Skullcandy has launched the Crusher 1080 ANC, a new flagship headphone priced at 279.99 dollars that combines the company’s signature adjustable Crusher bass with three audio technologies licensed from Bose. The headphones mark the deepest integration yet between Skullcandy and Bose, following an earlier, more limited collaboration on the company’s Method 360 ANC earbuds.
The Crusher 1080 ANC is the first non-Bose headphone to feature Bose QuietControl, an adaptive noise cancelling system that uses six microphones to continuously monitor fit and adjust performance in real time. It also becomes the first headphone outside Bose’s own lineup to include Bose TrueSpatial, a head tracked spatial audio mode that anchors sound in front of the listener, alongside the Bose WaveForm audio engine, designed to keep sound balanced across different volume levels. Bose’s SpeechClarity voice pickup technology is also included for calls, a feature some other partner brands have previously offered.
On the hardware side, the Crusher 1080 ANC supports up to 60 hours of battery life with noise cancellation switched off, or 50 hours with it active, along with a 10 minute rapid charge that adds roughly four hours of playtime. The headphones use Bluetooth 5.3 with LE Audio support, offer multipoint connectivity, Auracast compatibility, and support both 3.5mm and USB-C wired connections as backup options. Physical controls include a dedicated dial for adjusting the haptic Crusher bass level, a switch for toggling between noise cancelling and transparency modes that also cycles through Music, Podcast, Movie, and Custom listening presets, and a joystick style control on the right earcup for volume and playback.
The Skullcandy app manages the headphone’s Bose powered features, including a customisable five band equaliser, giving users more granular control than Bose’s own three band equaliser offers on its headphones. The Crusher 1080 ANC features an industrial design with exposed powder painted metal accents and a visible driver plate, and folds flat into a lined rolltop bag rather than a bulky hard case, a change Skullcandy said was made in response to customer feedback about the size of previous carrying cases.
The Crusher 1080 ANC is available immediately from Skullcandy and other retailers in four colourways, including black, candy, primer, and cement. At its price point, the headphones undercut established flagship noise cancelling models from Sony, Bose, and Sennheiser by a significant margin while incorporating several premium features typically reserved for pricier headphones in the category.
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