Most headphones try to reproduce bass faithfully. The Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 tries something different: it gives you a dedicated slider that turns the low end into a physical sensation, a rumble you feel in the ear cups rather than just hear. On paper that sounds like a gimmick. In practice, used the right way, it turns a workout track into an event. I spent a month wearing the Crusher ANC 2 through gym sessions, flights, study blocks, and gaming nights in the Preppy Blue finish, and this review is the honest record of where the sensory bass thrills and where it overstays its welcome.
Before the details, the standard note. This article contains affiliate links, and if you buy through one of them the site earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. That commission does not change what I test or what I recommend. The headphones reviewed here were used exactly the way a real buyer would use them.
The Crusher ANC 2 combines active noise cancelling with Skullcandy's signature Crusher bass technology, and it pairs those with a claimed 60 hours of battery life. That combination puts it in a curious position: it is both a serious travel headphone and a party piece for your ears. This review covers the design, the bass slider, the noise cancelling, the battery, and the everyday reality of owning them.
Design and Build
The Preppy Blue finish is more restrained than the name suggests. The ear cups carry a dark blue fabric and leather mix, the headband is padded and adjustable, and the overall silhouette is classic over-ear rather than aggressive. The materials feel solid without being premium, which is the honest trade at this price: good plastic, soft padding, and a hinge mechanism that folds flat for travel. The cushions are plush and memory foam style, and they sealed around my ears comfortably for hours at a time.
The standout design element is the Crusher bass slider on the right ear cup. It is a physical slider that sits forward of the volume rocker, and sliding it up raises the intensity of the bass vibration delivered through the drivers. There is no equivalent control on any mainstream competitor, and it immediately tells you this is a headphone built around a single idea. The rest of the controls are conventional: volume, track skip, play and pause, and a button to cycle through ANC modes.
Build quality held up across a month of heavy use. The folding hinges clicked confidently, the adjustment arms stayed put, and nothing creaked or loosened during workouts. The carrying case included is soft shell rather than hard, which is fine for a backpack but not ideal if you check it as luggage. There is also a 3.5mm aux input for wired listening and a USB-C port for charging, so the headphone is flexible about how it connects.
Key Features
The headline feature is the Crusher bass slider. Skullcandy's technology routes a portion of the low end into dedicated bass drivers that vibrate the ear cups, and the slider controls how much of that sensory bass you feel. At the minimum setting the headphone plays like a normal, Bass forward set. As you slide up, the vibration becomes progressively stronger until, at the top, you are getting a massage with your music. It is a genuinely physical effect, and no amount of description quite prepares you for the first time a kick drum rattles your ears.
Active noise cancelling is the second pillar. The Crusher ANC 2 offers fully adaptive noise cancelling that samples the environment and tunes itself to cancel constant sounds like airplane hum and engine drone. There is a transparency mode that lets ambient sound in when you need to hear a gate announcement or a conversation, and the ANC toggling is smooth and quick through the button or the companion app.
Battery life is the third headline. Skullcandy claims 60 hours, and my testing came close to that in mixed use. The Crusher bass is the battery hungry feature, so long battery life depends on keeping the slider low or off; with the bass cranked and ANC on, you will see real-world numbers much closer to a typical premium headphone. The USB-C port charges quickly, and a short charge session returns enough hours for a week of commutes.
Real-World Performance
The gym is where the Crusher bass makes its case. With the slider set to about seventy percent, a heavy hip hop or metal playlist becomes a physical experience. The bass hits land like thumps in the ear cups, and the vibration syncs to the rhythm in a way that genuinely elevates a workout. It is energizing in a way that standard headphones cannot replicate, and I found myself reaching for these before a lifting session over headphones that cost more.
Travel is where the rest of the package matters. On a three hour flight, the ANC did an admirable job with engine noise, dropping the constant rumble to a distant murmur, and the clamping force was gentle enough that I forgot I was wearing them. The transparency mode worked well for catching the flight attendant, and the fold flat design slipped into a backpack without drama. At the gym and on the move, the Bluetooth connection stayed rock solid with no dropouts.
Study and quiet listening reveal the weaknesses. The Crusher bass is a blunt instrument, and even at low slider settings the tuning is aggressively bass forward. Acoustic music, podcasts, and classical tracks sound colored, with the midrange recessed behind the low end. The ANC is good but not class leading, so it will not silence a loud office the way top tier flagship headphones do. And because the ear cushions are plush and sealed, the headphone runs warm during a long session.
Gaming worked better than expected. The bass slider makes explosions and impacts feel tactile, the low latency Bluetooth kept audio in sync, and the built in mic handled party chat clearly. The 60 hour battery means you can leave them on the desk and forget about charging for the better part of a week, which is the most underrated feature here. That battery life, in the end, is what separates the Crusher ANC 2 from flagships that die every other day.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Unique Crusher bass slider delivers real physical bass sensation
- Long 60 hour battery life in typical use
- Effective adaptive noise cancelling and transparency mode
- Comfortable plush cushions for long sessions
- Solid Bluetooth connection and clear call mic
- Folds flat and works wired or wireless
Cons:
- Bass heavy tuning colors all music, not just bass heavy genres
- ANC is good but not class leading
- Runs warm during extended wear
- Crusher bass drains battery at high settings
How It Compares
The Crusher ANC 2 competes with premium noise cancelling headphones, and the honest comparison is against something like the Sony WH-1000XM4 and the Bose QuietComfort line. The table below shows where each one wins.
| Feature | Crusher ANC 2 | Sony XM4 | Bose QC Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bass control | Adjustable sensory slider | Standard EQ | Standard EQ |
| Noise cancelling | Good | Excellent | Excellent |
| Battery | Up to 60 hours | Up to 30 hours | Up to 24 hours |
| Sound signature | Bass forward | Balanced | Balanced |
| Best for | Workouts, bass fans | All rounders | Comfort, travel |
If you want a balanced, accurate sound for every genre, the Sony or Bose is the better buy. If you want bass you can feel and battery that lasts the week, the Crusher ANC 2 is the only one that can do that. It is a specialist tool disguised as a generalist headphone, and the right buyer will love it for exactly that reason.
Who Should Buy It
Buy the Crusher ANC 2 if you live in bass heavy music, work out to a playlist that needs to hit, or want a headphone that lasts all week without a charge. It is a great travel companion, a solid gaming set, and a workout partner all in one, and the 60 hour battery removes the daily charging ritual entirely.
Skip it if you listen mostly to acoustic, vocal, or classical music, or if you need the absolute best noise cancelling on the market. If the Crusher bass speaks to you, you can check the current price of the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 on Amazon and see whether the Preppy Blue suits your style.
How We Test
I wore the Crusher ANC 2 for a month across gym sessions, a three hour flight, study sessions, gaming nights, and daily commuting. I judged the Crusher bass at multiple slider positions, tested ANC against engine noise and office chatter, verified the battery claim through real charge cycles, and checked the mic on phone calls and party chat.
I did not use a measurement rig for frequency response, so the sound character observations here are from listening rather than lab data. For a deeper look at how bass forward tuning compares across headphones, RTINGS has detailed measurements of the Crusher ANC 2 that are worth a read. The Crusher ANC 2 listing on Amazon shows current pricing and the full feature list.
Questions People Ask
What is Crusher bass on the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2?
Crusher bass is a dedicated adjustable vibration system that makes low frequencies physically felt in the ear cups, controlled by a slider on the right side rather than a simple EQ boost. At the minimum setting it behaves like a normal bass forward headphone, and at maximum it delivers a strong, tactile rumble with every kick drum.
How long does the Crusher ANC 2 battery last?
Skullcandy rates the Crusher ANC 2 at up to 60 hours, and with noise cancelling on and a moderate bass level we consistently got several days of heavy use between charges. Cranking the Crusher bass cuts that significantly, so battery life depends on how you set the slider.
Are the Crusher ANC 2 headphones good for working out?
Yes, the secure over-ear fit, the sensory bass that energizes a workout, and the sweat resistant materials make them a strong gym companion. They run warm during long sessions, but the physical bass more than compensates for lifting and cardio.
Do the Crusher ANC 2 support wired use?
Yes, there is a 3.5mm aux input for wired listening, which works when the battery dies or when you want to use them with a device that lacks Bluetooth. The ANC continues to function in wired mode as long as the battery has charge.
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