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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-27 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
• Skullcandy Smokin Buds 360, biggest strength: up to 20 hours of total battery (7 in the buds, 13 in the case) plus Rapid Charge, which gives you 1.75 hours of listening from a 10-minute charge.
• Skullcandy Smokin Buds 360, biggest trade-off: it's a wireless Bluetooth 5.3 earbud with sound isolation rather than active noise cancellation, and the buds themselves run 7 hours before they need the case.
• AreMe 90, biggest strength: a 2-in-1 right-angle USB-C adapter that lets you plug in 3.5mm headphones and charge at the same time, with up to 60W power delivery (20V/3A).
• AreMe 90, biggest trade-off: it's a passive dongle, not a listening device — you still need your own wired headphones and a USB-C host device to use it.
• Who the Skullcandy pick is for: commuters, students and gym-goers who want cable-free listening with a fast-charge safety net.
• Who the AreMe pick is for: anyone with wired headphones and a USB-C phone who wants to charge and listen through one port.
The Smokin Buds 360 is a straightforward true-wireless earbud built around convenience. The headline number is the battery: up to 20 hours combined, split as 7 hours in the earbuds and 13 more in the charging case. A full charge of the earbuds takes about an hour, but the Rapid Charge feature is what makes it forgiving — a 10-minute top-up buys you roughly 1.75 hours of playback. That's the kind of thing that matters when you realize your buds are dead five minutes before a commute or a lecture.
The fit story is also sensible. You get three ear gel sizes (S, M, L) and a bud-style, in-ear shape, which is how Skullcandy gets its noise-isolating effect — it's passive isolation from a sealed fit, not active noise cancellation. The IPX4 rating means sweat and light water exposure are fine, so workouts and drizzly walks aren't a problem. Bluetooth 5.3 handles the connection, multipoint pairing lets you stay linked to two devices at once, and touch controls cover playback without reaching for your phone.
Buy it if you want wireless freedom, a case that keeps the buds topped up, and a quick-charge feature that rescues you from low-battery moments. Skip it if you specifically need active noise cancellation, or if you'd rather use your existing wired headphones — this is a closed wireless system, not an adapter.
The AreMe 90 solves a completely different problem. Modern USB-C phones often drop the 3.5mm jack, which strands anyone who still likes wired headphones. This adapter puts that jack back — and, crucially, lets you charge at the same time. It's a 2-in-1 design with a 90-degree right-angle bend, so the cable sits flush against the phone instead of jutting straight out, which is friendlier in a pocket or when you're holding the phone in landscape.
The charging side is genuinely fast: up to 60W power delivery at 20V/3A. On the audio side, AreMe uses a highly integrated DAC decoding chip for Hi-Fi decoding, which matters because digital USB-C audio needs a converter to produce an analog signal for wired headphones. The company describes the conversion as stable and noise-free, with clearer voice calls. It's plug-and-play — no drivers or software — and it's built from an aluminum shell with a high-density nylon cable, in a grey metallic finish. Compatibility covers most USB-C phones, including recent iPhone models, iPads, Galaxy S and Note series, LG and Google Pixel devices.
Buy it if you have wired headphones you love and a USB-C phone, and you're tired of choosing between listening and charging. Skip it if you want wireless earbuds — this adapter adds no speakers of its own.
• Best for total battery life → Skullcandy Smokin Buds 360. Up to 20 hours combined (7 + 13) beats anything a passive adapter can offer, since the adapter has no battery at all.
• Best for a quick top-up → Skullcandy Smokin Buds 360. Rapid Charge delivers about 1.75 hours of playback from a 10-minute charge.
• Best for charging speed on your phone → AreMe 90. Up to 60W power delivery (20V/3A) is a genuine fast-charge path for a USB-C device.
• Best for wired headphone fans → AreMe 90. It restores the 3.5mm jack that many USB-C phones removed.
• Best for workouts and weather → Skullcandy Smokin Buds 360. The IPX4 sweat and water resistance rating is built for movement.
• Best for listening while charging → AreMe 90. That simultaneous audio-and-power use is the whole point of the 2-in-1 design.
• Best for pairing flexibility → Skullcandy Smokin Buds 360. Multipoint pairing keeps two devices connected at once.
• Best for portability → AreMe 90. An ultra-thin, compact adapter with a right-angle plug takes up far less space than a charging case.
In my opinion, the Skullcandy Smokin Buds 360 is the pick for most people shopping for fast-charge headphones, because the Rapid Charge feature and the 20-hour case-backed battery directly serve the "I need to listen now" moment. The AreMe 90 is excellent at what it does, but it's a different category of product — an accessory for wired listeners, not a headphone. If you already own wired headphones and just need to charge and listen through one USB-C port, I'd take the AreMe 90 without hesitation. Everyone else should take the Skullcandy.
FAQ
Not inherently. With the Skullcandy Smokin Buds 360, Rapid Charge is a built-in feature from the manufacturer — a 10-minute charge yields about 1.75 hours of listening, and a full charge takes roughly an hour. The AreMe 90's 60W delivery is a power standard for charging your phone, not a headphone battery.
For the Skullcandy Smokin Buds 360, you charge the earbuds and rely on the bundled charging case to extend total playtime to about 20 hours. For wired headphones on a USB-C phone, the AreMe 90 lets you plug the 3.5mm jack in and charge simultaneously through the same adapter.
No. The Smokin Buds 360 is a fully wireless Bluetooth 5.3 earbud with its own charging case and touch controls, so it doesn't need a USB-C audio adapter. The AreMe 90 is for people using their own wired headphones on a USB-C device.
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