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Skullcandy revives the Crusher ANC with a lower price and Skull-iQ

By Simon Cohen May 16, 2023

Woman wearing Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2. — Skullcandy

Skullcandy has a new version of the Crusher ANC. The noise-canceling version of the company’s extra bass headphones disappeared from Skullcandy’s lineup a few years ago, but now it’s back as the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2. They’re a $230 set of bass-forward cans that the company says has been completely redesigned with a new acoustic formula that pays close attention to the interaction between active noise cancellation (ANC) and Crusher Technology — the adjustable, bone-rattling bass drivers inside the headphones.

Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2. — Skullcandy

The new headphones feature hands-free voice control that is augmented by the company’s Skull-iQ technology. With Skull-iQ, you can use your voice to modify the features of the headphones like changing tracks, changing volume, or switching into Stay Aware (transparency mode). You can also use it to access other voice assistants, like Amazon Alexa.

The Crusher ANC 2 also pack impressive battery life — up to a claimed 60 hours when ANC is turned off and up to 50 when it’s on. A 10-minute quick charge will buy you an extra four hours of playtime. That’s a big jump over the previous model’s 24-hour capacity.

Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2, folded. — Skullcandy

A big change for those familiar with the Crusher series is the way the Crusher tech has been applied. Instead of a slider control, there’s now an indexed thumbwheel that can be clicked to turn the feature on or off. You can also use your voice to adjust the degree of bass enhancement.

The new cans have personal sound tuning and Skullcandy has also added the convenience of Bluetooth Multipoint for connecting the Crusher ANC 2 to two wireless devices simultaneously. As with most of Skullcandy’s products, you can use the built-in Tile tracking feature to locate them if they go astray.

Finally, the Crusher ANC 2 has customizable controls and EQ settings from within the Skullcandy app for iOS and Android.

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Contributing Editor, A/V

Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like spatial…

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