The Skullcandy Burton Crusher Evo Sensory Bass headphones are great sounding headphones at a great price.  Do not expect sound as good as the more expensive higher end headphones such as those from Bose or Sony but they still pack a punch — especially with their bass.

At $299 RRP they are not cheap, but you certainly get bang for your buck.  The Skullcandy Burton Crusher Evo headphones have a specific Burton design which may not be to everyone’s taste but if you’re looking for headphones with some kick in the bass then these are for you.

Skullcandy advertise the Crusher Evo headphones as “music you can feel” and they’re not wrong.  Pump up that bass and you can feel it reverberate through you, just how it should!

Design, comfort and fit

A couple of years ago I tested out the Skullcandy Hesh ANC and was impressed with how good they were, especially considering the price.  Not much has changed with the design of the Skullcandy headphones and these Burton-flavoured Crusher Evo headphones follow a very similar design language – when it comes to the buttons anyway.

The left-hand side of the headphones are a dark olive green which is a colour that looks great.  The other right-hand side of the headphones is where the party starts – the leopard-print Naughty Nature colourway is a result of the collab of Burton and Skullcandy and it is striking.  My wife loves all things animal print, and she absolutely adores these, although they are really not my style.

The Burton Crusher Evo headphones are lightweight and sit comfortably on/over the ears.  The padding is once again thick with a soft pleather covering which feels very comfortable on the ears.

The padding on the headband is not massive and only a small section in the middle, but it’s enough.  I was able to wear the headphones for a few hours without having any major pain issues but I would still live to have more padding – there is always room for improvement and more comfort.

Storage is different.  The headphones fold down, as many do, and they slide into a carry bag, also as many do but the bag does not seal with a simple drawstring.  Instead, you roll over the top of the bag two times and close the buckle.  Inside this tough canvas bag is a couple of small pockets to store changing cables as required.  Although the bag is a touch canvas on the outside, it is a soft material on the inside.  Did I mention the bag is also the same Naughty Nature colourway as the right side of the headphones?

Sound quality 

With a bass slider you would expect Skullcandy to have built in a focus on the low end and you’d be right.  Ever felt headphones that made your head reverberate?  That shook on the ears with the bass not even turned up to 50 percent?  Me neither — until now.

If you like heavy bass on your headphones then these are for you.  Listening to my usual headphone playlist and my go-to bass songs which is basically anything old school by Ice Cube was like something you have never heard before.

To be honest it’s nearly a bit too heavy on the bass but it is crazy good – you don’t normally hear bass this punchy and deep in a set of headphones this cheap.

How was the rest of the sound though I hear you ask?  It was pretty damn good.  It was difficult to tell just how good the mids and highs were given how overpowering the bass was but sliding the bass slider down to zero revealed that the highs and mids were good too.  

Compared to a more expensive set of headphones such as the Bose QC45, the range of the mids and highs were a bit lacking but you’d expect that for a set of headphones that cost around half the price.  

To get the full range of sound out of the Skullcandy Crusher Evo headphones you really shouldn’t have the bass slider too high.  If you really want to FEEL the bass, and the Crusher Evo headphones do have bass you can feel, then slide that bass right up!

The Skullcandy Crusher Evo do not have noise cancellation but instead opt for noise isolation through well-fitting ear cups.  In my testing I had the volume turned up on by Bose QC45 playing in the background (around my neck) at the same time as the Crusher Evo were on my ears playing music as well.   I could not hear a single peep or yell (let alone a doof doof) from the Bose QC45 through the Crusher Evo.  

Long story short, the noise isolation in the Skullcandy Crusher Evo works and works well.

The Skullcandy app

The Skullcandy app offers custom features for different headphones.  For the Crusher Evo the functionality in the app is very basic.  The app offers software updates, battery level reading and the ability to adjust the volume along with an equaliser.

Unfortunately, the EQ only offers three choices – music, podcast and movie.  There is no custom option which was disappointing.  You are stuck with what Skullcandy has designed the audio in the Crusher Evo to sound like.

Skullcandy do offer the ability to customise the sound of the headphones to your ears allowing you to supposedly hear more sounds based on what your ears themselves can discern.  I’m not told on this feature as it didn’t sound all that different to me but it’s there if you want it.

“By taking a quick, real-time test on the Skullcandy App, you’ll create a Personal Sound Profile that is stored on your headphones to optimize sound levels just for you.”

The app is also where you will access the Tile functionality of the headphones. Handy but I’m yet to find any use for Tile built into anything.

Battery life

The battery life on the Crusher Evo is incredibly impressive – I dare say because they haven’t wasted any battery life on active noise cancellation.  Skullcandy say that the battery on them will last 40 hours and in my testing I can say they are pretty accurate with that.

A 10minute fast charge will also give you an extra 4 hours of listening time – amazing.

Who should buy them?

The Skullcandy Burton Crusher Evo Sensory Bass headphones are perfect for the consumer who love to feel the bass in their music — not just hear it but FEEL it. The bass is so loud and banging that the headphones will shake on your head. In saying that, it is not distorted or any such thing with the bass still have great shape and sound precise.

If you want headphones that give you the best quality overall sound then maybe you will want to spend a bit more for Bose, Sony, or even more if you want great headphones for some Focal headphones. But if the $300 mark is your sweet spot, you love your bass and are not an overly discerning audiophile then these could be for you.

If the animal print is not for you Skullcandy sell a non-Burton version of the Crusher Evo headphones as well, also for $299. If you like the look of the Burton Crusher Evo headphones and want to FEEL your bass, then jump in while stocks last over at the Skullcandy website and selected retailers.