Skullcandy= premium headphones? That almost sounds like an oxymoron. Historically, this Utah brand has thrived in the cheap audio market, making noise with aggressive advertising and dirt-cheap pricing rather than whispering promises of quality sound.
Skullcandy is betting Big on a secret weapon: Bose. The new Method 360 ANC earbuds aren’t just another product; they proudly wear the badge of “sound by Bose,” a terminology usually reserved for the higher-price marks. Think acoustic tuning by Bose, ear tips by Bose, and a sleek profile that has that unmistakable and unmistakably classy Bose vibe. Close to each other they stand with the $299 QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. Now, the other ear dancing to a different tune: Method 360 ANC comes at a mere $130 (sometimes even $100)! So, has Skullcandy pulled the biggest robbery in audio and given the world-Bose-grade sound without the high-pricing? Well, the answer is a very tantalizing, almost-but-not-quite.
Skullcandy
Skullcandy Method 360 ANC
The Method 360 ANC earbuds: a $130 steal that flirts with greatness. Carrying a Bose-like design and rich in features, the Method 360s offer serious bang for the buck. While they deliver crazy value at the cost, do not expect to dethrone the QuietComfort king.
Pros
- Comfortable and secure fit
- Wear detection and multipoint pairing
- Powerful bass response and crisp highs
- Decent ANC for the price
Cons
- Laughably clunky case
- No wireless charging
- Extremely V-shaped sound signature isn’t well-suited for certain music
- Earbuds are fairly large
Explore More Buying Options
$100 at Best Buy
$100 at Best Buy
$100 at Amazon
Design and features
Chasing the crown of comfort from QuietComfort Ultra sit the Method 360 ANC Pro-Earbuds. They’re slightly weightier with a tad more plastic all over, but don’t let the specs fool you. Strategically placed, those heavenly soft silicone gels fly free and provide a snug fit with fins to secure stability without all that uncomfortable pressure. After weeks of intense testing, those fitting instructors stood tall as keepers. Sweat happens, and the IPX4 rating has it covered for most workouts. Bonus: That bit more bulk room hosts excellent and responsive touch controls – scarce in the messy $100-earbud arena.
Going beyond audio features, these earbuds have quite a few tricks up their sleeve. You can actively cancel noise or enter an ambient sound mode. Battery life is strong enough to run 8-11 hours, depending on how much noise-cancelling you actually want to exercise. They will connect to two devices at once seamlessly. Android users, rejoice! Fast Pair is here for you. Other smart features include wear detection; three options of ear tips and fins are provided for that fine-tuned fit. The Skull-iQ app from Skullcandy makes adjusting settings super easy – changes will be applied almost instantaneously. On the downside: wireless charging is out, and the warranty is just the usual one-year standard, which is a bit meh.
Method 360 ANC, as we see it, could well be a doppelganger for the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. But does this Skullcandy offering really contest the supremacy of noise-canceling kings? Here, we put the Method 360 ANC against heavyweight classes of Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds and Anker’s budget Soundcore Space A40.Brace yourselves for a sonic showdown.
(Jeff Dunn for Engadget)
Sound quality
Putting the 360s on, the price tag of fewer than 150 dollars suddenly makes perfect sense. Expect a sonic boom with a deeply V-shaped signature wherein bass commands attention and treble sparkles hard; the mid-range is left lagging behind.
Here comes a treat for bass heads! This type of music is making bass heavy. Hip-hop, dance anthems, and a couple of pop hits are made into pulse-pounding experiences. For instance, Kendrick’s “DNA” has very low bass tones that hit with force, and with some upper midrange lifting, the vocals just cut through the mix with crystal clarity. And somehow, that got you up and dancing!
Imagine the Method 360 ANC as a cooler, bolder cousin of the Anker Soundcore Space A40. Whereas the A40 hides in the shadows of the treble, Skullcandy instead liberates that top end with a crisp and airy sound texture into your favorite songs. Muffled sound goes, and sonic freedom comes.
Yet, with enduring listening, sonic fatigue seems possible. This saturation and scooped lows seem to mask all kinds of other finer details of intricate arrangements. Case in point: in Hop Along’s “The Knock,” the bass and the distorted rhythm guitar fight with the lead riff, choking it and thus Quinlan’s distinctive vocals. Conversely, on “Ventura Highway” by America, the acoustic guitar sounds great, but treble boosters breed sibilance, making its ‘s’ sounds harsh and somewhat irritating.
Focusing on balance can be viewed as a step in the right direction against the SkullCandy’s unilateral approach. This means no audiophile-level codec; it’s all SBC and AAC. Well, actually, that is already a step up for a basshead at this price range! So, miracles should not be expected. Too much bass? Soften it! Skullcandy’s app allows you to customize your own sound with a custom EQ.
Charging case? Let’s just say the case is not one to win a beauty contest. More brick than sleek, it opens with a slide-the sort of thing one would do to hide a false wall with a secret compartment rather than to take out the earbuds.
(Jeff Dunn for Engadget)
ANC, ambient sound, call quality and one funky case
For $130, Skullcandy’s ANC offers above-average value with customizable noise cancellation via their app, what a nifty touch. But expecting its maximum silence to line up with QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds or even the previous generation is asking too much. The rumbles of the subway are made tolerable, but those wails and unintelligible announcements shall enter your sacrosanct realm of sound and rain on your celebration at moderate volumes.
“Stay Aware” Ambient Sound Mode? The so-called ambient sound mode profiles are more whispered in pidgin English than announced in full dialect. Set it low, or you’ll end up philosophizing with yourself instead of hearing the world around you. For calls, bear in mind the elevator effect. The microphone selflessly struggles with the background noise, but introduce a wind, and your voice shrivels to a faint, computerized shadow of its former self. Said from my call partner, “You sound like you are trapped in an elevator shaft.”
The case, though? Well, let’s just say Skullcandy really stretched the concept of “bold” design. It’s huge, so much bigger compared to the slim ones of QuietComfort Ultra or Space A40. What, are we supposed to tote this beast around in our clown-sized pockets? There is a clip, but as a New Yorker, I am hard-pressed to consider strutting my valuables along a busy thoroughfare on a belt loop. And retrieving earbuds? Think of a tiny little irritating puzzle. Slide, flip, insert-it’s less about being intuitive and more about what were they thinking? Sometimes, Skullcandy, boring is good. For once, it would have been the best remedy.
The Method 360 ANC’s case has a built-in clip for attaching to bags or belt loops.
(Jeff Dunn for Engadget)
Wrap-up
So, Method 360 ANC earbuds: cheap Bose branding? You’ll never get QuietComfort-grade silence with these earbuds, but, boy, do they pump up the bass and really punch above weight. The case is a beast; otherwise, for roughly $100, they’re throwing down a feature-rich experience that absolutely obliterates bargain-store earbuds. Comfortable, bassy, and very well-equipped with features, Method 360 ANC is an excellent alternative for users craving volume without having to cough up a lot of money. Those who are just into massive bass and are willing to put up with a big-gulp-sized case will find an absolute bargain here.
Thanks for reading Skullcandy Method 360 ANC review: A cheaper version of Bose’s best earbuds with a few key sacrifices
