Skullcandy Method 360 ANC Review: Bose-Backed Sound

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If you told me a few years ago that Skullcandy and Bose would team up on a pair of sub-$100 earbuds, I probably would’ve laughed. These are brands that have always lived on opposite sides of the audio universe — Bose with its polished, premium pedigree, and Skullcandy with its bold, youth-centric, ultra-affordable personality.

Yet here we are. The Skullcandy Method 360 ANC, priced at just $99, aren’t just another budget release. They carry “Sound by Bose” tuning, hybrid ANC, solid battery life, a quirky but practical case design, and one of the most enjoyable audio profiles I’ve heard in this price bracket in a long time.

I’ve been using them on and off for weeks — at the gym, commuting, running errands, and yes, even testing them against my pricier daily drivers like Bose QuietComfort Ultra. And honestly, these little earbuds surprised me more than once.

Let’s break it all down.

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Also see:

• Skullcandy Grind Review
• Skullcandy Rail ANC Review
• Skullcandy Dime 3 Review

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Skullcandy Method 360 ANC – Specifications

Features	Details
Connection	Bluetooth 5.3
Drivers	12 mm
Frequency Response	20 Hz – 20 kHz
Impedance	16 Ω
Battery (ANC On)	Up to 32 hrs total (9 hrs buds + 23 hrs case)
Battery (ANC Off)	Up to 40 hrs total (11 hrs buds + 29 hrs case)
Fast Charge	10 min → ~2 hrs playback
ANC	Adjustable 4-mic hybrid ANC (Sound by Bose)
Microphone	Clear Voice Smart Mic (Natural sidetone)
EQ & App	Skull-iQ app, 5-band customizable EQ, 3 presets
Features	Multipoint pairing, Google Fast Pair, customizable controls
Water Resistance	IPX4 (sweat/water resistant)
Weight	Buds 11 g each • Case 77 g

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Design & Build

The first thing you notice is the case — a tube-style slider with a built-in carabiner clip. It’s a very Skullcandy move, giving you a way to latch the case to a backpack, belt loop, purse strap, you name it. It’s lightweight, sturdy enough, and surprisingly convenient when you don’t want anything in your pockets.

The actual earbuds borrow some of Bose’s familiar design cues: short stems, chunky housings, and stability gels for a secure fit. They look a little bigger than the sleek buds you get from Apple or Sony, but the upside is excellent security during workouts. I did jump rope, running, cycling, and had zero slip issues — these things lock in.

Comfort is good but not perfect. After longer listening sessions (around the 2-hour mark), I did feel a bit of pressure. Not a dealbreaker, just a reminder that these lean toward a Bose-style fit rather than the feather-light feel of AirPods.

The only design complaint?
The case feels a bit plasticky and the left-right orientation inside the tube takes some getting used to. You’ll adapt, but it’s not as intuitive as standard flip-top cases.

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Features & App Experience

The Method 360 ANC come pretty loaded:

• Hybrid ANC with adjustable intensity
• Stay-Aware transparency mode
• Bluetooth 5.3
• Google Fast Pair
• Multipoint connectivity
• Customizable touch controls
• Skull-IQ app support
• IPX4 sweat and water resistance

During my testing, the connectivity was rock solid. Fast Pair worked immediately on Android, and multipoint switching between my phone and laptop was mostly seamless — though, like many earbuds, you’ll need to pause audio on one device before the other takes over.

Touch controls work well once you get used to finding the touch area. They’re not as effortless as grabbing the stem of AirPods, but they’re responsive and customizable through the app.

Skullcandy’s app is better than I expected too. You get firmware updates (one update even fixed the painfully loud voice prompts), adjustable ANC, Stay-Aware sliders, and a simple but effective EQ section. It’s not as detailed as what Soundcore offers, but the basics are all here.

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ANC & Transparency Mode

Let’s make one thing clear:
No $99 earbud is going to match Sony’s WF-1000XM5 or Bose QC Ultra. But Skullcandy and Bose pulled off something impressive here.

The ANC is noticeably stronger than anything Skullcandy has offered in the past — easily the best Skullcandy ANC to date. In malls, cafes, and gyms, I found that it knocked down background music and chatter enough that I could stay focused without cranking the volume.

Compared to premium ANC earbuds:

• The QC Ultras still reduce more (they’re in a league of their own).
• But the Method 360 ANC get 80–85% of the way there for a fraction of the price.

Transparency mode is usable, though not class-leading. Voices sound a little muffled, but you can carry conversations or hear your surroundings just fine.

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Call Quality

Skullcandy’s “Clear Voice Smart Mic” branding actually holds up in real-world use. Indoors, calls sound clean and natural. Outdoors with background noise, the mics do a respectable job of filtering out distractions while keeping your voice intelligible.

Side tone (hearing your own voice during calls) is also included — a feature I wish more budget earbuds offered.

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Sound Quality

This is where the Method 360 ANC really flex.

The “Sound by Bose” tuning brings a warmer, fuller, more dynamic profile than typical Skullcandy earbuds. Bass lovers will be very happy — you get deep, punchy low-end without drowning the mids.

Here’s what stood out to me:

Bass

Tracks like Drake’s Search & Destroy or Kendrick Lamar’s LOYALTY. hit with real authority. Sub-bass is present and textured, not just boom.

Mids

Vocals sit nicely in the mix. Podcasts and acoustic tracks sound clean. There’s no muddy veil over instruments like what you often get with cheaper buds.

Highs

High frequencies stay sharp without becoming piercing. Small background details — reverb tails, echoes, ambient effects — come through surprisingly well.

Soundstage

Not on the level of Bose QC Ultra’s spatial audio, but wider than expected for in-ear buds. Instrument separation is genuinely impressive for the price.

Overall, they’re simply fun earbuds to listen to — energetic, well-balanced, and detailed enough that I found myself rediscovering parts of tracks I hadn’t noticed before.

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Real-World Use

After two weeks of daily use, here are the main takeaways:

• They never fell out during workouts.
• ANC made crowded places far more tolerable.
• The carabiner case was way more handy than I expected.
• The app updates genuinely improved the experience.
• Multipoint pairing worked better than on many earbuds twice the price.

There were a few quirks — the bulky fit, the learning curve of the case, the average transparency mode — but overall, the experience felt far more premium than the price tag suggests.

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Battery Life

Battery life is another strong highlight.

• 9 hours per charge with ANC on
• 11 hours per charge with ANC off
• 32–40 hours total including the case
• 2 hours of playtime from a 10-minute quick charge

For daily use, I never felt like I had to worry about battery life. These things just keep going.

The only omission?
No wireless charging, which is forgivable at this price but still would’ve been a nice bonus.

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Final Thoughts

The Skullcandy Method 360 ANC are hands down one of the most impressive budget earbuds I’ve tried in recent years. The collaboration with Bose genuinely elevates the audio quality, the ANC is far better than expected, and the battery life is outstanding.

Are they perfect?
No — but expecting perfection at $99 would be unrealistic.

The real story is value.
They deliver 90% of the premium earbud experience for about 35% of the cost of something like AirPods Pro 2 or Bose QC Ultra.

For everyday listeners, commuters, gym-goers, students, or anyone who wants great sound without breaking the bank, these are an easy recommendation.

Skullcandy and Bose might seem like an odd pairing, but after testing these buds, I kind of hope we see more collaborations like this.

Best Deal: View on Skullcandy