Even when I was in high school, it was hard to take Skullcandy seriously. It was a new, hip brand for snowboarders, cigarette smokers, and degenerates that my posh, bespectacled jazz nerd persona couldn’t get behind. When I’d borrow someone’s earbuds to listen to whatever the latest, grossest pop punk or emo was, I’d find the sound lacking anything but bass and treble: All style, no substance.
In my professional years, I've found Skullcandy products that I actually like. The recent Bluetooth speakers have been utterly decent, as have a few of the brand's pairs of cheap wireless earbuds. I’d never go out of my way to recommend them to online buyers, but if you happened to be traveling, headphoneless or speakerless, and they were on sale, they aren't a terrible buy.
All that has changed with the new Method 360 ANC, a pair of Bose-collab earbuds that take higher-end models to task on both sound and noise cancellation. After a few weeks with the earbuds, I’m starting to rethink the brand entirely. Have the folks at Skullcandy finally grown up, or have they simply realized that making great-sounding headphones is a must in today’s saturated market? Either way, I love the results. If I were looking for a cheap pair of noise-canceling earbuds for the Trump Tariff Era, these would be my choice.
Less Money, Larger Size
The main downside to these earbuds compared to their higher-end brethren is the aesthetics. The candy-bar-sized charging case that comes with the Method 360 ANC is a lot bigger than the pillbox you get with Apple's AirPods Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends) or Bose's QuietComfort buds (8/10, WIRED Recommends). Thankfully, it comes with a built-in key chain loop, so you can easily hang it from your bag, purse, or keys, and it has a firm, clicky slide mechanism that keeps the earbuds from dumping themselves all over the place.