V-MODA “Master” the popular Crossfade M-100’s!
Ask most DJ’s and they will have heard of or used V-MODA headphones. Their Crossfade M-100 headphones have been popular in the DJ community for a very long time now, with many DJ’s swearing by them. However, late last year V-MODA released an updated model to the range, with better build materials and a new driver inside.
So does the Crossfade M-100 Master do enough to set its self apart, from not only the other headphones in the V-MODA range but from its rival manufacturers too? Let’s find out!
The Design
As the name suggests, V-MODA based the Crossfade M-100 Master headphones on the hugely successful Crossfade M-100 model. However, they’ve improved the materials used to build these headphones.
The headband is made from flexible steel, V-MODA claims you can bend the SteelFlex headband completely flat up to 10 times. We never felt the need to test these to destruction, but the headband was flexed beyond comfort a good few times and never once showed signs of damage.
The headband is covered in a plush vegan leather coating, as are the cups. The memory foam padding on the cups is thick and offers excellent comfort. Two members of our team tested these headphones on long haul flights, and both said they never once felt the need to remove or adjust the headphones, which is high praise indeed.
The CliqFold hinge design allows the cups of the headphone to fold up into the headband area, meaning they take up far less space when transporting which is excellent. The included ExoSkeleton hard shell carry case that comes included is a pleasant surprise. However, this case only offers just enough room to carry the headphones and included cables, so don’t expect a place to store your keys.
The Sound
The Crossfade M-100 Master headphones feature an all-new driver design. Using CCAW (copper-clad aluminium wire) technology throughout the coil, the dual diagram drivers range from 5 hertz all the way through to 40,000! This 40,000hz range means that the Crossfade M-100 Master headphones are Hi-Res Audio certified by the Japan Audio Society.
These high-resolution drivers mean that the Crossfade M-100 Masters pack a punch across the whole frequency range. The bass gets nice and deep, the mids are clear, and the highs sound crisp. The highs are the most noticeable difference when you listen to the headphones back to back with regular DJ headphones.
These headphones contain 32Ω ohm drivers, so they get plenty loud enough with a wide variety of audio equipment. From DJ mixers to laptop computers we never found the Crossfade M-100 Masters to be lacking in either volume or clarity.
Customise Your V-Moda’s
As we all know, DJ’s like to stand out from the crowd and push their brand wherever possible. V-MODA has just the solution for this with the use of replaceable shields. These shields cover the outside of each cup on the headphone, help in place with six small screws which come in four different colours.
You can buy replacement shields direct from the V-MODA website, either with your new headphones or separately if you’ve purchased your headphones at a store. These replacement shields come in various metals, including precious metals such as Gold, Rhodium and even Platinum! You can customise these to your heart’s desire with laser etching, colour printing and 3D printing.
The online 3D designer tool is superb and allows you to create your perfect set of headphones, with either V-MODA’s designs or by uploading your own. The platinum metal shields with embossed lion head raised the price of the standard headphones to an eye-watering $43000, but it’s fun to dream!
Accessories
Aside from the shields, V-MODA offers replacement cables to help customise your headphones further. You get two wires inside the box with the Crossfade M-100 Master, with a single 1/4inch adaptor. These cables are the SpeakEasy cable and the SharePlay.
The SpeakEasy is a braided cable with microphone and single press button, ideal for use with your phone. The SharePlay is a braided cable with a 3.5mm female headphone socket at the end to allow a friend to share the same audio. A handy cable for B2B DJ’s when the mixer only has one output! We used the SpeakEasy cable throughout testing as we liked the orange colour and it performed flawlessly, never leaving us wanting to change it.
Should you not be a fan of using cables aimed more for leisure use, V-MODA sells alternatives online. The CoilPro cable will be the cable for most DJ’s, with its ability to lock into the headphones and extended reach.
Final Verdict
At a recommended retail price of $250, the Crossfade M-100 Master headphones aren’t exactly cheap. However, for the money, you’re getting a lot of bang for the buck. From the unboxing experience to the included carry case and spare cables, V-MODA created a pair of headphones that feel extremely premium and are a pleasure to use.
These headphones are incredibly versatile, and we’ve used our review units for casual listening, studio use and travelling. All of which we would never have dreamed of doing with other DJ headphones, and that’s what sets the Crossfade M-100 Masters apart.
At first glance, the Crossfade M-100 Masters may seem on the pricier side of DJ headphones. But the reality is that they are much more than just DJ headphones. These are headphones that you can use every day, in various scenario’s and THEN use to DJ on top. When you look at it that way, we think the price is very reasonable and we expect them to become very popular indeed.
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