Skullcandy Aviator Aviator 900 ANC

The Skullcandy Aviator 900 ANC brings top-of-the-charts noise cancelling and a 60-hour battery to a sub-$200 price point at Best Buy. Sound is bassy and fun, and THX spatial audio shines for movies, but the clamp force keeps comfort at just average. If you can handle a snug fit, it's a ludicrously good deal.

Skullcandy's Aviator 900 ANC is the kind of headphone that makes you do a double-take at the price tag. It packs 6-mic adaptive noise cancelling, THX spatial audio with head tracking, and a frankly absurd 60-hour battery into an over-ear design that looks and feels more premium than you'd expect. We've had these in our testing rotation for a bit, and the social proof is through the roof, these are flying off shelves for good reason.

But it's not all roses. The 289-gram build and persistent clamp force mean comfort lands smack in the middle of the pack, fine for a commute but punishing on a cross-country flight. Still, if you can live with a snug fit, the feature set at this price is shockingly competitive.

Active noise cancelling is the star here, clocking in at the 98th percentile in our database. It gobbles up airplane drone and office chatter about as well as the Sony WH-1000XM6, which costs nearly twice as much. The 60-hour battery is equally bonkers, and a 10-minute quick charge nets you 4 hours of playback. Soundwise, we got a bass-forward, energetic signature that's fun for pop and hip-hop, but the tuning won't win over purists. The THX spatial audio adds real width to movies and games, even if it's a bit gimmicky for stereo music. Call quality is excellent thanks to the 6-mic array, but the slight clamping pressure and 291-gram heft drag down that comfort score to just average.

Pricing is all over the map, we've seen listings from $194 to over $5,200. The $5k number is obviously a scalper fantasy, but pay attention to where you buy. At the time of writing, Best Buy has them for $194, which is an absolute steal for this level of ANC and battery life. Even a more typical $250 price tag makes them one of the best value noise-cancelling headphones you can grab. Just don't accidentally feed a reseller who's marking them up tenfold.

Stacked against the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra, the Aviator 900 ANC holds its ground on sheer noise cancelling strength while demolishing both on battery life. Sound quality doesn't quite touch the refinement of the Sennheiser Momentum 4 or the lushness of the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3, but the THX spatial audio gives it a fun edge for multimedia. Comfort-wise, it trails all of them. If your priority is all-day wearability, grab the QC Ultra. If you want the best ANC and battery under $200, the Skullcandy is the clear winner.

Skip the Aviator 900 ANC if comfort is your number one priority. That tight clamp makes long sessions a chore, and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra will treat your head far better. Studio engineers and anyone who needs a neutral, uncolored sound should also look elsewhere, the bass-heavy tuning and mediocre studio score (65.4) won't help you mix a track.

Grab the Aviator 900 ANC if you want flagship-grade noise cancelling and a battery that seemingly never dies, all for less than a pair of mid-range earbuds. They're ideal for frequent travelers who don't mind a firm grip, and for anyone who watches a lot of video on their phone. The sound is crowd-pleasing, calls are crisp, and the spatial audio adds real polish to games. Audiophiles and studio monkeys should steer clear, but for everyone else, these are an easy recommendation.