I don’t think I’ve ever considered a pair of headphones to be anything other than mere audio accessories before, but upon opening the Crossfade M-100 from V-Moda, sexy is the only word that came to mind.
While I don’t proclaim to have anything other than a perfunctory level of knowledge about firearms, these headphones immediately elicited thoughts of the craftsmanship and attention to build quality that I assume goes into a well-made Smith & Wesson. Now that that’s out of my system, I won’t subject you to cheesy puns about how the sound blasts your eardrums or that you should pull the trigger and buy them — I just wanted to let you know that they’re gorgeously well-made, not the least bit gaudy, and light enough to be everyday practical. I was fortunate enough to get my hands on the matte black color option, complete with Kevlar cabling, metal accents, and military-grade (MIL-STD-810) quality testing.
The sound is incredibly lush. The dynamic range is well represented via the Crossfade’s terrifically effective noise-isolating cans. Often, when reviewing headphones or audio accessories, I find that the lows are lacking while the highs sizzle, or that the mids are muddy while the bass is overpowering. These are tuned to near-perfection — clear, wide, and precise. Featuring a 50MM dual-diaphragm driver, ergo soft memory foam, and a collapsible “cliqfold” hinge — they’re comfortable, unobtrusive, and durable.
Heading to V-Moda’s site will give you more details on how to customize the interchangeable metal shield kits, something I’m content to do without. I do, however, find myself defaulting to the included SpeakEasy cable for phone calls and immediately fell in love with the exoskeleton hard case (also included). If you’d rather share your music with others than make and receive phone calls, V-Moda has also included their SharePlay audio cable that allows you to do just that. Are these probably going to be marketed heavily (if not strictly) to the audiophile crowd? Sure, but allow me to be blunt: for my money (and that’s ~$300), these are the best over-ear headphones on the market.
Technical Details
- What’s included: Crossfade M-100, Exoskeleton carry case, carabiner, Kevlar reinforced SpeakEasy Microphone control cable, Kevlar reinforced SharePlay audio cable, 1/4″ pro adapter, V-CORK (2), instant six-star support code, V-MODA Sticker
- Type: Over-Ear Circumaural
- Frequency Response: 5 – 30,000 Hz
- Sensitivity: 103 dB @ 1kHz 1mW
- Microphone Sensitivity: -42dB @ 1kHz
- Impedance: 32Ω
- Weight: 280g
