Best daily deals

All products featured are independently chosen by us. However, SoundGuys may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links. See our ethics statement.

The Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT sits in a shallow creek, still functioning.
Christian Thomas / SoundGuys

Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT review

Inexpensive speaker with basic features is not always a bad thing.
By

Published onOctober 4, 2023

Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT
The bottom line
The Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT is a pretty sure bet if you're looking for a cheap Bluetooth speaker that will survive casual abuse or water splashes. However, if you want something that either sounds better or has more to offer you're going to be looking at spending quite a bit more than its $40 pricetag.

Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT

The Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT is a pretty sure bet if you're looking for a cheap Bluetooth speaker that will survive casual abuse or water splashes. However, if you want something that either sounds better or has more to offer you're going to be looking at spending quite a bit more than its $40 pricetag.
Product release date
2023
Price
$39.99
Dimensions
89 x 89 x 105mm
Weight
631g
Model Number
2SKSK1846M0L2
Waterproof
IPX7
What we like
IPX7 Waterproofing
Price
Simple controls
What we don't like
Sound quality
Design

Skullcandy is most known for making headphones and earbuds on the more affordable end of things. But the Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT represents a bit of a departure, as it’s a ruggedized Bluetooth speaker. Is it any good? Let’s take a listen.

About this Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT review: I tested the Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT over a period of seven days. It was running stock firmware, and the Skullcandy app did not support the device. The company provided the unit for this review. Also, there is some inconsistency in online retailers' description of the Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT, sometimes calling it the Skullcandy Terrain Mini.

What you need to know about the Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT

The Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT sitting atop a cedar table
Christian Thomas / SoundGuys
The contents of the package are as spartan as it gets: a USB cable and your speaker.

Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT: $39.99 USD / $54.99CAD /£34.99 / €39.99

The Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT is an inexpensive Bluetooth speaker with a very chunky, water-resistant design. It’s meant to appeal to those on a budget, and are looking for a Bluetooth speaker to be used outdoors. As it is Skullcandy’s cheapest, smallest speaker: don’t be surprised that there isn’t much in the way of extra features. For those looking to fit their aesthetic, the Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT comes in either black, Blue Blaze, Light Grey, or Astro Dust (reddish salmon) colorways.

For charging, it uses an uncovered USB-C port, and an LED array to show battery levels. Additionally, the speaker uses the Bluetooth-mandated common codec SBC, so there’s no higher-bitrate audio available. This speaker was built to be a pure entry-level option, with no complications.

What I like about the Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT

Probably the best thing about the Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT is that you’re getting exactly what is advertised on the box: a cheap, water-resistant speaker that is fairly light for what it is. That means there are no bells and whistles or hidden extras you need to worry about. What you see is what you get. In this light, it’s no surprise that the speaker works like any other entry-level portable. You will have to pair it to your phone or other source device manually, but for those not completely spoiled by fast pair, this won’t be a hindrance, just something you deal with if the speaker doesn’t pair automatically upon powering on.

The Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT sitting atop concrete, with controls showing.
Christian Thomas / SoundGuys
Controls are basic, but that’s not a bad thing.

Controlling the Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT is accomplished through the chunky buttons on the top and rear of the unit. These include play/pause, volume up/down, power, and pairing. If you often run out of battery with your portable speakers, a battery indicator LED array on the back can be toggled by either plugging your speaker in or hitting a button on the unit. There aren’t really many surprises — good or bad — with the Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT. It’s just a speaker that plays audio, and sometimes that’s all you really need.

The sound quality isn’t amazing, but the speaker will work with just about anything with Bluetooth owing to its straightforward implementation of Bluetooth 5.3. There’s no 3.5mm port, but since it’s much easier to protect a speaker with as few compromises to the seal as possible, the lack of an aux port is more of a feature than a bug.

If you’re hoping for using multiple speakers in an array, the Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT supports Skullcandy’s Multi-Link feature by using some strange inputs. Connect your first speaker to your phone, and make sure your other speaker is disconnected from any source (and powered on). Then tap the power button three times on both speakers. The blue LED indicates the right channel, and the amber LED indicates the left. It’s a neat feature, but it does mean you’re committed to buying two of these if you want it.

What I don’t like about the Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT

Of course, what makes the Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT straightforward and uncomplicated is also what gets in the way of a better time with the Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT. Though nobody really buys a sub-$50 wireless speaker with any realistic hope of high-end features like voice assistants or lights, the lack of features is still something that you should be aware of.

The Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT sits atop a picnic table.
Christian Thomas / SoundGuys
No wired listening means no headphone jack.

For example, at the time of publishing, the Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT is currently incompatible with the Skullcandy app. That means no firmware updates, extra features, or software enhancements. What you see is what you get.

Additionally, though there is a rating for water ingress protection, there is no rating for dust or other foreign object damage. Is your speaker fine to take to the beach? What about a construction site? There’s no way to know how much it can handle without flying blind. Try not to get sand on it, as it’s unclear how this will affect the speaker. We will say that the USB-C port is unprotected from foreign objects, and that is likely the main point of failure long-term.

Finally, new users of the Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT may get a little confused about which way is “forward.” It may seem like a nitpicky gripe, but it is important that you get this right, as speakers can’t just have their driver firing into the ground. The back of the speaker is the panel with the LEDs and buttons on it, and the top of the speaker is the playback controls. As long as the playback controls are on the top you should be golden, but there’s no other visual cue.

Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT specs

PRODUCT NAME
Size
105 x 89 x 89 mm
Weight
362g
IP certification
IPX7
Wired audio connection
No
Wireless audio connection
Bluetooth 5.3
Controls
Button
Battery life
14 hours
Fast charging
Not listed
Connector
USB-C
Price
$39.99 USD / $54.99CAD /£34.99 / €39.99

Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT review: Should you buy it?

The Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT sits atop chalky concrete.
Christian Thomas / SoundGuys
The Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT is nothing more than a simple Bluetooth speaker, but that might be what you’re looking for.

If you’re looking for an inexpensive, tough speaker, you could do a lot worse than the Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT. However, other options on the market offer a bit of a step up for those looking for more in the sound quality department. For example, the Sony SRS-XB100 ($58 at Amazon) may cost about $20 more at MSRP, but it’s also got better sound quality, ingress protection rating against dust, and battery life. But if you’re hard up for cash, $20 is a lot more than it sounds. Sometimes you just need something that works for the least money possible.

To the Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT’s credit, if you already have Skullcandy speakers, it can be used in conjunction with them as a satellite with the Multi-Link feature. However, without firmware updates or other software compatibility, that’s the end of the list regarding compelling features. This is simply a basic, mostly waterproof speaker that should last you through some casual abuse.

If you're looking for an inexpensive, tough speaker, you could do a lot worse than the Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT.

I’d recommend the Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT mainly to those who need to save money and aren’t looking to buy anything fancy. Cheap Bluetooth speakers are a dime a dozen nowadays, and there’s such a variety in the waterproof portable segment that you would probably be better served with something that is a little more portable, given the fact that this speaker’s main selling point is its water resistance. If I were to suggest an alternative, I would pick the JBL Clip 4 ($59 at Amazon) over the Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT because of its sound quality, much better portability, and similar durability. The ability to clip the speaker to various things is also a bigger plus than it sounds like, as that means it really can go just about anywhere — while the Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT is quite clunky in comparison.

Skullcandy Terrain Mini
Skullcandy Terrain Mini
Skullcandy Terrain Mini
Good battery life • Loud • Good price
MSRP: $39.99
Compact and outdoor-friendly Bluetooth speaker
The Skullcandy Terrain Mini is a resilient little Bluetooth speaker. With up to 14 hours of play time, and USB Type-C charging port, this light-weight speaker is great for folks on the go.

Frequently asked questions about the Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT

Sort of. The Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT bears an ingress protection rating of IPX7, which means it can stay underwater for a maximum of 30 minutes. However, that may change over time as rubber gaskets, adhesives, and plastics warp and change from age.

No, the Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT does not have a microphone.

No, the Skullcandy Terrain Mini XT is not compatible with the Skullcandy app.

You might like