In mid-May, U.S.-based Skullcandy announced the Crusher ANC 2, a new pair of headphones that should rank right up there in the in-house portfolio. The new model is set to replace the Crusher ANC, which was unveiled in 2019, with a number of revisions. For example, there are changes to the design, the operation and a significantly higher battery life. There was also a major adjustment to the MSRP. While the original Crusher ANC still came on the market for 300 euros, the price tag for the Crusher ANC 2 only mentions 230 euros (current: € 168.98 *).
The basic orientation of the headphones, on the other hand, has remained the same. Once again, the focus is on a strong bass, which can be added in stages. ANC and a transparency mode, the optional app control, as well as the option to localize via Tile Tracker are also back. In addition, the Crusher ANC 2 can be folded up again for easier transport.
How well the new Skullcandy headphones with their overall package do in practice, and for whom we can recommend the Crusher ANC 2, we clarify in the following test.
Technical details
| Driver: | 40 mm |
| Frequency range: | – |
| Frequency range (microphone): | – |
| Impedance: | 32 Ω |
| THD: | < 3% @ 50 Hz – 8000 Hz |
| Weight: | 332 g |
| Cable length and type/connection: | Bluetooth 5.2, 1.2 m jack cable, 0.5 m USB A/C cable |
| Battery life: | 50 h |
| Special features: | Transparency Mode, ANC, Tile Finding, Voice Control |
| Price: | € 168.98 * |
Scope of delivery of the Crusher ANC 2
The Crusher ANC 2 are delivered in a colorful printed cardboard box. Inside are the instructions and a carrying box that contains the headphones and other accessories. These are a nearly 1.2 m long jack cable and a USB cable of about 0.5 m, with which the headphones can be charged. In addition, there is also a small Velcro strip inside to keep the cables together during transport.
Design & Workmanship
Skullcandy follows the usual design with the Crusher ANC 2: The chassis are in two rotating and tilting ear cups, which contain the controls on the side. The cups are connected via an extendable headband. The contact with the head is made by a head pad made of fabric and ear pads covered with artificial leather. Metal is also used inside the headband, while the rest of the headphones are made of black plastic. Most parts of the headphones have a matte black finish, while some surfaces on the inside have a high-gloss finish.
There’s nothing to complain about in terms of the headphones’ build quality: The plastic feels comfortable in the hand, has a stable build and is flawlessly connected at transitions. We would have only wished for a bit more metal in this price range when it comes to the choice of materials. Of course, this does not have an impact on the function of the headphones.
Wearing comfort & Operation
When it comes to wearing comfort, the Crusher ANC 2 can convince: the ear cups can be turned and tilted far enough to cope with all head shapes without any problems. Additional comfort is provided by the headband, which can be extended by up to 4 cm per side and can also be easily bent open. This creates a pleasant contact pressure that allowed us to wear the headphones for hours without any problems. In short: very good.
However, the operation is a bit awkward at first. On the left ear cups, there is a button for turning the headphones on and off, the USB-C and jack sockets, and a rotary wheel for the bass. The latter can be used to increase the “crusher bass” from 0 to 100% in 10-percent increments. Pressing the dial in also switches the bass between 20, 50, and 80 percent levels.
Other controls are located on the right ear cup. There are the usual three multimedia buttons and a sliding button that can be used to (de)activate ANC and transparency mode. The slide button looks like a switch, but the button automatically returns to its original position. This is probably to prevent operating errors.
Due to the many controls, it takes a short time to get used to Skullcandy’s newcomer. However, once you have internalized it, it quickly becomes a breeze. We also liked the pressure point of all controls except for the slide button: It does not feel quite as crisp – but that is not dramatic. Overall, the operating concept is quite successful.
Recording and playback quality
A good build quality and a high wearing comfort are important, but in the end, the sound is of course essential. Here, the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 present themselves quite unusually. If you deactivate the additional bass, you initially get a quite usually tuned sound with a somewhat restrained bass and usable mids and trebles above it. The headphones don’t show their strengths here: The three-dimensionality as well as the higher frequency ranges are okay, but you could already get similar quality with cheaper headphones.
However, the picture is completely different when you activate the additional bass – or immediately turn it up to full. This increases the lows considerably and results in a bass that we have never heard before. We could even hear it from around 20 Hertz, which is especially noticeable in action-rich movies and games. We want to mention the clash between Bilbo and the dragon Smaug in “The Hobbit” as well as the siege of Minas Tirith in “The Lord of the Rings” as examples: With full bass, you get an impressively powerful idea here of what a dragon sounds like, and that a battering ram doesn’t just knock lightly.
In short: In action sequences, the Crusher ANC 2 are immensely fun, you like to watch many scenes several times. The sound experience is like in the cinema or even a bit better. At the same time, we also want to address a problem at this point: The tuning. Because while the additional bass comes into its own in some movies, songs and games, it causes a certain “ground roll” in others, which affects the quality. That’s not the fault of the headphones themselves, though. Instead, you simply hear strong low frequencies that would not be heard with most other headphones, but are just present in the audio track. If this problem occurs, however, a quick turn of the bass dial will help. Then you’ll have the usual sound again with tamed bass.
Overall, we can recommend the Crusher ANC 2 for any action lover or fans of bass-heavy music. There they offer a real experience. The recording quality, on the other hand, does not fare quite as well: With a wired connection, the sound is quite usable, especially for headphones without their own microphone arm. However, especially via Bluetooth, the sound lacks timbre.
ANC, transparency and software
When it comes to additional features, Skullcandy advertises the full package: ANC, transparency mode and its own app. We liked the implementation of these features: The transparency mode as well as ANC are accompanied by a slight background noise, as is usually the case, but that is not annoying when enjoying music. The suppression of extraneous noise also works well: A few headphones do even better, but the Crusher ANC 2 can easily keep up with the masses. The battery life is also impressive. With full bass and activated ANC, the headphones lasted a whole 46 hours of continuous use at room volume.
We also really liked the app, which is available on Android and iOS. It can be installed quickly and without the need for registration. It then offers numerous features via a fast, modern UI. For example, the keys can be reassigned with various functions, the tile function can be set up and the sound can be adjusted with an EQ. This offers a lot of leeway for the most diverse tonal preferences. There is also a listening test in the app, with which you can adjust a sound profile to your own hearing ability. In our case, the result was a very “sharp” profile, especially in the trebles – whether you like that is probably a matter of taste. In any case, the software offers numerous options that left nothing to be desired.
Conclusion on the Crusher ANC 2
With the Crusher ANC 2 Skullcandy has brought new headphones on the market, which want to convince with numerous features. The feature list includes, for example, ANC, a transparency mode and a particularly strong bass. The latter is not a marketing gimmick: The bass is the headphones’ great strength. While the mids and trebles sometimes seem a bit restrained, the bass hits the skull with full force during action scenes, for example. Movies and games in particular are a lot of fun with the headphones, and they can also completely convince with bass-heavy songs. On the other hand, if you are a fan of fine sounds and the most detailed trebles, you are better off with headphones.
While the bass is a clear unique selling point, the Crusher ANC 2 simply do as you would probably expect on many other points. ANC and the transparency mode are well implemented, as is the operation. The build quality is also successful, but we would have liked to see a bit more metal used here. In addition, the recording quality is well usable with a cable, but rather expedient under Bluetooth. Again, we liked the battery life and the versatile software.
If you want to add headphones to your home theater, or if you are simply a big bass fan, Skullcandy’s new headphones are a well-implemented overall package with a clear focus on acoustic head massages. If you like that, then the purchase price of 230 euros (current: € 168.98 *) is well justified in our eyes.
Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2
Workmanship
Comfort
Sound quality
Recording quality
Features
Value for money
91/100
Well-done headphones with immensely fun bass.
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