Skip to main content

Skullcandy Vert are wireless earbuds designed for a skier’s gloved hands

Image used with permission by copyright holder

In the world of personal audio, all of the focus right now seems to be on true wireless earbuds. You can blame the success of Apple’s AirPods for the frenzy, and for the countless cheap wireless buds that are now clogging the listings on Amazon. But despite all the hoopla around true wireless, there’s still innovation happening in the not-quite-true-wireless earbuds space. Available starting today, Skullcandy’s new $80 Vert earphones are the proof.

What makes the Vert unique is the way Skullcandy has integrated the battery, Bluetooth module, and control buttons into a single, glove-friendly unit that can be clipped onto almost anything you’re wearing. The single-button dial lets you manage calls, switch tracks, control volume, and get to your preferred voice assistant. The only catch: At a total length of just 20 inches, you’ll need to clip the control fairly close to your head or neck.

Recommended Videos

The design is a compromise of sorts: It’s not quite as liberating as using a pair of true wireless earbuds, but it is way cheaper than buying a set of true wireless buds and then a matching wireless controller (or a helmet with speakers).

You control the Vert through a combination of twists and clicks of the main wheel. A single twist in either direction, for instance, raises or lowers the volume, while holding the wheel in those positions for two seconds controls track skip forward or back. Clicking the wheel once is your play/pause control, and clicking and holding for two seconds brings up Siri or Google Assistant.

In addition to being an ideal audio companion for those who don’t have easy access to their bare fingers, the Vert has a lot going for it for everyone else too. It’s IPX4 rated, so whether you take them on a seriously sweaty run, or they end up in the snow after a particularly nasty wipeout, they should be good to go. If you do end up losing them on the ski hill, the embedded Tile tracker should make finding them just a little bit easier.

Another nod to the Vert’s intended audience is the design of the earbuds themselves. Skullcandy calls it StayAware, but it’s basically a way to keep the buds from completely isolating your ears from outside sounds. While not as adjustable as active noise cancellation (ANC), it should nonetheless keep you from being surprised by a nearby car, or possibly an out-of-control skier on a collision course.

Skullcandy claims the battery should last you around 12 hours, and you can quick-charge the Vert for 10 minutes to get two hours of play time.

Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen is a contributing editor to Digital Trends' Audio/Video section, where he obsesses over the latest wireless…
Jabra will no longer make its Elite wireless earbuds or headphones
Jabra Elite 10 earbuds in front of case.

On the same day that Jabra announced its latest generation of wireless earbuds, the company has unexpectedly called it quits for the entire consumer audio category. In a press release that cites the rising costs of competition, GN (Jabra's parent company) announced its intent to "gradually wind-down its Elite and Talk product lines to further increase focus and resources on more attractive parts of GN’s business."

The new Gen 2 products -- the Elite 8 Active and Elite 10 Generation 2 -- will be the last two product introductions in this product line, but they will remain available through 2024 and beyond. A Jabra spokesperson told Digital Trends that "customers will be able to buy them in the usual online and retail channels, as well as Jabra.com, and products will still be supported throughout their lifetime, as normal."

Read more
Jabra’s next-gen Elite earbuds can go wired or wireless
Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 connected to an airplane seatback entertainment system.

It's only been one year since they were released, but Jabra has already updated its Elite 10 and Elite 8 Active wireless earbuds with a new charging case that can double as a wireless transmitter. Simply plug the case into an analog audio source, like an aircraft's entertainment system or a workout machine, using the included cable, and the case will send that audio to the earbuds using the latest Bluetooth LE Audio standard.

Jabra says it has also made meaningful improvements to spatial audio quality, call quality, and noise canceling. Unfortunately, these new features come with higher prices. Both the Elite 10 Gen 2 and Elite 8 Active Gen 2 sell for $30 more than their predecessors: $279 and $229 respectively, versus $249 and $199 for the Gen 1 products. They'll be available for purchase by mid-June, with navy, black, coral, and olive color options on the
Buy at Jabra
, and titanium black, gloss black, cocoa, denim, and soft white colors for the
Buy at Best Buy
.

Read more
LG’s Tone Free T80 wireless earbuds come with head tracking — and a free portable speaker
LG Tone Free T80 wireless earbuds

LG has added to its growing Tone Free wireless earbuds line with the new T80 earbuds, which boast an upgraded design and Dolby Atmos support with Dolby Head Tracking. Plus, LG is throwing in a free portable Bluetooth speaker for a limited time.

The LG Tone Free 180 true wireless earbuds, available for $199, offer “vibrant bass and enhanced mid- and high-range frequencies,” according to the company. Crafted with a reinforced graphene speaker driver that LG says helps reduce vibrations to improve sound, they are compatible with Dolby Atmos content played through a wirelessly connected device. They also feature Dolby Head Tracking so the audio, like a music playlist, podcast, movie, or video game, follows you as you move your head, always remaining front and center. Just make sure to turn Dolby Head Tracking and the audio virtualizer on in the companion LG Tone Free app.

Read more