Today, I am going to review the V-Moda Crossfade M100. These are an award-winning M-Class “modern audiophile” sound signature tuned by over 200 affectionados, with several patents. When these first arrived, I thought I had been sent the wrong pair of headphones due to the size of the box being far too small. But that is the marvel of these headphones. They fold so tightly into themselves that they can fit into that tiny football looking hard case.

Before I carry on lets check out the official specifications –

– Immersive 3D Soundstage: Evokes the experience of a live performance
– Clean Deep Bass: Feel and hear the precise vibrations of your music without bloated boom or a muddy mid-range
– Ultra Wide Clarity & Vivid Midrange: Hear lifelike vocals, crystal clear cymbals and crispy hi-hats
– 50mm Dual-Diaphragm Driver (Patent Pending): Inner and outer rings separate the bass from bleeding into the mids and highs
– Analog Noise Isolation – Naturally cut out the distractions of jet engines, crying babies and crowd noise
– No Batteries or Artificial Processing: Powerful, pure sound without the pollution of two extra digital-to-analog conversions of battery powered headphones
– Minimal sound leakage: Immersive sound for you without bothering others view details
– Consistent Driver Quality: Quality tested at 6 frequencies to maintain stricter consistency than the competition, often by an order of magnitude
– Virtually Indestructible STEELFLEX Headband
– Steel Frame and Interchangeable Aircraft Grade Metal Shields
– Exoskeleton Form-Fitting Case
– Tested Beyond Military-Level Quality MIL-STD-810G Test Standards
– Kevlar Reinforced Cable/Plug Bend: Cables and 45-degree plug can bend over 1 million times (100x industry standard)
– Headband Bend: Steelflex can bend 10+ times flat
– Environmental: High and low temperatures, humidity, salt spray and UV e
– Optional Custom Shield Kits: Laser engrave your logo or change your shield color
-Optional Cables & Ear Cushions: Choose from a variety of color and feature
– Cliqfold™ Hinge: Swiss-like hinge mechanism precisely folds the headphones into the impossibly small exoskeleton case (patent pending)
– Exoskeleton V-STRAP: Organize included cables and 1/4″ adapter via the V-STRAP system inside the exoskeleton case, with extra room left over for your USB Flash Drive & Fader earplugs
– Carabiner Clip: Safely secure your headphones on the outside of your bag for quick access
– Type: Over-Ear Circumaural
– Frequency Response: 5 – 30,000 Hz
– Sensitivity: 103 dB @ 1kHz 1mW
– Microphone Sensitivity: -42dB @ 1kHz
– Impedance: 32 Ω
– Weight: 280g

When you use these for the first time, the first thing you notice is the level of bass attack, it’s so much richer than other headphones but totally in control. Firm bass. Fast too. The other frequencies are not ruined either. The dynamics and musicality of these cans is exceptional. If you go to Amazon.com there are over 700 5 star reviews out of 880 reviews written. Another 100 are 4 stars reviews. These headphones will do wonders for your music. They also sound great straight out of your smartphone but if you use an external amp you will explore the hidden depths of these headphones. These are a closed back design meaning your music is for your ears only. But it their ability to work well with mobile devices that stands out. I have reviewed the AKG K845 headphones which have a natural sound via Bluetooth and sound even better when used in wired mode, but only when used with an additional amplifier. When used this way the AKG’s sound better than the V-moda as they have a more natural wider musicality. The AKG’s sound close to open back headphones hence their advantage when powered properly.

Anyway shortly after wearing these for about 30 mins my ears started to really hurt. The discomfort was unbearable. The ear cups were not large enough for my ears and I have not got large ears. I did some research and found others had experienced the same discomfort as myself, but also realised V-Moda sold larger ear cups. I ordered these and these make a world of difference. Slight larger and deeper my ears are enclosed in comfort. In my mind these should be the standard size, but then others have used the smaller ear cushions with no issues whatsoever. The photos show the headphones fitted with the larger ear cushions.

In the football looking case was the headphones and 3 different types of cables. There are more cable options available to order for these headphones too. Some with music controls on, others with the ability to allow another person to connect their headphones in to the cable as well. But it is the ability to collapse down in to such a small size makes these ideal as a portable headphone.

In terms of musicality, once you have heard these, you will not want to look back. These fantastic to use with your smartphone and are easy to power so that in terms of overall quality and reproduction, you get great music across a vast selection of genres. Bass lines are strong but the mids and treble are just as prominent. In fact, the upper frequencies are handled really well. In terms of music genres, these rock out just as strongly as they do with a soft classical piece.

Highly recommended and portable.

Link to V-Moda Crossfade M100 at Amazon