I tried Skullcandy’s new Crusher 540 Active gym headphones and they literally shook my head

It's been a while since I last tried Skullcandy, despite being a big fan of the brand. If you look at T3's output about Skullcandy, you'll see my name crop up more often than not.

Probably my favourite headphones from the brand are the Crusher Evos, which came out quite a while ago. The second iteration of the cans went viral, thanks to their insane bass output, and they also added ANC.

To my great delight, earlier this year, the company announced the launch of a gym-ready iteration called Crusher 540 Active, featuring a lighter-weight design, sweat and water resistance with a nano-coating, noise isolation, and up to 40 hours of battery life with Rapid Charge (10 minutes = 4 hours).

I didn't jump on the opportunity to test them; I had holidays, and a million other products to test. However, the opportunity to try them presented itself in August, and I really couldn't turn it down twice.

Not least because T3's best workout headphones guide needed an update. Plus, I (finally!) started using my home-cum-garage gym more again, and was in a position to try gym headphones. The stars aligned, so to speak.

The Crusher 540 Active feels distinctively Skullcandy-like. It's plastic through and through, but the headphones feel well-put together and lightweight. The Crusher 540 Active tips the scale at 312g​, which is a hair lighter than the Crusher ANC 2's 332g.

The curious case of the disappearing clamp force

Skullcandy claims the cans have "moisture-fighting nano-coating" and breathable ear cushions. The brand also says that the clamp force has been adjusted to better meet the needs of gym rats those who work out with weights.

Sadly, the Crusher 540 Active doesn't quite deliver on this front. It might just be that my ears are more used to headphones with a solid grip, such as the Beats Solo 4, but the Skullcandys kept falling off my ears during bench presses.

This surprised me, considering I have a large head and find some over-ear headphones with standard clamp force to be uncomfortably tight over time. The fact that the Crusher 540 Active literally falls off my ears when I'm horizontal isn't ideal.

It works for squats and other movements where you don't have to lie down, though. And thanks to the lack of clamp force, the headphones are actually comfortable to wear, even with glasses. So there is that.

More vibes than precision

As for audio quality, I hope no one expects the Crusher 540 Active to compete with audiophile options such as Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 or the Apple AirPods Max. The Crusher's "adjustable sensory bass" does a lot of things, but it certainly doesn't enhance the natural sound of audio tracks.

That said, when it's not pushed to maximum, music from the headphones comes through comparatively nicely across the spectrum.

The treble is nice and bubbly, the lows are sonorous (especially when the slider is turned up a notch), and the mids are pleasantly well-balanced.

Again, nothing mind-blowing, but definitely good enough for cans in this price range. It goes without saying, but if you like loads of bass, you'll love the Crusher 540 Active.

Even when the bass is turned all the way up, distortion stays under control – though both the headphones and your head may vibrate – thanks to the massive 40 mm drivers.

I can only imagine that abusing the slider might result in the drivers giving up the fight prematurely, but as long as you don't have them cranked up to the maximum all the time, you might be okay. Long-term testing would be required to confirm this.

Forty hours, zero anc

It's worth mentioning that the Crusher 540 Active doesn't have ANC; it relies on the earcups to provide some passive noise cancellation instead. It's not quite the same as having on-board ANC, but at least the 40-hour battery life doesn't get compromised by it.

One thing I forgot to mention is the portability of the Skullcandys. The Crusher 540 Active folds neatly and comes with a fabric pouch, making it easier to throw into your gym bag or backpack than the aforementioned AirPods Max.

Have the Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active become my go-to headphones for the gym? Not really, primarily because of the lack of clamp force, which is essential for both gym workouts and other types of exercise, such as running.

They are decent mid-range headphones, though, with good sound performance, excellent bass, and improved sweat and moisture resistance compared to previous models, even if you aren't planning on using them for workouts.

The Crusher 540 Active is now available at Skullcandy UK and Skullcandy US for the recommended retail price of £170/ $210 (~AU$315.61)