Design and features:This Bluetooth wireless noise-canceling home/studio-style on-ear model provides acceptable sound and very good active noise reduction. Its closed design and electronic noise canceling feature reduce both outside noise and sound leaking out into your environment.
Additional features include:
Has integrated volume control, microphone, and call connect/disconnect control. Skullcandy app download for Apple and Android mobile devices adds additional features and software updates.
Sound quality:We found the Icon ANC delivers sound quality that falls in the acceptable range - it reproduces music and voice reasonably well despite the obvious shortcomings in its sound and very good active noise reduction. With the Skullcandy app equalizer set to Music, and ANC enabled with the noise canceling adjustment set to maximum (the as received state of the headphone) the bass (as in bass drums, bass guitars, stand-up bass, etc.) has good impact and goes deep, but is prominent and boomy. The midrange (voices, guitars, horns, etc.) is somewhat hazy and congested (think sonic traffic jam) and a bit grainy and overwhelmed by the bass. The treble (cymbals, the upper range of violins, etc.) is extended, but is a bit sizzly (sounds that should have a delicate shimmer have a sound reminiscent of bacon frying) and smeared and a touch subdued. While the sound has a decent sense of liveliness, it is somewhat closed (sound-wise it's fairly obvious you have something plugging your ears) and does a decent job of recovering room ambience. Warm overall character. The overall sound can best be summarized as bassy, hazy, congested and a bit grainy. The tone settings of the app do have a noticeable effect on the sound of these earphones.
Noise Canceling:
Excellent noise reduction across the entire frequency range with the low frequencies reduced the most. Orientation changes the noise reduction characteristic - when the noise is coming from the front a bit more high frequency noise can be heard then when it is coming from the sides, and when the noise is coming from the back a bit less high frequency noise can be heard then when it is coming from the sides. The noise canceling feature produces a very faint rush that can be heard when there is no audio program to drown it out.
Comfort and Fit:There is a sense of moderate pressure on the ears. As typical of on-ear models the ear pads might feel hot and/or sticky after prolonged use.
Large
Users with larger heads might find that the headband does not have enough adjustment range resulting in the headband pressing uncomfortably on the top of the head and/or the ear cups not sitting properly on the ears and the headband clamps slightly more than moderate; the less-than-ideal fit on the ears might interfere with the ear pad seal and may reduce the bass response and/or noise reduction capabilities of the headphone.
Small
Users with smaller heads may find they can get a good ear pad seal and that the bass does not sound reduced.
Stability
Some users may find that when they lean far forward the headphones feel unstable and shift forward, possibly for smaller heads they do slide to the point of falling off.
Other noise
When wearing this model while walking the muffled vibrations from each foot step can be heard slightly through the headphones regardless of whether the headphones are in noise cancelling mode.
When the audio cord is used the sound of it rubbing on clothing may be faintly heard through the earphones.
