Skullcandy Crusher 1080 Assessment: 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 preventing over which had one of the best sound high quality and noise cancellation, Skullcandy leaned into its fame 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 desires 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 energetic noise cancellation (ANC), TrueSpatial directional audio and WaveForm tuning. This is not the primary Skullcandy headphone to be part of the Bose Sound program, however 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. Which means the Crusher 1080 must be extra than simply enjoyable — it must be genuinely good. Fortunately, for probably 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 by way of 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 method. There are some good metallic accents within the headband which make it really feel premium, however general it is a bigger, extra strong headset in comparison with the sculpted traces of present Sony or Bose fashions.

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Skullcandy hasn’t actually ventured into the realm of gesture and contact controls, they usually stay absent right here. The bodily buttons are all fairly massive which usually makes them simple to find. The largest is the devoted haptic bass dial, which is so massive 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 means of listening presets (Music, Podcast, Film and Customized). These two controls are shut sufficient to one another that I usually unintentionally deactivate ANC once I wish to modify the haptic bass. The correct-hand facet has a mini joystick model 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 energetic or 60 with out, the Crusher 1080 is already fairly longevous. I nonetheless admire the fast-charging function as fast top-ups can present sufficient juice for an extended commute or cafe work session on the events you forgot to plug them in.

The standout function on the Crusher 1080 is 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 basic tuning. With the Crusher 1080, Bose’s fingerprints are everywhere in the audio, from the principle WaveForm audio engine to the TrueSpatial dimensional function and, after all, the Bose-powered ANC.

The result’s a transparent sonic improve. I exploit a pair of Crusher 540’s as my fitness center headphones, so I am conversant in 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. Basically, the HDB 630 stays extra spacious and impartial. The Crusher’s sound feels elevated within the higher mid-ranges.

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

Whereas I’d 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 suited to older music that is not mastered so loud.

Maybe the most important 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 value. Fixed background noise is dealt with impressively nicely, making commuting or working in busy environments rather 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 significantly on this space. Transparency mode is equally stable, sounding pure sufficient for fast conversations without having to take away the headphones.

What would a pair of Skullcandy headphones be, although, with out Crusher Bass? This function is as iconic as it’s divisive. Personally, I get pleasure from it on the proper moments. There is a purpose why I put on Crushers within the fitness center, and generally bangers simply slap a bit 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, should you drive all of it the way in which up, issues will get rumbly, however it’s nonetheless a number of enjoyable, and you do not ever have to make use of it should you do not wish to.

That is the place issues develop into extra sophisticated. 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, abruptly the Crushers look costlier. Even Anker’s Soundcore House One Professional — a similarly-specc’d mid-range favourite — are coppable for $100 lower than the Crusher’s asking value if you do not need the bass function and ANC is much less necessary.

The query may actually be, are these a extra reasonably priced 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 nearly completely by itself: a succesful sound, robust ANC and, after all, that distinctive method to bass. This makes it far simpler to advocate than earlier generations.

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

It is not excellent. The design nonetheless lacks a few of the polish of its largest rivals, the controls may very well be higher laid out and the load turns into noticeable throughout longer listening periods. However should you’ve ever been curious in regards to the Crusher idea and dismissed earlier fashions as novelty headphones, that is the one which adjustments all of that.