Released earlier this year in a splashy media event with brand booster and professional skateboarder Tony Hawk, new noise cancelling earbuds from Skullcandy were introduced that combine the top-notch sound quality of the Bose Corporation and the funky listening lineup of consumer products from Skullcandy.
The company whose earbuds were called “the world’s coolest” nearly 20 years ago now has a new pair of buds with great sound, noise cancelling, customizable features, and a clip-on carrying case that is generating almost as much talk as the buds themselves.
WhatsYourTech is giving away a pair of Skullcandy Method 360 ANC In-Ear Noise Cancelling True Wireless Earbuds with Sound by Bose
The lightweight plastic charging case stores the left and right earbuds in their place, covered by a sliding exterior sleeve. Although you could stash the charger/storage unit in a shoulder bag or a big pocket, the attached carabiner clip – that and the logo-branded exterior – shows it’s meant to hang visibly from a belt loop or jacket fastener.
Thanks to a partnership with Bose, the new Skullcandy Method 360 ANC earbuds feature sound powered by Bose’s technology, with its drivers pushing the sound quality, audio controls, and acoustic features of these buds.
Right out of the case (available in one of five colour schemes), these earbuds have those great Bose audio characteristics: solid, wide sound, clear and crisp at the high end with a punchy bass response. Mid-range tones are not lost in the mix, and voices or instrumentation are always in the foreground. Some have commented that the bass is too punchy with the Method 360, almost overwhelming depending on the track that’s playing.
So some listeners will want to tweak the customizable five-band equalizer, customizing the sound to their own liking (or choosing among three pre-sets, one of which is Bass Boost!)
The Active Noise Cancelling of the new Skullcandy Method 360 ANC is also quite good, and you can enjoy your tunes without irritating subway or street noise – the four-microphone active noise cancelling array in the Method 360 earbuds is adjustable using the Skullcandy app, and its Active Noise Cancel settings or Stay-Aware (of your surroundings) mode.
Skullcandy provides lots of ways to personalize the buds using the Android or Apple app.
The app provides lots of ways to personalize the buds – such as the ANC and Stay-Aware modes, activating EQ modes, and customizing the on-bud button functions. If you are a Spotify listener, these earbuds will connect to your library when selected. Otherwise, the ‘Spotify’ button can be reprogrammed for volume control.
(Any user adjustments of the settings of these earbuds are confirmed by a series of voice prompts, which some owners of early release units said were way too loud. That’s been addressed in a software update, and there are in fact controls now for setting the voice prompt volume levels in the latest app release.)
And of course, many listening features – sound volume, music track forward or backward, and other user-selected controls – are available with a button tap or hold right on the earbuds themselves – either earbud can be used for function controls.
The Skullcandy Method 360 In-Ear Wireless Earbuds would not be complete without a
set of ear tips and fins for the best possible in-ear fit – and therefore, the best sound, the best noise cancelling and the most comfort while using them. In fact, three sets of each are included in the package so most folks will find the best, most reliable fit for them and whatever they are up to while listening.
And in fact, Wear Detection kind of knows what you’re up to: the built-in software detection feature knows when you take the buds out of your ear; it pauses music playback, and resumes the tune when you put the buds back in your ears.
Which brings us back to the case.
Putting the buds back in the case can be a challenge!
While the charging connections are visible, and there is a nice magnetic snap when you do it right, you still may have to fiddle a bit to seat the buds properly in the case so the sliding cover closes easily. The slots are labelled, but the R and L on the buds themselves are so small as to be almost invisible – especially in low light. If the case is clipped to your belt, it is facing outward, so the left bud goes in the right slot and vice versa (if you have the case in hand, not hanging from you, it’s a lot easier to manage).
The case of course has its size and heft in part due to the extra battery power stored inside: it brings an extra 20 or so hours of listening (the buds are rated for about ten on their own); full ANC reduces the overall battery life by about ten percent. There’s a short charging cable included with the Method 360 – no wireless charging with this product.
Active listening, casual walking, or careful bike riding with the Skullcandy Method 360 Earbuds are easy and enjoyable activities; no worries here (buds and case are only 88 grams total weight).
But pulling an outrageous ollie or trying that 1620 in the half-pipe may be a different story: the clipped-on unit will certainly be swinging wildly!
Some kind of lock or fastener on the plastic sliding cover may be something worth chewing on for the next Skullcandy buds, so they don’t go flying as well.
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Here’s your chance to enjoy these new wireless earbuds from Skullcandy. WhatsYourTech is giving away a pair of Skullcandy Method 360 ANC In-Ear Noise Cancelling True Wireless Earbuds with Sound by Bose in our current contest. Click to enter!
