The bass can be overwhelming at times, but this is something that can be controlled to be honest.  If you like a good amount of bass, then these are for you.     These like to be played at loud volumes, so just be wary of that.

My matte black XS came today :D First impressions: 1. These things are incredibly small! I can see how Val would want these to replace in-ears 2. Much more comfortable that the M-80's imo. 3. The clamping force is very minimal here, which can be a good or bad thing depending on the activity...

Bought a pair off Amazon using Prime so I should get them Friday, will post initial results after some use....really excited!

So I finally purchased the XL pads and have tried them for a couple days.   Honestly I can't tell the difference in the sound     While I do prefer the comfort of the pads, I feel like I should use the stock pads just because that was the way Val intended for the M-100's to be heard.   

Does anyone has a consensus on if the XL pads actually change the sound signature or not?  I've read almost all of the comments on this and its all over the place with the results.....I love the current sound of the normal pads but the stock pads hurt my ears after a while and if the XL pads...

Do you all suggest I wait for the XS to come out or should I just buy the M-80s?

Hello, I'm new hear to head-fi! I own two pairs of over ear headphones that I love (ATH-M50 & the V-Moda M-100) but I'd like to venture into the IEM game. I have a $200 budget and i'd like the IEM to have a similar sound stage to the M-100. I have a fiio e6 amp but I don't use it that much so...