METHOD 540 ANC

To reduce the volume of the voice prompts, follow these steps:

1. If you haven't already, start by downloading the Skull-iQ app. 
   • Skull-iQ for iOS
   • Skull-iQ for Android
   • **Be sure you are running app version 3.1.0 or higher.
2. Connect your METHOD 540 ANC earbuds to your phone via Bluetooth.
3. Open the Skull-iQ app.
4. Accept the prompts to connect your METHOD 540 ANC earbuds to the Skull-iQ app.
5. If you don’t get a prompt to connect, scroll to the menu bar at the bottom of the screen, tap the headphone icon, and follow the steps to connect your earbuds to the app.
6. Before installing the update, make sure Multipoint Pairing is disabled -- Find the tile for Multipoint Pairing in the Skull-iQ app, tap the tile, and make sure the setting for “Multipoint Pairing” is set to “OFF.”
7. Next on the main product screen, you will see a blue banner announcing, "New Update Available."
8. Place your earbuds in your ears (to keep the earbuds from falling asleep) and start the update by tapping the banner announcement, "New Update Available". Audio streams will stop during the update.
9. The firmware update should take 3-5 minutes. Keep your earbuds in your ear and do not lock your phone during the update. When it’s finished, your earbuds will reboot and reconnect to your phone and the Skull-iQ app.
10. That's it! Happy listening.

 INITIAL SET UP & PAIRING HELP:

 Quick Start Version: (When Powering ON your earbuds for the first time)

 Take your new earbuds out of the charging case and remove the protective stickers from each charging point.

1. Place earbuds back in the charging case until the LEDs turn amber or white. Remove them from the case again.
2. Open Bluetooth settings on your device. Select “METHOD 540 ANC” from the list of available devices.
3. Accept any PAIR or OK prompts. Your earbuds will connect to your device. They are now ready to use.

Multipoint Pairing: (Connecting to a 2nd device after initial pairing)

 This feature makes it possible to pair your earbuds with two devices at once. The connection is managed automatically — you won’t need to do anything after pairing the second device.

  For example — while watching YouTube videos on your laptop, you can take a call on your phone without the hassle of disconnecting from one device to pair with another.

 To utilize Multipoint Pairing and pair to a second device while already connected to one:

• Press and hold either earbud for 3 seconds.
• This will put both earbuds into Pairing Mode.

The voice prompt will say “Ready to pair”, and:

• Both earbuds will pulse blue.
• Select “METHOD 540 ANC” from the available Bluetooth device list.
• Accept the pairing prompt on your screen.

Once paired to the second device:

• You can seamlessly stream from either device as needed.

Going forward:

• Each time you power on the earbuds, they will automatically pair to the two most recently paired devices.

 Streaming Audio with Multipoint:

•  With your METHOD 540 ANC earbuds, you’re able to play audio from either paired device at any time, but they will not play simultaneously.
• For example, if you press play on one device while the other is streaming audio, the streaming device will automatically pause and the new device will begin to stream. No need to pause one before starting the other, the connection is managed automatically.

 Streaming Audio + Phone Calls + Prompt Tones with Multipoint:

• What happens if I’m currently on an active call and the second device gets an incoming call?
  • The user will always need to end the first active call before the second can be answered.
  • You will not be able to have two active calls going at the same time. 
  • Important to note, if you are currently on an active call when the second device gets an incoming call, it can only be received by the device controls)
• If there are no active calls (and not streaming audio) on either device, the first call incoming or outgoing on either device will take priority. (Important to note in this scenario, incoming calls will need to be received by the earbuds button controls 1x press MFB)

If you’d prefer to only pair to one device at a time, you can go into the Skull-iQ App and turn OFF Multipoint Pairing.

 QUICK START DEFAULT USER CONTROLS

 Right out of the box, METHOD 540 ANC lets you use your device’s built-in button controls, keeping you connected and in control of your Bluetooth-enabled device.

 Single Tap either bud

• Play/pause
• Answer call

One Second Hold either bud

• End call
• Reject incoming call
• Directly launch Spotify®

Double Tap either bud

• Track forward

Triple Tap

• ANC On
• Stay Aware Mode on
• ANC Off

SPOTIFY TAP™

We’ve partnered with Spotify® to create an instant path to your music with a simple button press or voice command.

Press and hold the Main Function Button for 1 second.

This starts your playlist back up from where you left off or will queue up music based upon your stellar taste in music.

Skull-iQ SMART FEATURE TECHNOLOGY

To unlock your earbuds’ Skull-iQ features, scan the QR code in your Quick Start Guide to download the Skull-iQ App.

Once you’ve paired your earbuds to your device, open the Skull-iQ App and it will automatically link.

You can use the app to:

 - Customize and turn Adjustable ANC and Stay-Aware Modes ON or OFF

- Create your own custom button settings

- Select preset EQ Modes or create your own custom 5-band EQ Mode

 - Turn on Low-Latency Mode to improve performance for gaming or streaming your favorite videos

 - Turn your buds into a camera remote with the Take Photo feature.

- Turn Multipoint Pairing OFF.

- Access User Guides and Troubleshooting help.

- Update your earbuds with the latest firmware and features

ADJUSTABLE ANC & ADJUSTABLE STAY-AWARE MODE

Your new earbuds come with Adjustable Digital Active Noise Cancelling and Adjustable Stay-Aware Mode. These features let you adjust the amount of outside noise you want to shut out and would like to let in.

 Active Noise Canceling (ANC) digitally filters background noise, so you can hear your media more clearly. When you turn your earbuds ON, ANC will be activated by default.

 Adjustable Stay-Aware Mode makes it easier to hear what’s going on around you so you can enjoy your audio and stay in touch with your surroundings.

A slider in the Skull-iQ App allows you to customize your ANC and Stay-Aware Mode levels up or down. Once adjusted in the app, your chosen level will remain through power cycles.

This is especially nice at the airport, whether it’s on the plane when you need your silence, or you’re in the terminal and need to hear announcements while staying aware of your surroundings.

Easily navigate between Adjustable ANC and Stay-Aware Modes using the toggle switch in the app, where you can also turn each mode ON or OFF with a tap.

CLEAR VOICE SMART MIC

METHOD 540 ANC is equipped with Clear Voice Smart Mic. It uses artificial intelligence to isolate the speaker’s voice and reduce background noise.

Clear Voice Smart Mic is especially effective at eliminating discontinuous noise — the kind of background chatter you’d find in a crowded coffee shop or airport.

CUSTOMIZE BUTTON FUNCTIONS

You can personalize your earbuds through the Skull-iQ App by customizing your controls.

Some default and unassigned button settings can be reconfigured through the Skull-iQ App using the earbud’s Main Function Button (MFB).

Here are the custom button functions that you can configure to your preferred control settings.

On both buds the following actions can be configured:

• Single tap (1x)
• Double tap (2x)
• Triple tap (3x)
• Press and hold (1s)

These function controls can be customized in the Skull-iQ App:

• Track forward
• Track back
• Volume up
• Volume down
• Activate assistant
• Spotify Tap
• Take Photo
• Play/pause
• Stay Aware + ANC ON/OFF

TAKE A PHOTO

The Take Photo feature allows your earbuds to act as a wireless remote for your device’s camera.

You can control this by assigning the Take Photo feature to a custom button in the Skull-iQ App, which will then open your device’s camera.

As long as your earbuds are linked with the device and app, your custom button setting will take a picture or start and stop recording on command.

For best results, set the timer in your camera’s settings so you have a few seconds delay before snapping a pic. This gives you time to nail the perfect shot of your kick flip.

PRESET EQ + CUSTOM 5-BAND EQ

To help you get the best sound quality from your content, your earbuds also feature preset EQ Modes for music, bass boost, podcasts, and movies - as well as a 5-band Customizable EQ Mode.

The four modes are:

• Music Mode
• Bass Boost Mode
• Podcast Mode
• Custom EQ Mode

Your default EQ setting is “Music Mode,” which is great for general listening.

 Bass Boost Mode amplifies low frequencies for deeper, more powerful bass response.

Podcast Mode removes most of the bass response. It’s great for podcasts or audio books.

Custom EQ Mode allows users to manually adjust audio settings for a personalized listening experience.

To switch between EQ Modes, go into the Skull-iQ App and select your preferred audio setting.

A voice prompt will notify you each time your EQ mode changes.

ADD NEW FEATURES AND UPGRADES AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE THROUGH THE SKULL-iQ APP

Instead of buying new earbuds for the latest features, your Skull-iQ-enabled earbuds allow you to add new features as they’re developed.

Over time, we’ll continue to add new features—including expanded user customization all delivered through firmware updates via the Skull-iQ App.

It is very important to always be sure your earbuds are updated to the latest firmware release to ensure the best performance and user experience, so please don’t forget to take this time to improve your product with the most up-to-date upgrades and features.

HOW IT WORKS:

Occasionally, you’ll receive notifications through the Skull-iQ App that your product is ready for a firmware update.

FOTA (Firmware Over-The-Air) updates will be prompted on the home page of your linked product, and you will simply press the “Update” button for more detailed information before getting started with your upgrade. 

After reviewing the firmware improvements and or feature upgrades, swipe forward and get ready to begin your update. This will take about 5-10 minutes, and please note that both earbuds will need to have a battery capacity over 25% to begin. Once you’ve pressed the “Start the update” button, be sure to maintain a constant WIFI or cellular service, keep your earbuds and device powered on and close together to maintain the Bluetooth connection, and do not exit the Skull-iQ App (this can update in the background, but the app must continue running).

Once the update process has finished, you will be notified that your firmware update was successfully completed.

CHARGING:

METHOD 540 ANC is LOADED with battery life. With ANC ON, it holds up to 30 hours of listening time on a single charge!

To charge your earbuds, place them in the charging case. The LEDs will pulse amber (0%-40% charging), or white (41%-90% charging) to indicate they are now charging. When they are fully charged the LEDs will show solid white (91%-100% charged).

While your earbuds power on, the Battery Report voice prompt will tell you how much battery life you have as a percentage. You can also check your earbud battery life in the Skull-iQ App or from your paired device.

When your earbuds have about 30-45 minutes of play time remaining (about 15% charge), a voice prompt will notify you “battery low” every 10 minutes until they are depleted and power off.

To check the case battery life, plug the case into a power source using the included USB-C charging cable. The single LED located next to the USB-C charging port will light up and indicate the current case battery level, just like the earbuds LED sequence.

 Pulsing Amber = 0%-40%

 Pulsing White = 41%-90%

 Solid White = 91%-100%

Having Trouble? Don’t return to the store and let us help!

If you’re having difficulties pairing, you can reset METHOD 540 ANC by clearing the paired device list.

• First, remove your earbuds from your device’s Bluetooth paired list and turn Bluetooth OFF.
• Power your earbuds ON.
• Press the earbud button for 6 seconds.
• A tone will indicate a successful reset, and the earbuds LED will quickly flash BLUE/RED
• A voice prompt will say “Ready to Pair” and the LED will pulse BLUE
• Now, turn on your device’s Bluetooth and select METHOD 540 ANC.
• Accept the “Pair” or “OK” prompt that appears on your screen.
• When pairing is complete, a voice prompt will say “connected.”

If you’re still having a problem with your METHOD 540 ANC earbuds, please visit the product support page on our website before filing a warranty claim. We can probably resolve your problem with a simple contact.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QESTIONS

What is SKULL AI BETA?

Skull AI Beta is Skullcandy’s new hands-free, voice-activated AI assistant built directly into your earbuds. It uses OpenAI technology to give you natural, conversational help anytime you need it — all without touching your phone.

Just say “OK, Skully” and you can talk to it like a real assistant.
 It’s designed to feel smart, personal, and true to the Skullcandy vibe.

You access it through the Skull-iQ App, where the feature is included out of the box.
 It’s free for a limited time, then becomes a paid monthly or yearly subscription.

WHAT CAN SKULL AI BETA DO?

Give conversational, hands-free answers powered by ChatGPT.

Understand natural speech and respond instantly.

Handle almost any question you could ask ChatGPT, like:

“Where can I get good Indian food in Salt Lake?”

“What’s a good workout playlist idea?”

Perform all the previous “Hey, Skullcandy” Skull-iQ device commands:

“Turn my volume down a little.”

“Skip this track.”

“Activate Stay-Aware Mode,” etc.

Show a text history of your current conversation in the Skull-iQ App.

WHAT CAN SKULL AI BETA NOT DO?

It can’t generate or analyze images.

It can’t perform productivity-type tasks, like writing full documents or code.

It cannot control other apps on your device (ex: opening Spotify, sending messages, etc.).

It does not remember past conversations — only the current session.

NEW FEATURES AND Skull-iQ

Please note that Skull-iQ App will only be supported on your mobile devices, and will not have app support with your PC, iPad and MacBook. 

Additionally, always be sure that you have updated your earbuds to the latest firmware release to enjoy the best performance upgrades, user experience, and the latest new features.

LINKING WITH THE SKULL-iQ APP

I’m having trouble linking my earbuds to the Skull-iQ App, what should I do?

When first opening the Skull-iQ App you will need to agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy ensuring that Skullcandy will keep the very limited data necessary to link private and secure.

You will want to make sure the device Bluetooth is enabled, and your earbuds are powered on and paired to your device.

At this time the Skull-iQ App will search for available devices and once found, an image of your earbuds will appear. Simply press “Connect” and you should be linked and ready to go. (Please also note, if you’re in a crowded space, be sure the app isn’t attempting to link to another Skullcandy product nearby.)

If your Skull-iQ App is unable to search and link with your earbuds, simply try to close/exit and re-open the Skull-iQ App. If this doesn’t seem to be working, close/exit your Skull-iQ App, go to your Bluetooth settings on your device and turn Bluetooth off and back on again (this will unpair and pair your earbuds with your device), and then re-open the Skull-iQ App. Your earbuds should link with the app at this time.

FIRMWARE UPDATES WITH THE SKULL-iQ APP

I’ve attempted to complete the firmware update in the app, but the download failed…what can I do?

• Please make sure that your earbuds remains powered on, connected to Bluetooth and your device, and linked with the Skull-iQ App.
• Please make sure that your device remains powered on, paired to your earbuds, maintains constant WIFI or cellular service.
• Please make sure your earbuds are charged up with more than 25% battery to complete the upgrades.

Spotify Tap™

Do I need to be linked with the Skull-iQ App for this feature to work?

Nope, this feature is set up in your default UI settings a 1 second hold This starts your playlist back up from where you left off or will queue up music based upon your stellar taste in music.  Although, you may also customize this button action within the Skull-iQ App.

Do I need to have the Spotify App downloaded on my phone for this feature to work?

Yes, you will need to have the Spotify App downloaded on your phone as well as an active registered account.

Customize Button Functions

How easy is it to customize my earbuds controls?

This is done very easily through the Skull-iQ App, where you can independently customize the actions on each of the buttons available.

Can I customize all earbuds functions?

No, you won’t be able to change all functions, but most media controls are available to customize.

Will my custom button actions/functions be saved even if I power Off/restart my device?

Yes, once your controls are customized in the Skull-iQ App they will be saved until you make changes.

If I get a new phone and need to re-download the app, will my controls be saved?

No, you will need to re-link to the Skull-iQ App and customize your earbuds again.

If I switch devices from my phone that has linked to the app to a device that does not have the Skull-iQ App, do my customized button functions still work?

Yes, your custom UI controls will be saved but you will not have the Skull-iQ features, example custom EQ.

Take Photo

I don’t understand, what the heck is this?

This feature will allow your earbud to become a wireless remote for your phone’s camera. Simply set up the custom button action in the Skull-iQ App, open your camera app on your phone, and press the button action to activate the camera shutter wirelessly! That means you can take still photos or start/end a video with a simple press of your earbuds button. Great for group shots and selfies without having to set your phone and race against the timer. Leave your earbuds on your head and set the timer on your phone so you can press them and not get caught with your hands on your ears.

Do I need to set up the Take Photo feature as a custom button action?

Yes, this is not a default UI setting, so you will need the Skull-iQ App and a Skull-iQ enabled product to use the Take Photo feature.

Do I need a special camera app for this to work?

No, this feature will work directly with your phone’s existing camera and will utilize the existing shutter settings.

GENERAL

Playtime / BATTERY life & Charging:

Battery life and play time is very important to me, how long does the METHOD 540 ANC last?

There is up to 30 hours of play time with ANC ON and up to 42 hours with ANC off.

What is the total charging time for METHOD 540 ANC via USB-C charging cable?

1 hour charging the case to 100% via USB-C cable

Does METHOD 540 ANC have some sort of fast charge?

YES! – METHOD 540 ANC has Rapid Charge technology via the provided USB-C cable and internally for the earbuds.  10 minutes of charging via USB-C = 2+ Hours Playtime.

Can I charge METHOD 540 ANC with my Skullcandy Power Accessories/PC/Laptop?

Yes. Pretty much all USB-C charging cables will work to charge your METHOD 540 ANC earbuds

How do you change between EQ settings, and what’s the difference?

Music Mode’ is the default EQ on METHOD 540 ANC, but while paired to a device and linked to the Skull-iQ App, you can toggle between the EQ Modes in the app or via one of the voice prompts stated below. A voice prompt will notify you when you select your preferred EQ Mode. 

• Music Mode
• Bass Boost Mode
• Podcast Mode
• Custom EQ Mode

When is the best time to use Adjustable ANC and Stay-Aware Mode, and how do I turn it on and off?

Active Noise Cancelling will allow you to quiet your surroundings so that you're able to shut out the noise when wearing your earbuds.

You may prefer Stay-Aware Mode for exercising or when you’re in a busy environment. Allowing some ambient noise around you can increase safety or will simply enhance the voices around you without having to remove your earbuds.

CONNECTION:

Does the METHOD 540 ANC link with Skull-iQ App?

Yes! The METHOD 540 ANC will link with the Skull-iQ App and is in fact required to unlock the Skull-iQ Smart Feature Technology such as Custom Action Buttons, EQ Modes and more!

What is the Bluetooth range of the METHOD 540 ANC?

You will be able to listen up to 30+ feet (10+ meters) away from your paired device, though your connection experience may vary based on your environment. 

Can I connect METHOD 540 ANC to a computer?

Yes, as well as to a phone, tablet, MP3 player, laptop, or anything else with a Bluetooth connection.

Can I use METHOD 540 ANC with a PS4/Xbox One/Switch?

Xbox One: No   

Switch: Yes

PS4: No

Which version of Bluetooth does METHOD 540 ANC use?

Bluetooth® version 5.3

Can I use Siri/Google Assistant/Alexa/iHeart etc. with my METHOD 540 ANC?

No, METHOD 540 ANC does not support Siri/Google Assistant/Alexa/iHeart etc.

Can I use METHOD 540 ANC for sports or working out?

Yes, METHOD 540 ANC has a sweat and water-resistant rating of IPX4.

Warranty:

Please be sure to reach out to customer service before filing a claim, we can likely help you quickly troubleshoot and solve your problem.

What happens if my ear buds break or are lost?

If it is a manufacturer's defect; Skullcandy has you covered with a 1 Year Limited Warranty.

What part(s) of METHOD 540 ANC are contributed by BOSE?

We teamed up with Bose to bring you a high-fidelity audio experience defined by clarity of sound and depth of range. Everything from ear gels to audio architecture is optimized for ideal performance. No compromises, just great sound.

Are the bass, mids, and highs balanced on the METHOD 540 ANC headphones?

The acoustic response is great - meets the highest standards for acoustic performance.

Can I customize the sound profile of the METHOD 540 ANC headphones?

Yes, via different EQ modes provided in the app.

Can I adjust the level of noise cancellation on the METHOD 540 ANC headphones?

Yes, there is an adjuster in the app along with an adjuster for the stay aware mode as well