It’s not every day you encounter a piece of tech that genuinely shifts your expectations—especially when it costs less than a night out in most major cities. But that’s exactly what happened when I slid the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC earbuds into my ears and pressed play.
Let’s get this out of the way early: Skullcandy isn’t exactly a name that’s been synonymous with audiophile-grade performance or premium design. For years, the brand has carved out a niche with aggressively styled, youth-centric audio gear that focused on fun and affordability more than pristine fidelity. And that’s perfectly fine—there’s always been a place for $30 headphones with extra thump. But the Method 360 ANC marks a very intentional, very strategic pivot. It’s not just a better Skullcandy product. It’s a better earbud, period.
And behind this evolution? A surprising, almost stealthy partnership with Bose.
Skullcandy Method 360 ANC
The Bose Connection: Style Meets Substance
When you first hold the Method 360 ANC, you might feel a flash of recognition. There’s a familiar silhouette here—those stemmed buds with the signature rubber stability wings, the rounded profile, the way they sit perfectly flush in the ear canal. If you’ve used Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, you’ll spot the resemblance immediately.
And that’s no coincidence. This isn’t a design rip-off. It’s a handshake.
Skullcandy and Bose partnered to co-develop these earbuds, and that collab is more than skin-deep. Bose brought its sound tuning expertise to the table, allowing Skullcandy to craft a product that sounds shockingly close to the $299 Bose QuietComfort Ultra—but at a third of the price.
At $100 (and potentially rising to $130 later), the Method 360 ANC are priced to undercut every major name in the ANC true wireless game. And yet, they deliver sound that’s rich, balanced, and unmistakably Bose.
But are they perfect? Not quite. Let’s break down the experience in a way that goes beyond press releases and specs.
Design & Build Quality: Striking Familiarity Meets Skullcandy Flair
Let’s talk first impressions. The Method 360 ANC looks good—familiar, but with just enough personality to make it Skullcandy’s own. The earbuds are a near mirror image of Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, right down to the gently contoured outer casing and soft stability bands that hug the inner part of the ear. They look and feel premium, especially considering the sub-$100 launch price.
But Skullcandy doesn’t stop at imitation. The glossy finish on the stems, combined with the brand’s unmistakable half-skull logo, gives it a distinctly edgy vibe. It’s like seeing someone show up to a gala in a designer tux—only to find they’ve paired it with custom kicks. The style is bold but tasteful, with color variants that range from classic black to a wild leopard print, giving users plenty of options to express themselves.
The IPX4 water resistance is another nod to practicality. Whether you’re sweating it out during a workout or caught in light rain, the Method 360 ANC can handle it. That alone makes these more than just commuter earbuds. They’re built to live in your bag, in your gym locker, and maybe even on your bike rides.
That said, the charging case is where the polish fades a bit. Skullcandy’s choice of a sliding sleeve case feels like a step backward. Sure, it’s visually unique—especially in translucent colorways—but it’s bulky, slightly awkward to use, and far from pocket-friendly. Popping the buds in and out of the case requires just enough precision that it’s annoying until you build some muscle memory. The addition of a carabiner clip is appreciated, but it doesn’t fully make up for the case’s chunkiness. If portability is your top priority, this might be a sticking point.
Comfort & Fit: Surprisingly Luxurious for the Price
This is where the Method 360 ANC truly wins hearts. Fit is personal, of course, but in my experience—and after hours of back-to-back use—they’re among the most comfortable earbuds I’ve tested in the $100-$150 range.
The three sets of included silicone tips and matching stability bands allow for a customizable fit that caters to a wide range of ears. I took these on a five-hour bus ride, wore them through a two-hour gym session, and even fell asleep wearing them on my couch (true story). Not once did I feel discomfort, hot spots, or the dreaded ear canal fatigue that plagues many in-ear designs.
They seal well without needing to be jammed in, and that contributes both to comfort and sound isolation. These buds stay put, even during high-impact activities, and that IPX4 rating ensures a little sweat won’t scare them off.
Sound Quality: Welcome to Bose Land, Population: You
Let me be blunt—this is the part that floored me. There’s usually an audible gap between high-end and budget earbuds. Even when cheaper models try to mimic the sonic characteristics of their pricier cousins, they usually miss by a mile.
Not here.
With the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC, the Bose DNA is real. Side-by-side with the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds on an iPhone using standard AAC, I found it genuinely difficult to tell the two apart. Bass response is deep and controlled, never bloated or muddy. Mids are warm and nuanced. Highs have that classic Bose sparkle—bright, but not fatiguing.
Across genres—from the orchestral crescendos in Hans Zimmer’s “Time” to the layered synths and bass drops in Flume’s latest—I found the sound to be balanced and dynamic. Vocals sit right where they should, and instrumental separation is shockingly good for earbuds at this price.
The SkullIQ app adds even more flavor, letting you tweak the EQ manually or pick from presets like “Bass Boost” and “Podcast”—both of which do a great job adapting to different use cases. The fact that you get the same 5-band equalizer found in Bose’s own QuietComfort lineup is a real value add.
Is this audiophile-level performance? Not quite. But for most listeners, especially those used to AirPods or sub-$100 buds, it’ll feel like a massive upgrade.
Noise Cancellation & Transparency Mode: Capable but Not Quite Premium
Here’s where the Method 360 ANC remind you that you’re still dealing with a sub-$150 pair of earbuds. They’re incredibly impressive, no doubt—but the active noise cancellation doesn’t quite reach the lofty standard set by the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds.
Still, Skullcandy has never done ANC this well before. The Method 360 ANC significantly cuts down on low-end noise—engine hum, treadmill droning, subway rumble—all that fades into the background with surprising efficiency. I tested them on a city bus, at a noisy café, and even while mowing my tiny yard. In each case, the buds dulled most ambient sound enough for me to enjoy podcasts or chill playlists without distraction.
Where they stumble a bit is with wind and inconsistent high-pitched noise. Even minor breezes during a morning jog caused some unwanted whistling, and clattering dishes or babies crying in public transit didn’t get fully hushed. That said, no earbuds at this price are immune to those kinds of interruptions—and the Method 360 ANC performs admirably given what you’re paying.
Transparency mode, branded as “Stay-Aware,” is good but not great. It does let in enough sound to maintain awareness while walking or commuting, and it avoids that disorienting, overly processed feel. But voices can sound a bit artificial, and there’s a noticeable volume jump when switching modes. It’s functional, but not natural.
A real pain point? The inability to toggle directly between ANC and transparency. You have to cycle through ANC > OFF > Transparency and back again. On a run or in traffic, that’s clunky. It’s a strange omission considering how intuitive the rest of the experience is.
Oh, and those voice prompts? They’re obnoxiously loud. If Skullcandy could give us the option to adjust or mute them altogether, that’d be a huge quality-of-life win.
Call Quality: Surprisingly Stellar for Voice Calls
Now this is where the Method 360 ANC punch above their weight in a way I didn’t see coming. Call quality isn’t usually Skullcandy’s strong suit. Nor is it really Bose’s, frankly. But these earbuds? Legitimately good for phone calls and video meetings.
In multiple environments—including a breezy park, a loud office, and inside a moving vehicle—my voice came through clearly on the other end. The onboard microphones did a great job of isolating my speech from surrounding noise without making me sound robotic. And unlike with some budget buds, I never had to repeat myself because the mic garbled something basic like “hello.”
Even better, Stay-Aware mode allows you to hear your own voice in real time, which dramatically cuts down on the vocal fatigue you get when your ears are totally sealed off. This is a huge plus if you’re taking a lot of calls or hopping between Zoom meetings.
Are they as clear as AirPods Pro 2 or Jabra’s call-focused earbuds? Not quite. But they’re close enough that I wouldn’t hesitate to use them professionally.
Battery Life: Long Days, Few Worries
Battery life is another strong area for the Method 360 ANC. Skullcandy promises up to 9 hours of listening time on a single charge with ANC enabled, and up to 11 if you leave ANC off. Add in the charging case, and you’re looking at a total of 32 to 40 hours.
In real-world use, those numbers hold up. I got through an entire workday (and then some) with ANC on and still had juice left to spare. The case gave me another couple of full charges, easily lasting a week before I even thought about reaching for the USB-C cable.
Quick charging is also available—10 minutes in the case nets you 2 hours of playback, which is more than enough for impromptu workouts or commutes.
There’s no wireless charging, though. That’s one of the few features where the budget reality creeps in. For some users, it’s no big deal. But if you’re used to the convenience of Qi pads, it might sting a little.
One quirk: there’s no direct way to check the charge level of the case unless you remove an earbud and interpret the LED color. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it feels like a missed opportunity for a more transparent battery display.
Final Verdict: A Disruptive Budget Contender
Let’s bring this full circle. The Skullcandy Method 360 ANC aren’t trying to be the best earbuds on the planet. They’re not engineered for studio-grade fidelity or packed to the brim with bleeding-edge tech. What they are, however, is a nearly perfect example of smart compromise.
By partnering with Bose, Skullcandy leveraged the best kind of cheat code: sound tuning from a premium brand with none of the premium markup. They trimmed some fat in the right places—wireless charging, fit tests, aptX support—and doubled down on core performance. What you get in return is a truly satisfying listening experience, powerful enough ANC, comfortable all-day wear, and call quality that’s good enough for daily business use.
Yes, the case is chunky. The touch controls could be more refined. And the absence of Bose’s high-end features like CustomTune or spatial audio is noticeable if you’re coming from a $300 pair of buds. But for $100? These are an incredible value.
The Skullcandy Method 360 ANC are the real deal—a standout in a sea of mediocre budget earbuds. If you care about sound quality, daily comfort, and solid core features, they’re one of the smartest buys you can make this year.
