One reason I love the Apple AirPods is how easy they are to carry, usually tucked in the watch pocket of my jeans. The Skullcandy Method 360 ANC takes that a step further with a charging case that can be hung from your belt or bag loop, so it stays with you at all times. And that’s just a perk on these noise-cancelling earphones.
I often wonder if I’m too old to sport a pair of Skullcandy earphones. But seeing “Sound by Bose” on the case settles me down and reminds me this is exactly my kind of audio device. Still, the Method 360 has a young vibe to it, the kind the teenager at home would approve of — and that’s quite an achievement.
Unique design
The tubular charging case, with its skull logo, pulls apart to reveal the two earbuds on either side. It takes a bit of getting used to, both pulling the case open and seating the buds back in correctly, but it’s not a big deal.
The battery life can be up to 40 hours, maybe more with the ANC off. (Image: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express
Skullcandy offers a couple of companion apps to control noise cancellation and other features. I stuck to the main app, which offers several ANC modes plus the ability to adjust intensity. There are preset equaliser levels as well as a custom mode; I particularly liked the bass boost and podcast modes, both well tuned and this is where you find the Bose effect.
There’s also a low-latency mode for gaming. The standout feature is the ability to trigger a selfie using one of the earbuds — a camera remote function mapped from the app that works well. You can pull the earbuds out and press it to take a photo. This Gen Z touch will find plenty of takers.
Young audio for old people
Audio quality is clear and rich, especially in the default music mode. On an early morning flight to Mumbai, with ANC on, I was in a bubble of my own, listening to a Carnatic fusion playlist that never fails to relax me. The noise cancellation cuts out most external distractions without creating a vacuum in your head.
The bass on these headphones is among the most balanced I’ve experienced lately. Bass boost on an earphone usually worries me a little, but here it’s just one notch above default — present, not overpowering. Listening to Kalyani with Shreya Ghoshal, I got a balanced mix with well-layered vocals; no track stepped on another’s toes.
I also listened to Agam’s “Mystical Abheri” with bass boost on, and it was truly enriching. The beats landed right at the heart, with the vocals cutting through the warmth of the lows. Even as the vocals rise, the bass stays right where it should, in the background with the right feel — a soulful experience in every sense.
The battery life can be up to 40 hours, maybe more with the ANC off. You can also use the app to configure a multi-device setting switching easily, for instance, from your phone to the laptop.
One quirk
I fumbled every time I put these on, since the shape makes it hard to tell the correct ear by touch alone. Also, the loop used to clip the case to a bag might have worked better as a carabiner.
Should you buy?
At Rs 12,499, the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC is a strong option for anyone wanting solid noise cancellation, balanced playback, and extras like the camera remote. Recommended for the young, or the young at heart.
The battery life can be up to 40 hours, maybe more with the ANC off. (Image: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express
