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Skullcandy Ink'd+ Wireless Earbud

Skullcandy Ink'd+ Wireless Earbud

By Skullcandy · Budget Wireless Earbuds · Audio & Electronics · More from Skullcandy

  • In-ear Bluetooth wireless collar design
  • Up to 8 hours battery life
  • 10mm dynamic drivers
  • 24 g lightweight flexible collar
  • Passive noise isolation

Price not listed

New
Used, refurbished, open-box

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Problems, parts and running costs

Summary

A discontinued 2019-era budget Bluetooth collar earphone: a flexible 24 g neckband, 10 mm drivers, a claimed 8 hours of battery and passive isolation. Check the battery age before you buy — owner threads report the cell losing charge after about 18 months and dying between 2 and 3 years.

Strengths

  • Light collar at 24 g, with weighted end pieces that keep the buds in place.
  • Bass-forward sound for the price; one owner who used the line since 2015 preferred $20 Skullcandy earphones over $200 studio headphones.
  • Up to 8 hours of claimed battery and passive isolation suit calls and podcasts.
  • Collar-mounted controls are easy to operate, and the buds stay stable for running.
  • The built-in microphone handles calls and the voice assistant.

Weaknesses

  • Battery degradation is the dominant failure signal: owners report less charge after about 18 months and a dead unit between 2 and 3 years.
  • The product is discontinued and absent from Skullcandy’s current US support catalog, so warranty paths are limited.
  • Charging is micro USB, not USB-C, and there is no active noise cancellation.
  • No water or sweat resistance rating is documented for the standard model.
  • The battery is not owner-replaceable, and some owners report pairs lasting only 3-5 months under heavy use.
  • The 2016 predecessor drew complaints about thin cords, no magnetized buds and a collar design that is not for everyone.

Verified specifications

ModelSkullcandy Ink’d+ Wireless, model S2IQW; FCC ID Y22-S2IQW.
Designin-ear Bluetooth earphones on a flexible neckband/collar.
Driver10 mm dynamic.
Batterymanufacturer claims up to 8 hours; no independent measurement exists for this model.
Weight24 g per the manufacturer family page; the S2IQW user guide states 23.5 g.
Noise isolationpassive, from the ear-tip seal; no active noise cancellation.
Microphoneyes, for calls and voice assistant; pinhole mic on the collar remote.
Bluetooth5.0.
Chargingmicro USB, not USB-C.
Impedance and THD16 ohms, THD under 3% at 1 kHz.
Colorsblack, blue, red and white/gray.
Warrantyone year limited, per Skullcandy’s general statement.
Full research notes and sources

Sound and fit

No major outlet has tested this exact model. PCMag praised the 2016 first-generation Ink’d Wireless for strong bass that does not distort at maximum volume, but criticised its bass-heavy, inaccurate tuning and polarizing collar design. CNET found decent clarity in treble and midrange, good call quality and battery life that suited the price. A 2020 BikeMag test of the Ink’d+ Active sibling called the audio “simply adequate” and said the buds “aren’t aimed at audiophiles”.

Treat those as family evidence, not measurements of the S2IQW. On fit, BikeMag described wearing the Ink’d+ Active as “the headphone equivalent of a cell-phone holster”, and owners in r/gadgets called the collar “great for running and other fitness activities”.

Battery life and ownership cost

The manufacturer claim of up to 8 hours is at an unspecified volume, and nobody has published a measurement of this model. Owner threads are consistent where it matters: after about 18 months the batteries hold significantly less charge, and between 2 and 3 years Bluetooth headphones of this type stop working when the battery dies. Some owners report pairs lasting 3-5 months under heavy use, while another used the line from 2015 across four pairs.

There is no subscription ecosystem and no proprietary consumable; the only recurring cost is replacement ear tips. Historical anchors: the prior-generation Ink’d Wireless carried an MSRP of $49.99 in 2016, and the Ink’d+ Active was tested at a $60 price in 2020.

Repairs, warranty and support

No exact-model reliability data exists. The general Skullcandy warranty statement is a 1-year limited warranty, and the product is discontinued, which limits official support. No user-serviceable parts channel is documented, and the battery is not owner-replaceable in practice. Owners in r/Skullcandy report an Ink’d+ Active that would not connect or turn off until a button-combo reset. Nobody has published a failure rate for the battery or collar cable.

Is it worth it?

At $30 or less it is a defensible budget collar earphone for calls, podcasts and casual bass-forward listening, with the caveat that battery health on old stock is unknown and there is no warranty support. Between $30 and $50 the value is marginal: the product is discontinued, untested by any major outlet, uses micro USB, and newer budget alternatives offer more features. Above $50 it is not defensible for a new-old-stock unit with an aging battery and no manufacturer support.

Which model this is

This page covers the Skullcandy Ink’d+ Wireless, model S2IQW, confirmed by Skullcandy’s EU declaration of conformities and FCC records. Don’t confuse it with the wired Ink’d+ (S2IMY), the sporty Ink’d+ Active (S2MHW), or the current true-wireless Ink’d models, which share only the name.

The Amazon listing for the red variant is ASIN B07QZPDR7G.

Sources

Manufacturer:

Independent reviews:

Owner reports:

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