Skullcandy Technique 360 ANC vs. Bose QuietComfort: Evaluating Bose-powered earbuds

The noise-cancelling earbuds market is not only crowded — it is packed. If a model desires to face out with a brand new launch, it faces the tough activity of bringing one thing new to the desk that may outshine the merchandise of the most important manufacturers like Sony, Apple, and, after all, Bose.

Skullcandy’s new earbuds, the Technique 360 ANC earbuds, are trying to just do that by partnering with a kind of main manufacturers — Bose. The earbuds include Bose-powered sound on the very spectacular introductory value of $99.99 (Skullcandy will likely be elevating the value to $129.99 at an unspecified date sooner or later). The most cost effective Bose earbuds, alternatively, are the QuietComfort earbuds, which retail for $179. Although they’re significantly costlier, they do usually go on sale for $149 and have reached the record-low value of $129, which made us particularly curious to place them face to face with the Skullcandy earbuds.

Under, you will discover our breakdown of how the Bose QuietComfort earbuds evaluate to the Skullcandy Technique 360 ANCs.

Skullcandy vs. Bose: Sound high quality

Within the press launch for the Technique 360 earbuds, Skullcandy known as them its “most advanced audio experience to date.” In listening to every thing from indie rock, online game soundtracks, and podcasts, I can see why. The Skullcandy earbuds had a steadiness that matched up simply to different spectacular price range earbuds I’ve examined. Whether or not I used to be listening to the Last Fantasy VII soundtrack or a stay Daft Punk efficiency, these earbuds punched above a $100 value level.

Nevertheless, when listening to them aspect by aspect with the Bose earbuds, the Skullcandy earbuds felt muffled and muddier (although I would not describe them as muddy on their very own).

When listening to Japanese Breakfast’s “Savage Good Boy,” I might nonetheless pick completely different components of the tune’s instrumentation, however I needed to hear more durable to select up the piano previous the guitar and vocals than I did with the Bose earbuds. Whereas listening to the “Hush (Still Woozy remix)” by The Marías, the layers of the tune had been current with the Skullcandy earbuds, however shined with the Boses. Finally, the Skullcandys supplied a strong listening expertise, however the one the Bose earbuds supplied was undeniably higher. On the identical quantity, the QuietComfort earbuds sounded hotter, fuller, and usually extra highly effective. (I say this as somebody who does not essentially love bumping the amount tremendous excessive.)

For each, I discovered their customary combine to be on the bass-heavy aspect. Nevertheless, Bose presents 5 EQ presets and a customized equalizer, in comparison with Skullcandy’s three presets with a customized equalizer.

Winner: Bose QuietComfort

Skullcandy vs. Bose: Noise cancellation

Skullcandy makes use of 4 mics to assist block out sound, in comparison with the QuietComforts’ three mics.

That mentioned, Bose’s earbuds actually have the phrases quiet and luxury of their identify. To not point out, the model’s been a pacesetter within the noise-cancelling area for fairly a while. Whether or not I used to be working at dwelling with my accomplice on the opposite aspect of the wall, in a restaurant, library, or taking a stroll, I typically discovered the Bose earbuds more proficient at muting and outright blocking out sounds. That particularly got here by way of once I used simply the noise cancellation with out music to assist it.

Nevertheless, the Skullcandy earbuds do provide adjustable ANC through the companion app, which is not at present obtainable on any pair of Bose earbuds. For his or her value level, it is not a characteristic I anticipated, however one I used to be pleasantly shocked to come across. At its highest setting, the noise cancellation solely had the slightest hiss. Whereas Bose primarily had none in any respect in my expertise, I used to be nonetheless shocked that the Skullcandy’s noise cancellation was comparable in any respect, contemplating the value discrepancy.

And nonetheless, it is price saying: the Skullcandy earbuds’ ANC may be very spectacular for the value level. Whereas working on the library, I might barely hear the murmurs of a dialog throughout the room that I might make out phrase for phrase with out sporting the earbuds. On the Bose buds, the dialog disappeared altogether, giving them the slightest edge.

Each earbuds help you toggle the ANC on and off and activate a transparency mode. With this final setting, the Bose stood out extra effortlessly, amplifying the world round me simply sufficient with out overly emphasizing sounds or the room tone. The Skullcandy earbuds, alternatively, exhibited a stronger background hiss on this mode. It did not make it unusable by any means, however positively much less nice than that of the Bose earbuds.

Winner: Bose QuietComfort, by a hair

Skullcandy vs. Bose: Consolation and design

For a way they match into the ear, the designs are fairly related on these earbuds, which makes them put on very equally. In my ears, I discovered the Bose earbuds to be barely extra comfy, however each pairs include three sizes of stability bands and three sizes of ear ideas. On the finish of the day, match could be very private, particularly with earbuds.

As for the earbuds themselves, the Skullcandy earbuds really resembled the Bose QuietComfort Extremely earbuds extra, with a barely elongated stem and exterior contact controls with the proper degree of sensitivity. As somebody who far prefers tactile on-ear controls, I used to be shocked by how effectively these earbuds distinguished the several types of presses. I believe as a result of the earbud has a slight groove the place the contact controls are, it is easy to establish the place to the touch, and to not brush in opposition to the floor and activate the controls by chance.

However, the common QC earbuds have a flatter, extra rounded contact management floor, which, in my testing of those earbuds final fall, I discovered to err on the aspect of oversensitivity. Whereas I did not expertise that problem a lot this time round, it is price noting that I examined them initially throughout a time of yr I used to be sporting extra hats and hoods.

The Skullcandy earbuds would possibly’ve taken the win on this part, if not for one evident characteristic — their case. Not like most different earbuds circumstances that merely snap open and closed, this one has a sliding mechanism with an O-ring and a slot for one earbud on both aspect of the inside case. If the intention was to create one thing exterior of the field, Skullcandy did a fantastic job, however it sacrificed some performance within the course of.

As you’ll be able to see, the case is large in comparison with the earbuds, that means for those who’re not utilizing the O-ring, it is among the least travel-friendly pairs of earbuds on the market. Of their design, Skullcandy appeared to imagine that is how most individuals would use the case, as they positioned the earbuds on the other aspect of the case. In different phrases, when taking a look at it head-on, the appropriate earbud goes on the left aspect, and the left earbud goes on the appropriate aspect. When you’ve got the case clipped onto your belt with the entrance dealing with outward, this configuration makes excellent sense. In just about each different use case, it makes none.

The Bose case, alternatively, is comparatively compact and has a transparent spot for every earbud.

Each earbuds are IPX4 water resistant, so they need to face up to sweating throughout exercises simply nice.

Our winner: Tie

Skullcandy vs. Bose: Battery life

There’s not a lot to say right here aside from each of those earbuds have wonderful battery life. With ANC on, Skullcandy estimates you will get roughly 9 hours per cost, with 23 hours of battery life within the case. Bose estimates 8.5 hours, with 31.5 hours within the case.

Numbers-wise, Bose is the winner right here, however in two work weeks of testing, I solely wanted to cost up the Skullcandy earbuds as soon as. The Bose app has a characteristic that permits you to simply see the hours breakdown of your remaining battery life, however it’s not one thing I checked on tremendous usually throughout testing.

For day-to-day use, I discovered these earbuds carried out very related within the battery life division.

Our winner: Tie

Skullcandy vs. Bose: Companion apps and additional options

When testing these earbuds aspect by aspect, I observed straight away that the Bose-powered ingredient does not make itself hidden. Skullcandy adopted the Bose QuietComfort’s power-on sound, voice assistant, and tiled app interface.

Whereas the Bose app has a couple of extra options, together with a battery prediction, sensible calls, and a voice assistant part, there’s additionally fairly a little bit of overlap. Each have equalizer settings, contact management customization, low latency modes, and even a distant selfie part.

Numbers-wise, Bose merely has extra options you’ll be able to fiddle with to really tailor your earbud expertise to what fits you greatest. Options-wise, Skullcandy has a slight edge with adjustable ANC, however Bose’s higher ANC general, alongside the better customization, its battery prediction display screen, and extra assorted EQ presets assist it stand out forward of the cheaper earbuds.

Our winner: Bose QuietComfort

Our winner: Get the Bose earbuds on sale

The truth that a pair of Skullcandy earbuds can stand as much as Bose earbuds in any respect is a testomony to what the model has completed with the Technique 360 ANCs. Whereas general, I would not name them precisely the identical, I’d say they’re related sufficient that you just will not be upset to seize them at $100. In the event that they stayed at their introductory value perpetually, they’d be straightforward to suggest because the winner of this matchup.

Nevertheless, they are going to be leaping as much as $129.99. Mixed with the truth that the Bose earbuds get marked right down to $149 incessantly sufficient that these earbuds will sit simply $20 aside with some regularity, it is arduous to not counsel simply springing the additional $20 to get barely higher earbuds with barely extra options.

Nonetheless cannot resolve? Take a look at our full opinions of the Bose QuietComfort earbuds and the Skullcandy Technique 360 ANC earbuds. When you’ve got an even bigger price range, we suggest testing our evaluate of the Bose QuietComfort Extremely earbuds.