How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-20 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• Sony ULT WEAR Over — biggest strength: Adaptive Noise Cancellation plus ULT SOUND bass modes, 30-hour battery, multipoint and a foldable 255 g design that's easy to live with every day.
• Sony ULT WEAR Over — biggest trade-off: Battery life is roughly half the Crusher 720's, and the bass is delivered through preset ULT modes rather than a physical dial you can fine-tune on the fly.
• Skullcandy Crusher 720 — biggest strength: Up to 65 hours of playback with Rapid Charge (about 4 hours from a 10-minute top-up), a hands-on Crusher bass wheel, THX Spatial Audio and a personalised sound profile.
• Skullcandy Crusher 720 — biggest trade-off: Heavier at 362.8 g, uses sound isolation rather than active noise cancellation, and the bass-forward tuning won't suit anyone who wants a neutral, analytical sound.
• Who each is for: Sony ULT WEAR Over for commuters, call-heavy users and anyone who wants ANC to do the work. Skullcandy Crusher 720 for bass lovers, long-haul listeners and gamers who want immersion plus huge battery headroom.
The ULT WEAR Over is Sony's bass-forward everyday headphone, and the spec sheet reads like it was built for people who move between noisy places all day. Adaptive Noise Cancellation is the headline: it's designed to react to your surroundings rather than sit at one fixed level, which is exactly what you want on a train, in a shared office or on a flight. There's also an Ambient Sound Mode when you'd rather hear what's going on around you without taking the headphones off.
Sound-wise, Sony leans on 40 mm dynamic drivers, a 5 Hz–20,000 Hz frequency range and 100 ohm impedance, paired with two ULT Sound Modes for extra low-end. The 100 ohm figure is worth noting because it tells you these are tuned and driven as a complete wireless system rather than something you'd casually plug into a phone. You also get 360 Reality Audio with head tracking, which is a genuine plus for anyone who watches spatial-mixed content.
Day-to-day usability is where it quietly wins. At 255 g it's the lighter of the two, it folds for storage, it comes with a carrying case, and it supports multipoint so you can stay connected to a laptop and a phone at once. Touch and voice controls cover media and volume, Alexa and Google Assistant are both supported, and call quality is specifically called out as optimised — a real consideration if you take meetings in these. Battery is up to 30 hours with fast charging, and there's a 3.5 mm jack as a wired fallback.
Who should buy it: commuters, hybrid workers and frequent callers who want active noise cancellation, a light fit and assistant support in one package. Who should skip it: if you want to physically dial your bass up and down, or you're chasing the longest possible battery life between charges, the Crusher 720 is the better fit.
The Crusher 720 is a very different proposition, and Skullcandy is refreshingly upfront about it: this is a headphone for bass lovers, and the bass is the whole point. The patented multi-sensory Crusher Bass technology uses an upgraded driver design, and instead of presets you get a physical Crusher wheel you turn up or down. That's a meaningful difference in practice — you can add rumble for a workout playlist and dial it back for a podcast without digging through an app.
THX Spatial Audio is the second pillar. Skullcandy describes it as three-dimensional, directional sound that puts you inside music, movies and games, which is a clear pitch toward gaming and video rather than pure music listening. Combined with low latency audio, that's a coherent package for anyone who watches a lot of content on a phone, tablet or laptop.
Battery is the stat that jumps off the sheet: up to 65 hours on a single charge, with Rapid Charge giving roughly 4 hours of playtime from a 10-minute top-up. Even allowing for real-world variation, that's a different class of endurance from a 30-hour headphone, and it changes how you use them — you stop thinking about charging. You also get multipoint pairing, Bluetooth 5.3 with LE Audio and Auracast, Google Fast Pair, voice assistant activation, 3 EQ modes plus a 5-band custom EQ, and a Personal Sound hearing test in the app that builds a profile for your ears.
Who should buy it: bass enthusiasts, gamers, students and anyone who wants enormous battery life and tunable low-end. Who should skip it: if you need genuine active noise cancellation for flights or open-plan offices, or you prefer a lighter, more neutral headphone.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for noise cancellation → Sony ULT WEAR Over. Adaptive Noise Cancellation plus an Ambient Sound Mode is a genuine step up from the Crusher 720's sound isolation.
• Best for battery life → Skullcandy Crusher 720. Up to 65 hours versus up to 30, with a Rapid Charge that adds roughly 4 hours from a 10-minute charge.
• Best for bass control → Skullcandy Crusher 720. The physical Crusher wheel lets you tune sensory bass continuously; Sony offers two ULT Sound Modes instead.
• Best for movies and gaming → Skullcandy Crusher 720. THX Spatial Audio and low latency audio are aimed squarely at immersive content.
• Best for calls and voice assistants → Sony ULT WEAR Over. Optimised call quality, touch and voice control, and both Alexa and Google Assistant on board.
• Best for all-day comfort → Sony ULT WEAR Over. At 255 g it's around 108 g lighter, which adds up over a full workday.
• Best for personalisation → Skullcandy Crusher 720. In-app hearing test, 3 EQ modes and a 5-band custom EQ give you far more control over the final sound.
• Best for wired flexibility → tie. Both include a 3.5 mm jack, though only the Skullcandy ships with an aux cable in the box.
In my opinion, the Skullcandy Crusher 720 is the more interesting buy for most people, purely because of what it does that the Sony can't: a hands-on bass wheel, THX Spatial Audio and battery life that more than doubles its rival's. If you're a bass lover, a gamer or someone who hates charging headphones, that combination is hard to argue with.
But I'd point commuters and call-heavy users at the Sony ULT WEAR Over. Active noise cancellation, a lighter 255 g frame and optimised call quality solve problems the Crusher 720 simply doesn't address, and for a workday headphone that matters more than an extra 30 hours of playback. Pick the one whose weakness you can live with — that's the honest way to decide.
FAQ
Skullcandy rates the Crusher 720 at up to 65 hours and the Sony at up to 30 hours on a single charge. The Crusher 720 also supports Rapid Charge, giving roughly 4 hours of playtime from a 10-minute charge, and its full charge time is listed at about 1 hour.
Neither is marketed as a water-resistant workout headphone, so treat both as everyday over-ears rather than sweat-proof gym gear. The Crusher 720 is described with fitness and studying in mind and folds for transport, but at 362.8 g it's the heavier option on the move.
The Crusher 720, in my opinion. The Crusher wheel gives you continuous control over sensory bass, and the upgraded driver design is built specifically for that effect, whereas the Sony delivers its extra low-end through two fixed ULT Sound Modes.
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