[General Accessories] De_Falt:
V-MODA

CROSSFADE M-100

PHANTOM CHROME

REVIEW

[XDA EDITION 2016]

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

I. Introduction - Plenty Of Pictures*

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hello, this will be my first review on the XDA website, I will try to go in depth on these headphones and I hope I could provide some insight on these sweet cans. -De_Falt

NEED A NEW PAIR OF HEADPHONES FOR YOUR ON-THE-GO NEEDS? OR NEED AN AUDIO DEVICE TO GO ALONG SIDE YOUR NEW ANDROID DEVICE FOR 2016? WELL I GOT THE HEADPHONES FOR YOU!

Please provide feedback on terminologies or spelling/grammar mistakes I have made, this will make future reviews much better and still retain the same amount of details in this review!

Note: All pictures were shot from my LG G4, they are my pictures.

Note 2: Pictures and color will be added at a later date, winter break ends tomorrow and I have to finish my CHEM paper!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

II. Impressions

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

I have to say, I was struggling between the Sony MDRXB950BT in blue or red, the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBL Professional Studio Monitor Headphones,the Sennheiser HD 598 Special Edition Over-Ear Headphones, and the Phantom Chrome V-MODA Crossfade M-100s. In my opinion, there were no other headphones that could match the Crossfade sense of style, build, size, and sound quality all together in one package. The Sony MDR-BT’s were nice in color, and sound, but they were obnoxiously big for me. The Audio-Technica ATH-M50x were a nice, I can’t speak for the sound quality though. The features were not there. The Sennheiser HD 598. They were more for at-home listening with the impressive open sound stage and all that, but I am more on-the-go type of person. Ultimately, I am pretty happy with my purchase of the V-MODA Crossfade M-100 in Phantom Chrome.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

III. Unboxing

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

I am really impressed with the new cover design, more so the color scheme of it. The box sports the same shape as the other colors of the M-100s, but the Phantom Chrome box sports a stealth fighter black with the same vivid orange accents. The new box also has new pictures and information retaining to the headphones. And if I take the box outside of the cover, it will sport the the same color scheme, but with a more cleaner, simpler look to them. Very few text, and no pictures at all. A very unique unboxing experience.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

EXTRA: COMPARISON WITH THE WHITE SILVER CROSSFADE M-100 BOX

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

PACKAGING:

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now once you open the box, here’s what you get:

V-MODA User Manual

Letter From CEO Val Kolton + Immortal Life Activation

V-MODA Sticker

V-MODA Accessory Handbook

¼’’ [6.3mm] Pro Plug-In Adapter

New Magnetic Exagonal Screwdriver w/ Grip

2 V-Corks [Used to cover-up unused ports]

12 Black Screws

An Extra Shield - Chrome

Crossfade M-100 Hard Exoskeleton Case - Black w/ Black Carabiner Clip and V-STRAP to organize your cables

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

EXOSKELETON CASE

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now once you open the Exoskeleton case, which is a jet black color, both outside and inside, that is accompanied with the orange "V-MODA" text on the bottom of it.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

INSIDE EXOSKELETON CASE:

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Here’s what you get:

Phantom Chrome Crossfade M-100

Share-Play Kevlar Black Cable, 45 Degree 3.5mm Plug, 24k Gold [79" / 200cm in length]

One Button Speak-Easy Black Kevlar Cable, 45 Degree 3.5mm Plug, 24k Gold [52” / 132 cm in length] [Universal Compatibility]

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

As you can see, there's plenty of fun stuff in this package, probably the best bang for your buck out there. Now let's get to the star of the show.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

IV. Headphones

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Damn, these headphones look beautiful. Brand new, factory fresh Phantom Chrome Crossfade M-100. The black mixed with the chrome accents are astonishing.”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

A. Value - $249.99 USD - Compared to other brands that offer what the M-100’s offer at this price point. You get more here then you get with any other brand. Good value-to-price ratio.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

B. Headband - Supposedly the STEELFLEX headband is virtually indestructible. What's present is a nice black color with V-MODA text on top, it is also very adjustable. Headband is capable of bending in any direction, and 10 flat bends. [Not Recommended]

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

C. Shields - The headphones come with the black shields on. The chrome shields fit perfectly. You can customize the shields on the V-MODA website. [The chrome shields are a major fingerprint magnet, but the black shields are less noticeably so]

With the new Exagonal Screwdriver, you’ll scratch the shields less, meaning more precision when taking out the screws.

Take your time taking the screws off, the screwdriver is also magnetic so the black screws won’t be lost so easily.

After taking off the shield, you are treated to the M-100’s V-PORT V3 Airflow system. DON’T TAKE THE TAPE OFF!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

D. Cushions - Memory Cushions - Provides a very good seal for very good sound isolation. Not recommended with glasses, because it will ruin the isolation and it will hurt your head. Since these headphones get really uncomfortable with the standard cushion, I’d recommend a paper towel mod, adjusting the earcups slightly higher than normal, or just buy the XL-Ear pads.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Crossfade M-100 BLISS Memory Cushions [Included] [$15 USD]: Set of two Memory Cushions included with the Crossfade M-100, made with Ergosoft Memory Foam.

Standard BLISS Memory Cushion within the hours:

0-15 Minutes: Very comfortable

15-30 Minutes: Little force can be felt on the ear, light compression.

30-60 Minutes: Some force can be felt on the ear, slight pain ensues. Even more compression.

60-120 Minutes: Very noticeable force can be felt, pain ensues. Recommended to take a 10-15 minute break.

120+ Minutes: Ears become numb, ear becomes hot, ears turn red, and pain comes on in full force after you take the headset off. Recommended 30-60+ minute break.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

XL Cushions [$20 USD] [Recommended with purchase of Crossfade M-100]: I had previously bought these with the White Silver M-100s about 8-9 months ago, so they had plenty of usage time. These cushions, according to V-MODA, are suppose to have a 30% increase in diameter, make the cup 2x deeper, and offer a 55% larger volume space. I was also told by fellow Head-Fi-ers that these are not memory cushions.

XL Cushions within the hours:

0-15 Minutes: Very comfortable

15-30 Minutes: Very comfortable still

30-60* Minutes: Still very comfortable

60-120 Minutes: Cushions begins to sinks in, ears begin to touch drivers.

120+ Minutes: Ears begin to feel some pain, any longer would make me want to take a break.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

The XL-Pads will wear-and-tear, after 8-9 months of constant use, the cushions will lose that very comfortable feel within that 30-120 minute marks.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

E. Dual Inputs - The inputs have a nice locking mechanism in it, but it will lose its locking mechanism quite fast, and the cables will pop out easily. So be weary of that.

This headphone will allows you to daisy chain up to 2 headphones with SharePlay cable. This means you can share your music with others, its feature that's there if you need it.

You can plug in the SpeakEasy cable either side of the headphone inputs and it will work. Make sure you plug in the cable with the 45 Degree jack on the audio source or else the SpeakEasy cable won’t work.

The entry is so narrow and deep that many cables won't be able to fit in it

Use the V-Corks to cover up the unused ports.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

F. Cable Quality - The reinforced Kevlar cable for the SpeakEasy cable and SharePlay cable is amazing on paper, but in person, it's absolutely annoying. The cables will fray within 2-3 weeks, and the cable will twist/kink in certain spots and will put unnecessary stress on the cable. The button on the SpeakEasy cable is serviceable, just make sure to not press the button on the cable too hard, or else it will get stuck and become useless.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

I would prefer a different reinforced flat cable of some sort.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

G. Weight - Very lightweight for me, this will weigh around 280 grams, and won’t feel heavy on your head at all.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

H. Design - I love the CLIQFOLD hinge mechanism, it is pure genius. Making the headphone comically small for easy storage, it is a no brainer!

I also love the “no-gaps” design of the headphones, gives the headphone some sense of style and sleekness to it. Its suppose to align with the features on your face.

The build quality is superb might I add, metal material in all the right places. And I have treated these headphones like @#$% without the case!

I have to say these headphones are built to last.

The V-Design of the headphones are very attractive.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Phantom Chrome variant of the M-100 is a fingerprint magnet, not very noticeable, but look well enough and you can see the finger prints.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

V. Sound Quality - This is based on information given from V-MODA themselves, fellow Head-Fi users, and myself.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

A. Impedance and Sensitivity - 32 Ohms and 103 dB - The Crossfade M-100 falls near the average for impedance and would not require an amp for the regular listening. But if you want, I would recommend the FiiO E6. Its cheap, it works, and it will give you some bass boost features if you want it.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

B. Frequency Response - 5 Hz - 30 kHz- The Crossfade M-100 frequency range of is a little excessive. Given the low bass frequencies, this pair of headphones is a great set of headphones for bass heavy music.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

C. Diaphragm - 50mm Dual-Diaphragm Driver - Inner and outer rings separate the bass from bleeding into the mids and highs. The Crossfade M-100 diaphragm diameter is 1.90 inches, which is a bit higher than the average of 1.60 inches for other over-ear headphones. This makes it slightly better for bass.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

E. Noise Isolation - Analog Noise Isolation: I used these at school and in car rides and they block out the outside noise pretty well, but not as well in in-ear headsets or noise-cancelling headsets. But I find the pretty well isolation to be beneficial, because it makes me aware of my surroudings. At, obviously, really high volumes these do leak a good amount of sound, it also puts unnecessary stress on the drivers. You shouldn't be listening that loudly. At normal listening volumes, leakage is nonexistent.

The V-PORT V3 Air Flow System vents on the earcups, allows air to flow through the drivers, which most likely decreases noise isolation. As a result of the design, there is some sound leakage but it's very minimal. It shouldn't be a problem to people sitting next to you in a quiet classroom or library.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

F. Sound Signature - U-Shaped - There is a defining sound signature of these headphones. Overall the headphones had a somewhat of a U-shaped signature. The M-100s is really more prominent in the bass and slight forwardness in the trebles, which gives it a U-Shaped sound signature.

But the mids are somewhat more neutral/flat however due to the characteristics of the bass and trebles.The U-Shaped signature is very desirable for me, but probably not for others.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

G. Sound stage - The sound stage is beautifully textured, the sound stage also has both good depth and width. The sound stage feels large, though not quite on par with open headphones, you will genuinely get a 3D effect of being in a club. Action movies also sound very immersive especially during actions scenes involving weapons discharging and explosions.[Recommended with war movies] This is primarily due to the 3D bass rendering.These factors also make the instrument separation noticeable and increases the ability to focus on instrumental details. This is something you will become addicted to and to yearn for when you listen to other types of headphones, different types of music, or different types of movies.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

H. Vocals - Vocals on the M-100 are intimate, clear and lively. The M-100 provides plenty of clarity and details. A way to illustrate the M-100 sounds; its like you're sitting near the stage at a concert.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

I. Bass - The bass rendering is the most prominent feature in the M-100's. This was the trait I fell in love with, because honestly I am a bass head.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

The bass on the M-100 has demonstrated to reached deep [I mean really deep] bass, yet it is well controlled. On tracks that do emphasize on bass, there is this beautiful 3-Dimensional bass rendering that is oh-so crystal clear, high quality and reverberating. The M-100's bass traits have attuned to me on how to appreciate high quality bass. Very tight bass I might add.

It has resulted me actively searching for new bass-oriented tracks that excels in this quality. [Especially Trap music, with hard hitting bass]

This bass trait might not be noticeable at first, but turn up the volume and slowly adjust to the headphones and you will feel it. Where as other headphones attempt to reach that deep in these cans, ultimately resulted in boomy fart cannons or bleeding bass into the mids, i.e. Skullcandy, Sony, etc.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

J. Treble* - The trebles is just above neutral. This in itself is a positive trait. I found the trebles have been creeping up to be a little more above neutral and I'm appreciating it a lot more the longer I use it. It's airy, transparency and micro-detail, is a treat to my ears. Not too sharp or shallow.

*=Do some more research on this bit, every person hears things a little differently.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

K. Mids - To my ears the mids are somewhat restraint, it seems to be neutral/flat. For me, I’m alright with this. Because the bass is controlled and doesn't bleed into the mids, my ears can focus pretty well on it if I wanted to and there is clarity and detail to be heard in the mids.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

VI. Music Used - Majority Of My Music Library Are 320KPS MP3 Files, Sampled at 44.1kHz or 48.0kHz.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Video Game Scores

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Assassin’s Creed Orchestrated Music - “Trouble In Town” “Fight Club” and “Main Theme Variation”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Battlefield 3 and 4: Johan Skugge & Jukka Rintamaki - “Cyclone 2” “Dragon’s Teeth” “Hanna’s Theme” “Jin Jie’s Revolution” “Oppression” “Rough Journey” “Sharp Jet” “Stutter Theme” “Theme For Kjell” and “Warsaw Theme”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ace Combat 4, 5, 6, Assault Horizon, and Infinity Soundtrack - “15 Years Ago” “Dogfight” “Fighter” “Ghost Of Razgriz” “Into The Dusk” “Journey Home”“Launch” “Liberation Of Gracemeria” “Megafloat” “Operations” “Requiem” “Return To Base” “Second Strike” “Super Circus” and “Glacial Skies”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Original Soundtrack - “Chasing Rojas” “Cliffhanger” “Coup De Grace” “Loose Ends” “Roach’s Fall” “Snowmobile Chase” “Task Force 141’s Theme” and “Zodiac Chase”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Need For Speed: Carbon Orchestrated Soundtrack - “Canyon Race 1” “Hard Drivers” “Menu 1” “Sounding Streets” and “Urban Assault”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Need For Speed: The Run Orchestrated Soundtrack - “Front End American” “Front End” “Race Theme 1” “Race Theme 2” “Into The Warehouse” “Post Race 2” “Free Roam” “Autolog Theme” “Gas Station Dust” “Crusher” “Car Select 1” “Rival Race” and “Post Race”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Electronic Music Genre

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Drumstep - “Noisestorm - Breakdown [VIP]” “Tristam - Flight” “Tristam - My Friend” “Tristam - The Vine” and “Varien - Valkyrie”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dubstep - “Collie Buddz - Come Around [Barely Alive Remix]” “Excision - Bounce [VIP]” “Excision - Codename X” “Excision - Deviance [Dirtyphonics Remix]” “Excision - Interstellar” “Excision - Out Of Time” “Excision - Vindicate” “Excision - X Up”Krewella - Alive [Ennui Remix]”“Skrillex - Bangarang [MDNBZ Remix]” “Skrillex - Imma Try It Out” “Skrillex - Nothing Yet” “Skrillex - Recess” “Space Laces - Digital Gangsta” and “Venemy - Reign”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Electronic Music - “Karma Fields - Build The Cities [Project 48 Remix]” “Lazlo - Messiah” “Tristam - Empire Of Sound” “Soulero - Because We Are” “Pegboard Nerds - Razor Sharp [Aero Chord Remix]” and “Deaf Kev - Invincible”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Monstercat Podcast - “Monstercat Podcast [Mix Contest Finals]” “Monstercat Podcast [Staff Picks 2015]” “Monstercat Podcast [Threshold Album]” and “Monstercat Threshold [Collision Album]”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Music Mix - “Excision Shambhala Mix 2013-2014-2015” and “Trap City Mix 2013-2015”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Trap Music - “Aero Chord - BLVDE” “Aero Chord - Surface” “Jetta - Change The World [Matstubs Remix]” “The Weeknd - The Hills” “The Game - El Chapo” “Lemaitre - Closer” “Dillon Francis - Get Low” “Diplo - Revolution” “DJ Snake - Lean On [T-Mass Remix]” “DJ Snake - Turn Down For What” “Felix Cartal - The Fire [Apex Rise Remix]” “Dej Loaf - Me U & Hennessy” “Hardwell - Spaceman [Carnage Festival Trap Remix]” “Yogi Burial” “Drake - Hotline Bling” “K-Theory - Stadium” “K-Theory - Pyramid” “Lenka - Blue Skies [Revoke Remix]” “RL Grime - Trap On Acid” “Slander - New Monarchy” “TNGHT - Higher Ground” “Zedd - Beautiful Now [Marshmellow Remix]” “Alessia Cara - Here [Lucian Remix]” “Dimitri Vegas - Mammoth [Heroes & Villains & Carnage Remix]”“Troyboi - Afterhours [Sharps & Convex Remix]” and “Galantis - Runaway [Cignature Remix]

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rock Music

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Breaking Benjamin: Dark Before Dawn Album - “Failure” and “Angels Fall”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Breaking Benjamin: Dear Agony Album - “Fade Away” “Give Me A Sign + Acoustic Version” “Into The Nothing” and “Without You + Acoustic Version”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Breaking Benjamin: Phobia Album - “The Diary Of Jane” “Breath” “Evil Angel” “Had Enough” “Rain [Acoustic Version]” and “The Diary Of Jane [Acoustic Version]”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rock Music - “Audio Active - Cryptic” “Epic Score - Rancid Core” “Audio Active - Stand Alone” “Epic Score - Bury My Soul” “Paul Udarov - Lost Chance” “Paul Udarov - Inside” “Black Keys - Lonely Boy” and “Imagine Dragons - Radioactive [zwieR.z Remix]”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Movie Scores/Soundtrack

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Orchestrated Soundtrack: “The Force Awakens Theme” “Rey’s Theme” “The Scavenger” and “March Of The Resistance”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tron Legacy/Uprising Soundtrack - “Saving The Grid” “Revenge” “Lost Cause” “Castor” “ENCOM II” “Beck Betrayed”“Father & Son” “Lux’s Sacrifice” “Redemption” “Tesler Throwdown” “Tron’s Promise” “The Grid” “End Of The Line” “Outlands” “Disc Wars” “Fall” “Rinzler” “The Game Has Changed” “Solar Sailer” “Adagio For Tron” and “C.L.U.”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

VII. Conclusion + Score

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Wrapping up this whole experience, it has been one of the most, if not the most, interesting experiences I have ever experienced.[WOW] Especially the unboxing. The M-100 was developed for the purpose of fulfilling the needs of "Modern audiophiles". For me, the M-100's are the best on-the-go, or stay-at-home headphone I have ever laid my hands upon and so they have a high value to me. I was surprised to hear some people feel that the bass was too heavy. The bass is not overpowering, it's perfect in my opinion. The M-100 provides a very balanced sound for my multiple genres of music. Did I mention that the M-100 is by far the best-sounding mobile headphone I have touched? I've bought and tried many different headphones and the M-100 is always on the top. The Crossfade M-100 really is the perfect all-around headphones, easily. In comparison, other headphones I've tried can only somewhat meet, but not exceed these standards. These are not analytical, flat headphones, no. These are high quality portable headphones with a sleek look, and exquisitely detailed sound. Seriously, these blow the previous brands I have owned right out of the water.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

PROS: High Quality Bass, U-Shaped Sound Signature, Industrial looks, and bang for your buck!

CONS: Uncomfortable for long listening sessions w/ Regular Pads or XL-Pads.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Audio Quality: 9

Comfort: 7

Design: 9

Value: 9

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

PRICE: [ $220 - $270 ]*

*=Be sure to compensate for sales tax and purchase of accessories.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

"A unique unboxing experience, tasteful industrial look, and unique sound with high quality bass is guaranteed!" -De_Falt

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

STAY TUNED FOR MY FiiO E6 REVIEW! THE FiiO E6 WILL COINCIDE WITH THIS PRODUCT!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________​

____________________