Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 Review

Having used the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 for a few weeks, I must say that these are some of the most innovative headphones I have tested. The Crusher series has gained a faithful group owing to the signature adjustable bass head slider, as well as the punchy sound that the Crusher series is known for – the story is how far can one get immersed into the listening experience – and the headphone manages to up the ante even more at that. This review of the Crusher ANC 2 explores the product in its intricacies: from how it looks, and how it is worn, to how good it sounds, and what additional gadgets there are, if any. If you’re interested in knowing how such bass-heavy headphones sound in everyday life, please continue reading.

Design and Aesthetics

As soon as one lays hands on this product, the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 is all ready to impress with its rather thick and handsome shape like Skullcandy Hesh ANC. Like the other headphone brands, Skullcandy has not been shy in looking for creative designs and the Crusher ANC 2 is no exception. Shock and Awe is the best way to describe the look of these over – the ear headphones with the particularly large ear cups and bulkiness as a whole to them. However, surprisingly enough, the proportion of the design still feels appropriate.

The ear cups feature rounded shapes that come smoothed out and covered in a fine matte finish which repels fingerprints. Average people will be able to see the nice Skullcandy logo which decorates the sides of the headsets but it isn’t too much of a drama so as to mess the aesthetics up. It is wide and cushioned, as well as looking down on the ear cup sites, which have metallic details making the gadgets appear extravagant. This Skullcandy wireless headphones is available in various colors, although I settled for a deep black which is simple yet smart enough to be used in any environment.

The Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 is immediately recognizable whenever you see it in terms of design by the unique construction around its bass slider, a mainstay among Skullcandy adoring loyal patrons. On the left ear cup is the bass slider adjustment button which performs a worthwhile function in adding to the aesthetics of the device without being an eyesore.

It should be acknowledged, however, that the Crusher ANC 2 is quite bulky. They have a more extreme, hefty appearance in comparison to the slimmer models, for instance, the Sony WH-1000XM5 or the Bose 700. These aren’t slim or slimmed down, but they balance that out with an attitude and edge that is so Skullcandy.

Materials and Build Quality

The Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2, there is something comforting about its bulk. I could already perceive the very solid structure as soon as I lifted them up for the first time. Mostly the casing for this headphone is made of some decent quality plastic but there are metal fittings in some places mainly in the headband making them sturdy and comfortable. This is similar material that I saw in the Sony WH-1000XM4.

The outer side of the ear cup also has a plastic coating but the surface is matte and smooth and survives smear marks quite well. The headphones also did not show any signs of damage regarding scratches even after being used for some time. The headband is made of plastic and is loaded with metal in order to sustain rough usage and is coated with a soft touch. There was no creaky noise or feeling in any part of the hinge, no matter how many times I used that time folding and unfolding the headphones.

The large ear pads are very comfortable and are covered with a thin layer of щ synthetic leather. The cushions are filled in with memory foam that fits tightly around the ears which increases comfort and keeps the sound in. It is clear why such material was used – it is practical, yet exquisite, so headphones have a high-end quality feeling.

The hinge and joint mechanism seems sturdy as expected for a headphone which you will be putting on your backpack and moving with. They continue to withstand the everyday use that they are subjected without showing any weaknesses.

The only problem is that the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 is on a heavier side compared to some of its competitors. Weighing about 308 grams, this isn’t one of the lightest sets of wireless headphones available, and after extended listening sessions, the weight was more noticeable than when using lighter headsets. All in all, the construction does feel quite strong and solid, hence the slight extra weight is more than acceptable in terms of its strength and construction.

Comfort and Fit

The comfort level of over-ear headphones weighs heavily on the neck provided one intends to use it for long hours. Luckily, I must say that the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 is able to provide that although comfort in these headphones is relative based on who you are.

The earcups are really well padded with memory foam so there are no hard areas that press against ears Technics EAH-A800 and Sony WH-CH520. The padding is quite thick and the synthetic leather cover manages to be cool to touch and feel. I remember using these headphones for hours on end without feeling fatigue or pain around my ears.

The headband too is decent as it is also padded enough to hold the earpieces comfortably to the top of the head without adding weight without the earpad. The only downside noticed is that the overall clamping force of the Crusher ANC 2 is too much which for some users might be a problem. The Crushing ANC 2 cannot be easily taken off your head even when you are in motion due to the snugger trap this design provides. However, the initial big-headed users will soon find this design a little irritating as the fit tends to be a little too tight at the beginning. With some time of use, the clamping force does slacken, but it is one of those things that you should bear in mind if you are prone to pressure.

Another aspect that I liked, especially, about this Skullcandy headphones, is the passive noise cancellation feature of the headphones. The earpads provide good passive noise isolation, and the ANC is not even turned on. This, together with the bass adjustment in the headphones, ensures an enjoyable experience.

I can say that the Crusher ANC 2 is well suited for long periods of listening, despite some discomfort due to the high clamping force which can be an adjustment for those used to a more lenient grip.

Sound Quality

Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 has one of the best features of its sound quality and this is where the beauty of these headphones is best expressed like Sony WH-CH720N and Jabra Evolve2 65. For all the bass head out there, these headphones have been made for you. However, even apart from the bass, Skullcandy has still managed to produce a good enough tuning that can accommodate different music styles.

Bass lovers get your joy right away – this headphone is all about low end. Bass sliders located on the left earcup are rather extraordinary as they permit adjusting the bass response in situ, and there appears a staggering difference when the slider is moved to its extreme. Bear in mind, these will have the bass volume turned up all the way so as to make them feel as if one is wearing a loudspeaker, and not a pair of headphones. It’s aggressive and overwhelming in a good way, bringing hip hop, electronic dance music, and dubstep to life. Bass response is not only audible, it is vibrational, irrefutably demonstrating that these headsets have been built for bass.

That said, these headphones can come off as a bit warm. You turn the bass control slider down and with the Crusher ANC 2 something changes and it sounds a lot more pleasant and controlled. The most impressive for me was how the mids and treble regions are crisp and clear. They particularly enhance the vocals which come out clear and warm without the cranial melting midrange being buried by heavy bass. The treble is also well extended – lots of detail, not much brightness which makes them good for long hours of use.

When it comes to the sound stage representation, the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 has an average performance. It is a little better than how the i2’s are, but for me sound is closed in for closed back bass heavy headphones; which is the case here. But if one wants a big, meaty, rush of sound that has nice bowels and blast these headphones do not disappoint. The sound is big and full of energy and I don’t even have to talk about the bass on how much level of ‘punch’ you want in a track.

The first thing to understand is that if you belong to the camp where you want something more neutral, the Crusher ANC 2 may not achieve such an objective. These are fun packed, low-end dominant headphones that do bring the thunder but only in the low end.

Smart Features

While it is not the best when compared to all other headphones, the Crusher ANC 2 by Skullcandy has many cool features and I would definitely get such devices into my review even if it worked absolutely wrong.

First off, the Crusher ANC 2 features Skullcandy’s Sensory Bass slider, which is basically the main attraction of the device, if you can call it like this. The special feature allows changing bass settings from the earcup. Is a little bit too much rumble preferred, or would a gentle ‘thump’ do? No problem – we still have the tiny slider to adjust the bass levels dynamically. Parents of kids who want to listen to hip hop or dnb will find this feature most impressive as it provides great adaptability to the listener.

These headphones also come with personalized sound profiles. With the use of the Skullcandy app, one is able to adjust the sound to match the user’s hearing by designing a sound that they desire and creating a specific listening profile. During the setup process, the app has a range of tones at different frequencies, so various notes are tested on the user to discover the range of their hearing and then take it a notch higher. Such are the ears of listening culture so appreciated in the modern age, and I must say I did observe a little bit of clarity and balance improvement after I had completed setting up my listening profile.

Besides custom audio, Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 also caters to built-in voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. There is a button on the ear cup that makes the process of using the voice assistant competitively easy, the mic understands commands rather well.

One intelligent feature that is unfortunately missing, though, is the auto-pause function when the user removes the head phones. This function can be found in dozens of other devices, and while it is certainly not a deal breaker, it would have enhanced the overall experience.

In general, the features that are included in the smart functions of the Crusher ANC 2 are pretty simple, their intended purpose is quite efficient, easily applying the bass slider and switching between personalized profiles.

Connectivity and Usability    85/100

Bluetooth version 5.0 is also incorporated in the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 which guarantees a good connection while in use. In the course of my use I had very few cases of dropouts, which would have been expected considering that I moved from the quarter of the house to another quarter. It was easy to connect the headphones with my devices and they were fastened strongly to both my cell phone and my laptop.

A special benefit is multipoint pairing as it is possible to connect the headphones into 2 gadgets at the same time. For anybody who loves to use the headset on more than one gadget at a time, this is a very good feature. I loved this feature when I was changing from listening to music on my phone to receiving phone calls on my laptop.

When it comes to controls, Skullcandy has chosen to go with both physical buttons and the also mentioned bass slider. Playback, volume and calls are performed using the buttons on the right earcup. I found them easy to locate and operate. They are very tactile which is something that I prefer over the touch sensitive controls that are very often irritating. The controls are quite effective; I mastered them straight away and after some time I was even able to change tracks or volume simply by moving my fingers without having to look at the controls.

The Skullcandy app is a popcorn of usability in this particular case as it offers some customization. How well it serves the intended purposes is impressive. For instance, from the app, one can change the level of ANC, create a sound where music is playing in a comfortable environment, and even help the user to find the headphones if they are lost. Such access is intuitive, and it is understandable how to operate the app without special training.

Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)

I was eager to use the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 since it features Active Noise Canceling. I compared it with several noise canceling headphones that I have already used. Skullcandy who specializes in wireless sound systems has decent ANC technology but not to the level of what Sony or even Bose offers.

The ANC did quite well in eliminating most of the environmental noise that is at low frequencies like that made by air conditioning units, engines and background noise. I used the ANC feature while commuting in a subway and while in very busy places. It did not block out every last sound, but most of the background sound was cut down and I was able to pay more attention to the music.

Where the ANC failed a bit was with things like speech and fast loud noises, the other way round. In no way is it horrible, but the isolation offered by the Crusher ANC 2 leaves something to be desired. And for the average user or a user who does not expect complete silence, the ANC will be enough for normal use.

One thing I really appreciated was that you could customize the ANC level via the Skullcandy app which helped you to manage the noise cancellation in relation to your position. The application also includes an Ambient Mode in which outside noise is permitted when required One such time would be when even though a person has the headset on, and wants to know what’s happening around him or her.

Battery Life

Battery life in particular is one area where the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 stands out. SkullCandy states that the battery can last up to 40 hours of playback with the ANC off and roughly 24 hours with the ANC turned on and , and I can anecdotally corroborate these figures quite closely.

I used the headphones extensively over several days with and without the ANC turned on and I never had to plug them in to recharge. Even intense usage did not make the battery drain noticeably, making them great for lengthy listening times or travels when charging is not a viable option.

The Crusher ANC 2 by Skullcandy also within its magnanimous exposure features quick charge, which is a lifesaver for people who are in a rush. If you did not know this, ten minutes of plug in will give you up to four hours-this is especially helpful for those who tend to forget to charge their headphones and need a quick power in a rush.

Taking everything into account, the battery performance in person on the Crusher ANC 2 is very good and rounds it up to be one of the more appealing options when it comes to endurance.

Mic Performance and Call Quality

The Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 attaches normal calling mikes and for some usages the performance of the ambient mikes is rather good. Thanks to the Wireless system, I did not need to leave a room to talk on the phone, vocalizing rather figure-headed intermediate dialogues.

These headphones, designed by Skullcandy, also come with a few mics included with it to facilitate and improve the quality of calls by picking up voice and electronically minimizing noise. It sounded fine during the calls’ negative most couple of times was the call cutting and some distortion in hearing.

For the noisy environments that I frontal in, this mics did not do very well limiting the other sounds trying to reach the other side of the line. All the same, the person on the other side could keep on hearing me, but background noise permeated into the conversation thereby making it difficult for them to zero in on my voice.

Supplementary microphone functions, especially those with additional headsets – are absolutely sufficient and suitable for making quick calls. Each in the other situation, especially in case of handling a headset in the tremulous noise still handling a call might be difficult with the microphone.

Durability and Portability

Durability is one of the strong points of the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 headphones. They are well put together and very rugged in feel and construction. The wire reinforced headband and the outer plastic earcups utilized by Skullcandy help seal in sound excellently. From my testing, they have endured and I see them doing well in the foreseeable future.

When it comes to transportability, this Skullcandy noise cancelling headphones may not be considered the most compact of headphones, though the ear pads collapse allowing the headphones to take minimal space in our travel cases or while laid on a table or desks. A transport bag is also provided by Skullcandy for extra coverage when on the move.

The weight of these headphones is slightly more than average. However, it was not such a big concern for me when using it as it was intended to be used. There is a sense of safety and sturdiness when using these and I wouldn’t expect them to be broken that easily.

Final Verdict

After testing the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 for quite some time, I can say that these headphones provide a listening experience that is second to none, even to casual users, because everyone loves bass. There is also an adjustable bass slider that is quite novel in this kind of headphones that allows you to customize low ends in a completely new way. If bass is the first thing you look for in any headphone, then these headphones are made for you.

Beyond the bass, the overall sound quality of the Crusher ANC 2 is good, Active Noise Canceling is effective, and the battery will last you for some time on a charge. With the bonus of the personalized sound profiles and the multipoint pairing, they can be used in various daily settings.

But if you want sound that is not colored, or if AAC is not enough for you, there are other devices that would better suit you. The Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 is however an excellent option for most people with booming bass needs, solid build quality, and adjustability features.