How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want headphones you can actually swim and submerge with — and a charging case that tops them up twice — choose H2O Audio TRI 2; if you need thumping, feel-it-in-your-chest bass, spatial audio, and marathon battery for the gym, study desk, or commute, choose Skullcandy Crusher 720.
• H2O Audio TRI 2 — biggest strength: IPX8 waterproofing rated for submersion to 12 ft / 3.6 m for an unlimited time, plus a built-in 8 GB MP3 player so music plays where Bluetooth can't reach (underwater).
• H2O Audio TRI 2 — biggest trade-off: Bone conduction means no bass thump and no noise isolation, and its 6–9 hours of playtime is a fraction of the Crusher's.
• Skullcandy Crusher 720 — biggest strength: Patented multi-sensory Crusher bass with dedicated bass drivers, THX Spatial Audio, and up to 65 hours of battery (60 hours average life per the spec sheet).
• Skullcandy Crusher 720 — biggest trade-off: It is not waterproof. An over-ear design with sound isolation is for dry land only — no swimming, no submersion.
• Who each pick is for: TRI 2 → swimmers, surfers, paddlers, and multi-sport athletes who train in and around water. Crusher 720 → gym-goers, students, commuters, and movie/game fans who want deep bass and long battery indoors and out of the pool.
The TRI 2 is built around one uncompromising idea: music where other headphones can't go. Its IPX8 rating means it's designed to withstand being submerged to 12 feet / 3.6 meters for an unlimited amount of time. That's not "sweat-resistant" or "splash-proof" — it's a genuine underwater headphone, and it's the single most important spec on the page.
Because Bluetooth doesn't transmit through water, H2O Audio solved the problem with a built-in 8 GB MP3 player. That memory holds several thousand songs and accepts most formats, including iTunes .M4A. So your swim playlist lives on the headphones themselves — no phone, no signal, no problem. When you're back on land, Bluetooth 5.3 lets you stream from an iPhone, Android phone, or a music-enabled smart watch for running and cycling.
The open-ear, bone-conduction design is the other half of the story. The latest bone conduction speakers are 5 mm slimmer than the previous TRI generation, and because nothing plugs your ear canal, you keep full situational awareness — you hear traffic, lane mates, and the pool deck. The trade-offs are real: bone conduction gives you clarity and awareness but not bass slam, and there's no noise control (the spec sheet lists noise control as "None"). Battery is listed at 6 to 9 hours depending on mode and volume, with about a 2-hour charge time. The bundle adds a hardshell charging case with enough capacity to fully charge the TRI 2 twice — genuinely useful for a weekend of swim meets or back-to-back training days.
Buy it if you swim, paddle, surf, snowboard, or run and want one pair that survives the water. Skip it if you want deep bass, noise isolation, or all-day battery — that's not what this headphone is for.
The Crusher 720 is the opposite philosophy: maximum sensory impact on dry land. Its headline feature is Skullcandy's patented multi-sensory Crusher bass technology, which uses dedicated bass drivers to create vibration you can physically feel. You can dial the bass up for maximum punch or down for a more refined listen — which matters, because "always max bass" gets fatiguing fast.
Around that core, Skullcandy packed in a serious feature set. THX Spatial Audio delivers 3-dimensional, directional sound for movies, games, and music. Battery is rated at up to 65 hours, with an average life of 60 hours per the spec sheet, and Rapid Charge gives you 4 hours of playtime from a 10-minute top-up — a full charge takes about an hour. Multipoint pairing connects two devices at once, so you can jump from a laptop call to your phone without re-pairing.
The smart features run through the Skullcandy App: an adjustable Stay-Aware Mode that lets you control how much outside sound leaks in, a personal sound profile built from a quick in-app hearing test, 3 EQ modes plus a 5-band custom EQ, and Clear Voice Smart Mic with natural sidetone for calls. There's also low latency audio, Google Fast Pair, voice assistant activation, and Bluetooth 5.3 with LE Audio and Auracast. Controls are button-based plus app and voice.
The physical build is over-ear with oval earpieces in faux leather and plastic, weighing 362.8 g, with 40.7 mm dynamic drivers, 32 ohm impedance, and 110 dB sensitivity. It ships with a 3.5 mm AUX cable, USB-C cable, and a drawstring travel bag — and yes, there's a 3.5 mm jack, so wired listening is possible when the battery's empty.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for swimming and water sports → H2O Audio TRI 2. IPX8, submersible to 12 ft / 3.6 m for an unlimited time. The Crusher 720 has no waterproof rating.
• Best for bass and physical impact → Skullcandy Crusher 720. Dedicated bass drivers with adjustable Crusher intensity.
• Best for battery life → Skullcandy Crusher 720. Up to 65 hours (60 hours average life) versus 6–9 hours.
• Best for charging convenience → H2O Audio TRI 2. The bundled hardshell case recharges the headphones twice with no wall outlet needed.
• Best for workouts where you need to hear traffic → H2O Audio TRI 2. Open-ear bone conduction keeps you fully aware of your surroundings.
• Best for immersive movies, games, and calls → Skullcandy Crusher 720. THX Spatial Audio, multipoint pairing, and Clear Voice Smart Mic.
• Best for phone-free listening → H2O Audio TRI 2. The 8 GB MP3 player works with no device connected at all.
• Best for long study or work sessions → Skullcandy Crusher 720. Sound isolation and day-spanning battery suit a desk, a library, or a long flight.
In my opinion, these two barely compete — they solve different problems. If you swim or do water sports, the H2O Audio TRI 2 is the one I'd buy, because almost nothing else in this category is genuinely submersible and carries its own music library. If your training and listening happen on dry land and you want bass you can feel plus battery that lasts most of a week, I'd take the Skullcandy Crusher 720. Pick by your environment first, features second — that single question settles it.
Yes, without question. The TRI 2 is IPX8-rated for submersion to 12 ft / 3.6 m for an unlimited time, and its MP3 mode plays music underwater where Bluetooth can't. The Crusher 720 is not a waterproof headphone.
Yes. The Crusher 720 uses dedicated bass drivers with adjustable intensity, while the TRI 2 relies on bone conduction, which prioritizes awareness and clarity over low-end impact.
The Skullcandy Crusher 720, by a wide margin: up to 65 hours (60 hours average life) with Rapid Charge giving 4 hours from a 10-minute charge. The H2O Audio TRI 2 is listed at 6–9 hours depending on mode and volume.
Yes. Its built-in 8 GB MP3 player holds several thousand songs and accepts most formats, including .M4A, so you can swim with music and no device at all.
If cost is the deciding factor for you, check the current price on Amazon for each before you commit — the specs won't tell you that part.
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