Odi Productions
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 review for those who are wondering whether they are WORTH IT in 2025. I’ll also be comparing the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 vs Evo, Sony WH-1000XM4, XM5, ULT Wear, Beats Studio Pro, Bose QuietComfort, Sennheiser Momentum 4, JBL Tune 770NC, and more!
I’m going to do my best to share whether these headphones are worth it, and ideally who these headphones are for. I’ve owned these headphones for a while now and have quite a few thoughts.
I’ll be sharing my critical opinion with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, and tech journalist.
Let’s dive right in!
Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 Headphones Review in Short
The Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 is a bass-lover’s headphone that offers an experience unlike others in this class due to its “Crusher Bass” technology. The overall sound quality is decent, but could improve in its noise cancelling performance and comfort. Competes in the wireless over-ear headphone class with Skullcandy Crusher Evo, Skullcandy Hesh ANC, Skullcandy Hesh Evo, Sony WH-1000XM4, Sony WH-1000XM5, Sony ULT Wear, Beats Studio Pro, Bose QuietComfort, and Sennheiser Momentum 4.
Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 Pros and Cons
- Good sound quality (after EQ)
- “Crusher” Bass feature
- Solid build quality
- Comfy
- Average noise cancelling performance
- Not a great value at full retail
- Heavy
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Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 Sound Quality
First impressions of the Stock Sound…
Out of the box, I’m not mad at the stock sound profile of the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2, which turns out to be slightly more detailed and balanced than I was expecting (with “Crusher” setting set to OFF).
The real selling-point, or perhaps gimmick, is the “Crusher Bass” technology.
So this basically vibrates the headphone to shake your head from the bass frequencies, and you can set the level from minimum 5% to full (which I don’t recommend unless you want a massage), or OFF completely.
I actually do truly appreciate that Skullcandy is trying innovative things, but the Crusher setting ended up just being on the gimmicky side for me personally.
It has a bit of an “on/off” switch behavior, and only vibrates on certain frequencies, which can be a little jarring and just inconsistent overall.
Not to mention, the shaking is a fun little novelty at first but it wears off rather quickly.
That said, if I do use the Crusher setting, I like to keep it at the minimum which can add a nice little rumble to the bass.
Anyways, I found the Crusher ANC 2 to simply sound just fine stock.
It’s a bit compressed, not much stereo separation width or soundstage. The layering and separation is also on the weaker end.
Luckily, I found the included customizable EQ to be surprisingly effective, and was able to squeeze out a bit more sound quality using the EQ settings below…
Best Equalizer Settings for Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 Headphones
“V1” – Mainly for Pop / Hip Hop
NOTE: Crusher is set to OFF for this setting. If Crusher is set to ON, lower the “Low” band by 2-3 levels depending on your tastes. I recommend Crusher set to 5-20% level at most.
Result: Maintains a fun consumer-friendly sound signature while boosting vocal clarity. Bass is prominent, punchy, and full, without the bloat from the Crusher feature. Treble is detailed but not pushed to sibilance.
Sound Quality After EQ…
I’m overall impressed by the improvement that EQ makes to the Crusher ANC 2.
I focused on retaining that FUN aspect of these headphones by featuring the bass as the star of the show, which is the point of these headphones in the first place.
Obviously, from an audiophile standpoint, this isn’t the choice for critical listening, and still suffers from a lack of separation, layering, clarity, and artificial timbre.
Along with a pretty narrow soundstage width, and stereo separation.
But from a casual listener or consumer-friendly standpoint, these are definitely one of the more FUN headphones to listen to.
The bass isn’t the cleanest but it surely is impactful and has plenty of quantity to make modern music enjoyable and engaging to listen to.
If you’re a bass-head as Skullcandy’s target audience seems to be, the Crusher ANC 2 is an easy recommendation and leans into its strength nicely.
Overall, I like the Crusher ANC 2 as a go-to “fun” headphone in this class, especially with a sprinkle of EQ to clean things up.
Just know what you’re getting yourself into, and you shouldn’t be disappointed.
If you’re seeking more sound quality while still having plenty of bass (although no “Crusher Bass” vibration), also check out the Sennheiser Momentum 4 and Bose QuietComfort.
Sound Quality Score: 8.0 out of 10 (after EQ)
Comfort
The Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 is one of the heaviest for the over-ear, wireless noise cancelling headphones as weighed on my scale:
- Sony WH-CH720N – 186.4 grams
- JBL Tune 720BT – 223.2 grams
- JBL Tune 770NC – 227.1 grams
- Bose QuietComfort – 236.1 grams
- Sony WH 1000XM5 – 245.9 grams
- Sony WH 1000XM4 – 251.6 grams
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra – 254.4 grams
- Anker Soundcore Life Q30 – 264.6 grams
- Beats Studio Pro – 268.6 grams
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 – 292.9 grams
- Anker Soundcore Space Q45 – 297.5 grams
- Sonos Ace – 318.1 grams
- Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 – 332.3 grams
- Apple AirPods Max – 387.8 grams
My first impression upon picking up the Crusher ANC 2 is… heavy.
And the scale confirms it.
There’s only a couple headphones in this class that are heavier, like the AirPods Max and Focal Bathys.
That said, I actually find these about the same level of comfort as the AirPods Max, which is pretty good but not elite.
I like that my ears are free inside of the earcups with good space.
But that weight is felt between the headband that could be a little more plush, and a tad bit of clamping force and around the earcups.
That said, these aren’t uncomfortable, and I can wear these for a couple hours without much issue.
Comfort Score: 4.0 out of 5
Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling
Features
The Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 was originally released in May 2023, so they’re a fairly modern headphone with most of the modern features:
- Built-in microphones for taking calls
- Smartphone app with customizable EQ
- Multi-point connection between 2 devices at once
- Bluetooth 5.1
- “Patented Crusher Sensory Bass Technology” (Basically vibrates/shakes your head)
- Adaptive Noise Cancelling
- Transparency Mode
- Ability to turn OFF both Active Noise Cancelling and Transparency Modes
- Includes Softshell Bag Case
- Foldable and Collapsable
- 1-Year Warranty
These also don’t have Spatial Audio or Dolby Atmos support, for those that care.
These headphones do fold and collapse, fitting into a softshell bag case.
I would prefer to see a more premium hardshell case for this price, as even budget headphones at half the price (ie. Anker Soundcore Life Q30) can include a hardshell case these days.
Build Quality
One surprise for me is that the build quality of the Crusher ANC 2 is quite solid.
There’s a metal headband underneath a mixture of fabric, rubber, and plastic materials.
This headphone actually feels quite solid, and being one of the heaviest in the class, that certainly adds to that feeling of build quality.
Not sure how these materials will hold up long-term, like the cushions for example, but I actually feel a decent amount of confidence in these compared to the mostly-plastic headphones in this class.
Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 Battery Life
The Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 has 60 hours of battery life with ANC set to OFF, and 50 hours with ANC on.
This is definitely above average battery life and towards the higher end of the wireless over-ear ANC headphone class.
There is also a “Rapid Charging” feature that provides 4 hours of listening time with 10 minutes of charging.
Thankfully, these also feature the modern standard USB-C charging port.
Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 Noise Cancelling Performance
Unfortunately, I find the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2’s noise cancelling performance to be on the average to below average end of the scale.
It’s not bad if you’re playing music at a moderate volume, especially with the added bass drowning out the lower frequencies, but the effectiveness is just not on the level of the more premium ANC headphones in this class.
It’s certainly better than not having ANC at all, but this wouldn’t be my choice if ANC was a top priority.
The Transparency Mode is better, and presents outside noise in a natural way without being too muffled. It could be amplified a little more, as some other transparency modes “heighten” sound.
In this price range, the Bose QuietComfort on sale, or the Sony ULT Wear are better choices for ANC effectiveness.
Also, the Sony WH-1000XM4 and XM5 are upgrades in the noise cancelling department as well.
Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling Performance Score: 4.0 out of 5
Value
At the time of this writing, the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 retails at $229.99, but can be found on sale for as low as $217.99, or lower.
I think the Crusher ANC 2 is fairly priced, although I would really try to find them on sale, and avoid them at full retail.
Full retail is not a great value IMO, but on sale, I think these start to become very appealing.
There are a bunch of headphones below and above the price of the Crusher ANC 2, but not a ton at the same price, which puts it at an interesting no man’s land of sorts.
If you’re willing to spend more, I’d jump up to a Sennheiser Momentum 4, which has plenty of bass but is more audiophile.
If you want to save some money, the Sony ULT Wear offers plenty of bass with even better ANC and sound quality.
Overall, I do think the Crusher ANC 2 is an attractive package when on sale.
Value Score: 4.0 out of 5
Overall Scoring Breakdown
Sound Quality: 8.0 / 10 (after EQ)
Comfort: 4.0 / 5
Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 4.0 / 5
Value: 4.0 / 5
Total: 20.0 / 25
Is the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 Worth it?
Overall, I do like the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2, and find it to be a decent value wireless ANC headphone, especially for bassheads.
They’re one of the more FUN headphones to listen to, and I think Skullcandy created the proper product for their target audience.
I do find the “Crusher Bass” a bit more gimmicky than useful, but I can see others enjoying it and I’m all for that.
This product could also improve in its noise cancelling performance and comfort, but no headphone is close to perfect at this price range.
Like I mentioned in the “Value” section above: If you’re willing to spend more, I’d jump up to a Sennheiser Momentum 4, which has plenty of bass but is more audiophile.
The Bose QuietComfort is also a valid alternative that has better comfort and noise cancelling, with a large amount of bass itself.
If you want to save some money, the Sony ULT Wear offers plenty of bass with even better ANC and sound quality, for less money.
Some very strong alternatives in this class of wireless headphones are:
- Skullcandy Crusher Evo
- Skullcandy Hesh ANC
- Skullcandy Hesh Evo
- Sony ULT Wear
- Sennheiser Momentum 4
- Bose QuietComfort (2023 model)
- Sony WH-1000XM4
- Sony WH-1000XM5
- Beats Studio Pro
- Anker Soundcore Space Q45
- JBL Tune 770NC
- Sennheiser Accentum
- Sony WH-CH720N
- Anker Soundcore Space One
- JBL Tune 720BT
- Bose QuietComfort 45
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra
- Apple AirPods Max
Some Relevant Comparisons in this class of wireless headphones are:
- Skullcandy Crusher Evo vs ANC 2 Comparison
- Sony WH-1000XM4 vs Sony WH-1000XM5
- Bose QuietComfort 45 vs Sony WH-1000XM4
- Beats Studio Pro vs Sony WH-1000XM4
- Beats Studio Pro vs Sony WH-1000XM5
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM5
I highly recommend you check those out next!
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Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Want to save up to $20 or more?
Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 noise cancelling?
Yes, the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 has Active Noise Cancelling along with “Stay-Aware” Transparency mode.
Are the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 discontinued?
No, as of July 2025, the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 is still being produced.
Can I wear Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 in the rain?
It is generally recommended that you do not wear the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 in the rain as they are not rated for being sweatproof or waterproof.
How We Tested and Our Methodology
RecordingNOW.com is a 100% independent publisher with over 10 years of experience testing and reviewing consumer electronics and headphones.
We currently purchase the products we test with our own money, and are not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.
After purchasing the product, we conduct up to hundreds of hours of detailed hands-on testing in a controlled, acoustically-treated environment.
ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, tech journalist, and audiophile.
Read Next
Skullcandy Crusher Evo vs ANC 2 Comparison
Bose QuietComfort Review (2023 Model)
Anker Soundcore Space Q45 Review
Anker Soundcore Space One Review
