Skullcandy Icon ANC review: Loud bass, basic ANC and a few rough edges in these ANC headphones

Skullcandy Icon ANC headphones launched a few months back, and I have been using them for a little over a month now. I went in with the older version in mind, the one with flat ear pads and a plasticky build, and this new pair already feels like a clear step up. The ear pads are now pleather with an actual opening, very similar to the Beats Solo, and the headband gets a soft fabric wrap that sits better on the head.

In the next few paragraphs I want to talk about how these actually felt in daily use. Beyond the box specs, it is the sound, ANC, comfort and small details over the past month that stood out for me. Some parts feel clearly improved while a few rough edges still show up, and I will walk through both. I know you probably have a lot of questions about this gadget, and I will try to clear them for you in this review.

Design

Design is where the Skullcandy Icon ANC started to show its real character for me. The fit sits on the ears rather than around them, so the first thing you notice is clamp and pressure. On shorter music sessions and quick calls it feels light enough, and the headband spreads weight fairly evenly. The cups stay stable while walking and on metro rides, so I was not constantly adjusting them. They also fold inward and get very small, which makes them easy to carry in a bag.

After more than a month of use, some clear pluses and negatives showed up. The fit is secure, so it does not slide around easily, but that same grip can feel tight after two to three hours, especially if you wear glasses. The padding has held up well so far and has not started peeling, but the ears do get warm in longer sessions. My only real complaint with the design is the loose cable near the headband. I am always a bit worried it might catch on something and break. For me, the design works for daily travel, office time and gym style use, but I would not keep it on for an entire workday without breaks.

Daily use and performance

In daily use, the Skullcandy Icon ANC settled into my routine quite easily. I used them at home while watching my favourite shows or listening to my playlist on Spotify. Bluetooth 5.3 stayed stable for me and I did not face random drops with my phone or laptop. The foldable design helped here too, as they slipped into a small space in my bag without me thinking twice. The IPX4 rating also meant I did not stress about sweat or a bit of light rain on the way back home.

Multi point support became one of those small things I ended up relying on. I could keep them hooked to my phone and laptop together, take a quick call, then jump back into a video without reconnecting every time. Over a month, that convenience mattered more than I expected.

Sound Quality

Sound is where I actually started to enjoy the Icon ANC. I personally feel they sound better than the Beats Solo 4. The bass has a good punch but it does not drown everything else the way old Skullcandy pairs sometimes did. Vocals sit nicely in the centre and are easy to follow in podcasts and dramas, and the treble has enough shine without poking the ear. The soundstage is not huge, so it does not give that big wide concert feeling, but instrument placement is still clear enough for me to tell where things are sitting in the mix. If I had to place it next to something in the same price range, I would put it in the same fun, everyday listening bucket as a JBL Tune 680NC rather than a flat studio pair. For this style and price, I was honestly happy with how they sounded.

Test to check bass and ANC

To see what the bass could really do, I went back to my usual test mix with heavy kick drums, electronic tracks and a few Bollywood songs with a busy low end. The Icon ANC kept the bass present and fun without turning it into a blur. You still hear the beat clearly and the rest of the track does not vanish behind it, which I honestly liked.

ANC was a very different story. I tested it with an AC, ceiling fan, traffic and on metro rides, and I had to double check more than once if noise cancellation was actually on. It shaves off a bit of the low hum, but most of the outside world still comes through, especially voices and higher sounds. In a cafe or car, I could still hear people around me quite clearly. The transparency mode, called Stay Aware, also did not impress me. I could hear the person in front of me, but their voice sounded a bit off and there was a light hiss in the background that I could not ignore. For me, the bass and overall sound are the strong points here, not the ANC or the awareness mode.

Calling and clarity

On calls, the experience was mostly okay. Indoors, people on the other side could hear me clearly and I did not get many complaints about muffled audio. Outside, in traffic or near construction, some of that background sound does creep in, so you cannot expect it to magically erase everything around you. On my side, voices sounded clear and loud enough, and there was no major delay or weird echo. For daily office calls, family chats and the odd video call, the Icon ANC handled things without getting in my way, but this is not a “call specialist” headset.

Battery life

Battery life is one area where I did not have much to complain about. With ANC off, Skullcandy claims up to 60 hours and around 50 hours with ANC on. In my real use, I charged them once, then forgot about the charger for days. Even with mixed use of ANC and normal mode, I never managed to kill them in a single day. The quick charge claim also holds up well. A short 10 minute charge gave me enough juice for a few hours of listening, which is exactly what you need when you realise they are low right before heading out.

Noise cancel and awareness

To be honest, the noise cancelling itself is just okay. It is not the star of the show. It takes the edge off low, constant sounds like AC units, fans and traffic rumble, but it does not handle human voices or sudden noises very strongly. If ANC is your main reason to buy, something like the JBL Tune 680NC will likely do a better job in the same price range. That said, I still kept ANC on many times because even a small drop in background hum made music and podcasts easier to follow. It is more of a comfort feature here than a “wow” feature.

What works for me

What worked for me was the mix of sound and everyday convenience. The tuning feels fun without going overboard, the app lets me tweak EQ easily, and features like multi point and quick charge genuinely help in daily use. The folding design and light weight made it simple to carry around, and the IPX4 rating gave a bit of peace of mind during workouts and commutes.

What didn’t work

What did not work as well for me was the ANC strength and long term comfort. The noise cancelling is fine for dull background hum but not strong enough to be the main reason to buy these. The on-ear fit also starts to feel tight after a couple of hours, especially in warm weather or with glasses, and my ears did get warm. I also keep thinking about that loose cable near the headband, which always feels like it could catch on something.

Verdict

After using the Skullcandy Icon ANC for more than a month, I feel they get a lot right for this low profile, on-ear style. The sound is lively, the app is genuinely useful and the battery life is the part that really stands out. For me, they even beat the Beats Solo 4 on sound, while adding ANC and usually selling for less. In India, they usually cost around ₹7,999 to ₹8,999.

They are not the most feature packed headphones you can buy under ₹10,000, and the ANC is fine for basic hum but not strong enough to be the main reason to buy these. If top tier noise cancelling is your main reason to buy an on-ear pair and you are okay spending a bit more, you can also look at something like the JBL Tune 680NC. But if you want an on-ear headset with punchy sound, long battery life and a simple, low key look, the Skullcandy Icon ANC makes sense at its current India price, and I would be happy to recommend it if you catch it closer to that ₹7,999 deal.