Haptic Bass Meets Whisper-Quiet ANC

Skullcandy has spent years carving out its personal area of interest within the headphone market. Whereas manufacturers like Sony, Bose and Sennheiser had been combating over which had the most effective sound high quality and noise cancellation, Skullcandy leaned into its repute on one factor above all else: bass. The Crusher line, with its signature haptic bass system, has all the time been unapologetically excessive and entrance and heart for the model.

However instances change, and there are hints that the corporate needs to develop out of that area of interest. The brand new flagship Crusher 1080 headphones include audio credentials borrowed from Bose. Particularly, they carry Bose’s QuietControl lively noise cancellation (ANC), TrueSpatial directional audio and WaveForm tuning. This is not the primary Skullcandy headphone to be part of the Bose Sound program, nevertheless it’s the primary with such deep integration.

At round $270, although, Skullcandy is getting into a fiercely aggressive phase the place Sony, Bose and Sennheiser have already got pricier, well-established favorites. Meaning the Crusher 1080 needs to be extra than simply enjoyable — it needs to be genuinely good. Fortunately, for essentially the most half, it’s.

On paper, the Crusher 1080 checks nearly each flagship field. There’s the aforementioned ANC together with put on detection, a claimed 60 hours of battery life, quick charging, multipoint Bluetooth, Auracast and an EQ with customizable controls through an app. The over-ear design is paying homage to older Crusher fashions, with a reassuring, however hefty construct and an understated aesthetic that feels a bit 2010’s in a non-intentional manner. There are some good metallic accents within the headband which make it really feel premium, however total it is a bigger, extra sturdy headset in comparison with the sculpted strains of present Sony or Bose fashions.

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Skullcandy hasn’t actually ventured into the realm of gesture and contact controls, and so they stay absent right here. The bodily buttons are all fairly giant which usually makes them simple to find. The most important is the devoted haptic bass dial, which is so giant it is a part of the aesthetic. Nestled beside that could be a swap for toggling between ANC and transparency mode. This pressable swap additionally cycles by way of listening presets (Music, Podcast, Film and Customized). These two controls are shut sufficient to one another that I typically unintentionally deactivate ANC after I need to alter the haptic bass. The proper-hand facet has a mini joystick type management for quantity and media, plus a button for energy/pairing. The Crusher 1080 additionally helps common 3.5mm and USB-C wired connections.

With 50 hours of battery with ANC lively or 60 with out, the Crusher 1080 is already fairly longevous. I nonetheless recognize the fast-charging characteristic as fast top-ups can present sufficient juice for a protracted commute or cafe work session on the events you forgot to plug them in.

The standout characteristic on the Crusher 1080 is now not the haptic bass, though that, too, has been given a makeover. This focus right here is on the Bose-powered audio. Skullcandy already dabbled with Bose Sound on the Method wireless buds, however that was extra of a normal tuning. With the Crusher 1080, Bose’s fingerprints are all around the audio, from the principle WaveForm audio engine to the TrueSpatial dimensional characteristic and, in fact, the Bose-powered ANC.

The result’s a transparent sonic improve. I exploit a pair of Crusher 540’s as my gymnasium headphones, so I am aware of the Skullcandy sound. The Crusher 1080’s are fairly a departure, with a way more well-rounded, open/balanced sound stage. The 540’s really feel dense and flat by comparability, even with the beefy bass.

I spent an unreasonable period of time swapping between the Crusher 1080’s and the Sennheiser HDB 630’s, listening to The Streets’ Unique Pirate Materials hoping that the combos of sharp snares and gritty basslines would expose the variations between the 2 headphones. And variations there are, however not practically as a lot as I used to be anticipating. On the whole, the HDB 630 stays extra spacious and impartial. The Crusher’s sound feels elevated within the higher mid-ranges.

With out the haptic characteristic enabled, the low-end on the 1080 virtually feels modest — current however managed. The general sound continues to be greater vitality than the pricier Sennheiser HDB 630, nevertheless it feels a lot nearer to what you’d count on from a premium pair of wi-fi headphones.

Whereas I might say the Sennheiser nonetheless has the superior sound over all, the Bose-tuned Skullcandy two traits I favor. One is the presence of these higher mids: Percussion, hi-hats and different sounds on this vary are extra ahead on the Crusher’s tuning. The opposite benefit is simply that the Skullcandy headphones supply extra quantity, making them higher fitted to older music that is not mastered so loud.

Maybe the largest enchancment over earlier Skullcandy headphones is the Energetic Noise Cancellation. That is leagues forward of earlier Skullcandy efforts and, in my very own testing, even outperformed the Sennheiser HDB 630 and Soundcore House One Professional — two headphones that sit both facet of the Crusher in worth. Fixed background noise is dealt with impressively nicely, making commuting or working in busy environments way more nice.

It is nonetheless not fairly on the stage of Bose’s class-leading ANC by itself headphones, and Sony stays one of many benchmarks within the class, however the hole is now a lot smaller than I anticipated. For the primary time, Skullcandy deserves to be taken critically on this space. Transparency mode is equally strong, sounding pure sufficient for fast conversations while not having to take away the headphones.

What would a pair of Skullcandy headphones be, although, with out Crusher Bass? This characteristic is as iconic as it’s divisive. Personally, I get pleasure from it on the proper moments. There is a cause why I put on Crushers within the gymnasium, and typically bangers simply slap just a little bit extra when you’ll be able to really feel them. However older Crusher fashions received comically excessive when the haptic impact was dialed up an excessive amount of.

On the 1080, the impact has been rebooted, and it is for the higher. It is nonetheless the identical haptic bass, however when utilized in moderation it genuinely feels just like the motion is a part of the bass, moderately than a mechanical trick. Certain, when you drive all of it the best way up, issues will get rumbly, nevertheless it’s nonetheless loads of enjoyable, and you do not ever have to make use of it when you do not need to.

That is the place issues grow to be extra difficult. At $270, the Crusher 1080 is in a clumsy spot. Skullcandy has priced them round $100 cheaper than the likes of Sony’s WH-1000XM6, Bose’s personal QuietComfort lineup and the Sennheiser Momentum 5. However in case you are okay with a Momentum 4, or an XM5, instantly the Crushers look dearer. Even Anker’s Soundcore House One Professional — a similarly-specc’d mid-range favourite — are coppable for $100 lower than the Crusher’s asking worth if you do not need the bass characteristic and ANC is much less necessary.

The query would possibly actually be, are these a extra inexpensive entry level to Bose-level audio? Bose nonetheless has the sting in ANC and a stronger all-round audio expertise in a extra premium package deal. However the Crusher 1080 occupies a class virtually totally by itself: a succesful sound, sturdy ANC and, in fact, that distinctive strategy to bass. This makes it far simpler to suggest than earlier generations.

The Crusher 1080 is essentially the most full and mature pair of Skullcandy headphones I’ve used. Quite than relying solely on its bass credentials, it lastly delivers the basics anticipated from a premium wi-fi headphone: satisfying sound, succesful ANC, good battery life and a characteristic set that feels related in 2026.

It isn’t good. The design nonetheless lacks a number of the polish of its greatest rivals, the controls may very well be higher laid out and the burden turns into noticeable throughout longer listening periods. However when you’ve ever been curious concerning the Crusher idea and dismissed earlier fashions as novelty headphones, that is the one which modifications all of that.