Skullcandy once positioned itself as the punk rock of headphone brands, made for people keen to deviate from the mainstream. While the street culture aesthetic remains, it has a much broader appeal, with plenty of subtle headphone designs for a mass market. With the Skullcandy Crusher 1080 ANC headphones, it’s perhaps the brand’s biggest swing at the top-end market.
I say top-end, but at $399.99 in Australia, the Crusher 1080 ANC is far from the lofty price tags seen on headphones like the Sony WH-1000XM6 ($699.95) or Apple AirPods Max 2 ($999). Skullcandy isn’t going it alone, either, teaming up with Bose to use its audio technology.
According to a press release, Skullcandy is behind the headphones’ driver technology. The Crusher 1080 ANC uses a dual-driver system that creates a “sensory bass” experience. Listening to the music is one thing; Skullcandy wants you to feel the beat, too.
Noise-cancellation and spatial audio are where Bose comes into the equation. Skullcandy’s headphones use Bose’s technology, combined with a six-mic system, to power its adaptive ANC. Plus, the Crusher 1080 ANC supports head-tracked spatial audio, making the music react to your motion.
According to Skullcandy, the new headphones last up to 60 hours without ANC, and up to 50 hours with ANC enabled. Aside from the battery life, there are a few noteworthy smart features. The Crusher 1080 ANC supports multipoint pairing via Bluetooth 5.3, automatic playback start and stop when you put them on or take them off, customisable five-band EQ, sidetone for calls, and reprogrammable physical buttons.
That’s a lot to include in a pair of $399 headphones. We’ll find out how Skullcandy’s latest effort stacks up soon; they’re out in Australia now via JB Hi-Fi and Skullcandy’s online store in black, candy, primer, and cement colours.
The post Skullcandy’s new headphones aim to crush much pricier brands appeared first on GadgetGuy.
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