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- New Technique 540 ANC earbuds boast improved case and built-in AI
- Cranium AI has a two-week free trial – after that, it’s going to price $4.99 monthly
- Skullcandy Technique 540 ANC price $149.99 (so round £110 or AU$224)
Skullcandy’s bringing its Cranium AI assistant out of beta and into your cranium. And it is coming completely to the newly launched Technique 540 ANC earbuds – that are an replace on the spectacular Skullcandy Technique 360 ANC.
However there is a catch: the AI assistant is just free for a fortnight. After that, you will have to pay $4.99 a month or $49.99 per yr.
Cranium AI makes use of the Bragi AI system, which in flip is powered by OpenAI. While you activate the assistant it processes the request, codecs it for ChatGPT, and sends it off to OpenAI. It then processes the response and reads it aloud in your ears. And naturally you may management your earbuds too. It is only a matter of claiming “OK Skully” and telling the AI what you need it that can assist you with.
I believe the principle rival right here would be the Google Pixel Buds Professional 2, which have Google Gemini – and whereas Gemini can also be a subscription service, it truly presents a free tier that features Gemini Reside.
Skullcandy Technique 540 ANC: key options and pricing
As talked about above, the Technique 540 ANC are basically the Technique 360 earbuds, which we actually preferred owing to their sound tuning by Bose for lower than a Bose product. They have been given an AI increase and so they include a redesigned model of the clip-anywhere case that is considerably smaller and extra streamlined – good name, Skullcandy. And in the interim, the Technique 540 earbuds are the one Skullcandy product that includes Cranium AI.
The Technique 540 function adjustable 4-mic noise cancelling, 40 hours of battery life (32 with ANC on), three sizes of eartips, and customization through the Cranium-iQ app. Bluetooth is 5.3 with Google Quick Pair and multipoint pairing, and the earbuds’ frequency response is 20Hz to 20kHz. The buds weigh 11g every.
The Skullcandy Technique 540 ANC can be found now within the US for $149.99 – however the Technique 360 are at the moment $89.99. Which means there is a actually huge value distinction if you wish to go down the AI route: at $199.98 for the Technique 540 ANC with a yr of AI, that is greater than double what you’d pay for the no-AI Technique 360 earbuds.
Cranium AI will exit beta this week (week commencing 5 January 2026) and you will discover out extra on the Skullcandy Cranium AI web page.
One of the best wi-fi earbuds for all budgets
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