Skullcandy Crusher Evo Over-Ear Wireless Headphones with Sensory Bass, 40 Hr Battery, Microphone, Works with iPhone Android and Bluetooth Devices - Black

Product Information

But it works and it’s free, so if you happen to be the kind of person who misplaces everything that isn’t bolted down, it’s a good thing. Call quality Simon Cohen / Digital Trends The Crusher Evo comes with a two-year warranty from Skullcandy — double what you typically find in this category. They’re solid and well-built and made from decent materials. If you stow them in the included bag when you’re not using them, they should last for many years. Should you buy them? The Skullcandy Crusher Evo makes no audiophile promises, and doesn't claim to be optimised for high-resolution music. Instead, this is a mid-range wireless headset that focuses on one major aspect, the bass. Using the slider, you can set the bass to be either mellow and entirely in line with the headphones' core tuning, or turn it up to a point where the entire headset shakes on your head.

Without an ANC feature to draw down the battery, the Crusher Evo can last 40 hours on a single charge. That’s very impressive. Panasonic’s RB-M700, which features a similar bass module, only gets 20 hours of operation — and that’s when its bass reactor feature is disabled. The soundstage only seemed spacious at the bass end in terms of bass separation, but didn't feel as wide and luxurious overall as I had hoped for. This is a great pair of headphones for bass lovers, provided your music tastes are appropriately bass-focused. If you're looking for a more well-rounded and detailed pair of headphones, the WH-CH710N would be a better bet at a lower price.

Their ANC could be better, but the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 perform well on the audio front thanks to powerful bass and effective haptics

Although a bit smaller than older Crusher models, the Crusher Evo is still an over-ear headset. That said, the fit isn't as comfortable as that of the Crusher ANC; the Evo feels a bit too snug and heavy at 312g, and didn't seem to sit properly around my ears when I had glasses on, affecting the noise isolating seal a fair bit. However, the padding is soft, and the fit wasn't too bad for listening sessions of up to an hour or so. The headphones can also be folded for easy storage. I’m especially impressed by the carry bag. Usually, these items (when they’re included at all) tend to be after-thoughts — just a thin bag to protect your headphones from scratches. At the top end, it’s ridiculous, with the earcups practically pushing themselves off your head as they try to accommodate the extra air movement created by the bass drivers — but why not? You can always dial it down when your vision starts to blur. Our take With the Sensory Bass slider all the way down, you get the amount of bass a reasonable human being can appreciate. With it all the way up, it can literally rattle your vision. No one needs this much bass. But if you want it, by golly you can have it. I find the sweet spot to be about one-quarter of the way up, which should give you some sort of indication of just how aggressive this slider is. It's nuts. High frequencies were significantly boosted to achieve this, and I suspect that if Skullcandy offered a full set of EQ adjustments I could probably have gotten similar results like this on my own, but considering how easy it was to take the test, why bother?

Listening to Arambol by Astropilot on an iPhone 12 mini ( Review), the sound started off as I'd have expected from any reasonably good pair of wireless headphones, but the thump and rumble in the deep beats made for a unique listening experience that not too many competing options can offer. Many popular genres of music today are all about the bass, and listeners have come to expect the same from their headphones and speakers. While a lot of popular brands offer bass-boosted options in the affordable and mid-range headphone space, none have gone quite as far as Skullcandy. The Crusher series of headphones has been unique for one big reason – the addition of ‘sensory' bass, controlled through a slider that lets the headphones provide as much low-end thump and aggression as you want. Both the active noise cancellation and the “Stay Aware” transparency modes have a strength slider that you can play with to find the right level for you. 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. Skullcandy’s stated battery life of over 50 hours is presumably with ANC disabled, but even with it on, I easily got more than a week out of them before they needed charging.Unlike almost every audio personalization feature I’ve ever tried, turning it on and off while listening to music delivered a distinct improvement to clarity from the Evo’s base EQ. The Crusher Evo’s Sensory Bass system is the primary reason to consider these headphones over other wireless models in the same price range. But, according to Skullcandy, the personal audio tuning feature is just as important to the headphones’ performance. Developed with Audiodo, a Swedish company with deep roots in digital signal processing, the personalization is done within the Skullcandy app. After a series of tests in which you register your ability to hear certain frequencies at varying volume levels, you’re given a customized EQ adjustment that you can turn on or off.

Even at around the 20 percent level on the bass slider, there's enough bass to make the Skullcandy Crusher Evo shake on your headPersonally I think this feature makes sense on a smaller product like the Skullcandy Vert, which could easily get lost between a set of couch cushions. I’m just not convinced it’s as valuable for something as big and obvious as the Crusher Evo. While not as subtle or precise as what you’ll find from pricey higher-end models like the Sony WH-1000XM4, these headphones deliver a really pleasing mix of lows, mids, and high frequencies. Their soundstage falls into a middle ground that’s just wide and deep enough to give you a good feeling of space. Weighing in at 11 ounces, the Crusher Evo are on the heavier side as far as wireless headphones go — probably due to their amazing battery life (more on that in a moment) — but they remain quite comfortable. The headband provides plenty of clamping force and the ear cushions find a nice middle ground between softness and support. If monstrous bass is your jam, then yes, the Crusher Evo must be in the running for your next set of headphones. As is the case with most Skullcandy headphones and earphones, the Crusher Evo is compatible with the Skullcandy app, available for Android and iOS. Customisation options for the Crusher Evo are limited; you can set up a personal sound profile using Audiodo, and choose between Music, Podcast, and Movie modes for basic audio equaliser tweaking.

Operation is very intuitive, especially when working with the Sensory Bass slider on the left earcup. I love that it gives an infinite range of adjustment, from nothing-at-all to skull-pounding and everything in between. Home Free’s haunting pirate shanty Skull and Bones is underwritten by a thumping war drum and led by vocals so guttural that they often drift into throat singing waters. The Crusher ANC 2 expertly facilitated the vocals in sinking to the depths of Davy Jones, with terrific clarity maintained right down to the most rumbling baritone. This is a good starting point, and the Crusher build on that impressive bass response. Without the vibrations, my skull may not have been rattled, but my timbers were most definitely shivered. What makes the Crusher Evo special is a unique "Sensory Bass" slider on the side of the left cup. This in effect allows you to customize the amount of bass in music far beyond what would normally be allowed by a simple software EQ. The bag specifically says it’s not waterproof and that’s true. The nylon isn’t coated in a water-resistant layer so it will absorb moisture if you get it wet, but it should have no trouble keeping the Crusher Evo protected from the occasional inadvertent splash if you remove them from the bag as soon as possible. Controls, comfort, and ease of use Simon Cohen / Digital TrendsBut even if you don’t care to use the personal audio adjustment (or you happen to have optimal hearing), the good news is that the Crusher Evo sound really good without any meddling with their EQ settings. On the plus side, when the headband sliders are fully retracted, the Crusher Evo offer a much smaller minimum size, so those with smaller than average heads will likely find that these headphones fit them when other models don’t. They’re just fine for casual phone calls, but you might want to make a point of finding a quiet spot if you want your callers to hear you clearly. Sound quality Simon Cohen / Digital Trends