Suzanne Kantra/Techlicious
Skullcandy started selling its new flagship headphone, the Crusher 1080 ANC, last night for $279.99, and it's the first time the company has built in Bose's full suite of audio technology rather than just a single borrowed feature. Based on my limited testing at the launch event, that partnership paid off with excellent noise cancellation.
The Crusher 1080 ANC combines Skullcandy's long-running "Crusher" bass system, which uses haptic drivers in the ear cups to make bass physically vibrate against the wearer's head, with Bose QuietControl adaptive noise cancellation, Bose TrueSpatial head-tracking audio, and the Bose WaveForm audio engine. The company has used Bose tuning before, on its Method 360 ANC earbuds ($129.99, on sale for $91.99), but this is the first product where Bose supplies the noise cancellation, spatial audio, and core sound engine together.
I listened to the Crusher 1080 ANC at Skullcandy's launch event in New York, where the company set up listening stations with a mix of music, including Ibeyi's "Mama Says," Flo Rida's "Wobble" and a live recording of "Overture/Backstage Dreamland." The room was loud enough to set off the noise alerts on my Apple Watch and I could feel the vibrations of the bass, a good stress test for the noise cancellation even if it made judging pure sound quality harder.
The noise cancellation held up under that pressure. I could clearly make out the soulful lyrics on "Mama Says" and the whir of helicopter blades that opens "Overture/Backstage Dreamland - Live," even with the venue's music blasting. The background music was still audible, but it never became intrusive. Not surprisingly, bass-heavy tracks like "Wobble" fared best, which is where I’d expect the Crushers to shine.
Like earlier Crusher models, the ear cups vibrate along with the bass, a feature that's polarizing: you either like the sensation or you don't. The headphones also run heavier than premium rivals. The Crusher 1080 ANC weighs 13.2 ounces, compared with 9.3 ounces for Bose's own QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2. They feel bulkier as a result, though the soft ear cups and headband kept them comfortable to wear.
At $279.99, the Crusher 1080 ANC sits between Bose's and Sony's flagship models, the leaders in over-ear ANC, and the budget tier. Bose's QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) lists for $449 (on sale for $369), and Sony's WH-1000XM6 lists for $459.99 (on sale for $398). Anker's Soundcore Space One Pro, my favorite budget pick, undercuts all three at $199.99 (on sale for $139.99). Bose and Sony still have the more premium look and feel, but the Crusher 1080 ANC is the right pick for anyone who wants that signature heavy Crusher bass without paying flagship prices.
Read more: The $130 Soundcore Space One Pro take on Sony and Bose
Skullcandy rates the battery at up to 60 hours with noise cancellation off and 50 hours with it on, plus a 10-minute charge that adds about 4 hours of playtime. The headphones support Bluetooth multipoint, so they can stay connected to two devices at once, and come in four colors: Black, Candy (pink), primer (light tan), and cement (gray).
The Crusher 1080 ANC is available now at skullcandy.com and Amazon for $279.99.
