Skullcandy Crusher ANC Review: The Bassiest Noise-Canceling Headphones Money Can Buy

Last updated on 2022-09-19
By Yvonne

Skullcandy Crusher ANC Review - The Best Noise-Canceling Headphones Money can BuyThe Skullcandy Crusher ANC has the most powerful, cranium-pounding sound than any other noise cancelling headphones. The bass was incredible, and the noise cancelling technology left me disappointed after 26 hours.

Skullcandy Crusher ANC Noise-Canceling Wireless Headphone

We like this

If you enjoy that kind of thing, then the bass levels can be quite crazily high.
Personalized audio profile
The built-in tile allows you to locate headphones that have been misplaced
Battery life up to 24 hours with rapid charging

The Things We Hate

It doesn't cancel out much noise.
Audio finesse and fidelity are lacking

Skullcandy Crusher ANC noise cancelling headphones are a departure from the usual brand image of being snarky. They are a perfect example of Skullcandy's bold personality, with the most powerful bass sounds you will find in any over-ear headphone today. You shouldn't expect much noise cancellation.

This article explains

Design
Comfort
Sound Quality
Battery life
Software
These are the features
Prices
Concurrence
Final Verdict
Specifications

Skullcandy Crusher ANC headphones were purchased by us so that our expert reviewer could fully test them and evaluate their quality. Continue reading to see our complete product review.

When customers step above the $300 mark for a pair of Bluetooth-enabled, noise-canceling headphones, they expect a lot—and rightfully so. They want more than just the basic features. The Skullcandy Crusher ANC headphones is a good example of this.

The Crusher ANC headphones were as nuanced and subtle as their brand name and model names suggest. Over-the-ear noise cancelling headphones are the Crushers' most powerful and versatile model. These headphones have a long battery life and excellent audio quality. They also produce a powerful bass that shakes the face.

How do they compare to the rest? To find out, I tried them for 26 hours.

Design: Simple and clean, but not overly flashy

Skullcandy is well-known for its swagger and arrogance. Thankfully, in the black color scheme, the Crusher ANC headphones buck that trend—at least visually (though Skullcandy does sell the Crusher ANC in a deep red color that is a bit bolder).

The Crushers' overall design is good but not exceptional. Although they don't come with any high-end features, the quality of their build seems to be good. These headsets didn't creak like cheap plastic ones. They are made from high-quality materials and have a solid construction.

Multi-functional buttons are located on the right earcup and can be found by simply pointing your finger. They lack the clickiness that you would expect from high-end headphones.

Comfort: Heavy, but not irritating

The Skullcandy Crusher ANC headphones weigh 10.8 ounces. They aren't too heavy for their weight.

They were comfortable on my head and I felt minimal sweat. These were tested in mid-autumn so you might experience a different sensation in warmer climates. They are moderately comfortable, and they didn't cause strain or discomfort.

The Crushers are over-the-ear noise cancelling headphones' sledgehammers.

Sound Quality: Face-shaking bass

The Crushers may appeal to you for their noise cancelling technology. But the true reason why they should be bought is their incredible bass. The bass is extraordinary, even though the noise cancellation is not great.

We'll start with noise-cancelling. You can toggle it on or off by pressing your left earcup against the right earcup. After a while, a voice will say "ambient mode", which will allow outside noise to be passed into the earphones. ANC activates the noise cancelling feature.

Although the noise cancellation is satisfactory, it's not as strong as some other options at a comparable price, such as the Sony WH1000XM3 and Bose 700. When the ANC is turned on, Crushers emit a bit of white noise hiss. The Crusher ANC has a lot more bass than it does noise-canceling abilities.

The slider adjusts bass and is located on the left-hand side of the earcup. These headphones produce so much bass—akin to wearing a subwoofer on your head—that your jawbones, cheeks, ears, and most of your scalp will vibrate. You won't find yourself saying "My, that's great bass!" You'll actually be screaming, "Holy moly! That's crazy!"

The Crushers sound good but are not exceptional in terms of quality. The Crushers lack the same finesse and clarity as high-end noise cancelling headphones, but they are still very affordable. You can adjust the Skullcandy app to your audio preferences.

Skullcandy allows you to set up your own audio profile. The Skullcandy App plays different tones via the Crusher ANC. The app screens will display the tones that you hear, and which ones you are hearing. The app will adjust sound output according to what it considers best for you.

However, I found the sound to be too loud and treble for my tastes. The bass slider was turned up, but I still felt as though I was getting too much high frequency sound. However, it was much better when I turned off my personal audio profile. The sound quality, however, is not as good as high-end headphones in the same price range.

Battery life: More than 22 hours playback

Skullcandy claims that listeners can enjoy up to 24 hours worth of audio on one charge. These figures are usually given in ideal conditions and with lower volume. At half volume, the Crushers were able to listen for 22.25 hours on one charge. It was amazing to find that the battery lasts almost twice as long as the manufacturer had predicted.

Software. Glitchy set

Skullcandy has tutorial videos for setting up your app and website. I expected it to be easy. And it was—once the app recognized my Crusher ANCs. It took some time, unfortunately.

First, I connected them to my iPhone. Next, I downloaded the Skullcandy application and tried it. However, the app could not find my Crusher ANCs despite them being only inches apart. Before they could sync, I had to switch the Crusher ANCs on and off several times. It was easy once that was done, although it was annoying that an app for a brand had difficulty finding and pairing with the product it made.

These headphones produce so much bass—akin to wearing a subwoofer on your head—that your jawbones, cheeks, ears, and most of your scalp will vibrate.

Built-in Tile

Apart from the incredible bass, Skullcandy Crusher ANC headphones are also known for their Tile technology. The Tile app allows users to find their headphones, view their location history and track their movements for 30 days. To locate your headphones more quickly, you can have the app make a chirping sound using the Crusher ANCs.

Prices: You Get What You Pay for

Skullcandy charges $312 for the Crusher ANC, which is $80 less than the Bose 700 (view on Amazon). These headphones are well-rated and noise cancelling. In between the Skullcandy and the Bose are the Sony WH-1000XM3 (view on Amazon) noise-canceling headphones, which can be had for $348—$29 more than the Skullcandy Crusher ANC.

The Skullcandy clearly falls at the low end of high-end noise cancelling headphones. They aren't cheap, but the Crusher ANC is not expensive. They are however slightly less expensive than some of their main rivals. They are quite expensive considering their longevity and exceptional bass output.

Skullcandy Crusher ANC vs. Sony WH–1000XM3

In terms of build quality and retail price, the Sony WH-1100XM3s are similar to the Crushers. Sony's built-in amp, which allows for a greater frequency range, is not a better option. Sony simply produces a richer sound. However, the Crushersfar is more powerful than the Sony option in terms of its bass output. The audio quality of the Crushersfar and Sony is comparable. It all comes down to your preference for high fidelity sound or low bass.

These headphones stand out because of their extras and features. Skullcandy has added Tile to make it easy for you to find your headphones, and the Sony headphones feature Amazon Alexa voice control.

These headphones aren't the only ones that can cancel out noise. You can also check our top picks for wireless headphones today.

Final Verdict

As a wearable subwoofer.
Skullcandy Crusher is a noise-canceling headset that's ideal for customers who don't care as much about audio quality and prefer brain-shaking sound. These headphones are for you if you prefer to block out noise from the surrounding environment with loud bass sounds than intelligent noise-canceling technology.