Skullcandy launches over-ear headphones for the gym with sweat-resistance and driving bass, but there’s a big feature missing for the price

• The first Skullcandy Crusher headphones made for the gym
• Sweat and water resistance, plus a nano-coating and silicone band
• Lots of bass promised, but no active noise cancellation

Skullcandy’s new Crusher 540 Active headphones look like nearly perfect over-ears for the gym: they’re sweat-resistant, they’ve got great battery life, and they promise to deliver pumping and motivational sound, too. But there’s one big feature missing: active noise cancellation.

That’s an odd choice for headphones when many gyms have a pretty loud soundtrack, and given the price tag – £169.99 / $199.99 (about AU$353) – that means the lack of ANC is all the more apparent; our list of the best headphones has options half the price that come with very good ANC.

That’s a shame, because the rest of the specifications are very good.

Skullcandy Crusher 540 Active headphones: key features