We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-08 · 9 min read · Independent comparison
The Skullcandy Method 360 ANC is my top pick for affordable wireless earbuds, and it's the pair I'd hand to anyone who wants serious noise cancelling and long battery life for gaming on a Nintendo Switch without stretching their budget. It combines Sound by Bose tuning, active noise cancellation and a 40-hour total battery figure in one package — that combination is rare at the affordable end of the market.
• Skullcandy Method 360 — best for blocking out a noisy room while you play; pick this if you want active noise cancellation and the longest single-charge listening time here.
• Skullcandy Method 360 — best for standing out from the crowd; pick this if you like the clip-anywhere carry design and want the same ANC feature set in a bolder finish.
• BESNOOW Earbuds — best for long sessions on a budget; pick this if you want a 48-hour total battery figure, a charging-case LED readout and IP7 water resistance.
• BESNOOW Earbuds — best for lightweight everyday wear; pick this if you want a 3.7 g-per-bud design in a softer color and the same Bluetooth 5.4 connection specs.
This is the Plasma version of Skullcandy's Method 360 ANC, and the headline fact is the audio partnership: the tuning is done with Sound by Bose. In practice that means the brand isn't just chasing bass — the spec sheet points to a 16 ohm impedance, a dynamic driver and a 20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response, which is a full-range setup for music, dialogue and game audio alike. For Switch sessions, that matters more than you'd think: a lot of cheap buds muddy footsteps and ambient cues, and a properly tuned pair keeps those details audible.
The feature I'd point a Switch owner toward first is the active noise cancellation. If you're playing handheld on a train, in a shared living room or next to a running fan, ANC is the difference between hearing the game and hearing the room. Skullcandy also pairs this with a Stay-Aware mode you can toggle in the app, which is the sensible option when you still need to hear someone call your name. Add IPX4 sweat and water resistance and these hold up to commutes, light rain and gym trips rather than being a desk-only pair.
Battery is the other reason this sits at the top of my list. Skullcandy rates it at 11 hours in the earbuds and 29 hours in the case, for up to 40 hours total. Even if you only ever get close to that, 11 hours per charge covers a very long flight or an all-day work-and-play rotation without hunting for a cable. The case itself supports wireless charging, and the connection side covers Bluetooth 5.3 with multipoint pairing, Google Fast Pair and auto on/connect — so switching between a phone and a Switch is far less fiddly than with single-point buds.
The trade-off is the fit and the button approach. These are in-ear buds with ear gels and fit fins in S, M and L, and controls are touch-based rather than physical — some people love that, some find touch taps easier to trigger by accident when adjusting the bud. The clip-anywhere carry design is genuinely handy, but it's a style choice, not a neutral one. If you want the absolute lightest possible bud or a charging case with a visible battery percentage readout, look at the BESNOOW option below instead.
This is the same Method 360 ANC hardware in the Leopard finish, so everything that makes the Plasma version worth considering applies here too. Same Sound by Bose tuning, same active noise cancellation, same Bluetooth 5.3 with multipoint pairing, same wireless charging case, same up to 40 hours of total battery life. If you're choosing between the two, you're choosing a colorway, not a different product.
I'd steer someone toward this version if they want their earbuds to read as an accessory rather than disappear. The clip-anywhere design is meant to be seen — clip it to a bag strap, a belt loop or a keyring and it's part of the outfit. For a Switch player who carries a console case around anyway, that's a small but real convenience: one less loose object rattling around in a pocket.
Functionally, the same everyday notes apply. The IPX4 rating handles sweat and splashes but isn't a swimming or heavy-rain promise. The app gives you three preset EQ options plus a custom curve, and you can remap the button functions and adjust ANC and Stay-Aware behavior — useful if the default tuning isn't quite your taste for game audio versus music.
The honest downside is identical to its sibling: touch controls plus in-ear fit fins mean there's a short adjustment period, and if you've never worn a bud with a fit fin, expect to experiment with the S, M and L sizes before it feels right. It's also a chunkier carry than a pocketable case, because the design leans into clipping rather than disappearing. Neither of those is a dealbreaker — just know what you're buying.
The BESNOOW I53 in Black is the value-focused pick, and its spec sheet is aimed squarely at people who want endurance rather than premium audio branding. The numbers that jump out: Bluetooth 5.4, a stated 30% faster transmission speed over the previous generation, and a connection range of up to 15 meters. For a Switch in handheld mode or docked across the room, that stable-signal claim is exactly the kind of thing that matters — dropouts mid-boss-fight are the fastest way to hate a pair of buds.
Battery is where this one makes its case. BESNOOW rates up to 8 hours of playback per charge, with a 1.5-hour charge time, and up to 48 hours total with the case. The case holds a 400 mAh battery and includes a dual LED display that shows the charge level of both the buds and the case — a small feature that's genuinely useful when you're packing for a trip and don't want to guess. If you're the type who forgets to charge things, that readout is worth more than it sounds.
Sound is handled by a 14.2 mm dynamic driver with a 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz range and 32 ohm impedance. Larger drivers generally mean more low-end presence, and BESNOOW's positioning around deeper bass lines up with that. The call side uses ENC noise reduction with four microphones, which is aimed at making your voice clear to the person on the other end rather than silencing the room for you — a meaningful distinction. Add IP7 water resistance, which is a stronger splash and sweat rating than IPX4, and 3.7 g per bud, and these are built for running, cycling and long wear.
The trade-off: BESNOOW's noise control is described as sound isolation rather than the active noise cancellation you get from Skullcandy, so it won't cancel a noisy room the way ANC does — it blocks sound passively through the seal. The plastic build and the absence of a named audio partner are also real differences. In my opinion, this is the pair to choose for battery life, lightness and water resistance, not for the quietest possible listening environment.
This is the Azure version of the same BESNOOW I53, and the spec sheet is essentially identical: Bluetooth 5.4, up to 15 meters of range, 14.2 mm dynamic drivers, 48 hours of total battery, IP7 water resistance and the dual LED charge display. The differences are cosmetic — an Azure colorway with a silicone enclosure material and rounded tips, versus the Black version's plastic build.
Who is it for? If you want a softer, less techy look and you're buying primarily for workout and commute use, this is the more natural fit of the two. The rounded-tip shape and 3.7 g weight per bud are aimed at people who wear buds for hours and don't want pressure points. For Switch sessions in handheld mode, that light weight genuinely helps — heavier buds start to ache after a couple of hours, and these are designed to avoid that.
The rest of the experience follows the same script. Touch controls cover volume, track skipping, play/pause and call handling, and compatibility extends to iOS and Android phones, TVs, computers and laptops — so the same pair works across a phone, a laptop and a console without re-pairing gymnastics. The magnetic Hall effect pairing means the buds connect as soon as you lift them from the case after the first setup, which is the behavior you want when you're grabbing them one-handed.
The trade-offs are the same ones I'd flag for the Black version: sound isolation instead of active noise cancellation, a plastic-and-silicone build rather than a premium one, and a fit that relies on the included S, M and L silicone tips doing their job properly. Get the tip size wrong and you'll lose both bass and isolation. In my opinion this is a strong pick for the price-sensitive buyer who values battery life and comfort over active noise cancelling.
I compared the published spec sheets side by side — driver size, noise control type, battery figures, water resistance rating, Bluetooth version, fit options and app features — and ranked them by how useful those specs are for the stated use case. The ordering here is my independent editorial opinion; no brand paid for placement, and no product was supplied in exchange for a review. Where a product has a real weakness, I've said so.
Yes — both brands use standard Bluetooth, so they pair with the Switch's Bluetooth audio. The Skullcandy Method 360 adds Bluetooth 5.3 with multipoint pairing, which makes hopping between a phone and a console easier; the BESNOOW I53 uses Bluetooth 5.4 with a stated range of up to 15 meters.
Active noise cancellation, which the Skullcandy Method 360 has, actively reduces ambient sound like engine rumble or a fan. Sound isolation, which is how BESNOOW describes its noise control, relies on the ear tip seal to physically block noise. For a loud room, ANC is the more effective approach; for general use, a good seal gets you most of the way.
Per the manufacturers' published figures: the Skullcandy Method 360 offers 11 hours in the buds and 29 hours in the case, up to 40 hours total. The BESNOOW I53 offers up to 8 hours per charge and up to 48 hours total with the case, with a 1.5-hour charge time.
Both are rated for sweat. The Skullcandy Method 360 carries an IPX4 rating, and the BESNOOW I53 carries IP7, which is the stronger water resistance rating of the two. Both include multiple ear tip sizes — and for the BESNOOW, also fit fins on the Skullcandy — so you can dial in a secure fit before you run.
For Switch players on a budget, my final recommendation stays the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC if active noise cancellation and long single-charge battery matter most to you, and the BESNOOW I53 if you'd rather have the longer total battery, lighter buds and higher water resistance rating.
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