If you want compact, in-ear wireless earbuds with adaptive noise control for gym sessions, choose OnePlus Buds 4; if you need over-ear headphones with longer stated battery life and adjustable noise cancellation, choose Skullcandy Hesh 540.
The real distinction is how you want headphones to fit into your day: the Buds 4 keep the listening setup small, while the Hesh 540 offer an over-ear design, a wired option and substantially longer stated battery life.
OnePlus Buds 4 vs Skullcandy Hesh 540 at a Glance
• Skullcandy Hesh 540: Over-ear headphones with adjustable four-microphone ANC, app-based sound options and up to 65 hours of battery life with ANC off; the trade-off is their larger, over-ear form.
• Choose the Buds 4 if you want small earbuds for commuting, everyday listening or gym use.
• Choose the Hesh 540 if long listening stretches, over-ear coverage, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack matter more.
• Both offer active noise cancellation, but their fit, controls and listening features take different approaches.
The OnePlus Buds 4 are true wireless, in-ear earbuds with 11 mm dynamic drivers, Bluetooth 5.4 and active noise cancellation. Their small earbud format is the obvious draw for someone who does not want a headband around their head during a commute or workout. Touch controls keep playback and other interactions on the earbuds rather than requiring a button press on an over-ear cup.
ANC is the main feature for dialing down surrounding noise. The Buds 4 also include an Adaptive Mode that switches between ANC and Transparency Modes. That gives the listening setup more than one response to the environment: noise reduction when you want to focus, and a mode intended to let more of the surroundings through when that is more useful. The sheet does not specify how much sound either mode blocks or passes, so I would treat them as useful options rather than assume they make a particular setting silent or fully audible.
For music, the listed 11 mm drivers and LHDC 5.0 support point to a feature set aimed at detailed listening, while Bluetooth 5.4 provides the wireless connection. Those details may appeal to someone choosing earbuds for both calls and media, but they do not establish how any specific track will sound. The included charging case connects by USB-C, and the listed battery average life is 530 minutes. That is a more limited listening window than the Hesh 540’s stated maximum, so frequent, long sessions may call for more attention to charging.
How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
For gym use, I would favor the Buds 4 over a full-size headset because the in-ear design is compact and there is no headband to manage. The product information describes an in-ear shape intended for a secure fit, but gives no water-resistance or sweat-resistance rating. That matters: I would not assume these are certified sweatproof bone conduction headphones for gym use, because they are neither described as bone-conduction headphones nor given a sweatproof rating. They are conventional in-ear earbuds with ANC.
The Buds 4 make sense if you want wireless earbuds with ANC, adaptive listening modes and a case that supports USB-C charging. Their compact format is also the more natural starting point for anyone searching for rechargeable open ear headphones for gym, but these are not open-ear earbuds: their listed design is in-ear.
Who should skip them: Skip the Buds 4 if you need a 3.5 mm jack, over-ear coverage or the longer stated battery life of the Hesh 540.
The Skullcandy Hesh 540 are Bluetooth over-ear headphones with ANC and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Their larger ear-covering design suits a different kind of listener from the Buds 4: someone who prefers headphones around the ears and expects longer stretches of listening at a desk, on a trip or at home. The listed design is flat-folding and collapsible, which is relevant if you want a pair that can be folded for storage.
Battery life is a clear strength on paper. Skullcandy states up to 65 hours with ANC off and 50 hours with ANC on. The rapid-charge feature is listed as providing four hours of listening from a 10-minute charge. Those figures give the Hesh 540 more room for extended use between charges than the Buds 4’s listed 530-minute battery average life. They are manufacturer-stated figures, not a promise that every listening pattern will produce the same result.
For reducing outside noise, the Hesh 540 use adjustable four-microphone ANC. The headphones also offer Stay-Aware and Sidetone settings through the Skullcandy app, along with Personalized Sound by Mimi and THX Spatial Audio. The best reason to choose these features is that you want the option to tailor your listening rather than simply switch the headphones on.
Wear detection is another useful convenience: audio is designed to pause when you take the headphones off and resume when you put them back on. The physical controls are described as button-based, unlike the Buds 4’s touch controls. The 3.5 mm jack is also a meaningful point of difference if you want the option of a wired connection, although the included-media list names a cable without specifying its type or use. Bluetooth is listed as version 5.3.
For gym use, an over-ear set may suit someone who prefers that fit, but it is a less compact choice than in-ear earbuds. They are also not bone-conduction headphones. If your search is specifically for ear clip headphones for gym, this is not that design either: the Hesh 540 have an over-ear fit.
Who should skip them: Skip the Hesh 540 if you want earbuds that take up little space or specifically need an open-ear, ear-clip or bone-conduction design.
• Best for a compact in-ear format → OnePlus Buds 4. They are true wireless earbuds rather than a folding over-ear headset.
• Best for longer stated battery life → Skullcandy Hesh 540. They are listed for up to 65 hours with ANC off and 50 hours with ANC on; the Buds 4 list a battery average life of 530 minutes.
• Best for gym use if you prefer earbuds → OnePlus Buds 4. Their in-ear form is the more compact choice, though no sweat-resistance rating is provided.
• Best if you want a 3.5 mm jack → Skullcandy Hesh 540. The Buds 4 have no headphone jack.
• Best for adaptive ANC and Transparency modes → OnePlus Buds 4. Their listed Adaptive Mode switches between those listening modes.
• Best for app-based sound options and wear detection → Skullcandy Hesh 540. Their listed options include THX Spatial Audio, Personalized Sound by Mimi and automatic pausing and resuming when you remove or put on the headphones.
• Best for touch controls → OnePlus Buds 4. The Hesh 540 use button-based controls.
• Best if fit is your deciding factor → Pick the style you prefer. The Buds 4 sit in the ears; the Hesh 540 cover the ears. Neither sheet establishes that one fit will work better for every listener.
In my opinion, I would choose the OnePlus Buds 4 for gym sessions and everyday portability, because their in-ear format keeps the setup compact while still offering ANC and an adaptive mode.
I would choose the Skullcandy Hesh 540 instead for long listening days, particularly if I wanted an over-ear fit, a headphone jack and far more stated battery life.
For gym use, the Buds 4 are my pick between these two, but I would not interpret their design as proof of sweat resistance.
The better choice is the one whose fit and listening habits match your routine.
Before deciding, think about where you will wear the headphones most often. The Buds 4 are the smaller, true wireless option, while the Hesh 540 use an over-ear fit and fold for storage. If you expect to carry headphones in a pocket or a small bag, the earbuds have a practical form-factor advantage. If you prefer a headset that sits around your ears, the Skullcandy design may feel like the more natural category to consider.
Also consider what “noise control” means for you. Both products have ANC, but the Buds 4 add an Adaptive Mode that switches between ANC and Transparency Modes. The Hesh 540 specify adjustable four-microphone ANC and app options including Stay-Aware and Sidetone. Those are different feature sets, not a direct measure of which headphones will block more noise in every environment.
Finally, be precise about workout requirements. Neither data sheet supplies a sweat-resistance rating. If sweat protection is essential, do not infer it from either the in-ear or over-ear design. And if you are looking specifically for open-ear, ear-clip or bone-conduction headphones, neither product matches those descriptions: the Buds 4 are in-ear earbuds, and the Hesh 540 are over-ear headphones.
FAQ
The Hesh 540 are listed for up to 65 hours with ANC off and 50 hours with ANC on. The Buds 4 list a 530-minute average battery life, so the Skullcandy figures point to longer use between charges.
Neither product sheet provides a sweat-resistance rating. The Buds 4 are in-ear earbuds and the Hesh 540 are over-ear headphones, but those designs alone do not establish protection from sweat.
No. The Buds 4 are Bluetooth true wireless earbuds and the listed headphone-jack field says no jack. The Skullcandy Hesh 540 include a 3.5 mm jack.
If you prefer a compact in-ear fit, the Buds 4 are the more direct match; if you prefer over-ear coverage, consider the Hesh 540. Neither product is described as an ear-clip or bone-conduction design, and neither has a listed sweat-resistance rating.
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