Skullcandy Taps Bose to Shed Its Bargain-Bin Image

Skullcandy, a headphone brand long known for mediocre audio quality, is making a concerted effort to reinvent itself. The company's first step was a partnership with Bose in 2025, resulting in the $130 Skullcandy Method 360 ANC earbuds, which received praise for decent sound and noise cancellation at a low price.

Now Skullcandy has unveiled the Crusher 1080 ANC headphones, the next generation of its iconic bass-heavy Crusher line. These wireless headphones feature a physical thumb wheel that lets users crank up the bass vibrations, but previous models often sacrificed mid and high frequencies. To fix this, the company worked with Bose engineers to decouple the bass boost from the rest of the audio tuning, ensuring clarity even at maximum bass.

The Crusher 1080 ANC retails for $280, significantly less than top-tier models from Sony, Bose, or Apple. Bose technology contributes noise cancellation that works even with high bass, spatial audio for a surround sound experience, and a six-microphone array for improved call quality. Battery life is rated at 60 hours with ANC off and 50 hours with it on; a 10-minute rapid charge provides four hours of playback. Other features include auto-pause when removed, customizable EQ, multipoint Bluetooth 5.3, and Auracast support.

CEO Brian Garofalow acknowledges that Skullcandy has excelled at community building but lagged in engineering. He believes the new headphones, combining Skullcandy's unique bass technology with Bose's audio expertise, will help change consumer perception. The company previously attempted a reputation turnaround, but this time, a focus on quality at a competitive price may prove successful.