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SkullCandy kicked off its partnership with Bose last year with the impressive Method 360 ANC, and now it's bringing the tuning to its over-ear lineup.
The new Crusher 1080 ANC builds on SkullCandy's own Crusher bass technology, but refines it with Bose's noise cancellation, head tracking TrueSpatial and WaveForm Audio Engine technologies.
If you've never tried a pair of Crusher headphones, the pitch is simple: dedicated bass drivers let you physically feel the low end, not just hear it, like standing near a subwoofer at a gig.
Skullcandy has been refining that trick for years, and the 1080 ANC is its most advanced take yet, with a new driver design the brand says sharpens clarity, detail and separation alongside that signature thump.
What's new this time is the depth of the Bose partnership. Crusher 1080 ANC is the first headphone to combine Bose QuietControl adaptive noise cancellation, Bose TrueSpatial spatial audio with head tracking, and the Bose WaveForm Audio Engine all in one pair.
TrueSpatial is designed to work alongside Crusher's bass rather than against it, building a wider soundstage while keeping that physical low-end impact intact.
Skullcandy CEO Brian Garofalow said the goal was to combine the two technologies without compromise.
"In addition to giving fans the best-ever Crusher experience, we worked with Bose to be the first partner to integrate their noise cancellation, spatial audio, and other Sound by Bose technologies together," he said. "We set out to make the world's greatest headphone by combining the two to deliver an incredible sonic experience for an unbelievable value."
Bass level is adjustable on the fly, either through the onboard Crusher wheel or the Skullcandy app, so you can dial things back from bone-rattling to a more subtle rumble depending on what you're listening to.
The app also handles EQ presets for music, movies and podcasts, plus a custom five-band EQ if you want to tune things yourself.
Battery life is rated at up to 60 hours with ANC switched off, dropping to 50 hours with it on, and a 10-minute rapid charge gets you 4 hours of playback.
There's multipoint pairing for jumping between devices, wear detection that pauses playback when you take the headphones off, and low latency audio for gaming or video. Folding hinges and a roll-top travel bag round out the practical stuff.
Bose has always been a strong ANC brand, so it will be interesting to see if leveraging Bose's tech can help these headphones compete with the exceptional Sony WH-1000XM6.
| Price | $399.99 AUD RRP |
| Colours | Black, candy, primer, cement |
| Bass technology | Skullcandy Crusher (adjustable, dual-driver) |
| Noise cancellation | Bose QuietControl ANC (Quiet, Aware, Off modes) |
| Spatial audio | Bose TrueSpatial with head tracking |
| Audio engine | Bose WaveForm Audio Engine |
| Call quality | Bose SpeechClarity |
| Battery life | Up to 60 hours (ANC off) / 50 hours (ANC on) |
| Fast charging | 10 minutes = 4 hours playback |
| Bluetooth | v5.3 with LE Audio and Auracast |
| EQ | Music, Movie, Podcast presets plus custom 5-band EQ |
| Extras | Multipoint pairing, wear detection, low latency mode, Google Fast Pair v3.3, flat-folding design, roll-top travel bag |
Pricing and availability
Skullcandy Crusher 1080 ANC is priced at $399.99 AUD RRP and lands on 16 July 2026. It's available exclusively at JB Hi-Fi nationwide and via skullcandy.com.au, in four colourways: black, candy, primer and cement.
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