Skullcandy VenueImage used with permission by copyright holder
Skullcandy Crusher 360Image used with permission by copyright holder
While some of Skullcandy’s best-known offerings reside in the sub-$100 market, the company makes a variety of different types of headphones at a number of different price ranges. While neither the Venue nor the Crusher — both unveiled on Wednesday, August 22 — are as affordable as some of Skullcandy’s offerings, both of them are worth a look for different reasons.
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With the new Venue noise-canceling headphones, Skullcandy seems to be aiming at a more youthful market, not surprising given that this is typically the company’s focus. Saying that most noise-canceling headphones are “only seen in the business-class section of an airplane,” the company says that the Venue headphones are for everyone.
For a fairly affordable price, the Venue headphones are packed with features. The headphones feature up to 24 hours of playback, with Rapid Charge technology gaining you five hours of battery life on a 10-minute charge. While noise-canceling is intended to keep out the noise of the world around you, these feature a Monitor Mode, letting you hear the outside world with just a simple push of a button. Skullcandy has also partnered with Tile, letting you find your headphones with the Tile mobile app. The Venue headphones are available in black and white color varieties.
Following up on the Crusher Wireless, which was released in 2016 and built on the earlier Crusher, the Crusher 360 is the latest generation of the bass-booming headphones. In addition to standard features, these headphones feature a haptic engine that rumbles the headphones, letting you feel the bass instead of simply hearing it. These headphones are also wireless, providing up to 30 hours of playback time on a single charge. These will be available exclusively via Best Buy in Black/Tan and Black/Black color varieties.
The Venue noise-canceling wireless headphones will retail for $180 and are available for pre-order now, while the Crusher 360 will retail for $300 and will be available for pre-order beginning September 5. For more information or to pre-order, see the Skullcandy website. If you want to see how the competition stacks up, take a look at our list of the best headphones you can buy or our list of the best noise-canceling headphones.
Skullcandy revives the Crusher ANC with a lower price and Skull-iQ
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.
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.
Dyson’s bonkers air-purifying headphones hit the U.S. for $949
If you've been patiently waiting to get your hands on what might be kindly described as the most buzzworthy set of noise-canceling headphones on the planet — the Dyson Zone — you'll get your chance at 11 a.m. ET on April 27. That's when the headphones, which also double as a personal air purification device, become available for purchase in the U.S. The ear (face?) phones start at $949.
You'll be able to buy the Dyson Zone in one of two color combos, depending on where you shop. The Ultra Blue/Prussian Blue version will be available at BestBuy.com. It will also be available online via Dyson's website or one of its Demo Stores, alongside the Dyson-exclusive Prussian Blue/Bright Copper version.
Niche Canadian company takes on Sony with new wireless earbuds and headphones
Canadian audio brand, PSB Speakers, has released the details of its latest headphones: the $499 M4U 9 wireless headphones and $199 M4U TWM wireless earbuds. Both devices make use of audio personalization software from Audiodo, as well as PSB's own RoomFeel technology. The new headphones are expected to be available at retailers in June.
These are not the hi-res, UWB-based headphones that PSB teased earlier in 2023, which have yet to be released.
