It's just too bad it makes some compromises along the way: Compared to the previous generation Crusher 360 that had a metal construction, Skullcandy has gone with a mostly plastic build for the Crusher ANC. If your interest in the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 leans more towards the ANC side than the Crusher, there are better options available for the money. It is nice to see that Skullcandy offers a more discreet and visually work-friendly set of headphones without having to compromise on your inner child’s bassy taste. If you do manage to finally empty the battery, plugging it into USB-C power will get you four hours of playback from just 10 minutes of charging.

The bass control here wants to leave the humdrum of neutrality and immerse the listener with truly deep bass. Walking along a busy road, the Crusher ANC 2 cut out a respectable level of the background droning, but those tricky higher pitches still managed to worm their way through. These established brands have a slight stronghold on the market and the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 sets out to disrupt this. The result of an extremely exaggerated bass is, of course, a more spongy frequency image that tends to swallow up any subtle nuances.With that said, whatever song you choose to listen to on the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 won’t sound true to how it was mixed. While the ear pads on the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 feel comfortable, they do not isolate you from outside sounds particularly well. The cushions on the ears and on the headband are also a bit thin, not as dense as some more expensive options. Simply put, Skullcandy's ANC implementation doesn't come close to that of the Bose QC45 headphones in either of the above tests.

I came from the edifier WH950NB ( Don't waste your money with them) and these just totally blow them out of the water, there miles better.

In the US at least, the Crusher ANC 2 undercut the Sony XM4 by some margin, but in the UK and Australia, they’re pitted squarely against each other. Our advanced ANC is adjustable, too — so you can set your own custom level using a slider in the Skull-iQ App. On the EQ screen, you can choose between Music, Podcast, and Movie presets, as well as create a custom signature with up to five bands. This is useful for preserving battery life, but it’s unlikely that you’ll need to bother setting either option below maximum, because the Crusher ANC 2 offer terrific battery life. Music played when the bass is increased gains extra energy and rhythm, and I found myself dancing around my living room as if I were at a silent disco.