Skullcandy is back, and they are back with a bang. The Method ANC 360 earbuds with Sound by Bose, are aimed at the more discerning listener and those who want value for money.
No expense has seemingly been spared in marketing the new Method ANC 360 earbuds. Yes, that is someone who looks a lot like Tony Hawk in their marketing materials, so to say I was looking forward to checking out the new offering from Skullcandy is an understatement.
All other Skullcandy earbuds I’ve tried in the past have been good, some good, but not great. They lacked just a tiny bit of polish to rank them up alongside the more premium earbuds such as those from Sony, Sennheiser, Apple, and now Google. With the Method ANC 360 earbuds, Skullcandy is looking to take that leap to the next level without the price tag.
The Skullcandy Method ANC 360 is available in five unique colourways, including Black, Bone, Primer, Plasma, and Leopard, for RRP $189.99. I received the Black earbuds for the review set and have been impressed. Read on to hear my thoughts.
The Skullcandy Method ANC 360 is a different design. It is basically a hybrid of the stem (e.g., Airpod) design and the fully in-ear earbuds (e.g., Pixel Buds). Most of the earbud sits in the external section of the ear, with a small protuberance into the ear canal for a decent seal and a very short stem outside the ear proper.
A small fin helps fit the earbud into the ear and stabilise it there. The box includes different-sized fins for different-sized ears and ear cushions to allow for a good noise-isolating seal of the earbud into the ear canal. The box also includes a short USB-C charging cable.
The result of these two stabilising and fitting cushions is that they fit incredibly securely in the ear. Now, I did know they were there, but they were not uncomfortable by any means. Even while sprinting at full pace on the treadmill, they did not dislodge at all and did not need to be readjusted at any time during any sort of workout.
Speaking of working out, the earbuds include IPX4 sweat and water resistance so you don’t have to worry about them failing due to excessive sweat getting into them.
It is uncommon for me not to need to adjust earbuds at least a few times during a workout, but these I did not at all. They feel a bit more secure than my usual gym earbuds, although they were not quite as comfortable. I tested the Skullcandy out with different fins, etc., and the comfort/secure combination is a tradeoff. In the end, I preferred the secure fit because, although not quite as comfortable, they were not dislodged at any time.
The stem is not the touch area of the earbud but the circular section where the stem attaches to the earbud proper. The touch section is easy to find thanks to a ridge at the top of the earbud that directs your fingertip to the touch-sensitive area.
The charging case is effectively twice the size of similar earbuds, such as the JBL Live Pro 2, the Sennheiser Accentum TW and the Pixel Buds Pro 2. It is different to them also in that a drawer that holds the buds slides out rather than having a lid that opens to reveal the buds.
I prefer the Skullcandy implementation, even though the case is much larger, because there is no chance of the lid/drawer accidentally opening in your bag, which my Sennheiser earbuds have done on occasion.
Even though the case is much larger, it doesn’t hold twice as much charge as the smaller cases. The case holds 15 hours of playback in charge, with the earbuds holding another 6 (with ANC on). The case does support fast charging, with just 10 minutes of charging providing another two hours of playback.
The Skullcandy Method 360 ANC earbuds are different , not just in their design and the case but also in their quality for such a relatively low price. I’m not sure how they managed to pull it off, but Skullcandy have included Sound By Bose technology for “industry-leading audio tuning and performance.” I’m not sure where that leaves Bose and their earbuds but, that is not the point here.
The Method 360 ANC has an RRP of AU$189.99, which is at the upper end of the everyday, every-person earbuds range. However, it is short of the original RRP for the more discerning listener, such as the Sennheiser earbuds. In saying that, the Sennheisers are now a lot cheaper, given that they are a year old—you can pick up the Sennheiser Accentum TW for just $199 these days.
My go-to earbuds around the house and at the gym are my Sennheisers, the Momentum Sport for the gym and the Accentum TW and the Momentum TW4 for around the house and elsewhere. These new Method 360 ANC from Skullcandy are extremely comparable to all but the Momentum TW4 earbuds from Sennheiser (which are still my go to for near-audiophile quality earbud sound).
The bass is deep and punchy, although it is not as crisp as that in the Sennheiosers, it does offer a deeper more powerful sound which is impressive. The mid and upper end of the registry is even more comparable with the sounds crisp and bright, covering all regions of the music. They were also louder.
I had to listen extremely close to my headphone-testing playlist (which has grown as my tastes have) to be able to hear a true difference between all of these headphones. I would go as far as to say that I prefer the sound of the Skullcandy earbuds over that of the Accentum TW and the Momentum Sport. It just seemed brighter while still having a good kick in the bass.
These Skullcandy Method 360 ANC pack a punch for their price. I am actually surprised – I expected them to sit above those earbuds of $100 – $200 but below that of the Sennheiser earbuds.
“This product sets a new standard,” said Justin Regan, VP of Marketing at Skullcandy. “We’re launching at $189 AUD because we want more people to hear what’s next. But make no mistake, Method 360 ANC belongs in the premium tier.”
Maybe it is the Sound by Bose, or the new design, maybe it is both but either way, I couldn’t agree with Justin more.
The ANC in the Skullcandy Method 360 earbuds is exceptional. It doesn’t have the smart ANC that we see in some of the more expensive earbuds but the ANC works really well and doesn’t seem to affect the quality of the music much at all.
Take these on the plane, and you will not be able to hear any engine noise. However, if you are going on a long overseas flight, you may want to choose a smaller fin and ear cushion for added comfort. I used these mostly at the gym, so an hour or so was the main usage time.
The Skull IQ app is used to control the Method 360 ANC earbuds. The app includes all the usual settings including:
To say I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC earbuds would be a massive understatement. The sound quality blew me away when I considered the sub-premium pricing. The bass is strong and heavy with really crisp mids and upper registry sounds offering a wide sound stage that the more discerning listener will love.
The fit is not the most comfortable I have used, but in saying that, they were not uncomfortable, and I had no issues wearing them for a good couple of hours at a time. I did choose the most secure fit, though, to help them stay in my ear while sprinting at the gym.
The Skullcandy Method 360 ANC earbuds are available online now at Skullcandy.com.au and selected JB Hi-Fi retailers for RRP $189.99. The earbuds are available in five unique colourways, including Black, Bone, Primer, Plasma, and Leopard (Leopard online only at Skullcandy) .
Scott is our resident open technology expert. If you can mod it, or want to use it your way, Scott has probably done it. From Laptops to phones, headphones and game consoles, he’s played with it and wants to see the next generation.
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