Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2: A rapper's delight

Gamers might also appreciate this headphone's ability to rattle your brain with its over-the-top bass response, but it won't impress critical listeners.

- MICHAEL BROWN

The Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 (fave.co/3CMCSHK) is aptly named. It will almost literally crush your ears with its thumping bass response, but its active noise cancellation is pretty weak sauce.

Skullcandy says it's targeting "techsavvy audiophiles" with this headphone, but most audiophiles eschew active noise cancellation, and I don't know of any who would seek out an audio product that so zealously overemphasizes a given frequency range the way the Crusher ANC 2 does the low end.

But for those looking for a headphone with massive amounts of thump, this is the one to buy. Note: Walmart sells these headphones in a box labeled Crusher ANC XT 2, but the same product is inside.

HOW DOES THE SKULLYCANDY CRUSHER ANC 2 SOUND?

The Skullcandy Crusher ANC is equipped with 40mm drivers with a frequency range of 20Hz to 20kHz (no tolerance given). So, as you might expect, it delivers more than adequate bass response even without enabling the Crusher effect.

The headphone is less impressive at producing higher frequencies; in fact, the jangly guitar and Hayley Williams' vocals sounded rather flat while listening to Paramore's "Big Man, Little Dignity" from the band's album This is Why, streamed from Tidal.

Turning to tracks with more bass emphasis, I listened to Gorillaz' "Tarantula" from its Cracker Island album. With Crusher mode engaged at 20 percent, the bass guitar and kick drum stomped all over the synthesizer arpeggios and the drummer's hi-hat. I had a similar experience listening to Pharrell Williams' vocals on Daft Punk's "Lose Yourself to Dance," from Random Access Memories (10th Anniversary Edition), streamed from Qobuz.