Cheap version of Bose’s best earbuds and has some key casualties

Skullcandy is not the name that usually comes to mind when you think of premium headphones. The Utah-based company is primarily known in the budget sector, with low prices and loud, sports heavy marketing sales volumes outweigh the promise of excellent sound quality.

With the new method 360 ANC, audio manufacturers are trying to change that by locking another brand completely on another brand. Skullcandy proudly features its latest wireless earbuds as “Bose by Bose”, which means that the Bose offers sound tuning, ear tips and overall shape of the device. In fact, the sprouts look very similar to Bose’s Quietcomfort Ultra Earbuds. However, the premium pair retails for $299, and the Method 360 ANC costs just $130 (or as low as $100 for third-party stores in this article). So, has Skullcandy managed to capture the best choice for Bose at a more affordable price? kind of.

Design and Function

Method 360 ANC is indeed as comfortable as the Quietcomfort Ultra. Each earpiece is slightly heavier and more plastic – and the Bose pair is already on the bulky side – but the soft ear gel and stable fins help them to be comfortable without creating too much pressure. During the weeks of testing, I had no problems. The earbuds have an IPX4 waterproof rating – not the best, but enough to survive most people’s workouts. The larger frame creates more space for the side touch panel, and all the controls do work reliably, which is not in the $100 range.

These earbuds also come with most modern features you want. There are active noise cancellation (ANC) and ambient sound modes. Battery life is great at 8 to 11 hours, depending on ANC usage. They can connect to both devices at the same time and can work with Google’s fast pairing technology on Android devices. They also support wear detection, with three different sets of ear gels and fins in the box. Any setup tweaks I made in Skullcandy’s Skull-IQ application take effect quickly, and overall the software is easy to navigate. The only major omission here is the lack of wireless charging and a short one-year warranty.

Sound quality

But once you start listening to Method 360 ANC, you’ll start to understand why it’s priced under $150. The default sound signature is very V-shaped: the bass is very loud, the treble is bright, and everything in between is embedded. Bass enthusiasts should appreciate this with hip-hop, dance music and many pop songs. Tracks like Kendrick Lamar’s “DNA” become particularly rock-spread: the low end has deep and impact, while the giant spikes at the upper end keep the voice clear at all times. Generally, the Method 360 ANC is an advancement in the Anker Soundcore Space A40, a long-term choice for the best headphones in our guide to the best headphones. That pair of muffled in high notes, while Skullcandy’s crisp, more extended highs tend to reduce the closing feeling of the song.

That said, it’s easy to see how this signature becomes fatigued over time. It is consistent, and the embedded middle causes it to lose the details of the medium complex composition. Indie rock tracks like Hop is a little messy along “The Mokn” as the bass and crisp rhythm guitar overwhelms the main guitar and snatches the air’s vocals. With the American “Ventura Expressway”, the folk acoustic guitar is clearly shown, but the over-emphasized treble makes the “Ess” sound too sharp.

The Ultra doesn’t sound completely neutral, but by comparison, it’s always more balanced. Skullcandy also omits support for higher quality Bluetooth codecs, so only basic SBC and AAC are supported. All of this is still better than average for Bassheads shopping in this price range – just don’t expect it to be much more competitive than it can be. Thankfully, you can control the excess of some default profiles using custom EQ in Skullcandy’s application.

ANC, ambient sound, call quality and a stylish case

Skullcandy’s ANC is very respected for $130 and is great, you can customize the intensity of the noise reduction effect through the app. But this is not at the level of quiet comfort Ultra earbuds, or even trampled cometcomfort earbuds. It cuts most of the bass rumbles of the New York subway train, but the screams and stop announcements played in the medium volume sounded largely.

At the same time, the “keep consciousness” (ambient sound) mode is available, but that’s all. This is one of the things you need to keep the volume low to make sure you can clearly hear your own trades. Call quality is not good: The microphone is great for limiting background noise, but it will struggle in the wind and make your voice sound noticeably thin and processed. My test partner said it made me sound like I was in an elevator.

But my biggest complaint is the huge traffic of the case. It can be so ridiculously next to pairs like the Unipecomfort Ultra or Space A40 that I have to question the spaciousness of Skullcandy. There is a built-in clip that allows you to hang boxes in a bag or belt loop, but as a New York City resident, I would never be happy to hang out on my people. In fact, catching the earbuds back into the box is also a hassle: you have to open the case, then turn the headset upside down, and then plug it into the opposite side. I can understand what I want to make something unique, but this is an example of how boring would be better.

wrap up

Method 360 ANC has its problems, but most of them aren’t surprising for a pair of relatively affordable wireless earbuds (except for the oversized case). Don’t fool the bose brand’s brand means you’re getting a Bose level product – a Quietcomfort earbud that’s really traded is better if you’re willing to give more. But that still exceeds most budget pairs we tested. It has almost everything we’re looking for (unlike the Beats Solo Buds), and it’s comfortable, and the sound signature is just right if you crave bass. At a normal $130 price, it’s worth considering Bassheads that can last one above the bargaining bin. For $100 or less, that’s a great value. Just make room for this situation.