GoKawiilThe standout feature on the Crusher 1080 is no longer the haptic bass, although that, too, has been given a makeover. This focus here is on the Bose-powered audio. Skullcandy already dabbled with Bose Sound on the Method wireless buds, but that was more of a general tuning. With the Crusher 1080, Bose's fingerprints are all over the audio, from the main WaveForm audio engine to the TrueSpatial dimensional feature and, of course, the Bose-powered ANC.
The result is a clear sonic upgrade. I use a pair of Crusher 540's as my gym headphones, so I'm familiar with the Skullcandy sound. The Crusher 1080's are quite a departure, with a much more well-rounded, open/balanced sound stage. The 540's feel dense and flat by comparison, even with the beefy bass.
I spent an unreasonable amount of time swapping between the Crusher 1080's and the Sennheiser HDB 630's, listening to The Streets' Original Pirate Material hoping that the combinations of sharp snares and gritty basslines would expose the differences between the two headphones. And differences there are, but not nearly as much as I was expecting. In general, the HDB 630 remains more spacious and neutral. The Crusher's sound feels elevated in the upper mid-ranges.
Without the haptic feature enabled, the low-end on the 1080 almost feels modest — present but controlled. The overall sound is still higher energy than the pricier Sennheiser HDB 630, but it feels much closer to what you'd expect from a premium pair of wireless headphones.
While I would say the Sennheiser still has the superior sound over all, the Bose-tuned Skullcandy two characteristics I prefer. One is the presence of those upper mids: Percussion, hi-hats and other sounds in this range are more forward on the Crusher's tuning. The other advantage is just that the Skullcandy headphones offer more volume, making them better suited for older music that isn't mastered so loud.