someguydude said:

   
It's transparently head-fi hipsterism. Because VMODA is a "cool" brand now and the products have a sheen of style to them, everyone has to pop out of the woodwork and proclaim how all THEY care about is the sound and VMODA just wastes money on images. 
 

Click to expand...

Sorry, for me personally there's noting cool about the brand or their design. My criticism is solely based on their SQ. I'm sure it's the same for others on this thread.

djdreem said:

You didn't bring the hate thing up until after though. The thing is the Beats Studio 2013 are very comparable. Beats finally picked a winner with those apart from the build. You may disagree but I favour the Studios because they just do it for me. The M100 is a bit more refined but it also dull minus bass. The M50 again less refined but is fun! The M100 isn't the most refined itself though but it beats those in that area. I think the M100 and M50 compete well just different signatures. I never said any where superior just preferred.

Click to expand...

What kind of music are you listening to with the M100?

alan73 said:

  Sorry, for me personally there's noting cool about the brand or their design. My criticism is solely based on their SQ. I'm sure it's the same for others on this thread.

Click to expand...

They were not made with the intention of only SQ. They wanted to mix style with headphones. 

alan73 said:

  Sorry, for me personally there's noting cool about the brand or their design. My criticism is solely based on their SQ. I'm sure it's the same for others on this thread.

Click to expand...

 
But that's just it. First of all, SQ is subjective in a lot of ways when we're talking about things like bass presence. And secondly, like I said, it's like complaining that a Macbook Air isn't as powerful as a desktop. And frankly, I can't think of any $300 headphones that sound better that I've tried. The Pandora Hope VI was the first I liked more. 

fuzziekiwi said:

  They were not made with the intention of only SQ. They wanted to mix style with headphones. 

Click to expand...

I realize that, but that's not the reason I'm criticizing them. I don't care about the phones' style as long as they sound good. Problem is M100s' SQ is subpar IMO.

alan73 said:

 
I realize that, but that's not the reason I'm criticizing them. I don't care about the phones' style as long as they sound good. Problem is M100s' SQ is subpar IMO.

Click to expand...

 
And that's valid. They're bassy, mids are recessed, treble has a rolloff and the stage is kinda cramped. However, again, they're portable, and you simply can't find better sound in a portable package. Even without the portability factor they're near the top at $300. 
 
That said, the whole "I don't care about style" is BS. Everyone appreciates a well made product. We wouldn't have SEVERAL threads on this board dedicated to pictures of our rigs. Reviewers wouldn't all go into the design and build quality of products they review. Yes, we care how they're made. No one wants headphones that are big hunks of balsa wood scotch taped together even if they sound awesome.
 
Design speaks volumes about the care that went into the product. That's why you have Fostex headphones with those insanely beautiful ear cups, Audeze has those GORGEOUS wooden housings and upgrading the headband, or Grado's downright stellar designs. Every company, EVERY COMPANY, puts heaps of effort into the appearance of their product. Every single one. Look at MrSpeakers ***. That's a MOD product and he made sure that it looks amazing. Even AMPLIFIERS are made to look good, and those things sit on a DESK.
 
The issue I have is when you get a design that becomes popular, all of a sudden "OHHH I DON'T CARE ABOUT LOOKS, THIS PRODUCT IS STYLE OVER SUBSTANCE!" Right.   

someguydude said:

   
It's transparently head-fi hipsterism. Because VMODA is a "cool" brand now and the products have a sheen of style to them, everyone has to pop out of the woodwork and proclaim how all THEY care about is the sound and VMODA just wastes money on images. 
 
Everyone seems to forget that VMODA came ON HERE to help crowd-source the M100. The product has NO paid celebrity endorsements, their FB page has a bunch of artists who, on their OWN, have decided to rock the M100/M80 and show them off. But because they're stylish, people have to get that sense of superiority.
 
The hilarious part is that everyone acts like other brands DON'T pour time and resources into appearances. What, you guys thought the look of those Grado, Audeze, and Fostex WASN'T the result of thousands of man-hours deciding what looked the most attractive? 

Click to expand...

 
Yep, you're right. Sorry for caring about SOUND when I'm buying a headphone to LISTEN to music. My bad.

spidernhan said:

  Not everyone likes IEMs. I have few pairs and beyond working out, I never use them. They fall out of my ears and become uncomfortable after prolonged use. I don't own any custom IEMs because I feel my money would be better spent on a pair of over-ears at that price point.
The D600 might be designed to be portable, but they are too big and bulky. It's the same problem I had with the Yamaha Pro 500. Loved the sound (better than the M-100) but the fit and design was gawdy and not comfortable in the least. As a New Yorker who's always on the go, the D600, Pro 500 and DT 700 do not work. Here's a fit comparison using lovely female heads.
 

Click to expand...

 
Comply tips man, comply tips. Comfortable and won't fall out. 

claritas said:

   
Waving credentials around like that always cuts both ways. It makes me wonder if you have a "shipping department" going on in your house like some guys here. I have no way of knowing either way, but it doesn't strengthen your argument.

Click to expand...

 
Sorry, but I'd trust someone who has heard 40 headphones and has experience above someone who has heard 5. Especially when this person owns some of the top equipment available. Would you rather have brain surgery with a doctor who has completed many operations, or a few?
 
Experience always counts, and it counts in a good way.

someguydude said:

   
And that's valid. They're bassy, mids are recessed, treble has a rolloff and the stage is kinda cramped. However, again, they're portable, and you simply can't find better sound in a portable package. Even without the portability factor they're near the top at $300. 
 

Click to expand...

IMO Dt770s sound better than M100s. It's V-shaped sound signature done right in my opinion, at least in that price bracket.
 
And I still disagree about style. The Abyss is the ugliest phone ever created in the history of headphones IMO. I tried them at Jaben and loved the sound. Would definitely buy them if I could afford them.

twerk said:

   
Sorry, but I'd trust someone who has heard 40 headphones and has experience above someone who has heard 5. Would you rather have brain surgery with a doctor who has completed many operations, or a few?
 
Experience always counts, and it counts in a good way.

Click to expand...

 
I agree.
 
That's why I trust guys like Tyll who put the M100 on his Wall of Fame. 

twerk said:

   
Yep, you're right. Sorry for caring about SOUND when I'm buying a headphone to LISTEN to music. My bad.

Click to expand...

A headphone is something I wear on my body, usually the head, but sometimes around the neck as it's polite to remove head gear when ordering a coffee. Being able to pull a hoodie over my head when it rains, take a phone call while I'm walking around, switch songs or pause/play my music without pulling my phone out of my pocket, and save space in my backpack (occupied by my laptop, charger, portable battery, water bottle, energy bars, notebooks, and wardrobe options [I work as an actor]) while having a case to protect my gear from damage are all design functions that have nothing to do with sound but are greatly appreciated. The fact that these things are practically waterproof (AnakChan threw his M-100s into a lake and they still worked perfectly after some airing out) is a big plus because I've been caught in sudden downpours before.

I would love a tube amp + planar magnetic set up, but I realize for that kind of money, I would barely use it. I'm running around too often to justify such a system, and all other portables that compete in the M-100's range just don't stack up for me. Sound quality is only ONE factor I take into consideration when I buy headphones, but I also happen to enjoy V-MODA sound. Why is it so off putting that SQ isn't the top priority for me given my lifestyle?

alan73 said:

  IMO Dt770s sound better that M100s. It's V-shaped sound signature done right in my opinion, at least in that price bracket.
 
And I still disagree about style. The Abyss is the ugliest phone ever created in the history of headphones IMO. I tried them at Jaben and loved the sound. Would definitely buy them if I could afford them.

Click to expand...

Also, lower end grados (SR60 and SR80) aren't the sexiest looking things around, but have plenty of fans.
 
Why? Because of their high sound quality.

twerk said:

   
Sorry, but I'd trust someone who has heard 40 headphones and has experience above someone who has heard 5. Especially when this person owns some of the top equipment available. Would you rather have brain surgery with a doctor who has completed many operations, or a few?
 
Experience always counts, and it counts in a good way.

Click to expand...

 
I've heard many more than that, so maybe that's why it means little to me and sounds like a silly boast.

spidernhan said:

  A headphone is something I wear on my body, usually the head, but sometimes around the neck as it's polite to remove head gear when ordering a coffee. Being able to pull a hoodie over my head when it rains, take a phone call while I'm walking around, switch songs or pause/play my music without pulling my phone out of my pocket, and save space in my backpack (occupied by my laptop, charger, portable battery, water bottle, energy bars, notebooks, and wardrobe options [I work as an actor]) while having a case to protect my gear from damage are all design functions that have nothing to do with sound but are greatly appreciated. The fact that these things are practically waterproof (AnakChan threw his M-100s into a lake and they still worked perfectly after some airing out) is a big plus because I've been caught in sudden downpours before.

I would love a tube amp + planar magnetic set up, but I realize for that kind of money, I would barely use it. I'm running around too often to justify such a system, and all other portables that compete in the M-100's range just don't stack up for me. Sound quality is only ONE factor I take into consideration when I buy headphones, but I also happen to enjoy V-MODA sound. Why is it so off putting that SQ isn't the top priority for me given my lifestyle?

Click to expand...

 
Sounds like the M-100 is a good match for you then. That's great to value them for those qualities. Personally, I don't need those functions in a HP because I never wear HP's out in public. I listen at home with a DAC/AMP looking for highest sound quality. This is why I own a Pro 900 and modded D2000. These are BASSHEAD headphones if there ever was a basshead headphone that both sound far better than the M-100.
 
When I'm on the go, I listen to IEMS. I think my Yamaha EPH-100 with comply tips sounds better than the M-100's for around half the cost. 
 
If you want a pretty, portable headphone with decent to good sound, go for it. But to say they are top of the line sound, is wrong, as Alan73 had said in an earlier post.
 
 

someguydude said:

   
I agree.
 
That's why I trust guys like Tyll who put the M100 on his Wall of Fame. 

Click to expand...

 
I read his review. He mentions shortcomings in the sound similar to what we all have here. 
 
Treble is "a bit unnatural and lacks extension in the highest octaves."
 
For Mids "audiophiles will hear the mids as a bit withdrawn and veiled."
 
Imaging is "a little above average"
 
Audiophiles should "look elsewhere" 
 
Overall, he liked it for use with modern music, but he certainly noted shortcomings of the sound in his review. Mainly, with the treble and mids, which I agree with.