V-MODA M-100: Discussion/Feedback, Reviews, Pics, etc. - Page 8

I saw the M series as targeting the audiophiles more-so than the djs/consumers. Also the LP series can be ran as a portable, I've seen it a few times at school (I see tonsss of beats though :/). Also I thought you were saying he should release both cans at the same time, of course he'll make new products eventually (duh, you don't need my level of experience in design and business to know that).

Also with people like sennheiser and beyerdynamic getting more into the higher end portables (amperior, dt1350) then if the M-100 is in fact a portable (but full size) then it may have to reach a higher price bracket than $300. The amperior is fully machined aluminum, with an iphone cable, fully replaceable cables and 350 bucks.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gilly87 

What, you think Val would be done making headphones after the M100? Gimme a break! I'm sure there's other stuff he has planned, too, but he's already making portables, so why not go ahead and make the best portable and THEN tackle the home market? Idk, makes more sense to me anyways.

 

Val can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants; I'm just putting in my .02 for a purely portable over-ear upgrade to the M80, and I think it would make sense to call it the M100 
 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jzbass25 

I saw the M series as targeting the audiophiles more-so than the djs/consumers. Also the LP series can be ran as a portable, I've seen it a few times at school (I see tonsss of beats though :/). Also I thought you were saying he should release both cans at the same time, of course he'll make new products eventually (duh, you don't need my level of experience in design and business to know that).

 

Also with people like sennheiser and beyerdynamic getting more into the higher end portables (amperior, dt1350) then if the M-100 is in fact a portable (but full size) then it may have to reach a higher price bracket than $300. The amperior is fully machined aluminum, with an iphone cable, fully replaceable cables and 350 bucks.
 

 

^ That makes sense. I know all about money constraints btw, but as you can see V-MODA is not the only company who is pricing their higher-end portable at that price tag. However, V-MODA seems to be one of the only companies that's really involved with the HeadFi community and is willing to give us special deals which is pretty awesome and rare. I only hope that the sound of the M-100 unamped, is not < M-80 and that the isolation is better too.

Anyway, we are jumping to a lot of conclusions here, and we should just wait and see what happens. I honestly can't wait till impressions come out and I can't wait to actually hear this headphone. Since before I even joined Head-Fi, I have been looking for the perfect portable circumaural headphone, so I'm really looking forward to the M-100.

I would assume the M100s were competing more directly with the DT1350, although offering a different sound. The DT1350s run under $300. I don't know anything about the Amperior sound-wise but it just looks like a metal HD25 with an iPhone cable; another rebrand attempt by Sennheiser.

When the DT1350s first came out they were priced at $299.99, same price. Now that they have been out for some time, I still haven't seen many places bringing them down, substantially, in price. 

Here's the thing, though: from everything I've read (which is a lot; I've considered purchasing the DT1350s and HD25s multiple times), the DT1350 offers noticeable gains in SQ from phones in the $200 range without an amp. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gilly87 

Here's the thing, though: from everything I've read (which is a lot; I've considered purchasing the DT1350s and HD25s multiple times), the DT1350 offers noticeable gains in SQ from phones in the $200 range without an amp. 

so which one did you end up buying?

After some reading through on here I have to say something to those concerning about the consumer market and the M-Series (a long with SEVERAL Pro headphones).

As a consumer that goes into deep research into these things I can tell you that even if the M-100's were made to accommodate the same market as Beats and other "High Profile" headphones it would still suffer from the big name products. Labeling these as a "Beats Killer" is nonsense for various reasons from the fact that there are already HUNDREDS of cans on the market that are already better and/or cheaper than Beats and that those in here would want to see the true potential of the M-100's scaled down to not need amping so it can fight something that is not needed and would be pointless.

Simple reason why? Its because headphones like Beats are what I like to call "High Profile". High Profile as in they are only known for their brand and sell BECAUSE of the MARKETING their brand. Its all a marketing game with these types of headphones. While I am not saying V-Moda is not capable of going head to head in this market, I am saying they do not need to with their M-Series which is directed towards us which know better about headphones. Not the masses which only buy for appeal over function.

As a tech enthusiast I have seen this first hand many times in my life. If there is enough marketing behind it people will buy trash if its polished up and hyped as well as going for the classic "Everyone has one so it has to be good, so why not you too?" type of marketing. Some companies go out of their way to pay off shops so they can have merchants telling consumers to buy into something because its "their preferred choice".

I also did a small experiment with some Radioshack's in the area that sold the Crossfade LP and each different employee on different days at all of the ones I went in on all suggested that I should buy "Beats" using every trick in the book as I mentioned above to try and sell them to me. Even as I mentioned about the Crossfade LP they had no idea about what they were nor cared since they were cheaper than the Beats they tried to sell me. Its no surprise at all that they try to do this, but it proves my point.

V-Moda seems to actually care about their customers and market as to what we want. Why mess with a good thing when trying to "compete" with companies that genuinely do not care about their customers or what they can bring to market worth a damn?

V-Moda has been doing good with us, if you (the consumer) truly want to make these headphones have more of a market appeal however the best we can do is show them off to people that might be interested. Eventually popularity will spread not by cheating the market but by good ol' fashion word of mouth. Its the best we can do and hope for.

Finally, Comparing the M-Series to Beats is just insulting, sure Beats has the market for "High Profile" but do not try to drag in the perfection that is the M-Series into that. Leave that for the the Non M-series.

That is more or less, what I had to say on that. I can go on, but I rather not. (Except for questions)

They're 80 ohm headphones and I hear they like amping and are more sensitive to their source because of the extra power needed. I've only heard the 1350s are slightly better in mids, clarity and that they're more reference with a flatter response across the range.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gilly87 

Here's the thing, though: from everything I've read (which is a lot; I've considered purchasing the DT1350s and HD25s multiple times), the DT1350 offers noticeable gains in SQ from phones in the $200 range without an amp. 

Neither; I heard about the M100s and decided to wait. Now I'm beginning to think I'll just stick with my MS400s; I removed the stock padding plates and replaced them with the pads from my Phillips Stretch cans, and without the mesh thingy covering the speaker, the bass has more impact and the highs are noticeably brighter; with some EQ, they are satisfactory. If the M100s aren't for me, I'll wait til somebody makes one that is; maybe it'll be VMODA :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by bravo4588 

so which one did you end up buying?

The DT 1350 is another phone that sounds fine unamped, but scales way better when amped. Also I've read that there are some issues with timbre accuracy, and the soundstage is comparable to the HD25s. They also require the perfect fit/sweet spot which has proven to be a hassle for some on the go. The only thing the DT 1350 appears to have going for them is the isolation and its technical detail retrieval.

For $300, I would imagine the M-100 is a better deal, considering it will most likely have a wider soundstage, better imaging, and a higher-end portable sound (hopefully very good detail retrieval, good extension, balance, and better timbre accuracy). It also has more accessories, better build quality, and iPhone compatibility. The only thing I am a little worried about is isolation. As long as they isolate and sound better than the M-80 unamped, and even better amped - then it's a winner in my book.

EDIT: Well stated The Doctor, exactly my thoughts when someone started calling these "Beats killers" lol

I don't find it an insulting comparison at all. Lots of people love the Beats. Obviously they aren't on par with newer VMODA headphones in terms of SQ, but when I look at Val's website and see pictures of custom LP2s on celebrities' heads, somehow I doubt that Val's #1 market is audiophiles, and it makes me scoff at anyone who suggests he's not ambitious and interested in "high profile" marketing. He's clearly interested in what we think, but let's not pretend we're his main audience. If the M series was targeted specifically at audiophiles, it wouldn't be sold at RadioShack; in fact, RadioShack wouldn't sell them. They don't even sell Shure or Sennheiser, the two most high profile "audiophile" headphone companies out there.

By the way, I can tell you now for certain that those RadioShack employees aren't told to promote Beats specifically. I used to be one less than a year ago.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Doctor 

After some reading through on here I have to say something to those concerning about the consumer market and the M-Series (a long with SEVERAL Pro headphones).

 

As a consumer that goes into deep research into these things I can tell you that even if the M-100's were made to accommodate the same market as Beats and other "High Profile" headphones it would still suffer from the big name products. Labeling these as a "Beats Killer" is nonsense for various reasons from the fact that there are already HUNDREDS of cans on the market that are already better and/or cheaper than Beats and that those in here would want to see the true potential of the M-100's scaled down to not need amping so it can fight something that is not needed and would be pointless.

 

 

Simple reason why? Its because headphones like Beats are what I like to call "High Profile". High Profile as in they are only known for their brand and sell BECAUSE of the MARKETING their brand. Its all a marketing game with these types of headphones. While I am not saying V-Moda is not capable of going head to head in this market, I am saying they do not need to with their M-Series which is directed towards us which know better about headphones. Not the masses which only buy for appeal over function.

 

As a tech enthusiast I have seen this first hand many times in my life. If there is enough marketing behind it people will buy trash if its polished up and hyped as well as going for the classic "Everyone has one so it has to be good, so why not you too?" type of marketing. Some companies go out of their way to pay off shops so they can have merchants telling consumers to buy into something because its "their preferred choice".

 

I also did a small experiment with some Radioshack's in the area that sold the Crossfade LP and each different employee on different days at all of the ones I went in on all suggested that I should buy "Beats" using every trick in the book as I mentioned above to try and sell them to me. Even as I mentioned about the Crossfade LP they had no idea about what they were nor cared since they were cheaper than the Beats they tried to sell me. Its no surprise at all that they try to do this, but it proves my point.

 

V-Moda seems to actually care about their customers and market as to what we want. Why mess with a good thing when trying to "compete" with companies that genuinely do not care about their customers or what they can bring to market worth a damn?

 

V-Moda has been doing good with us, if you (the consumer) truly want to make these headphones have more of a market appeal however the best we can do is show them off to people that might be interested. Eventually popularity will spread not by cheating the market but by good ol' fashion word of mouth. Its the best we can do and hope for.

 

Finally, Comparing the M-Series to Beats is just insulting, sure Beats has the market for "High Profile" but do not try to drag in the perfection that is the M-Series into that. Leave that for the the Non M-series.

 

That is more or less, what I had to say on that. I can go on, but I rather not. (Except for questions)

how come I can't find any of the V-Moda products in any of the major/minor retailers here in France? Only Amazon has them. seems like european distribution hasn't picked up yet?!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gilly87 

I don't find it an insulting comparison at all. Lots of people love the Beats. Obviously they aren't on par with newer VMODA headphones in terms of SQ, but when I look at Val's website and see pictures of custom LP2s on celebrities' heads, somehow I doubt that Val's #1 market is audiophiles, and it makes me scoff at anyone who suggests he's not ambitious and interested in "high profile" marketing. He's clearly interested in what we think, but let's not pretend we're his main audience. If the M series was targeted specifically at audiophiles, it wouldn't be sold at RadioShack; in fact, RadioShack wouldn't sell them. They don't even sell Shure or Sennheiser, the two most high profile "audiophile" headphone companies out there.

 

By the way, I can tell you now for certain that those RadioShack employees aren't told to promote Beats specifically. I used to be one less than a year ago.
 

 

Well the first thing I have to say is that its possible to be a company with multiple markets. V-Moda is trying to do that with the M-Series for the Audiophile crowd and the other products (Such as the LP/LP2's) for the other crowds. It is entirely possible to do that, however what I am trying to say is that we should not try to push the stand alone M-Series into the same light as regular High Profile cans. The M-Series are meant to be a different beast entirely to "High Profile" market. Why push it in there when other cans like the LP/LP2's can do that hands down and be still better than Beats.

As for the Radioshack experiment, it was done at radioshack because oddly enough, I could not find them sold anywhere else, and with all that were near me I have only seen 3 shacks have the LP's alone. I have not seen them at any other market near me. The only place I have yet to check is an Apple Store which is a drive away. I do plan on going there soon though.

And while the shack does not sell Shure, they do sell Sennheiser (albeit, web only). I will go to say that they might not have been told to promote Beats specifically, but perhaps being the most expensive on the rack of phones they did have to sell maybe they were encouraged to just sell the "best" in their stock which can also mean the most expensive.

Finally, why is it such a problem to imagine buying an amp for $300 cans? Most expensive audiophile grade cans need amps to bring out their full potential. Its a given, even if its still designed to be for the portable market. But look at it this way, you have a pair of cans which have been greatly improved with new drivers, a bigger set to drive them in, give all the design made to keep these durable to an extreme degree and make them mishap proof with things such as a replaceable cable. All of this and more with the sacrifice being that they may not be able to dive themselves to the fullest potential. If the sacrifice was that alone I would still buy them and get what I need to properly drive them, better than harming design and/or worst yet downgrading the drivers. Some people even argue about just wanting larger M-80's. Saying to have that rather then having a better overall product just because of amping woes? Come on, I rather pay out $300 for something better than the M-80's with the sacrifice being needing an amp rather than paying $300 for just a bigger pair of M-80's.

You appear to be missing my point.

RadioShack is a consumer retail outlet. They sell basic electronic parts, cell phones, and consumer hot tickets. They are all about the bottom line. They would never strike a deal with VMODA unless they both thought that the headphones would appeal to the mass market. And what about the True Blood branding? Val is clearly interested in high profile marketing for all of his products, no matter how you try to word it.

And yes, that is exactly why they pitch Beats, which has nothing to do with any company's marketing strategy. If people are just watching commercials/reading magazines, they will buy the beats. But if they HEAR the difference, AND they cost substantially less, then at least a good chunk of them would think twice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Doctor 

 

Well the first thing I have to say is that its possible to be a company with multiple markets. V-Moda is trying to do that with the M-Series for the Audiophile crowd and the other products (Such as the LP/LP2's) for the other crowds. It is entirely possible to do that, however what I am trying to say is that we should not try to push the stand alone M-Series into the same light as regular High Profile cans. The M-Series are meant to be a different beast entirely to "High Profile" market. Why push it in there when other cans like the LP/LP2's can do that hands down and be still better than Beats.

 

As for the Radioshack experiment, it was done at radioshack because oddly enough, I could not find them sold anywhere else, and with all that were near me I have only seen 3 shacks have the LP's alone. I have not seen them at any other market near me. The only place I have yet to check is an Apple Store which is a drive away. I do plan on going there soon though.

 

And while the shack does not sell Shure, they do sell Sennheiser (albeit, web only). I will go to say that they might not have been told to promote Beats specifically, but perhaps being the most expensive on the rack of phones they did have to sell maybe they were encouraged to just sell the "best" in their stock which can also mean the most expensive.

 

Finally, why is it such a problem to imagine buying an amp for $300 cans? Most expensive audiophile grade cans need amps to bring out their full potential. Its a given, even if its still designed to be for the portable market. But look at it this way, you have a pair of cans which have been greatly improved with new drivers, a bigger set to drive them in, give all the design made to keep these durable to an extreme degree and make them mishap proof with things such as a replaceable cable. All of this and more with the sacrifice being that they may not be able to dive themselves to the fullest potential. If the sacrifice was that alone I would still buy them and get what I need to properly drive them, better than harming design and/or worst yet downgrading the drivers. Some people even argue about just wanting larger M-80's. Saying to have that rather then having a better overall product just because of amping woes? Come on, I rather pay out $300 for something better than the M-80's with the sacrifice being needing an amp rather than paying $300 for just a bigger pair of M-80's.