Design and features:This Bluetooth wireless portable ear-insert model provides very good sound. Although it lacks active noise reduction, the ear plug-like design helps to reduce both outside noise and sound leaking out into your environment. The Rail XT has a volume control plus an integrated microphone and player function controls. Additional features include - Either earpiece can be used alone for one ear monitoring of Bluetooth streamed audio and telephone communications. Charging/carrying case has built-in rechargeable battery that the manufacturer claims can be used to recharge the earphone batteries for an additional 33 hrs. of listening time for a total of 42 hrs. Manufacturer claims water resistance of (IP55). Has touch controls with play/pause, next track, call connect/disconnect, and ambient sound monitoring on/off default settings; controls can be customized to provide volume up/down, previous track, enable Spotify Tap, and activate the paired mobile device's digital assistant. Supports Skullcandy iQ voice control commands when Skull-iQ app is installed and running on paired mobile device. Supports compatible digital voice assistants when used with Bluetooth devices that have those capabilities and that, if needed, have the appropriate apps installed. Supports multi-point connection for two Bluetooth devices. Has power on/off, low power, and Bluetooth pairing voice announcements. The free Skull-iQ app download for Apple and Android mobile devices can be used to show earphone battery level, create personalized sound profiles, adjust earphone tonal balance, enable/disable ambient sound monitoring, customize touch control functions, enable/disable Spotify Tap, update the earphone firmware, provide user guides and customer support, and more. Has built in Tile tracker feature; once they are registered with Tile if the earpieces are lost they can be located via the free Tile app download for Apple and Android mobile devices. Bluetooth connected Apple mobile devices using iOS Version 5 and above will show the battery level. The Rail XT comes with 3 pairs of ear pieces in various sizes, USB-A to USB-C connector charging cable, charging cradle/recharger battery/carrying case, user guide.
Sound quality:We found the Rail XT delivers sound quality that falls in the very good range - it reproduces music and voice very well although it does have some noticeable sonic quirks. With the Skull-IQ app equalizer set to Music (as the received state of the headphone) the bass has good impact and goes deep, but is somewhat prominent and boomy. Midrange is a bit hazy, grainy and congested, and the upper midrange is a bit prominent. Treble is extended but is somewhat prominent and sizzly, and a bit smeared. The sound also has a good sense of liveliness and is somewhat open--sound-wise it almost seems like you don't have anything plugging up your ears and it does a decent job of recovering room ambience. Mixed character - warmish bass coolish midrange and cool treble. The overall sound can best be summarized as somewhat bassy, a bit hazy and grainy and somewhat sizzly. The app tone controls had a noticeable effect on the sound.
Comfort and Fit:We found that as typical of in-ear models they produce a sense of pressure in the ear canal opening that might be uncomfortable for some.
Small
Users with small ear bowls might find that the earphone body feels a bit bulky in their ear bowl and that they stick out too far and feel like they may lever out of place, but that they will stay in place during casual use and are stable during fairly vigorous head movement.
Medium/Large
Users with medium and large sized ear bowls will probably find that this model stays in place with no problems for casual use and that they are stable during vigorous head movement.
Incidental contact with the touch controls can cause unintentional playing and pausing.
Hitting the stem that hangs out of the ear can knock an earphone loose and cause it to fall out of the ear.
