Skullcandy headphones and earbuds have long been a well-known budget option, though not exactly a brand that makes you think "premium sound."
Its latest release might change that. Thanks to a partnership with Bose, the new Skullcandy Method 360 ANC earbuds feature sound powered by Bose's technology. Following a press event with new brand ambassador Tony Hawk on April 15, the earbuds are now available to the public. As Skullcandy ups the sound quality of its earbuds, it's keeping the cost low with a special introductory price of $99.99, which will then be raised to $129.99. At their full price, they'll be the most expensive earbuds from the brand (while tied at their discounted price with the Push ANC Active earbuds).
At this time, a Skullcandy rep was unable to share when the discounted pricing would end, telling Mashable, "We’re laser-focused on delivering premium sound to the people at a highly accessible price point for as long as possible."
For comparison, the cheapest earbuds Bose offers are $179.99, though they occasionally drop down to the $150 range and once hit the record-low price of $129. At the time they hit the market, we deemed those earbuds a solid budget option. Meanwhile, early press information about the Method 360s stated that "sound quality is subjective to user taste, but we're confident they're better than anything at this price point and comparable to many above it," and claimed the earbuds could deliver "audio quality two to three times their price point."
If Skullcandy does deliver, they could pose a real threat to those Bose earbuds. I just received the earbuds myself and haven't tested them yet, so I can't say definitively whether or not they will, but I'll certainly be testing the earbuds side by side with Bose products and reporting back.
Along with Bose-powered sound, the Method 360 earbuds will come with features geared toward a premium experience, including:
Adjustable four-mic hybrid active noise cancellation
Nine hours of battery life with ANC per charge and 11 without ANC (23 and 29 hours with case, respectively)
A unique slider case with an O-ring clip
Three sizes of ear fins and gel ear tips
Multipoint pairing
A companion app with custom and preset EQ modes
Google Fast Pair
Bluetooth 5.3 and LE connectivity
As of April 16, you can grab the Method 360 ANC earbuds for $99.99 in five colorways at Skullcandy, Amazon, and Best Buy.
