what we’re stuck with.
That said, they’re still fairly fun to listen to for the modern genres it was designed for, and encapsulates that consumer-friendly sound signature, pushing forward bass and treble.
For giggles, I tried listening to Classical and actually found them somewhat enjoyable and detailed, although that timbre is quite artificial due to that tinniness.
So overall, not great, but not bad.
I can enjoy these for the money, especially if I stick to the modern genres that it was designed for.
Sound Quality Score: 7.5 out of 10
Comfort
The Skullcandy Hesh Evo is one of the lightest for the over-ear, wireless noise cancelling headphones as weighed on my scale:
- Sony WH-CH720N – 186.4 grams
- Skullcandy Hesh Evo – 211.2 grams
- JBL Tune 720BT – 223.2 grams
- JBL Tune 770NC – 227.1 grams
- Skullcandy Hesh ANC – 229.6 grams
- Bose QuietComfort – 236.1 grams
- Sony WH 1000XM5 – 245.9 grams
- Sony WH 1000XM4 – 251.6 grams
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra – 254.4 grams
- Anker Soundcore Life Q30 – 264.6 grams
- Beats Studio Pro – 268.6 grams
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 – 292.9 grams
- Anker Soundcore Space Q45 – 297.5 grams
- Sonos Ace – 318.1 grams
- Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 – 332.3 grams
- Apple AirPods Max – 387.8 grams
Unlike the more expensive Skullcandy “Crusher” series that weighs over 300 grams, the Hesh Evo is one of the lightest headphones in this class.
In fact, the Hesh Evo is over 120 grams lighter than the premium Crusher ANC 2.
It’s also about 18 grams lighter than the identically-designed Hesh ANC.
So that must make the Hesh Evo automatically more comfy, right?
Well, not quite.
The Hesh Evo definitely has a strong clamping force from the factory.
Also, the top headband barely has any cushioning, unlike the Crusher ANC 2. This creates a slight bit of top of head pressure.
Overall, I still find the Hesh Evo decently comfortable thanks to its lightweight and fairly-sized earcups.
Comfort Score: 4.0 out of 5
Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling
Features
The Skullcandy Hesh Evo was originally released in November 2020, so they’re a bit older now when it comes to features:
- Built-in microphones for taking calls
- Bluetooth 5.0
- Foldable and Collapsable
- 1-Year Warranty
The Hesh Evo is missing a lot of modern features like Active Noise Cancelling, Smartphone app with customizable EQ, Transparency Mode, and Multi-point Connection.
These also don’t have Spatial Audio or Dolby Atmos support, for those that care.
These headphones do fold and collapse, but don’t include any kind of case.
There are budget headphones in this price range like Anker Soundcore that have hardshell cases, so it’s a bit disappointing these don’t include even a bag like the more expensive Skullcandy headphones.
Build Quality
Unlike the more premium “Crusher” series, the Hesh Evo feels noticeably cheaper when it comes to build quality.
The Crusher headphones have real heft and a mixture of materials, but the Hesh Evo is mostly just plastic with a thin metal layer in the headband.
For this price, the Hesh Evo is about average, which means that they feel more like $50 headphones.
Skullcandy Hesh Evo Battery Life
The Skullcandy Hesh Evo has 36 hours of battery life on a single charge.
That’s 14 more hours than the Hesh ANC, but that headphone also comes with very good Active Noise Cancelling.
This is about average for the current wireless over-ear headphone class, with many headphones being around the 30 to 40 hour range, all the way up to 100 hours even.
There is also a “Rapid Charging” feature that provides 3 hours of listening time with 10 minutes of charging.
Thankfully, these also feature the modern standard USB-C charging port.
Skullcandy Hesh Evo Noise Cancelling Performance
The Hesh Evo does NOT include any Active Noise Cancelling or Transparency Mode features.
The more expensive, upgraded Hesh ANC model includes Active Noise Cancelling compared to the Evo.
That said, the Hesh Evo relies on passive noise isolation due to being a closed-back headphone, but this isn’t nearly as effective as the Hesh ANC that has surprisingly good noise cancelling performance.
This is certainly a drawback to these headphones compared to the landscape today.
Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling Performance Score: 3.0 out of 5
Value
At the time of this writing, the Skullcandy Hesh Evo retails at $104.99, but can be found on sale for as low as $75.
For under $100, the Hesh Evo is a solid wireless headphone choice when it comes to its sound quality, especially if found on sale closer to $75 or below.
But it’s lacking a ton of modern features like Active Noise Cancelling, Transparency Mode, and Multi-point connection.
I’d spend a little more to upgrade to the Hesh ANC, which has very good noise cancelling for the money.
Value Score: 4.0 out of 5
Overall Scoring Breakdown
Sound Quality: 7.5 / 10
Comfort: 4.0 / 5
Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 3.0 / 5
Value: 4.0 / 5
Total: 18.5 / 25
Is the Skullcandy Hesh Evo Worth it?
If the Skullcandy Hesh Evo is on sale for under $80, I’d say they’re a decent wireless headphone.
But personally, I’d rather spend a little more to upgrade to the Hesh ANC which is identical to the Evo, but includes very good noise cancelling performance for the money.
Better yet, the Skullcandy Crusher Evo or Crusher ANC 2 models with the “Crusher Sensory Bass” technology offer even more unique experiences for bassheads, that the Hesh series can’t quite scratch.
Some very strong alternatives in this class of wireless headphones are:
- Skullcandy Hesh ANC
- Skullcandy Crusher Evo
- Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2
- Anker Soundcore Space Q45
- Sony ULT Wear
- JBL Tune 770NC
- Sony WH-CH720N
- Sennheiser Accentum
- Anker Soundcore Space One
- JBL Tune 720BT
- Sennheiser Momentum 4
- Bose QuietComfort (2023 model)
- Sony WH-1000XM4
- Sony WH-1000XM5
- Beats Studio Pro
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra
- Apple AirPods Max
Some Relevant Comparisons in this class of wireless headphones are:
- Skullcandy Crusher Evo vs ANC 2 Comparison
- Sony WH-1000XM4 vs Sony WH-1000XM5
- Bose QuietComfort 45 vs Sony WH-1000XM4
- Beats Studio Pro vs Sony WH-1000XM4
- Beats Studio Pro vs Sony WH-1000XM5
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM5
I highly recommend you check those out next!
Lastly, if you’d like to save some money and keep supporting RecordingNOW.com’s 100% independent, unbiased reviews, do consider using some of our affiliate links below to shop and even just compare prices. We purchase all products we review with our own money to maintain the highest level of integrity, and your support goes into that plus a continuously improving site experience.
Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Want to save up to $20 or more?
Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Skullcandy Hesh headphones better than the Crusher series?
Generally speaking, no, the Hesh series is lower-quality than Skullcandy’s Crusher series that features their patented “Crusher Sensory Bass” technology, along with better build quality and materials. Hesh is the more affordable line of the Skullcandy headphone lineup.
What’s better, Hesh ANC or Hesh Evo?
The Hesh ANC is the upgraded and more expensive version to the Hesh Evo, and features Active Noise Cancelling which the Evo does not have.
How good is Skullcandy ANC performance?
Skullcandy ANC performance (found on Hesh ANC and Crusher ANC 2 models) is anywhere from average to slightly above average, especially for the money compared to more expensive premium ANC headphones from brands like Sony and Bose.
How We Tested and Our Methodology
RecordingNOW.com is a 100% independent publisher with over 10 years of experience testing and reviewing consumer electronics and headphones.
We currently purchase the products we test with our own money, and are not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.
After purchasing the product, we conduct up to hundreds of hours of detailed hands-on testing in a controlled, acoustically-treated environment.
ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, tech journalist, and audiophile.
Read Next
Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 Review
Skullcandy Crusher Evo vs ANC 2 Comparison
Bose QuietComfort Review (2023 Model)
Anker Soundcore Space Q45 Review
Anker Soundcore Space One Review
