Headphones are a purchase that some people make without much thought, while others take serious consideration into the purchase of their next set of cans. The difference between a good set and a poor set of cans is night and day; if you haven’t ever experienced a quality set before, you have been missing out. V-Moda has sent Neowin a pair of their latest set of headphones the Crossfade M-80, for review.
Let’s face it, there are a lot of choices out there for your audio needs. Everything from in ear monitors to overzealous cans that are the size of pineapples on your ears are out on the market begging for your dollar. But, are the Crossfade M-80’s worth the $199.99 asking price?
The Crossfade’s fit on top of your ear and are actually relatively small for what you would expect from the pictures. But, that does not mean that they are lacking in audio quality, far from it actually.
Design/Build:
The Crossfade M-80’s have an industrial look that is not only built with quality materials, have decent amount of mass to them as well. The outer panels are metal and have a feel to them that would appear to be rather durable. The outer panels are also swappable if you care to customize your pair of cans. The headband is soft but has the rigidness needed to maintain shape and also feels comfortable while you are wearing them.
Overall, these cans are not the most outlandish pair on the market, which we really dig. These don’t scream “I bought a corporate pair of headphones for the name brand” appeal that others on the market try to attract. In fact, the subtleness of them will allow you to remain discrete, but the quality of the build will tell those around you that you enjoy the finer things in life but don’t have to tell everyone about it.
Performance:
Sure, the Crossfades may look discrete, but how do they sound? The Crossfades feature 40mm dual-diaphram speakers that get the job done. A wide range of music was run through the cans and the M-80’s performed well at all intervals.
The highs only exhibited a slight tint of tin on the upper ends of the spectrum and the lows were clear but not as full as you might want. That’s not saying they are weak but they wont shake your cerebellum from your spine.
But the mid’s, if there is one thing that was nailed in this design is that the mids represent a peaceful slice of Heaven. On an acoustic version of Tears in Heaven, the true colors of these cans shine through.
Comfort.
V-Moda has done an excellent job with comfort. The padding on the ears is more than sufficient and after wearing them for several hours, you forget that they are even on. Your ears will get a bit warm as the material doesn’t breath amazingly well, but it is about par for the course on terms of heat dispersion.
Mic/Remote:
The M-80s have an inline remote with microphone. One sticking point is that the remote is stupidly close to your face. I understand that this is done because of the microphone, but I cant even see the remote unless I stretch the cord and look out of the corner of my eye.
The remote is a standard three button and works as expected. The microphone gets lower than average score for splotchy reception and because of its location, it always rubs into the colar of my shirt while talking on the phone.
Conclusion:
Despite its flaws, the M-80’s are a fantastic choice for anyone who is need of a new pair of cans. While the MSRP of 199.99 may seem a bit high, the audio quality is worth the premium.
Overall, the M-80’s represent a set of headphones that excel in audio reproduction but come up a bit short in the extras department. But, we buy headphones for the audio and for that, the M-80’s are a solid choice.
8.75/10