It wasn’t too long ago that I came across the V-Moda Crossfade M-80. At that time, I thought that it was one of the best offerings in the ‘on-ear’ market. Now that I’ve got my hands (or ears) on its bigger cousin, the V-Moda Crossfade M-100… I’m blown away.
I’ve been using the V-Moda Crossfade M-100 for more than a few weeks now and it’s become an essential part of my gear. From the first time I held the M-100 in my hands, I knew that it was going to fit in with the rest of my gear really well – tough, rugged and yet, sleek. I don’t particularly care for gear that I’ve got to be too careful around. It’s not that I don’t look after my stuff–I do… quite well actually… but accidents happen–my watch with all its battle scars can attest to that. When I drop my something, I don’t want to worry about me breaking my gear… I want to see a dent (or crack) on the floor. The M-1oo definitely gives me that assurance.
The Crossfade M-100 looks (and is) built to last. The ‘Steelflex’ headband and the metal fittings around the cups are very well made and formed. The M-100 is a foldable headset. One of my biggest concerns come from the additional wear and tear headsets experience when they’re folded. No worries with the M-100 though. The metal hinges are secured well and the removable cables aren’t a part of the headset that bends, which allows them to keep their integrity longer. Then there’s the very cool, and very hardy, exoskeleton form-fitting case to store the headphones.
It didn’t take me long to break in the headphones. I wore it for more than 3 hours straight on first use and I could still use it comfortably for an hour more. The ear cups are very comforable and suitable for long term use–they’ve got a great balance between form fitting and softness that not only keeps your ears comfortable, but also naturally isolates external sound.
Speaking of sound, the Crossfade M-100 has a very versatile and immersive soundstage. The headphones features a 50mm Dual-Diaphragm Driver which delivers a very decent treble and mid-range, but truly shines with bass. It’s versatility is very impressive and performed really well regardless of whether i’m listening to Muse, Foo Fighters or Ed Sheeran on the iPhone, connected to the PC while gaming or watching episodes of Arrow on my iPad. While I’ve not tried it, there’s an option to attach V-Moda’s BoomPro Microphone as well.
However, the M-100 isn’t exactly friendly towards those on a tight budget. It is pricey, at USD $310 on the V-Moda site (at time of publishing), but it’s worth the investment. One thing I’m not the greatest fan of though is the placement of the control button on the cable. The control button (separate from the mic which is placed higher) is situated in the middle of the cable and I’ve accidentally pressed it, causing The Arrow to freeze in mid-fight, quite a number of times.
One of the coolest things about V-Moda is its warranty policy. The Crossfade M-100 comes with a 2-year warranty. Truck ran over your headphones? Sen them back in and get 50% off your next purchase. If they like your story enough (you know… the one where you threw the headphones into a seismic reactor causing it to implode, rather than take out your whole city. And while everyone is saved and no one will ever know it was you and there’s that warm sense of accomplishment. The fact of the matter is… you’re still short one awesome pair of headphones) they’ll send you one for free.
The V-Moda Crossfade M-100 has made me reassess my sanity and if i’ll ever need to get another headphone ever again.