V-MODA M-100: Discussion/Feedback, Reviews, Pics, etc. - Page 142

50mm drivers, circumaural, foldable, durable, stylish, interchangeable custom shields available, launching in white and gunmetal (launch date not confirmed) includes multiple cables.  Sound expected to be similar to M80 with bigger soundstage, improved bass and high end; anticipation these will become an instant classic as the best sounding headphone ever made for $300. 

Did I cover everything in the shorthand version?

WAIT...WHAT?!

Is this confirmed? I know there were some pre/proto M-100's out there that were gunmetal but I thought they would not be using it in production in favor of the "Shadow" theme?

Oh god, if this is true I do not know how happy I will be. I loved the Shadow look, but I love the Gunmetal look all the more!

The posts have been flying lately, but I am almost sure gunmetal and white were mentioned specifically as launch colors.

It's not quite possible to get M80's sound and LP2's bass, it's just not theoretically possible, trust me. The LP2s have extreme basshead quantities, aprox 15dB boost measured or very similar to XB500 and also shapewise it looks very similar to XB500 while M80 only has like up to 6dB boost at the highest peak / ~5dB average measured. 

I've yet to hear any headphone with 10dB+ bass boost with "audiophile" sound quality. If I was Val or whoever who decides on these things I'd strive for 9dB measured bass quantity or so, that's a good in-between level that will get as many people happy as possible. My personal ratings go like +5dB = entry level basshead (ATH-M50, M80), basshead = +10dB (Beats, Ultrasone PRO900 etc), extreme basshead +15dB = (XB500, LP1/2, PRO700MK2 etc)  

For example the M-Audio Q40 have about 8~9dB measured bass boost and that's roughly the ideal amount in terms of bass quantity vs quality ratio from my testing, it's hard to remain good quality with boosts over 10dB or so.

Yea well that's also the thing I've tested, using an amp with bass boost capabilities to boost the bass beyond 10dB levels works better than a headphone with 10dB+ out of box, it just does so it just doesn't make sense to go for 10dB+ bass to please extreme bassheads as they get better results with buying a bass boost amp in that case anyway and for a $300 headphone 10dB bass boosts or above doesn't make sense as by that price segment sound quality starts to become an important factor, well that's my 0.20. 9dB or so is the ideal bass quantity vs quality ratio in the headphone itself (discluding bass boost amps/EQing from that figure) from my experimenting. Of course it'll vary on the headphone driver and the cup design, dampening etc exactly how great the bass quality is but now talking "average" figures, averagely configured cup/venting design etc.

Taking Q40 vs LP2 as an example, the Q40 beats LP2 in terms of bass response quality when both are brought to the same levels of bass with help of for example digiZoid ZO and the amp used with both headphones, say on lvl1-2 with LP2 that has more bass out of box and then adjusting ZO bass contour level for Q40 to reach that same point. Again it's completely different drivers, cup design etc so it's a bit silly comparision but I've seen this pattern comparing many different headphones like this so and do it with a large enough amount of headphones, the statistics itself will start to speak the truth (I'm sure Val works a lot with statistics for M100 for all the "evaluations" he's recieved), around 8~9dB out of box on the headphone itself seems to bring the best end result in terms of bass response quantity versus quality.

You're both wrong (if my memory serves me correctly - it usually does)

I've read through this entire thread (all 142 pages) - starting about a week ago; and started posting on it a few days ago. The only two colors confirmed by Val Kolton for launch are White and "Shadow" - no "Gunmetal" headphone variation has been announced, or even hinted at. He did say that they will try for more variations as it goes on, but they are launching in "Shadow" and White only.

The PPUs (Pre Production Units) are also confirmed to all be white, which leads to the questions of:

• Will they come with everything a normal unit would? (Case/Cables/Accessories)
• If yes, will the case also be White?
• What ear-shields will be included in the package? (Teal? Milano Red? Gunmetal? Other?)
• If we will be able to order custom ear-shields with the PPUs.

^ The above questions are directed at Val Kolton, but opinions are welcome. ^

Thanks for that info - its really cool how things have to be balanced, and you can't make a headphone for all purposes, it has to me (for the most part) built for one purpose only. I hope we get a good, balanced M-100, but that it still has punchy, ~ 9-10db bass.

CMF

Yeah no mention of releasing a gunmetal one yet. :|

Yeah no mention of releasing a gunmetal one yet. :|

Yeah - and what you quoted was older than his more recent "White and Shadow" announcement too.

Sorry about that, maybe just wishful thinking on my part.

I know, but those are the only colors he has mentioned that the M-100 will be in for now I believe.

No, I think it was in the same post that he announced the PPUs in, but he said they were all in white, and in an earlier post, he mentioned only White/Shadow for launch.

We decided to make the first 100 pre-production units in White today.