Skullcandy Crusher ANC Review 2022 | Best in Class

Why choose Skullcandy?

Skullcandy crusher ANC wireless headphone is the latest headphone from Skullcandy in the market of top-end and most expensive headphones.

There is no doubt that there is a wide variety of headphones available. I had heard about Skullcandy previously, but I didn’t really follow it. Sincere to say, I thought of them more as earbuds than as full over-ear headphones. To review their most recent pair of headphones, their PR firm got in touch.

In light of this, our review of the Skullcandy Crusher ANC examines the brand’s newest wireless headphones, which feature active noise cancellation, tactile Sensory Bass, Personal Sound, and Tile tracking compatibility.

Specifications

The Skullcandy Crusher ANC headphone has the following specifications.

• Adjustable sensory bass
• Digital Active noise cancellation
• Personal sound with the Skullcandy app
• Up to 24 hours of battery life with rapid charge
• Built-in tile® tracker
• Bluetooth® Technology

Headphone type	Bluetooth® Over-Ear
Connection Type	Bluetooth® 5.0
Impedance	32 Ohms ±15%
Driver Diameter	40mm
THD	<1%@1K
Sound Pressure Level	105 dB @ 1 kHz
Frequency Response	20Hz – 20KHz
Weight	308.66g

What’s in the Box

• Skullcandy Crusher ANC Headphones
• USB-C Charging Cable
• AUX Cable
• Users Guide
• 2Years Warranty Guide
• Travel Case

Price Release

• Price at the time of reviewing: $319
• Release date: 19/Sep/2019

Retailing at $319, the Skullcandy Crusher ANC headphones are rather typical for a pair of high-end active noise-cancelling headphones like these. If you’re really looking for Skullcandy, the Venue has ANC technology and costs $178.99.

The Bose QuietComfort 35 II and the Sony WH-1000XM3, two of the best wireless ANC headphones available, are better options if you have this kind of money to spend. If you don’t mind on-ear headphones, the Beats Solo Pro offers an alternative at a slightly higher cost of $243.49.

See also Skullcandy Crusher 2014

Skullcandy Crusher ANC: Battery

According to Skullcandy, a single charge can allow for up to 24 hours of playback. Usually, optimum conditions and lower playback volume levels are used to present such results. However, I discovered that the Crushers provided 22.25 hours of listening time at half volume on a single charge. The fact that the battery life was nearly as long as the manufacturer had predicted astonished me greatly.

Microphone\Call Quality

In terms of call quality, calls made using the Crusher ANC were passable, with high reviews for the microphone. The other side was able to hear me fairly well during our test call without needing to speak up. Even though I had the TV on at the time, they didn’t mention much of the background noise either.

Sound Quality

The Skullcandy Crusher ANC’s sound is decent but not outstanding overall. They fall short of other premium noise-cancelling headphones in their price range in terms of finesse and fidelity. However, you can use the customised audio profile feature of the Skullcandy app to slightly adjust them to match your unique audio preferences.

The Skullcandy app plays several tones through the Skullcandy Crusher ANC to let you customise your particular audio profile. You can choose the ear tones you hear when listening by selecting them on the app’s screen. The app will adjust sound output to that range based on what it deems is best for your hearing.

However, I thought its sonic profile was way too loud and trebly for me. I felt as though I was being inundated with an excessive amount of high frequencies, even with the bass slider turned up. The sound quality was significantly more pleasant when my customised audio profile was disabled, however, it lacked the finesse of other high-end headphones in the same price range.

See also Skullcandy Crusher 2014

Skullcandy Crusher ANC: Design

• Large earcups and comfy padding (used for an extended period of time).
• Physical buttons for controlling volume and playback.
• USB Type-C port for charging.
• 3.5mm jack for wires use.

Skullcandy Crusher ANC and the Skullcandy Crusher wireless headphones share a similar aesthetic. Skullcandy items typically have too many positive attributes thanks to their unusual colours and shapes. In this sense, The Skullcandy Crusher ANC made an effort to imitate its main competitors. The headphones are available in a variety of colours, but the Maroon ones stand out the most.

Although they are large, the headphones are generally comfy. These headphones are over-the-ear in design and fit as intended. The earcups are large and ought to readily accommodate the majority of users. Both the headband and the cups offer a good deal of padding. We had no issue using the headphones for extended periods of time during our testing. The folding of the headsets makes them quite small.

You can keep the headphones and other included equipment in the Skullcandy Crusher ANC’s rather good travel case. The right earcup of the headphones contains physical buttons for controlling the volume and playback, a USB Type-C port for charging, and a 3.5mm jack for connecting the included audio cable for wired use. The playback button has two uses; pressing it twice activates the voice assistant.

The power button, the sensory bass slider, and the active noise cancellation are all located on the left earcup. A double-press on the power button activates both features. The ambient mode is controlled by a touch panel on the left earcup’s exterior portion. The Sony XM3 and XM4 use the exact same implementation. The noise cancelling is disabled while the ambient mode lets in outside noise.

The Skullcandy Crusher ANC boasts excellent build quality overall, and the company has perfected the weight distribution. We found no QC concerns with the goods, and the material selection is very respectable.

Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)

The name of the Crusher ANC contains its main selling point, but how effective are its active noise-suppression abilities? In a nutshell, it’s at best mediocre. The top dog’s Sony (WH-1000XM3) and Bose, which are nearly equally pricey, perform a better job of reducing background noise than the ANC (Headphones 700). The over-ears effectively block low-rumbling sounds more effectively than high frequencies, but sadly, they aren’t exactly cutting edge.

Regarding noise, the Crusher delights with an audible background presence. Logically, turning on ANC doesn’t make things any better.

The Crusher’s ambient mode can be accessed by briefly touching the left earpiece. To hear exterior noises like train announcements without taking off your headphones, integrated microphones magnify and fade in ambient sounds. It functions well, yet even here, the opposition is stronger.

Skullcandy Crusher ANC: Performance

The Crusher ANC has several cool features up its sleeve in terms of sound quality and performance. The first is a feature that is exclusive to Skullcandy products, the Sensory Bass slider. Although it might appear to be a gimmick at first, it truly works. It can be entertaining to crank up the slider, and Indian audiences that appreciate strong bass will find it very enjoyable.

With Bluetooth 5, the Skullcandy Crusher ANC supports Qualcomm’s aptX HD Bluetooth codec in addition to AAC and SBC. Each side has two 40mm dynamic drivers with a 20–20,000Hz frequency response range. Skullcandy features a companion app that is accessible on both Android and iOS for more optimal use.

The software allows you to create several, individually tailored sound profiles and conducts a quick test to identify the ideal EQ settings for each user. The app also enables you to view critical details like the battery level, ANC level, and ambient mode.

Playing with the Sensory slider can produce good results because the low-end capabilities of these headphones is their unique selling point. You’re set if you pair the headphones with a high-end smartphone that supports aptX HD. We connected the Crusher ANC to a number of high-end smartphones throughout our testing period, and the combination of aptX HD and FLAC files worked wonders for us. The best results came from keeping the Sensory slider at 30%, so that neither the bass was underpowered nor overpowered.

Accessories

The Crusher ANC wireless headphones come with a great hard-shell case from Skullcandy as well. The zippered clamshell box has a lovely grey cloth finish and is well lined on the inside. The bottom has been hollowed out to accommodate the headset and keep it in place. This has the limitation that it might be challenging to remember how to properly fold and twist the headphones to secure them, but it works when you do. In connection with that, there is a tiny tray where you may put the charging and AUX cables even though there isn’t a pouch to hold them.

Should you buy Skullcandy Crusher ANC?

When it comes to headphones, the Skullcandy Crusher ANC is an impressive device. The sound character and the movable Bass slider were the standout features here, despite our rather mixed feelings about the ANC performance.

The bass increase is a clever party trick, and the sound stage is excellent. This would not be the ideal option for you if all that you wanted the Crusher ANC for was Active Noise Cancellation. For that, we advise spending a bit more money and purchasing the Sony WH-1000XM3 or the most recent Sony WH-1000XM4. The Skullcandy Crusher ANC, however, may be a wise choice if you’re on a tight budget and need a nice set of headphones with average ANC performance.