How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want one pair that does both job number one — hearing your game clearly — and job number two — surviving a ride — the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 is my pick, because 60 hours of battery and adjustable 4-mic noise cancelling mean you can ride all week, charge on Sunday, and still feel the bass in your chest when you get home. I'll be straight with you about something up front: if you're shopping for gaming headphones affordable enough to not hurt, and you also want to wear them for cycling, almost nothing on a spec sheet is built for that. So this guide is about picking the compromise that costs you the least.
• Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 — best for long rides and long sessions on one charge; pick this if 60 hours of battery life with ANC off and Rapid Charge (10 minutes for 4 hours) matters more to you than a boom mic.
• Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 — best for noisy streets and shared rooms; pick this if you want adjustable 4-mic active noise cancelling plus a Stay-Aware mode so you can still hear traffic when you need to.
• IMYB A36 — best for plug-and-play console and PC gaming; pick this if you want a wired 3.5 mm connection that works across PS5, Xbox, Switch, PC and laptop without pairing anything.
• IMYB A36 — best for voice chat and light weight; pick this if a 0.77 lb over-ear set with an omni-directional noise-isolating mic and an anti-tangle braided cable sounds like your kind of simple.
This is an over-ear Bluetooth headphone with a party trick: two full-range 40 mm dynamic drivers plus a pair of extra bass drivers, which Skullcandy calls multi-sensory Crusher Bass. Read that spec plainly and it tells you what you're buying — this is a headphone tuned to make low-end physical, not neutral. For gaming that's a mixed blessing and an honest one. Explosions, engine rumble and heavy footsteps land with weight. Quiet, precise positional audio is not what dual bass drivers are for, and I'd rather tell you that than pretend otherwise.
The features that matter for a rider are the boring ones, and this headphone is good at boring. Up to 60 hours with ANC off, and 10 minutes of charging gets you 4 hours — that's the difference between a headphone you charge and a headphone you just grab on the way out. Bluetooth 5.2 with multipoint pairing means your phone and your PC or console can both stay connected and hand off without you re-pairing every time. There's also a 3.5 mm jack, so a wired connection is available when latency actually matters.
The 4-mic active noise cancelling is adjustable, and there's a Stay-Aware mode. In my opinion, that's the single most useful thing here for anyone riding — you want the option to shut out wind and traffic drone, and you want the option to open back up. On-ear controls are button and touch, with app control and voice control, and the Skullcandy App gives you a 5-band EQ plus preset modes for music, movie and podcast. Weight is 557.91 g, which is not light, and the enclosure is plastic with faux leather and silicone.
Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2
This is the same headphone in True Black, model S6CAW-R740. Same 40 mm dynamic drivers, same extra bass drivers, same 32 ohm impedance and 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz range, same Bluetooth 5.2, same 60-hour battery claim with ANC off, same 4-mic adjustable ANC, same multipoint pairing, same 3.5 mm jack, same protective case and USB-C cable in the box. If you're weighing the two listings against each other, the honest answer is that you are choosing between finishes, not features.
I'm listing it separately because the color question is real and shoppers ask it. Hazard is the louder, more graphic finish; True Black is the one you can wear on a commute or at a desk without it announcing itself. Everything that makes the first version good or frustrating carries over identically — including the missing voice mic, which I'll say again because it's the thing most likely to disappoint a gamer.
Where this one earns its place for a cyclist is the practicality stack. A protective case and a USB-C cable in the box means it travels without you buying extras. Button and touch controls on the earcup mean you're not fishing for your phone at a red light. Multipoint means your navigation audio and your game audio don't fight over the connection. And the 10-meter Bluetooth range is plenty for stepping away from a desk mid-download.
The trade-offs are the same, so let me be fair rather than repetitive: no listed water resistance, no bike-specific mounting, no chat mic, and a 557.91 g weight that you'll feel on a long ride. My recommendation: if your cycling is commuting and your gaming is at a desk, this is the more flexible of the two headphones here. If your cycling is the main event, keep reading.
Now the other half of the story. The IMYB A36 is a wired over-ear gaming headset — 50 mm neodymium dynamic drivers, 32 ohm impedance, 20 Hz – 20 kHz, 42 dB sensitivity, and a 3.5 mm jack. It's built around the opposite philosophy to the Skullcandy: no battery, no pairing, no app. You plug it into a device and it works. Stereo and PS5, Xbox One and Series X/S (older versions need an adapter), PS4, Switch, 3DS, laptop, PC, tablet, iPad, phone — if it has a 3.5 mm jack, this headset has an opinion about it.
The mic is the reason a lot of people buy it. It's an omni-directional, noise-isolating integrated mic, so it picks up your voice and pushes back on room noise — which is exactly what you want for squad chat, and exactly what the Skullcandy pair can't give you. There's a rotary volume knob and a button mute right on the cable, so you're not alt-tabbing to fix your audio mid-match. The cable itself is 6.5 ft, braided and anti-tangle.
Comfort-wise the spec sheet is specific: 0.77 lb (roughly 349 g), soft skin-friendly ear cushions, and a flexible headband with thickened padding. Lighter than the Skullcandy by a wide margin, which matters over a two-hour session. You also get a 1-to-2 3.5 mm splitter cable in the box, which is the part people forget they need when their PC has separate headphone and mic jacks.
The trade-off is the obvious one: it's wired. A 6.5 ft cable is fine at a desk. On a bike it's a hazard. And while the pads and headband are comfortable, there's no water-resistance claim here either, so "best waterproof gaming headphones for cycling" is a phrase this headset does not honestly answer. If you're searching that, I'd rather you knew that no product on this page advertises it.
This is the A36 in white, ASIN B0DG8JF1NW — same 50 mm drivers, same 42 dB sensitivity, same 32 ohm impedance, same wired 3.5 mm connection, same omni-directional noise-isolating mic, same 6.5 ft braided cable with rotary volume and mute button, same 1-to-2 splitter and manual in the box, and the same 3-year limited hardware warranty. Same headset, different shell. The listed earpiece shape is oval here rather than the round over-ear of the black version, which is a fit difference worth knowing if you have a strong preference about how pads sit around your ears.
One spec does read differently: noise control is listed as passive noise cancellation, with the control method described as remote. Practically, that means the isolation comes from the pads sealing around your ears rather than from electronics — which is the only kind of noise cancelling a wired headset can offer. It also means nothing to charge and nothing to fail. For a kid's setup, a spare desk headset, or a console in a shared living room, that simplicity is the whole appeal.
So who is this for? Anyone who wants a cheap-feeling-in-the-good-way wired headset that just works on whatever they plug it into, with a mic that's actually meant for talking. In my opinion it's the better gaming pick of the four if you play with friends, and the Skullcandy is the better everything-else pick if you listen more than you talk.
And for cycling? Honestly — neither wired headset belongs on a bike. A 6.5 ft cable plus handlebars is a bad combination, and there's no water-resistance spec to lean on if the weather turns. If riding is your priority, use the Crusher ANC 2 for the wireless freedom and the Stay-Aware mode, and keep the A36 for the desk.
How We Picked
Only in the loosest sense. The Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 is wireless with a Stay-Aware mode, which is the most rider-friendly combination on this page, but over-ear headphones under a helmet get hot and none of these carry a water-resistance rating. The IMYB A36 is wired, so I'd leave it at the desk.
The IMYB A36, both versions. It has an integrated omni-directional noise-isolating mic plus a mute button on the cable. The Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 spec sheets don't list a voice mic, so plan on using your controller or a separate mic for chat.
Wired, if latency and never charging matter and you play at a desk. Wireless, if you want multipoint pairing across two devices, 60-hour battery and the option of a 3.5 mm cable when you need it. The A36 is plug-and-play; the Crusher ANC 2 is the flexible one.
Finish, mostly. The Crusher ANC 2 pair differ in color (Hazard vs True Black) and the A36 pair differ in color (black vs white) and listed earpiece shape. Drivers, battery, connectivity and warranty match within each pair.
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