It’s been over a decade, but Skullcandy’s Aviator headphones are back—this time with noise cancellation, spatial audio, and a sleek new look. The newly released Aviator 900 ANC is the company’s most advanced over-ear model yet and seems designed for listeners who want modern features, good battery life, and a bit of retro flair, all for under $300.

The Aviator name might sound familiar. Skullcandy first launched the line back in 2010, and it quickly became known for its distinctive design and celebrity appeal. Now, the rebooted version, priced at $299 in the U.S., brings that same design DNA into 2025, with some meaningful upgrades under the hood.

Right away, the Aviator 900 ANC stands out from the sea of minimalist black headphones. Instead of hiding the details, Skullcandy leans into the retro vibe. Think coiled cables, suede touches, and even a small LCD display on the side showing battery life and volume. There’s a thumbwheel for volume, a joystick for playback controls, and a power switch that clicks into place like an old-school Walkman.

They also fold flat and come with a crossbody travel bag instead of the usual hard case—something that’s both stylish and functional if you're on the go. That said, at 332 grams, they’re on the heavier side, especially compared to something like the Sony WH-1000XM6, which weighs just 254 grams. Whether that’s a dealbreaker will depend on how long you wear them at a time.

On the audio front, one of the headline features is THX Spatial Audio with head tracking. It’s designed to give you a more immersive listening experience, especially when watching movies or playing games. Combine that with a low-latency mode, and it’s clear Skullcandy is thinking about gamers and streamers as much as music lovers.

You’ll also find Mimi sound personalization built in. This feature creates a custom audio profile based on how you hear, potentially making music and voices clearer at lower volumes. It’s the same kind of tech used in headphones from brands like Focal and Nothing.

Skullcandy hasn’t released a full breakdown of audio specs like frequency range or driver sensitivity, but we do know the Aviator 900 ANC uses 40mm dynamic drivers, which is pretty common for headphones in this price range.

As the “ANC” in the name suggests, these headphones include active noise cancellation powered by six built-in microphones. The ANC system is adaptive, meaning it adjusts based on the environment around you. There’s also a transparency mode, so you can let some sound back in when you need to hear your surroundings.

Battery life is a strong suit: Skullcandy claims up to 60 hours of playback with ANC off, and roughly 50 hours with ANC on. If you’re in a hurry, a 10-minute quick charge via USB-C will get you around four hours of listening. Those numbers stack up well against more expensive options—Sony’s WH-1000XM6 delivers about 30 hours with ANC on, so if stamina is a top priority, these could be appealing.

The Aviator 900 ANC uses Bluetooth 5.3 with support for LE Audio, which helps with lower power use and potentially better sound on compatible devices. There’s also multipoint pairing, so you can stay connected to your phone and laptop at the same time, and Google Fast Pair for easy setup on Android devices.

If you misplace them, Google’s Find My Device support can help you track them down. And if you prefer wired listening, there’s an aux input included.

Using the Skullcandy app, you can tweak your sound with a five-band EQ, choose from three presets, and even remap the button controls. There’s also Spotify Tap, which lets you jump into your music with a single touch.

At $299, the Aviator 900 ANC positions itself just under the latest Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Headphones in terms of price. That puts it in premium territory, but with a few cost advantages: you’re getting longer battery life than the Sony model, a retro-inspired design that stands out, and a crossbody carrying bag instead of a typical rigid case. 

On the other hand, brands like Sony and Bose have years of experience refining ANC performance and audio tuning, so it remains to be seen if Skullcandy’s revival can match them on sound quality and noise blocking.

The Aviator 900 ANC headphones are available now for pre-order through Skullcandy’s website, with shipping expected to begin mid-June. Broader availability at other retailers is likely to follow soon after.