Skullcandy Crusher ANC, a vibrator for the ears
26.3.2020
Translation: machine translated
Video: Manuel Wenk
The Skullcandy Crusher ANC is not a sex toy - but it's not a normal pair of headphones either. We were all quite surprised the first time we tried them. I then tested what else the headphones can do apart from massaging the ears.
The Skullcandy Crusher app allows you to create your own personalised sound profile based on how well you hear in both ears. This profile, as my colleague Luca Fontana was told at IFA, has such an effect that we had to film ourselves the first time we heard it. You could see from our faces and our reactions how great it was.
Of course we wanted to try it out. None of us knew what to expect. We deliberately didn't inform ourselves about the product so that we could film a spontaneous reaction.
In fact, the reactions are remarkable. But not because of the sound profile, but because of the bass vibration - the second special feature of these headphones.
This vibration blows you away. These aren't headphones, they're headphones. During the video shoot, expressions such as "skullcrusher" or "craniocerebral trauma" were used.
Note: We shot the video before "social distancing" became a general rule of behaviour. So please don't get upset that we're sitting so close together.
Looked at as normal headphones
At first glance, the Skullcandy Crusher ANC is a normal pair of over-ear headphones with Bluetooth and active noise cancelling. Foldable and height-adjustable ear cups, buttons to control playback, connections for USB-C and headphone cable - just as you would expect.
The operation is functional and usable, the buttons can be felt very well. However, Skullcandy does not offer automatic switching on and off or automatic pausing when you take the headphones off.
The headphones are very comfortable. There is a soft cushion on the headband with a small indentation in the centre, where many headphones start to hurt me when worn for long periods of time.
Skullcandy claims a battery life of up to 24 hours. My impression is that the battery is almost impossible to drain. Of course, 24 hours is more than enough anyway. But the less often a device has to be charged, the longer the battery remains powerful. If the battery does run out at the most inopportune moment, it can be charged to the point where it lasts for three hours within ten minutes.
ANC and microphones
I find it difficult to judge how effectively the noise cancelling works. There are no laboratory measurements like those carried out by Rocket Science, and since I'm sitting in a quiet room all day due to the coronavirus pandemic, I also don't have the usual everyday experience.
What I do know for sure is that the noise cancelling on this device is extremely noisy. No headphones with ANC are completely noise-free, but it's usually so quiet that you can only hear it in absolute silence. With the Skullcandy Crusher ANC, I can hear the noise even when music is playing, especially during quieter passages. It's definitely too loud.
The headphones are still noisy even when the noise cancelling is switched off. Albeit less strongly. The strength of the noise cancelling cannot be adjusted.
With the help of built-in microphones, the headphones also provide an ambient mode in addition to noise cancelling, which lets ambient noise through - i.e. records it and plays it back without a time delay. You can easily switch between the two modes by holding your hand to the left ear cup. However, this takes about five seconds. If you realise that someone is talking to you, you should therefore quickly take off the headphones.
In Ambient Mode, feedback can occur when I hold my finger on the microphone. In the video, this only results in a harmless humming sound. The first time, however, there was a whistling sound, which is not good for the ears at all.
The sound profile doesn't knock my socks off
In contrast to the Nuraphone headphones, the sound profile is not determined automatically, but based on a hearing test: different loud and high tones are played individually for each ear and the user has to indicate whether they can hear them or not.
With the individual sound profile, the headphones sound significantly different than without. Apparently, I generally hear slightly better on my right ear than on my left. The sound profile balances this out, resulting in a different left-right distribution of the various instruments. I can't say for sure whether this is just different or better. Sometimes I like it better, sometimes less well. In any case, this sound profile is not the promised burner.
In my case, the bass is also louder than without the profile. This turns some bass-heavy tracks into a mush. The other side effect of this is that the bass vibration becomes even harsher.
It is possible to repeat the listening test and create multiple profiles. You can also use the headphones without the app (on a laptop, for example) if you don't use the sound profiles.
The sound: good, but not unrivalled
The sound characteristics of the Crusher - without profile and vibration - are fairly ordinary. Bass and treble are quite strongly emphasised, but the mids still remain present. In other words, the sound is perfectly fine. But not the best ever. The top models from Sony, Sennheiser and Bose convinced me more. And that's despite the fact that the Skullcandy Crusher ANC AptX HD - unlike the Bose Headphones 700.
The headphones also support the AAC codec. This is important for the iPhone, for example, which transmits with AAC but can't do anything with AptX. I also use AAC on my Huawei smartphone, as I often experience dropouts with AptX HD. I can't say whether this is the fault of the phone or the headphones.
You can also use the headphones the old-fashioned way with a standard 3.5 mm connection cable. The volume is completely sufficient on a smartphone and the sound quality is also good. A corresponding cable is included in the scope of delivery.
A set of hot ears
Now finally to what makes these headphones so special. There is a slide control on the left ear cup that can be used to adjust the bass vibration. From zero to earthquake. At the highest level, it's absolutely crazy. The vibration is able to move the headphones when they are placed on the table.
As you can see from the reactions in the title video, some people find it cool and others find it disturbing. I was just surprised at first. We all agree that the effect at the highest level is very extreme. With certain tracks, it vibrates so much that you can't even think about listening to music normally. But you can of course turn the control down.
A vibration focussed on the area around the ears is of course not the same as the physical experience at a concert or in a loud club, where you can feel the bass all over your body. But it comes closer than "normal" music listening.
The strength of the vibrations varies greatly depending on the piece of music. Unfortunately, the strongest vibrations don't necessarily occur where you would expect and where it fits best. Singer-songwriter pieces or very quiet jazz with double bass sometimes vibrate more than hard and loud music. The crusher is simply not intelligent enough to recognise the character of a piece. It simply reacts to certain frequencies and amplitudes.
The track "Thaw" by Black Sea Dahu vibrates like a record. This is inappropriate for this type of music.
The reverse is also true: Eat The Rich by Aerosmith surprisingly hardly vibrates at all.
With hip hop and reggae, it usually works as intended. You can also rely on EDM. If you want the full blast, you'll get it. I could use something as an example. But I don't use just anything. But Rizzoknor.
Vibration unique, the rest not
The remarkable thing about this device is not the individual sound profiles, but the bass vibration. To my knowledge, no other headphones have this. So if this is a reason for you to buy, there is simply no alternative.
The sound is good, albeit not top-notch, and the individual profiles can improve it somewhat. The headphones are comfortable and easy to use. The noise from the noise cancelling is definitely too loud and can be clearly heard on quiet tracks. But if you're just after a vibrating boom, this may not matter at all.
If vibration isn't important to you, there are better over-ear headphones at a comparable price. The Sony WH-1000MX3, for example, offer extremely good noise cancelling without noise, more features in the app and, in my opinion, slightly better sound quality. <p
David Lee
Senior Editor
David.Lee@digitecgalaxus.chMy interest in IT and writing landed me in tech journalism early on (2000). I want to know how we can use technology without being used. Outside of the office, I’m a keen musician who makes up for lacking talent with excessive enthusiasm.
