V-MODA Crossfade M-80 Reviews - Page 11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Specialone 

So,you tell me that : the LP are not indicated for walking?

 

EDIT:sorry I have another question,
I saw  another model: (  :a V80

 

the V80 is the same as M80, only changes in color and apparently price.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clockmaker 

 

You can walk in any headphone. How efficiently and comfortably you can is a different matter. The LP look bigger and heavier, so unless you're trying to exercise your neck too, I wouldn't chalk that up to a very good idea.

what he said ^. or take some neck steroids.

from Jude's Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/the-jude/6289236013/in/set-72157627874143555

the big one is the LP and the small the M80

The t50rp is pretty bad in regards to gap space, even in its super saiyan form

( Thunderpants ).   Still makes you look like a radar dish is strapped to your face.  A lot of users in the audiophile community dont care how they look, sexy or a bit silly.  I really didn't care much for the past decade or so, wasn't until I got the Shure 840 that the audiophile rage switch was flipped and I really couldnt take ugly or poor headband design in expensive headphones.  

Might not be the best Image to snap of Jude, I hope he was talking about a sexy girl at that moment :D  But you can see just as example here that the Fostex has massive gaps and space, weird angles in the connection pieces.  Smeggy actually told me he can fashion me a thunderpants without those connection points and something similar to his Stax mod, with the headband attached to the top of the earcup instead of in the center or side.  

Those cans he has on just look weird and painful in general, nevermind the super thick arms or the gaps. Also, if the v80's are essentially the m80's why do the trueblood v80's cost less than the m80's? I'd think that an endorsed and branded product would cost more, especially since it's probably one of those limited edition things.

Do I see a trueblood v80 in the background there?

Quote:

Originally Posted by swbf2cheater 

Really only the Audio Technica ES7/9 and The Phiaton MS400 were the only portable headphones I've ever used with out a solid connection piece that attaches to the earcups, thus allowing for the headband to be conformed to the head without ANY wasted space at all.  Hugs your head perfectly.  A few users here as well as in other places have told me there are no gaps in between the sides of their head, and the M80 headband.  I am deeply concerned as they might be mutants and I really need to see this for myself. I mean...I can stick a few fingers into the gaps, i mean its not bad at all, its quite average in terms of "gapage" ( wow did I just create a new word? rofl ) and not nearly as bad as sets like the Shure 840 for example which had a gap large enough for me to stick my entire hand through.

 

I hate the satellite dish look, those Y connectors have to go! But then again I also hate the AKG and Audio Technica giant rainbow over your head look even more.  Eww...why can't I look nice while wearing my headphones anymore lol

there is a gap in between the M80 and the sides of my head, thus I am not a mutant! btw to the new readers, this is quite normal in headphones.

the Marshal Major stick to my the head like a swim cap. GAPLESS!

A grado with the headband bended accordingly would be like that too. My old MS1 non i an with hd414 or comfy pads for example.

DT1350 is completely stick to the head in all parts.

and the portapros, specially in the "comfort zone"

here's my MS1 (old photo)

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesMcProgger 

the V80 is the same as M80, only changes in color and apparently price.

 

ok, thanks for the answer ,i take a M80 or V80.

the LP are too big :(

Quote:

Originally Posted by swbf2cheater 

The t50rp is pretty bad in regards to gap space, even in its super saiyan form

( Thunderpants ).   Still makes you look like a radar dish is strapped to your face

 

lmfao

That's a priceless picture, too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by swbf2cheater 

 

 

 

sudenly... BAN!

you know, the headband attaching in the center makes more sense to me that way the distrubution of the clamping force is more even., that or to the sides like the M80 and DT1350, but to the top of the cup would be weird, Marshal Major does that and it pressed harder on the upper side of the ear than in the lower

Depends on how good of a designer you are, James :)   

There are tons of ways you can retain clamp while avoiding a Y connector or anything attached to the sides of the earcup.  The Marshall uses a Y connection piece that attaches to the earcups.  I've never used that set so I can't say anything about it.  I can say that I wish anything with a connector like that should also use something like what Phiaton and Audio Technica used in the MS400 and ATH ES series. 

The ES10 for example still has those Y connectors but due to the angle used in the headbands design as well as its great pliability you can achieve immense comfort and almost no gaps at all.  

vs the M80 where the bottom portion of the headband is not at what I could call the proper angle in correspondence to the Y connector piece, you'll notice that piece is a bit too curved and as a result will not conform to the flat side of the side of your head and will leave gaps.  This is absolutely normal, as i've already said....BUT I JUST CANT STAND IT ANYMORE :D  The DT 1350 had a more straight connection to the Y connector allowing for a more conforming headband.   Notice the Phiaton, ES10 and the DT1350 all have better isolation qualities yet retain a more conforming headband.  The curved piece circled on the M80 as well as the headband not being so pliable just above that area makes it a bit cumbersome and radar dish-like to me.  But again, its extremely common...just something that annoys the living hell out of me :)

Too harsh of an angel used on the connector piece that does not mesh well with the angle of the lower area of the headband, too rounded.

I'm still extremely satisfied with the sound of the M80s...from a music perspective.  For gaming, they are a little less than ideal.  Being that they are an ON EAR type headphone, they really don't give you that spaciousness that you need when playing shooters.  This isn't necessarily the headphones fault at all because it's not designed that way.  I've found the new LP2 is a much better option just because of the OVER EAR design.  On to my mini review and comparison with the LP2 which I just received this week.

Having been one of the first purchasers on this board...I feel quite a bit more confident in saying that the M80s are a superb headphone in nearly every aspect.  I know I'm not some respected reviewer around here, but I am pretty sure I know a quality headphone when I hear one.  I have owned a couple on ear headphones (Beats Solo HD, Senn HD25s) and these trump them all.  My ultimate headphone dream was an HD25 with an integrated mic so that I could use it with my wireless Astro Gaming system but alas, it's not really that affordable of an option because all of the mics that come with the HD25s are all professional broadcast grade it seems, so I kept my eye out for any on-ear headphones that came out so I could try them.  Given V-Moda's generous 60 day return policy I figured what the hell.  Turns out, it was a great decision.

I suppose pictures are worthless at this point because of all of the other pics in this thread.  Obviously these things are built GREAT and the overall package is just outstanding.  One of the best cases I've ever seen for a headphone as well as all of the cables/mics/accessories you could possibly need.  Just an awesome presentation that is now the gold standard as far as I'm concerned.

From a sound perspective, I like to compare these to the GR07s as far as the balance of the spectrum goes.  I'm not one of those guys that can explain soundstage or forward or recessed mids, but from a pure balance standpoint, these things seem to be right in the middle of the spectrum.  Nothing is overbearing or completely muddled.  Very crisp and clear highs, great vocals and midrange and bass that can be described as nearly ideal for an on-ear headphone for someone who listens to a wide variety of music.

I personally listen with a few different devices.  My Cowon J3 is obviously the most customizable so when I'm listening to hip hop...this is my choice because I can enhance the bass a little bit to give it some kick.  Other times I'm using my HTC Incredible 2, my iPad 2 or my MacBook Air...in all three instances, they work exactly as expected without the need for amping whatsoever. I've got a little Fiio e11 and an e6 and I rarely use them because the M80s are so well tuned to portable devices.

Which brings me to the gaming as mentioned above.  No one else has mentioned gaming so maybe this will be of help to someone.  I've been using them for the past few weeks with Battlefield 3 online.  As most gamers know, you really need to have a 'surround' effect when playing shooters so you can tell where shots and footsteps are coming from.  Being that the M80s were my only regular headphones I didn't know much better.  The Mic is simply adequate for voice chat on Xbox Live and on the PC via team speak, so it's not really a strength or a weakness as far as I'm concerned.  

So with that, I plugged in my older LPs and they seemed to be quite a bit better than the M80s when it comes to immersion in gaming.  So I went on the site because I know Val mentioned that they were coming out with another pair of LPs soon...and as soon as the LP2s dropped, I ordered a pair.  Now, this was my mistake, because I thought these were going to be the audiophile version of the LPs.  They are simply a slightly better version of the LPs from what I can tell.  They don't seem to be as muddy as the originals and the flat black look is simply stunning from a design perspective, so these will hold me over as far as my gaming goes until the audiophile version (M-100s I believe) come out.  Then I'm pretty sure I'll sell both my M80s and LP2s to get a pair.

Anyway...just another short little review from a non-pro fan of music and gaming in general.  Basically...you can't really go wrong with the M80 unless you spend most of your time gaming on them.  In that case they can be beat by over ear models like the LP2.  Some people just can't use the over-ear versions so in that case, the m80s are probably as good as it gets when it comes to sound reproduction during games.  The surround effect is really the only thing that suffers because of the design.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dbdynsty25 

I'm still extremely satisfied with the sound of the M80s...from a music perspective.  For gaming, they are a little less than ideal.  Being that they are an ON EAR type headphone, they really don't give you that spaciousness that you need when playing shooters.  This isn't necessarily the headphones fault at all because it's not designed that way.  I've found the new LP2 is a much better option just because of the OVER EAR design.  On to my mini review and comparison with the LP2 which I just received this week.

 

Having been one of the first purchasers on this board...I feel quite a bit more confident in saying that the M80s are a superb headphone in nearly every aspect.  I know I'm not some respected reviewer around here, but I am pretty sure I know a quality headphone when I hear one.  I have owned a couple on ear headphones (Beats Solo HD, Senn HD25s) and these trump them all.  My ultimate headphone dream was an HD25 with an integrated mic so that I could use it with my wireless Astro Gaming system but alas, it's not really that affordable of an option because all of the mics that come with the HD25s are all professional broadcast grade it seems, so I kept my eye out for any on-ear headphones that came out so I could try them.  Given V-Moda's generous 60 day return policy I figured what the hell.  Turns out, it was a great decision.

 

I suppose pictures are worthless at this point because of all of the other pics in this thread.  Obviously these things are built GREAT and the overall package is just outstanding.  One of the best cases I've ever seen for a headphone as well as all of the cables/mics/accessories you could possibly need.  Just an awesome presentation that is now the gold standard as far as I'm concerned.

 

From a sound perspective, I like to compare these to the GR07s as far as the balance of the spectrum goes.  I'm not one of those guys that can explain soundstage or forward or recessed mids, but from a pure balance standpoint, these things seem to be right in the middle of the spectrum.  Nothing is overbearing or completely muddled.  Very crisp and clear highs, great vocals and midrange and bass that can be described as nearly ideal for an on-ear headphone for someone who listens to a wide variety of music.

 

I personally listen with a few different devices.  My Cowon J3 is obviously the most customizable so when I'm listening to hip hop...this is my choice because I can enhance the bass a little bit to give it some kick.  Other times I'm using my HTC Incredible 2, my iPad 2 or my MacBook Air...in all three instances, they work exactly as expected without the need for amping whatsoever. I've got a little Fiio e11 and an e6 and I rarely use them because the M80s are so well tuned to portable devices.

 

Which brings me to the gaming as mentioned above.  No one else has mentioned gaming so maybe this will be of help to someone.  I've been using them for the past few weeks with Battlefield 3 online.  As most gamers know, you really need to have a 'surround' effect when playing shooters so you can tell where shots and footsteps are coming from.  Being that the M80s were my only regular headphones I didn't know much better.  The Mic is simply adequate for voice chat on Xbox Live and on the PC via team speak, so it's not really a strength or a weakness as far as I'm concerned.  

 

So with that, I plugged in my older LPs and they seemed to be quite a bit better than the M80s when it comes to immersion in gaming.  So I went on the site because I know Val mentioned that they were coming out with another pair of LPs soon...and as soon as the LP2s dropped, I ordered a pair.  Now, this was my mistake, because I thought these were going to be the audiophile version of the LPs.  They are simply a slightly better version of the LPs from what I can tell.  They don't seem to be as muddy as the originals and the flat black look is simply stunning from a design perspective, so these will hold me over as far as my gaming goes until the audiophile version (M-100s I believe) come out.  Then I'm pretty sure I'll sell both my M80s and LP2s to get a pair.

 

Anyway...just another short little review from a non-pro fan of music and gaming in general.  Basically...you can't really go wrong with the M80 unless you spend most of your time gaming on them.  In that case they can be beat by over ear models like the LP2.  Some people just can't use the over-ear versions so in that case, the m80s are probably as good as it gets when it comes to sound reproduction during games.  The surround effect is really the only thing that suffers because of the design.

Which would you say would be better for general home use for watching movies/shows on an iMac?

Quote:

Originally Posted by -y0- 

Which would you say would be better for general home use for watching movies/shows on an iMac?

 

If you're only going to be watching movies and videos, then I'd say the LP2s would be the better bet.  Being that they are over-ear, I find them more comfortable overall...and couple that with the lower frequency response for explosions and the better soundstage when it comes to mimicking surround sound...the LP2s are the direction I'd go.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dbdynsty25 

 

 

If you're only going to be watching movies and videos, then I'd say the LP2s would be the better bet.  Being that they are over-ear, I find them more comfortable overall...and couple that with the lower frequency response for explosions and the better soundstage when it comes to mimicking surround sound...the LP2s are the direction I'd go.

Thanks for the input, I use my earphones for music so I got that covered.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Armaegis 

I put some putty around the edge where the cup meets the baffle. This improves isolation tremendously. 

 

Any photos of the mod by any chance and did it alter the sound at all? Sounds like a great mod. Thanks for the idea. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by roma101 

Any photos of the mod by any chance and did it alter the sound at all? Sounds like a great mod. Thanks for the idea. 

Here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/573090/skullcandy-aviator-dampening/30#post_7883685

The cups come off very easily. Just stick a fingernail under the cup and wiggle to pull it up. It'll come up a few mm, then squeeze near the top and bottom to remove. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Armaegis 

 

Here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/573090/skullcandy-aviator-dampening/30#post_7883685

 

The cups come off very easily. Just stick a fingernail under the cup and wiggle to pull it up. It'll come up a few mm, then squeeze near the top and bottom to remove. 

Thanks a mil!