MEGATech Reviews – V-MODA Crossfade M-100 Headphones

In the interest of full disclosure, my experience with headphones has ranged from “did these come in a cereal box?” to the higher end of the low-end headsets. With the V-Moda Crossfade M-100s, I’ve effectively skipped the world of mid-range headphones and landed somewhere in the upper echelon, where the sound is clear and the fit is unimaginably comfortable. My unrefined caveman ears have never had it so good. I’m not worthy.

Plastic Belongs in the Recycle Bin

I’ve only ever used plastic headphones, so removing the headphones from their clamshell carrying case (which itself came in a fancy box with a metal clasp) and feeling the smooth metal finish on the cups was nothing short of a religious experience. With a retail price that exceeds three hundred dollars, the build quality of the M-100s is just as important as the sound quality, and it doesn’t disappoint. The cups themselves feel like they could take a beating, though if you spend a few hundred dollars, you really shouldn’t test that theory out.

The only place where the M-100s feel a little weak is in the hinges that fold inwards when collapsing them into their compact position, but bulkier, stronger hinges could’ve negatively affected the comfort, so it seems like a fair trade. Plus, as long as you’re not tossing your headphones about recklessly, the hinges should hold up just fine.

The most impressive thing about the headset is that despite its durable metal design, it’s extremely lightweight. And the pressure against your head is just strong enough to ensure that the headphones don’t fall off while you move around without squeezing your ears. This two aspects result in a very comfortable experience.

Two cords come in the package, a shorter 36-inch cable with an in-line one-button remote and microphone (that’s compatible with Apple, Android, and Windows) and a longer, 76-inch cable with an extra 3.5mm input that lets someone else plug in and listen to whatever you’re listening to at the moment. Both are Kevlar-reinforced, which not only protects them but also helps prevent tangling. Like the headset itself, both cords feel like exceptional quality.

Turn Up the Noise, Ear Buds Be Damned

I’ve never considered myself an audiophile, and now I know that’s because I’ve never experienced audio clear enough to, uh, phile over. I listen to a wide variety of music, which includes a lot of heavy, crunchy stuff and I was very happy to not hear any crunching. Softer stuff sounds amazing too, but each cup holds a 50mm driver which allows heavy bass to come through strong but not distorted.

You don’t have to sacrifice powerful bass for clarity, or vice versa. Even podcasts come through in a richer way, like the person is in the room speaking to you. I watch a lot of movies on my computer, especially horror where the sound is paramount, and the M-100s elevate the experience.

The first thing I noticed when wrapping the V-Moda Crossfade M-100s around my bulbous head was the way the sound of the world simply vanished. Any headphones worth their salt advertise themselves as “noise cancelling” but in most cases the outside noise is only dampened. Not the case with the Crossfades. Unless you’re listening to music in an active construction zone, the Crossfades shut the world away entirely.

When banging my head to music, I never rely on my headphones to cut out the background noise, simply because the music itself does that. However, podcasts and audiobooks don’t offer loud, continuous noise, so this is where the effective noise cancelling comes in handy in a big way. Hell, even though it’s not the intended use, I’ll keep the headphones on when I’m writing without any sound coming out, just for the sake of the bubble they keep me in. I can’t say that about any headphones I’ve had before.

My Standards Have Been Elevated

V-Moda’s Crossfade M-100s have introduced me to a world of sound that I wasn’t familiar with. I use a Turtle Beach headset on my PlayStation 4 and a standard pair of earbuds when I go out walking and in both cases I notice the substantial drop in audio quality. The rich, full sound that the M-100s provide have now become a must with anything I listen to or watch. I still don’t know if I would call the hefty price tag justified, but I can confidently say the M-100s are a more or less perfect pair of headphones.

Accessory Reviews

The folks at V-Moda were kind enough to let me try out a few accessories along with my pair of M-100s: the BoomPro Gaming Mic and the XL Memory Cushion pads.

Despite the quality of the headphones, I didn’t have high hopes for the V-Moda BoomPro Gaming mic, simply because attachable microphones that turn headphones into headsets rarely hold a candle to the real thing. However, V-Moda doesn’t screw around, and the quality of the BoomPro Gaming mic is outstanding.

The one downside is that it doesn’t sit in front of your face as well as a normal headset mic would, but in the grand scheme of things, that’s really nothing more than a nitpick. The mic captures clear audio whether you’re chatting or recording and it comes attached to the same quality kevlar cable as the headphones.

The XL Memory Cushions are an absolute game changer for me. Between listening to music and podcasts and watching movies, I wear my headphones for hours everyday and even comfortable ear cups start to irritate me after a while. I’ve yet to have that problem with the XL Memory Cushions. If you’re someone who wears your headphones for 8+ hours a day like I do, these are an absolute must.

I have to throw in a little disclaimer, which is linked to another minor complaint. In the photo gallery below, the pads attached to the headphones are the XL Memory Cushions. The loose pads are the ones that came with the headset. The reason I didn’t put the originals back on before taking the pictures is because I’m not super comfortable switching the pads.

It’s not that it’s difficult to do, but the amount of pressure you have to apply to the pads makes it feel like you might rip them if you do it too often. Again, this is a nitpick, because you’ll probably only change the pads once, but it’s enough of a worry that I decided to leave them as they are.