Skullcandy Method 540 ANC: Two minute review

For all that companies try to squirrel AI chatbots into every gadget possible, I’ve yet to see many buyers who genuinely want this kind of addition. In fact more often than not, the infiltration of artificial intelligence makes the tech worse — many companies are starting to realize this and take a step back. But there’s now a new victim of the AI war: the Skullcandy Method 540.

For context, let’s look at some earbuds that would have gotten onto our list of the best cheap earbuds if not for how competitive 2025 was. I’m talking about the Skullcandy Method 360, which were some of my favorite buds of the year: they fit great, sounded fun and were fairly affordable. The 540 are the updated model of 360, with Skullcandy apparently not taking a leaf from Microsoft’s naming playbook – don’t get your hopes up for a Method One and then Method Series X, then.

New models should, ostensibly, bring upgrades over the previous iterations. However the Skullcandy Method 540 have the same design, drivers and carry case design as the previous model. They’re incredibly similar buds, yet cost about 25% more.

So what’s actually new? Well, there are a few tiny tweaks here and there, but the flagship ‘feature’ is compatibility with Skull AI. This is Skullcandy’s AI assistant, built on Bragi AI which in turn is built on Open AI. So for all intents and purposes, you’re paying more for a built-in chat-bot…

…except that you’re not, because Skull AI is available as a separate subscription, which you have to pay for either monthly, at $4.99 / £4.99, or annually (at $49.99 / £49.99). Skull AI is one of the better AI chatbot names I've heard, but I'm not including an evaluation of the chatbot itself in this review: it’s very much a separate, optional product to the Method 540.

If you use AI chatbots, perhaps the Method 540 is worth considering, but the vast majority of buyers are going to wonder if there are any other spec improvements to justify that price bump, or if this is another case of AI implementation taking precedence over actual upgrades. Spoiler alert: it’s the latter.

The specs are identical – in fact, I copied and pasted the specs table from my 360 review to save time. In some cases, keeping things similar is great: the buds are comfortable and fit incredibly well, making them great for runners or gym-goers. In some cases, an upgrade was needed: I liked the Method 360’s sound, but budget buds have come on leaps and bounds in just one year, and the Method 540 aren’t as competitive.

Since I gave last year’s Skullcandy earbuds four stars, and these are basically the same thing, some might be wondering where half a star went. That was removed because the Method 360 was good for the price, and the 540 price hike makes them a less appealing prospect.

Given the increased cost, the lack of upgrades and the shoehorned AI mode, it’s just hard to get as enthused about the Method 540. And so it’s harder to recommend them, given how many low-cost rivals there are in 2026.

Skullcandy Method 540 ANC review: Specifications

Skullcandy Method 540 ANC review: Price and availability

• Announced in January 2026
• RRP $149.99 / £129.99 (roughly AU$250)
• Skull AI costs $4.99 monthly

The Skullcandy Method 540 ANC were unveiled on January 8, 2026, at the annual CES tech conference. That release falls only nine months after the release of the Method 360.

You can pick up the earbuds for $149.99 / £129.99 (roughly AU$250, though there’s no word on an Australian release just yet). That’s a notable price hike over the Method 360, which sold for $119 / £99 / AU$189, and are even cheaper now thanks to some discounts.

That retail price doesn’t even take into account the monthly cost of Skull AI. Access to this AI assistant costs $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year – regional pricing wasn’t available at the time of this review – but it’s worth noting that Skull AI is optional and starts with a 3-month free trial.

Skullcandy Method 540 ANC review: Design

• Chunky carry case
• Incredibly reliable in-ear fit
• Only black or white options

You know how wireless earbuds makers constantly one-up each other to make svelte little carry cases? Skullcandy didn’t miss the memo – it received it, laughed at it, screwed it up into a ball and threw it away. The Method 540 buds come in a tube, and you slide out the central column to reveal them.

The 360 used the same mechanism, although it’s a little thinner this time around: it measures 3.6 x 2.9 x 10.2 cm, and weighs 72g. At the time of writing, the buds only come in black or white, but Skullcandy often releases funky colors for its products, and hopefully it’ll follow for the 540.

This is not a convenient way to carry earbuds – the monolith doesn’t fit well in trouser pockets. But honestly, I don’t mind – I ended up just putting it in my jacket or bag instead. Perhaps I’ve grown used to these chunky cases from testing other such buds, or maybe petite carry cases are overrated. Plus, a magnetic mechanism makes sure it stays shut tight when not in use, a carry hook means you can attach them to your keys or bag, and unlike in the 360 the charging port is out in the open.

My biggest annoyance with the old model remains, though: putting the buds in the case isn’t convenient, as you have to put them in, in a very particular fashion. It takes quite a bit of maneuvering and flipping to make sure they’re in right, and quite often I’d only realise I’d bungled the job when the case wouldn’t shut properly.

Skullcandy has trimmed the fat of its carry case, but it hasn’t touched the earbuds from the last-gen models – and it didn’t need to. Like the 360, the buds fit snugly and reliably, thanks in part to the grippy eartip material, but mostly due to the fins which wedge the buds into your ear. I went for runs with the buds and took them to the gym, and they never threatened to fall out.

They’re not that light, at 11g, or protected, with IPX4 (no protection against dust, only protected against splashes). But they’re not going to fall out into a puddle thanks to the lovely fit, so it doesn’t really matter.

Each bud has touch controls if you tap on their body, which generally felt okay to use, once I got used to tapping the right spot.

• Design score: 3.5/5

Skullcandy Method 540 ANC review: Features

• ANC is solid, not best-in-class
• Battery life is above average: 11 hours from the buds/29 including the case
• App misses some basic features

Technically, these buds are sold as the Skullcandy Method 540 ANC, and so naturally these buds have Active Noise Cancellation. It’s no more advanced than on the 360: pretty solid, but not best-in-class. Loud noises will cut above the silence, though the background hum of city life will get stripped away.

Stay-Aware falls into the trap that many transparency or surround-hearing modes do, in that it seemingly amplifies more than it strips. Thankfully, Skullcandy has included an Intensity slider in the app, so you can turn down its effects.

According to Skullcandy, the Method 540 lasts for 9 hours with ANC on, or 11 hours with it off, and I’d concur with those estimates. That goes up to 23 or 29 hours when factoring in the extra power offered by the case. And that's good, honestly – any earbuds capable of lasting over 7 hours with ANC on represent above-average stamina.

You’re required to download and use the Skull-iQ app in order to use the 540’s extra features – not the standard Skullcandy one, something I only discovered after downloading the wrong one. I made the exact same error with the 360, but if I say it now, hopefully I save a few of you from making the same mistake.

The app lets you toggle ANC modes, play with a 5-band equalizer, turn on low-latency mode, use the earbuds as a remote phone camera trigger, enable Spotify Tap or set up multipoint pairing. Oh, and the main menu has two separate options for Skull AI. Notably missing perks include the ability to customize touch controls, any kind of fit or listening tests or a find-my-earbuds feature. Any one of these would be a more useful addition than an AI chatbot, as would a more advanced equalizer, or extra presets beyond the three available.

During testing, I had a few temporary Bluetooth drop-outs, but they all resolved themselves quickly.

• Features score: 3.5/5

Skullcandy Method 540 ANC review: Sound performance

• 12mm drivers and Bose tuning
• Less bassy than Skullcandy norm
• EQ tweaking is mandatory

On paper, the Skullcandy Method 540 match their predecessors in terms of audio specs: 12mm drivers, tuning by Bose, and a total lack of support for any Bluetooth or high-res streaming codecs.

It’s fair to say I was complimentary of the 360’s sound, but I can’t quite say the same about the 540. Partly, it could be because my ears have been spoiled by some fantastic budget rivals in the last year. But there also seem to be tuning differences too.

Skullcandy has a reputation for offering bass-heavy products, something that’s levelled either as a criticism or high praise, depending on the listener. People who sit in the former camp probably haven’t read this far into the review. The Method 540, however, seem to buck this trend. Simply put, they're not all about that bass.

These buds are relatively and surprisingly neutral for Skullcandy products. Treble is more powerful, the low end is sensibly is pared-back, mids are… well, we can’t hope for miracles. This new face would be an interesting twist, except that it reveals that there’s not much else going on under the surface.

Songs sound a little flat, with nothing to replace the lost bass injection, to add a little energy into proceedings. And it sounds like the top was lopped off to the detriment of some treble frequencies and musical passages; hi-hats, guitar stings and vocal flourishes do sound compressed.

There’s a lack of a meaningful soundstage, so instruments are tripping over each other to be head. When you listen to songs like Wake Up by Arcade Fire, or All My Friends by The Revivalists, what should be an encompassing cacophony of noise sounds more like a music track being played from a phone. I checked out Atmosphere by Joy Division after it was featured in The History of Sound, and even in the remastered version, it sounded like Ian Curtis was playing every single instrument. What about some noughties rock, right in Skullcandy’s core demographic? The guitar riffs of Yellowcard’s Ocean Avenue sounded heavy and dull – even if the wall of sound of the chorus picked up the energy a little.

Saving the Method 540 is the app. I always listened on Bass Boost, which went some way in restoring the Skullcandy sound – these things have the capability for decent bass if you can coax it out. I also dabbled with the equalizer. Though it only has five bands, it lets you add a bit of needed chutzpah to music. And the max volume is still high, so you can rock out at max power.

• Sound performance score: 3.5/5

Skullcandy Method 540 ANC review: Value

If you’ve been paying close attention, you’ll have noticed that the Skullcandy Method 540 earbuds don’t offer that many upgrades over the 360… well, other than the higher price, and optional chatbot.

Given that it’s basically the same product, but for about 25% more, the Method 540 don't feel like they offer great value for money. That’s doubly true given that the older buds have seen price cuts of around 30% off, depending on where you live.

• Value score: 3/5

Skullcandy Method 540 ANC review: scorecard

Skullcandy Method 540 ANC: Should I buy?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

Also consider

How I tested

I used the Skullcandy Method 540 ANC for three weeks before writing this review.

The headphones were paired to a OnePlus phone for the entirety of the testing process. I listened to music from Spotify and Qobuz, played various games, conducted several video and voice calls, watched Netflix and listened to voice notes using them. Testing took place at home, while on runs, during cycling (Stay Aware mode, of course), at the gym, on various public transports, and on walks around different areas of my city.

I've been reviewing gadgets for TechRadar since 2019, including countless low-cost and mid-range headphones. That includes, of course, the Method 360 earbuds, as well as the Crusher 540 Active over-ears from Skullcandy.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed: February 2026