V-Moda Crossfade M100 Master

disclaimer: V-Moda was kind enough to send the M100 Master for purposes of review and feedback. Once complete, the sample was returned to V-Moda and I received no compensation or instructions as regards the content of this page. If you have an interest in V-Moda products in general or the M100 Master specifically, see their website or Facebook page. You can also purchase and customize the face plates of your V-Moda product directly from their website.

Unboxing / Packaging:
Unboxing the M100 master is a more upscale experience than many. I’ve done so many of these that I get to the point of “yep, its a box” and struggle for what to write here most of the time. The packaging is unique with a hexagonal box with information on every panel and a leather snap closure at top that sets it apart from anything I have received in recent memory. Opening the top flap reveals the manual and a pad that protects the contents. Lifting out the pad reveals a clam shell case (and in this case it really does look like a clam) with all of the rest of the kit hiding inside. The kit includes the headphones, two cables, and a 6.3mm to 3.5mm adapter. The cables tuck neatly into two elastic compartments which keeps the jacks from scratching the face plates (another nice touch). If I had one complaint here, it would be nice if the clam shell had a handle on it as the case itself is large enough to be uncomfortable to grasp for long periods and the carabiner is too small to get more than 2 fingers through. A minor point for sure, but good to know going in as these are a travel oriented purchase for many.




Build/Fit:
These are mostly metal with very little plastic to be found (the cups are polymer but are quite tough) and none in the critical high-stress areas. Hinges and headband adjustments are all metal and very positive in function. Face plates are metal and fully customizable with options of sending V-moda your own artwork to have put on the plates for a truly bespoke look. These are a small headphone and sit right on the border between over ears and on-ears for me. My ears do fit inside the pads but only barely. These are slightly smaller on my head than something like the Sony WH-1000 series or ATH-MSR7b. While many headphones have gotten a reputation for being fragile, the M100 Master most certainly is not. I think I might be able to run-over the M100 Master with a truck and have it survive. Initial clamping force is typical of products targeting the travel market as well as it is high enough to keep the M100 Master from moving during exercise. These are not listed as waterproof so gym use is probably not a great idea, but wear during travel while running between gates at the airport should be fine. The M100 Master comes with a 2 year warranty a 60 day return if you don’t love it policy, and with V-Moda’s “immortal life program” repairs outside or warranty are discounted or discounts on replacements offered if your existing set is beyond repair. The cups have a port for the cable on both cups with a plug in the right cup by default. With some effort this plug is twisted to unlock then pulled straight out to reveal the 3.5mm port. This system allows for use of 2 sources for DJ work (per V-moda) or swapping cable sides for those who prefer right side mic. A spare plug is included in the kit should one get misplaced. I found these to be comfortable for long wear once I had adjusted the clamping force slightly (the headband is all steel and can be bent to adjust force) but they do get a little warm as they seal well and have little airflow as a result.



Internals:
The heart of the M100 Master is a 50mm dual-diaphragm dynamic driver with a nominal impedance of 32Ω and a listed sensitivity of 107dB/mW @1kHz. While the impedance is higher than many in-ears, the sensitivity is high enough that it makes the M100 Master easy to drive and use from a phone or tablet. I found the LG phone (particularly if forced to high output) was more than adequate and any of the common dongles should work well for lower powered phones and tablets. The M100 Master does scale well though so having some additional power does help tighten the lows a bit and the amount of detail presented improves with improvement in input quality as well. I found the Cayin N3 Pro to be a very good match with the M100 Master and the ultra-linear tube mode is a nice compromise between clean and a little of that tube warmth that makes a sound signature more engaging.



Cable:
The M100 Master comes with 2 cables and V-moda offers several more for specific purposes. The two in the bundle are what V-Moda calls the SpeakEasy, an orange travel cable with a microphone built in and a separate single button remote lower on the wire, and a SharePlay cable that splits and provides a 3.5mm female jack to allow attaching a second headphone if desired. Construction of both cables is similar with a cloth wrapper around the length of the cable and molded housings for the jacks with good strain relief. It should be noted that both cables use a TRRS jack at the source end and a TRS at the headphone end and proper orientation is required for these to work properly. I like the design of the speakeasy that splits the microphone out from the remote as too often either the mic is too low or the remote is too high and awkward to use as a result. This design puts the microphone about chin level and the remote about 6 inches below that for easy reach. Kudos to V-moda on a smart design. The mic is somewhat sensitive to wind and movement during conversations but call quality was quite good. The SharePlay cable is also well thought out as the female jack has a clip on the back of its housing for attaching to the main cable so it doesn’t flop around when not in use. For those who simply won’t use or don’t want the sharing option an audio only cable with none of the extras is also an option at time of purchase. It is also noteworthy that the M100 master uses a single sided cable attachment but offers connectors on both cups so the end user can select left or right side entry and mic placements. This also allows for attaching 2 sources (per V-moda rep) or conversion to a balanced cable although to be properly balanced one would likely need to cut the cable between the cups. At any rate it is a fairly simple process to convert to balanced if desired.
A Coilrpro extended cable for DJ use, a lightning cable that incorporates a dac/amp for use with Apple products, the previously mentioned audio only cable, and the BoomPro cable that offers a boom mic for gamers are also available with prices ranging from $12 (audio only) to $100 (lightning) but not included with the package.







Sound:

The FR Chart was done with the Mini-DSP ears measurement rig using the RAW calibration and honestly should be taken with a large grain of salt as the seal between the headphone and ears was tenuous at best. I suspect with a proper seal the low end of the graph would look much more like my listening notes suggest.

Bass:
I was expecting something like the original m100 in my collection and was pleasantly surprised here. Bass depth is still a bit limited as roll-off becomes notable in the low 40Hz range but above that point the Master is much cleaner than its predecessor with better speed on attack and decay and good rumble without becoming thick or muddy. Mid-bass has a very slight emphasis but again is better textured than the original with more detail and a much cleaner sound. While these probably won’t make the basshead crowd as happy as the originals did, for those of us that like a more controlled and linear bass, these go a long way toward delivering it.

Mids:
Lower mids do have a touch of mid-bass bleed and lend some warmth and weight to the sound. The M100 Master could very easily be thought of as mid-centric as it has good detail in the lower mids despite the bleed, with male vocals having both good clarity and enough weight to sound natural. Guitar growl is good if just a touch soft and strings have a nice tonality here as well. The warmth takes a touch away from the realism of strings but adds it to brass in the process so ensemble pieces are well suited to the M100 Master. Upper-mids are on the same plane so female vocals stand equal to their male counterparts. The M100 Master is a good choice for choral pieces as a result as vocals are not segregated by pitch giving the m100 a voice much more like a live stage in that respect.

Treble:
Lower treble exists on the same plane with the mids and has good energy without jumping out or causing undo glare. Detail is quite good as well which gives the M100 Master a polite voice without any hint of stridency. This combined with the warmth of the lower mids gives the M100 Master an overall warm feel to the signature. True treble has good energy and contributes to snare rattle sounding nearly realistic and cymbals as well. High-hat could use a touch more energy to sound 100% but its closer than I expected at $249

Soundstage / Imaging:
Stage is better than expected for a closed back with little space between the ear and driver as it has good width and depth with some height as well. It certainly isnt HD800 sized, but it is no slouch either and into territory usually reserved for open-back designs in many respects. Seating the orchestra is straight forward with good instrument separation and no odd placements. Layering is good as well with little or no tendency to compress even with busy passages. Imaging is also quite good with good precision and movements easily tracked in space.

Comparisons:
I’ve tried to select comparisons that are within $50 one way or the other of the retail of the M100 Master and also closed back as comparing to an open back model seems a bit like apples and oranges. The models I selected were the Sony MDR-1AM2, the Focal Listen, the Audio Technica ATH-MSR7, and the Meze 99 Neo as I think these are all likely candidates for those shopping for headphones in this price range.

vs Sony MDR-1AM2
These two square off as direct competitors. The 1AM2 is Sony’s portable using the trickle down tech of the Z1R in a 40mm driver. The Sony is lighter than the M100 with a bit less clamping force and a bit less isolation comparatively. Both have well tuned near neutral signatures but the 1AM2 seems to suffer at higher volumes and break up a bit with a tendency to get a bit harsh while the M100 Master seems to be able to retain its balance at higher volumes. Build quality favors the M100 Master as well.

vs Focal Listen Pro
Again, a direct competitor but less comparable in build or signature. The Listen Pro has a lot more plastic in the build and will not tolerate the level of abuse the M100 Master will shrug off. The Focal also has a bit more of a V-shape with both bass emphasis (that extends to the lower mids) and treble emphasis. This puts the Listen Pro into a different class in my opinion and maybe the names say it all in this case. The Listen Pro is for casual listening while the Master is more designed for Pros in the studio.

vs ATH-MSR7
This is a battle royale as the MSR7 has long been ATH’s entry into the mastering market and overlaps M100 Master in most ways. The build favors the M100 although the MSR7 is by no means poorly built. Signatures are similar but the MSR7 needs more power to do its best work so the biggest score for the M100 in this fight is its ability to work well from lower powered sources where the MSR will require an amp to really compete. The M100 also comes with a much more robust case for travel and has better isolation so travelers get a double benefit of less to carry and less outside noise to interrupt their enjoyment.

vs Meze 99 Neo
These two actually come closer in build quality as the Neo is mostly metal as well and extremely well made so while the Neo doesn’t fold like the M100 master, both are well built and provide good solid travel cases so should handle a few bumps and bangs along the way. Signatures are a little less parallel though as the Neo has more bass but more bass bleed as well. The M100 Master is more tightly controlled with better bass clarity if slightly less of it. Mids are good on both but again favor the M100 as detail is slightly better and clarity as well. Treble is pleasant on both and hard to pick a clear winner on that alone. I give the nod to the M100 for sound and to the Neo for comfort so users will likely want to audition both and see what matters more to them.

Thoughts / Conclusion:
I went into this review thinking I had a pretty good idea of who V-Moda was and what their house sound was and as a result I expected a fun headphone with good build quality and a V signature with a bass boost in the low end and a moderate upper-mid emphasis to match. I guess my expectations were a little dated in this case as the 2nd generation of V-Moda, or at least the M100 Master doesn’t fit that description at all. V-moda nailed the name on this one as it is well suited for mastering or studio work as it imparts little color to the sound with a near neutral signature that is departed from only to add a bit of warmth to the overall. Detail is quite good and textures are way better than earlier models I have tried. The M100 master shows a commitment from V-Moda to move into the professional space rather than being content with selling in the consumer market as this is a tuning that will appeal to DJs, engineers, and performers in addition to audiophiles looking for a travel headphone. It would also make a great first serious headphone for young people who may not yet understand how to properly care for their gear as the M100 Master in typical V-moda fashion is designed to take the bumps and bangs of life along the way. I can say without reservation I recommend the M100 master as I can find very few things not to like and the price tag of $249 puts it as one of the more accessible offerings with this much going for it.

I would like to thank VModa for including me in the review program and being given the chance to revisit the M100 in the form of the M100 Master. Unfortunately my original M100 has developed a short in one of the cups so I was unable to do an A/B comparison between the 2 models. So this review will be only about the M100 Master with some select comparisons between it and some of my other headphones on hand.

Before I get started in earnest I need to apologize to VModa as I have taken a bit longer than I initially thought on this review as I was struggling with them when they arrived. This was due to my own ever shifting sonic preferences which took a turn to the mid/treble side after the purchase of a new True wireless earphone purchase around Black Friday. This change made it hard to enjoy a warmer sound signature. The issue was then compounded by my Samsung S9 phone which itself is a bit on the warm side as a source. Fortunately I finally remembered I had my trusty Pono still kicking around to fired it up and it helped add a bit of spark due to it's colder nature. The good news is this in NOT an issue with the M100 Master per se as I compared them to several other warm headphones I own and they more than held their own in that sonic realm. But expect this review to be slightly skewed by my preferences which currently lean towards a brighter signature...

So, how would I describe the VModa M100 Master? They are a mostly comfortable, rugged, portable headphone that manages to sonically hold its own again most of my headphone collection. Sonically speaking its a mid-bass oriented warm headphone that dips in to sub-bass depths but not as much as I would like, with a relaxed treble that's detailed but lacks sparkle and air compared to some headphones. I would say its a mildly V shaped signature that is shallower on the treble side of the spectrum.

Packaging, accessories, build quality, and comfort - 4/5
If there is one area that Vmoda does better than most is packaging and the M100 Master is no exception, these come in a nice looking restrained box that doesn't rely on Size and fluff to try and impress you with how great the headphone is. Inside that box is a cool headphone case that is as rugged in design as the headphones themselves. All a testament to VModa's DJ roots. So why a 4 out of 5? Unfortunately while the headphone is well packaged it misses slightly on the cup design. I have average size ears and they just barely fits inside the cup and have hot spots due to touches. Sitting up I can generally get them finally seated so they stop bothering me and then get a couple of hours of use without much trouble. But I find then to uncomfortable to lie down wearing them and I usually notice hotspots on my ears when I take them off after a longer listening session. As for accessories, these come with a regular 3.5 stereo cable and a single button smartphone cable which is starting to seem slightly short of modern standard cables. Given that many phones are dropping the headphone jack, it might be time for VModa to consider adding a 3rd balanced cable aimed more towards the audiophile crowd. This packaging was fine when the M100 was originally released but it might behoove VModa to catch up with the times.

Bass - 4/5
Bass is an area that is difficult to rate subjectively since each person will have their own idea of perfection. I personally prefer a headphone with a linear bass that can reach good sub-bass depths with little to no mid-bass hump. But this may be the EXACT opposite for a lot of people. To give an example my current favorites TWS is the AZ70 from Technics and I LOVE its bass presentation. But I can tell you several other people in one of the threads I follow sent their AZ70 back because it just lacked to much bass for them. So take my preferences in to consideration. In my initial testing I was frustrated enough I ended up pulling out a couple other headphones on hand to get a better perspective. In the following testing I found the M100 to have enough mid-bass to become a bit droning at times with some tracks but those moments tended to not last long and were usually made up for by the rest of the sound signature.

Midrange 4.25/5
The midrange while slightly recessed is engaging and at times lively with good detail. But due to the mid-bass hump it is warmer in nature. This makes it a great easy listening signature but I am not sure it is always tonally accurate. Having said that for voices I LOVE how horned instruments sound, they have great presence and realism for me. This makes the Master a great classical music headphone and very good with Jazz and rock that incorporates a lot of horns.

Treble 4/5
The treble on this headphone follows a similar path as the midrange, being detailed but relaxed in nature. This makes for a supremely relaxed headphone that can be listened to for hour with zero fatigue. But also may be lacking for some in regards to sparkle and air.

Soundstage and imaging 4/5
I was actually taken aback when listening to several classical pieces with complex harsh orchestral sections. The Master handled these songs with great aplomb allowing the instruments space along with nice 3D imaging. Other songs such as Zombie by Nelly McKay were decently presented as but lack the width and height of the best headphones I have heard for this area. But certainly above average especially for a closed back headphone.

Initial Impressions:

My first blush with these was a violin concerto with a strong brass section and I was impressed with how these reproduced trumpets and other brass instruments. The violin was also present but lacked some of the vitality on higher notes and was slightly on the warm side.

I flipped from that song to Patricia Barber - Smash and found the song well produced with the double bass plucks sounding nice and full and wonderful detail in the cavernous portion of the song. The cymbal kit sounded detailed and crisp but lacked a bit of decay and shimmer at the end of the strikes.

I switched over to a couple deep bass songs such as Beckah Shay - Rest, Interstellar - Cornfield Chase and found the M100s first weakness, sub-bass in all these songs has a moment where it can be felt but the M100 only touched on those moments. Not completely devoid but only a whisper of the potential.

I then switched to Led Zeppelin - In the Evening and found the bassy sound at the beginning of the song very droning and overwhelming in the song showing a mid-bass hump. For many songs this would probably sound wonderful but in this songs case it just sounded droning in an almost unpleasant way. When the song kicked in proper the sound was pleasant and detailed but lacked a bit of bite in the guitars.

After a few more songs and my initial take is this is a warmer sounding headphone with a nice midrange standing out the most, a mid-bass oriented bass that just scratches into the sub-bass, and treble that is detailed but relaxed, lacking airiness and sparkle to protect the listeners ears. I can absolutely see how a DJ might like this headphone and for a lot of people this will be a delight due to the mid-bass hump. For genres like Classical and Jazz it works very well. For general rock it sounded good but due to the lack of grit for guitars and lost cymbal detail I found myself wishing for more.

I then did some quick A/B/C/D testing between the M100, HE400I, Night Hawk, and Sony Z7. Using Led Zeppelin - In the Evening and Interstellar - Cornfield Chase.

The results were very interesting. None of these headphones could reach down into the sub-bass to make themselves felt in the Cornfield Chase with the Night Hawk slightly besting the rest, followed by the M100 and Z7 being about the same, then the He400i a distant 4th. Outside of that bass moment the M100 held its own well having decent detail retrieval that rivaled the 400i and the Night Hawks surprising the Z7 was the least engaging of the 4 headphones and the 400i while lacking that bass was the most engaging followed by the M100.

Switching up to In the Evening the 400i was bass light enough you could hardly tell there was a bass drone at the beginning of the song but sounded wonderful once the song really kicked in. The Z7 and Night Hawk both managed the drone better than the M100 but neither sounded good for the rest of the song. The M100 handled the drone the worst but overall was second only to the 400i due to how it handled the rest of the song.

As can be seen in those impressions I found most of my full size headphone collection lacked sub-bass impact which surprised me. So the M100 is no more lacking than several headphones that cost significantly more in my collection and it held up in over all sonics very well against everything mentioned.

I also pulled out my AKG K545 and Meze 99 for a quick comparison and again was surprised by the results.

Over all I found the Meze the most energetic but in an almost exhausting way with a much harsher V shaped signature that added to much to vocals making them go from warm and relaxed on the M100 to bright and harsh on the 99. The K545 were brighter that the M100 being the coldest sounding out of all my headphones including the 400i but they were nit as sharp or brittle as the 99. Out of these 3 headphones I definitely enjoyed the M100 the most.

Final Conclusions

Aside from struggling to appreciate the sonic qualities of the M100 Master due to the recent change in my preferences I found myself enjoying these a lot more than I initially thought as I properly compared them to other headphones in my collection. In the end my experience was good enough that I can comfortably recommend this to anyone who likes a warmer signature with a bit of mid-bass emphasis and relaxed treble. For anyone wanting something they listen to for hours on end with stressing their ear these will fit that bill completely.

The vmoda crossfade m100 master :

The m100 master are over ear headphone with foldable design made of all metal parts and are hires certified. They were sent to me as a review program from vmoda and these are my thoughts on them as a review .

The build:
All metal with no plastic parts that I can see and included are 2 cable . Only for audio with mic and another orange one with two wire that looks like and attachment for the boom mic I think . The box also was nice and was closed with a nice string that was needed to be cut to open . The headphone came in a strong hardshell case with is awesome and had a keychain to attach to your pocket or backpack.

The sound:

Bass: the bass is flat with roll off on subbass but they are textured and clean . It is tight and clear and i can hear great bass texture . It is nice and refreshing but I sometimes crave abit more of the subbass do I can enjoy all the genre more . If they can have like 6 more db in 20 to 40 hertz then it'll be perfect.

Midrange: flat and warm is the midrange with breath in the vocals , they have nice balance of clarity and warmth for instrument and vocals and also the presentation is 3D . Very good at it and I would want to change that aspect. You can definitely feel the singers breath tickling your ears.

Treble: flat and smooth is the treble with nice weight without being bright and brittle which is something I wouldn't want to hear because it'll cause ear fatigue. The treble is clear as well with great timber on cymbal . Also the presentation is 3D .

Soundstage: the soundstage is about just right out of the head without being to massive and the presentation of imaging is spacious. Height is right on top of the head .

The driver are nice and fast , not the fastest but above average which helps with keeping the music clean without becoming congest which isn't good for enjoying music.


Conclusion: this is my first time hearing vmoda crossfade master m100 and I'm liking the direction vmoda is going from what they made when they started . They comfort is good , can get kinda warm but not unbearable. Sound is great and build is top notch. I can't wait to try more in the future .