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Skullcandy Method 540 ANC: Two minute evaluation
For all that corporations attempt to squirrel AI chatbots into each gadget attainable, I’ve but to see many patrons who genuinely need this sort of addition. In truth most of the time, the infiltration of synthetic intelligence makes the tech worse — many corporations are beginning to notice this and take a step again. But there’s now a brand new sufferer of the AI warfare: the Skullcandy Method 540.
New fashions ought to, ostensibly, convey upgrades over the earlier iterations. However the Skullcandy Method 540 have the identical design, drivers and carry case design because the earlier mannequin. They’re extremely related buds, but price about 25% extra.
So what’s truly new? Well, there are just a few tiny tweaks right here and there, however the flagship ‘feature’ is compatibility with Skull AI. This is Skullcandy’s AI assistant, constructed on Bragi AI which in flip is constructed on Open AI. So for all intents and functions, you’re paying extra for a built-in chat-bot…
…besides that you simply’re not, as a result of Skull AI is accessible as a separate subscription, which it’s a must to pay for both month-to-month, at $4.99 / £4.99, or yearly (at $49.99 / £49.99). Skull AI is likely one of the higher AI chatbot names I’ve heard, however I’m not together with an analysis of the chatbot itself on this evaluation: it’s very a lot a separate, optionally available product to the Method 540.
If you employ AI chatbots, maybe the Method 540 is value contemplating, however the overwhelming majority of patrons are going to marvel if there are every other spec enhancements to justify that value bump, or if that is one other case of AI implementation taking priority over precise upgrades. Spoiler alert: it’s the latter.
The specs are similar – in reality, I copied and pasted the specs desk from my 360 evaluation to avoid wasting time. In some instances, holding issues related is nice: the buds are snug and match extremely effectively, making them nice for runners or gym-goers. In some instances, an improve was wanted: I preferred the Method 360’s sound, however price range buds have come on leaps and bounds in only one 12 months, and the Method 540 aren’t as aggressive.
Since I gave final 12 months’s Skullcandy earbuds 4 stars, and these are principally the identical factor, some is perhaps questioning the place half a star went. That was eliminated as a result of the Method 360 was good for the value, and the 540 value hike makes them a much less interesting prospect.
Given the elevated price, the dearth of upgrades and the shoehorned AI mode, it’s simply arduous to get as enthused concerning the Method 540. And so it’s tougher to advocate them, given what number of low-cost rivals there are in 2026.
Skullcandy Method 540 ANC evaluation: Specifications
|
Component |
Value |
|
Water resistant |
IPX4 |
|
Battery life (quoted) |
11 hours (earbuds), 29 hours (complete) |
|
Bluetooth sort |
Bluetooth 5.3 |
|
Weight |
11g / Charging case: 72g |
|
Driver |
12mm |
Skullcandy Method 540 ANC evaluation: Price and availability
- Announced in January 2026
- RRP $149.99 / £129.99 (roughly AU$250)
- Skull AI prices $4.99 month-to-month
The Skullcandy Method 540 ANC had been unveiled on January 8, 2026, on the annual CES tech convention. That launch falls solely 9 months after the discharge of the Method 360.
You can choose up the earbuds for $149.99 / £129.99 (roughly AU$250, although there’s no phrase on an Australian launch simply but). That’s a notable value hike over the Method 360, which bought for $119 / £99 / AU$189, and are even cheaper now because of some reductions.
That retail value doesn’t even keep in mind the month-to-month price of Skull AI. Access to this AI assistant prices $4.99 per thirty days or $49.99 per 12 months – regional pricing wasn’t obtainable on the time of this evaluation – but it surely’s value noting that Skull AI is optionally available and begins with a 3-month free trial.
Skullcandy Method 540 ANC evaluation: Design
Image 1 of 2
- Chunky carry case
- Incredibly dependable in-ear match
- Only black or white choices
You know the way wi-fi earbuds makers continually one-up one another to make svelte little carry instances? Skullcandy didn’t miss the memo – it obtained it, laughed at it, screwed it up right into a ball and threw it away. The Method 540 buds are available a tube, and also you slide out the central column to disclose them.
The 360 used the identical mechanism, though it’s a bit of thinner this time round: it measures 3.6 x 2.9 x 10.2 cm, and weighs 72g. At the time of writing, the buds solely are available black or white, however Skullcandy usually releases funky colours for its merchandise, and hopefully it’ll observe for the 540.
This is not a handy strategy to carry earbuds – the monolith doesn’t match effectively in trouser pockets. But truthfully, I don’t thoughts – I ended up simply placing it in my jacket or bag as a substitute. Perhaps I’ve grown used to those chunky instances from testing different such buds, or perhaps petite carry instances are overrated. Plus, a magnetic mechanism makes positive it stays shut tight when not in use, a carry hook means you may connect them to your keys or bag, and in contrast to within the 360 the charging port is out within the open.
My largest annoyance with the previous mannequin stays, although: placing the buds within the case isn’t handy, as it’s a must to put them in, in a really specific vogue. It takes fairly a little bit of maneuvering and flipping to ensure they’re in proper, and very often I’d solely realise I’d bungled the job when the case wouldn’t shut correctly.
Skullcandy has trimmed the fats of its carry case, but it surely hasn’t touched the earbuds from the last-gen fashions – and it didn’t must. Like the 360, the buds match snugly and reliably, thanks partially to the grippy eartip materials, however largely because of the fins which wedge the buds into your ear. I went for runs with the buds and took them to the gymnasium, and so they by no means threatened to fall out.
They’re not that gentle, at 11g, or protected, with IPX4 (no safety towards mud, solely protected towards splashes). But they’re not going to fall out right into a puddle because of the stunning match, so it doesn’t actually matter.
Each bud has contact controls when you faucet on their physique, which usually felt okay to make use of, as soon as I acquired used to tapping the suitable spot.
Skullcandy Method 540 ANC evaluation: Features
- ANC is strong, not best-in-class
- Battery life is above common: 11 hours from the buds/29 together with the case
- App misses some fundamental options
Technically, these buds are bought because the Skullcandy Method 540 ANC, and so naturally these buds have Active Noise Cancellation. It’s no extra superior than on the 360: fairly strong, however not best-in-class. Loud noises will lower above the silence, although the background hum of metropolis life will get stripped away.
Stay-Aware falls into the lure that many transparency or surround-hearing modes do, in that it seemingly amplifies greater than it strips. Thankfully, Skullcandy has included an Intensity slider within the app, so you may flip down its results.
According to Skullcandy, the Method 540 lasts for 9 hours with ANC on, or 11 hours with it off, and I’d concur with these estimates. That goes as much as 23 or 29 hours when factoring within the additional energy provided by the case. And that is good, truthfully – any earbuds able to lasting over 7 hours with ANC on signify above-average stamina.
You’re required to obtain and use the Skull-iQ app as a way to use the 540’s additional options – not the usual Skullcandy one, one thing I solely found after downloading the improper one. I made the very same error with the 360, but when I say it now, hopefully I save just a few of you from making the identical mistake.
The app helps you to toggle ANC modes, play with a 5-band equalizer, activate low-latency mode, use the earbuds as a distant telephone digital camera set off, allow Spotify Tap or arrange multipoint pairing. Oh, and the principle menu has two separate choices for Skull AI. Notably lacking perks embody the flexibility to customise contact controls, any form of match or listening exams or a find-my-earbuds function. Any one in all these could be a extra helpful addition than an AI chatbot, as would a extra superior equalizer, or additional presets past the three obtainable.
During testing, I had just a few non permanent Bluetooth drop-outs, however all of them resolved themselves shortly.
Skullcandy Method 540 ANC evaluation: Sound efficiency
- 12mm drivers and Bose tuning
- Less bassy than Skullcandy norm
- EQ tweaking is obligatory
On paper, the Skullcandy Method 540 match their predecessors by way of audio specs: 12mm drivers, tuning by Bose, and a complete lack of assist for any Bluetooth or high-res streaming codecs.
It’s truthful to say I used to be complimentary of the 360’s sound, however I can’t fairly say the identical concerning the 540. Partly, it might be as a result of my ears have been spoiled by some implausible price range rivals within the final 12 months. But there additionally appear to be tuning variations too.
Skullcandy has a repute for providing bass-heavy merchandise, one thing that’s levelled both as a criticism or excessive reward, relying on the listener. People who sit within the former camp in all probability haven’t learn this far into the evaluation. The Method 540, nonetheless, appear to buck this pattern. Simply put, they don’t seem to be all about that bass.
These buds are comparatively and surprisingly impartial for Skullcandy merchandise. Treble is extra highly effective, the low finish is sensibly is pared-back, mids are… effectively, we are able to’t hope for miracles. This new face could be an attention-grabbing twist, besides that it reveals that there’s not a lot else happening beneath the floor.
Songs sound a bit of flat, with nothing to interchange the misplaced bass injection, so as to add a bit of vitality into proceedings. And it feels like the highest was lopped off to the detriment of some treble frequencies and musical passages; hi-hats, guitar stings and vocal prospers do sound compressed.
There’s a scarcity of a significant soundstage, so devices are tripping over one another to be head. When you take heed to songs like Wake Up by Arcade Fire, or All My Friends by The Revivalists, what must be an encompassing cacophony of noise sounds extra like a music observe being performed from a telephone. I checked out Atmosphere by Joy Division after it was featured in The History of Sound, and even within the remastered model, it seemed like Ian Curtis was taking part in each single instrument. What about some noughties rock, proper in Skullcandy’s core demographic? The guitar riffs of Yellowcard’s Ocean Avenue sounded heavy and boring – even when the wall of sound of the refrain picked up the vitality a bit of.
Saving the Method 540 is the app. I all the time listened on Bass Boost, which went a way in restoring the Skullcandy sound – these items have the aptitude for respectable bass when you can coax it out. I additionally dabbled with the equalizer. Though it solely has 5 bands, it helps you to add a little bit of wanted chutzpah to music. And the max quantity remains to be excessive, so you may rock out at max energy.
- Sound efficiency rating: 3.5/5
Skullcandy Method 540 ANC evaluation: Value
If you’ve been paying shut consideration, you’ll have seen that the Skullcandy Method 540 earbuds don’t supply that many upgrades over the 360… effectively, apart from the upper value, and optionally available chatbot.
Given that it’s principally the identical product, however for about 25% extra, the Method 540 do not feel like they provide nice worth for cash. That’s doubly true on condition that the older buds have seen value cuts of round 30% off, relying on the place you reside.
Skullcandy Method 540 ANC evaluation: scorecard
|
Category |
Comment |
Score |
|
Value |
Their function set and sound high quality aren’t fairly justified by the value tag, particularly with the 360 in the marketplace. |
3/5 |
|
Design |
The tip and fin make the Skullcandy extremely sturdy within the ear, although the case is fairly chunky. |
3.5/5 |
|
Features |
Above-average battery life and okay ANC are good, however there are just a few lacking options. |
3.5/5 |
|
Sound |
The sound lacks a bit of luster that was current in earlier Method buds. |
3.5/5 |
Skullcandy Method 540 ANC: Should I purchase?
Buy them if…
Don’t purchase them if…
Also take into account
|
Component |
Skullcandy Method 540 ANC |
Skullcandy Method 360 |
Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 |
|
Water resistant |
IPX4 |
IPX4 |
IPX5 |
|
Battery life (ANC off) |
11 hours (earbuds), 29 hours (complete) |
11 hours (earbuds), 29 hours (complete) |
11 hours (buds); 39 hours (case) |
|
Bluetooth sort |
Bluetooth 5.3 |
Bluetooth 5.3 |
Bluetooth 5.4 |
|
Weight |
11g (buds) 72g (case) |
11g (buds) 77g (case) |
4.7g (buds) 38.7g (case) |
|
Driver |
12mm |
12mm |
10mm |
How I examined
I used the Skullcandy Method 540 ANC for 3 weeks earlier than scripting this evaluation.
The headphones had been paired to a OnePlus telephone for everything of the testing course of. I listened to music from Spotify and Qobuz, performed numerous video games, carried out a number of video and voice calls, watched Netflix and listened to voice notes utilizing them. Testing occurred at dwelling, whereas on runs, throughout biking (Stay Aware mode, after all), on the gymnasium, on numerous public transports, and on walks round completely different areas of my metropolis.
I’ve been reviewing devices for TechSwitch since 2019, together with numerous low-cost and mid-range headphones. That consists of, after all, the Method 360 earbuds, in addition to the Crusher 540 Active over-ears from Skullcandy.
- First reviewed: February 2026