In my opinion, V-Moda makes some of the most stylish headphones around. The hexagon-shaped ear covers give them an aggressive modern look while helping them stand out in a sea of headphones that use the standard oval or round shape.
This sharp design also extends to the brackets and even on the headband, it’s clear that V-Moda puts a lot of thought into the style of its headphones.
Not only does V-Moda care about the design of its headphones, but it also uses sturdy high-quality materials. When I first pulled the M-200 headphones out of the packaging I was immediately impressed by how solid they feel. There is no doubt in my mind that these headphones were built to last and will stand up to years of abuse.
I was also amazed by how compact the M-200 is when folded up, coupled with the included carrying case, this makes them one of the most portable pairs of over the ear headphones I’ve ever used.
If you thought the V-Moda M-200 headphones were done impressing me, you’d be wrong. While there is nothing particularly special about replaceable ear cushions on over-the-ear headphones, there is something unique about how the M-200 implements them — and that’s with magnets.
This is the first time I’ve seen a headphone company use magnets to attach the ear cushions, and let me tell you, I’m a huge fan. Let’s just face it, magnets make everything cooler, including headphones.
If you weren’t convinced already that V-Moda goes out of its way to make its headphones as fashionable as possible, then the custom ear shields would like to have a word with you. V-Moda recently added the M-200 series to the list of headphones that support custom designed shields.
The kit starts at $40 and allows you to order a pair of custom designed covers for the ear cups. The kit includes everything you need, including the custom designed shields, screwdriver, and screws.
V-Moda was even nice enough to include a set with our review unit in our signature color with the AndroidGuys logo printed on it. While we may be a little biased, we think it came out looking fantastic, and the metal covers feel high-quality and premium.
Another nice design touch that helps with the usability of the M-200 headphones is the included headphone jack on both sides. An important little option for a pair of wired-only headphones. This will allow you to choose whether you prefer the headphone cable on either the right or left side.
V-Moda also includes two separate 3.5mm headphone cables in the box. One of these is classified as audio-only, while the other is a multifunction cable with a microphone and button for playing/pausing and skipping tracks while listening to music. Unfortunately, the audio-only cable never worked properly for me. It would only output sound to the left side, but at least the multipurpose cable worked without issue.
Comfort
When I first tried on the V-Moda M-200s I was surprised by the lack of adequate cushioning on the headband. I’ve experienced a painful spot on my head in the past, even from headphones with ample cushioning. However, I was pleasantly surprised that I never once felt any discomfort from the headband while wearing V-Moda’s studio headphones.
Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the ear cushions. For a pair of headphones that is meant to be worn for hours in the studio, I began feeling some ear fatigue after around the 45-minute mark.
This is caused by how shallow the ear cushions on the M-200s are, resulting in the inside lightly resting on the cartilage of my ear. While the pressure starts out very light, it quickly adds up over time.
What about getting a thicker pair of awesome magnetic ear cushions to fix this problem? I’m glad you brought that up. As far as I can tell, there are no replacement ear cushions available for the M-200 series. I was not able to find any on Amazon or V-Moda’s own site, which is unfortunate, because I am such a fan of this design and these headphones.
One more thing to note about the ear cups on the M-200s, is that they do not rotate. That can be very useful when you are resting the headphones around your neck, making it more comfortable as you take a break between listening sessions.
Sound Quality
V-Moda has always had a reputation for strong bass, but this is the studio series meant for mastering music. Rest assured that the large 50mm drivers in the M-200 produce a clear balanced sound. Although, it wouldn’t be V-Moda if it didn’t have a little extra bass, but that’s okay, because that’s the way I like it.
I put the V-Moda M-200 through several weeks of use, listening to several genres of music, including rock, pop, EDM, and more. They provided plenty of detail and separation of the instruments allowing you to experience music the way the artist did in the studio. However, if you’re a fan of headphones with deeper bass or a V-shaped sound signature, then you’re going to need to look elsewhere.
Final Thoughts
V-Moda set out to create a high-quality set of studio cans, and they certainly delivered. Between the solid build quality, customization, and studio sound the M-200s add up to one great pair of headphones. My biggest criticism would be the shallow ear cushions, which should hopefully be rectified soon when V-Moda releases deeper ones. Besides that, these make a great choice if you’re looking for that pure neutral sound or need to master some music.
However, if you’re not mastering music, the $350 price tag can be a little much, considering the M-200 series also lacks extra features such as Bluetooth or active noise cancelation. If you’re only looking for a great pair of over the ear headphones with all the bells and whistles, give the Bose QC 35 II a try which will give you great sound quality, Bluetooth, and ANC for around $300.
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