Skullcandy Crusher ANC Palms-on Assessment: Large Bass, Custom-made Sound

Skullcandy Crusher ANC hands-on

“Skullcandy’s newest headphones match its signature bass with a personalized sound expertise.”

Personalised sound

Intense bass

Compact design

Mediocre noise cancellation

Boring design

Skullcandy has all the time served a various inhabitants with its headphone lineup. From inexpensive wired earbuds that come in useful in a pinch, to extra elaborate over-ear choices, there’s a big selection of decisions for a number of sorts of listeners. With its newest providing, although, Skullcandy goes a step additional by introducing noise cancellation to its fabled Crusher collection.

It’s an formidable effort on Skullcandy’s half, seeing that the brand new Crusher ANC is competing in a premium class that’s sometimes dominated by Bose, Sony, and different huge names which have perfected the craft of lively noise cancellation. The $320 price of the Skullcandy Crusher ANC is proof of simply how severe Skullcandy is, and there’s one specific function these with listening to points ought to respect.

Personalised sound tuned to your ears

What makes this pair of headphones formidable in comparison with Skullcandy’s earlier efforts is that you may get a customized sound expertise that’s tailor-made to your listening to. This function isn’t essentially new, having been employed by a handful of headphones already, but it surely’s nonetheless one thing that I respect as a result of I’ve acquired some listening to injury.

It’s the high-end that my ears battle to listen to — whereas the bass and mids are simpler for me to differentiate. Utilizing the Skullcandy app to arrange the headphones, there’s a portion of the method the place it performs varied tones in numerous ranges. This audio calibration course of is a bit laborious, but it surely helps to supply a customized sound profile that’s tuned to your listening to in an effort to customise the music so that you hear it the way in which the artist supposed it.

For me, although, the tip end result was that it sounded as if the headphones merely boosted the treble. Different listeners could have completely different outcomes.

John Velasco/Digital Developments

Cinematic bass

Skullcandy’s signature bass-thumping sound is alive and nicely on this pair because of the Sensory Bass function. You don’t simply hear the bass, you get to really feel it! Whereas most headphones make use of two drivers, these leverage a complete of 4. This permits the Crusher ANC to ship some heart-pounding bass. Fortunately, you possibly can dial down the depth by adjusting the slider on the left facet of the earcup.

The Sensory Bass function works exceptionally nicely in terms of watching films or movies, making certain that you simply get that theater-quality punch when there’s an intense scene taking part in out on display. The roar of a revving engine is especially intensified by the Crusher ANC. Now, as a lot as I respect this function, together with the customized sound tuning, I nonetheless would like to have extra equalizer settings to select from by way of the app.

John Velasco/Digital Developments

Mediocre noise cancellation

The Crusher’s lively noise cancellation is undoubtedly a pleasant perk, but it surely’s mediocre at finest. For many conditions, it merely suppresses ambient sound. I examined them out throughout a subway trip, however I may nonetheless hear some close by noises round me, and the noise cancellation is nowhere near the identical depth because the Sony WF-1000XM3 true wi-fi earbuds I’ve been utilizing.

As we’ve seen from just a few top-tier noise cancelers, there’s additionally a function that amplifies ambient sounds by touching the floor on the left earcup. It’s okay for conversing with close by buddies with out the necessity to take off the headphones, however once more, I’ve skilled higher outcomes with different headphones.

John Velasco/Digital Developments

Tame appears, strong consolation

At $320, the Crusher ANC don’t have the identical stage of sophistication as another headphones on this value class in terms of styling. I’ll say that the deep pink colour choice is a sexy shade, whereas the matte end doesn’t present smudges or fingerprints. On the entire, the design lacks the aesthetic pop of another headphones that provide extra element of their designs, equivalent to V-MODA’s Crossfade Wi-fi 2 or the latest Sennheiser Momentum Wi-fi three.

It additionally doesn’t assist that the Crusher ANC are constructed solely out of plastic. On the plus facet, the headphones are fairly snug because of the plush cushioning across the headband and earcups. Even higher, the adjustable headband collapses to make it simpler to throw right into a bag with out occupying an excessive amount of house.

John Velasco/Digital Developments

Conclusion

The Skullcandy Crusher ANC are competing in a tricky house, as there are a number of headphones that excel in delivering excellent noise cancellation and sound high quality. The headphones’ $320 value level continues to be a giant ask when top-tier fashions like Sony’s WH-1000xM3 over-ears (our favorites within the discipline) run $350 or much less. Then once more, for many who are all in regards to the bass, they actually received’t be dissatisfied by what the Crusher’s Sensory Bass function is ready to churn out.

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