New V Moda Crossfade M100 Master

[Floatingtrem]

i recently left my m-100s in a rental car and while i was pleased to see that they came out with the masters, as i was never truly satisfied with the m-100s, i was pretty peeved they didn’t come in white.

so i decided to grab a new pair of each and if i liked the new ones, swap the drivers over.

while i liked the previous v-moda cans i’ve had (m-100s, and some LP2s) they never felt properly good, just good enough while servicing my on the go basshead needs. i regretted not getting the m-100s first, upgrading to those was a nice step up, but listening fatigue has been a consistent issue for me. i enjoy the v-moda sound profile but the m-100s always felt a little harsh and unrefined (LP2s doubly so).

so far the masters have been everything i wanted them to be. same general idea, with a much more refined execution.

comparing the two:
in the low end i would say the m-100s are punchier and perhaps a bit more dynamic. the masters, while a bit more subdued, are still plenty punchy and provide better separation. a good kick drum especially jumps out of the mix and onto the floor where it belongs. improved stereo imaging and separation all around. overall i would say the differences are pretty minor, it’s not night and day, with the one glaring exception being the overall harshness i always felt with the m-100s.

listening fatigue is a killer, and while the m-100s always served their purpose, they were never a pleasure to listen to. reminds me of listening to low bitrate mp3s back in the day- even if you’re enjoying the music after awhile you just get sick of the noise. conversely i feel like i could listen to the masters all day.

as i had them apart, i thought i would share photos of the drivers side by side. the only visible physical difference between the drivers are the grills and the size of the two vent holes on the back of the housing. the cones themselves appear identical. the masters also include a small coil for hi-res (or so the box tells me). i don’t really know what it’s supposed to do, but it sure is in there. given the similarities, i might try removing the grill from the m-100 drivers just to see what kind of difference it might make. we’ll see.

the new cushions do feel like a nice step up, but i will still be throwing some different oversized memory foam guys on em.

tldr: i like em

 

[Purplezorz]

Does anyone in this thread who owns the Masters actually EQ?
All of these reviews seem like for like vanilla sound signature comparisons; that's fine, but I think the V-Moda's potential is what it can do when EQ'd and powered.
It seems that the new cans resolve better, similar to the differences between say the original Sony MDR-1000X and the WH-1000X-M3.
Maybe pulled down the more harsh side of the treble (the peaks in the 4K-8K range) and brought up the higher 10-24K+ range.
Bass potential seems to still be there, but it's unclear.
Oftentimes when you tune a headphone to be tighter and more accurate, the texture is enhanced, but its SPL output, especially in the sub regions suffer as the driver can be pushed to distortion easier.

Would be interested to know what happens when you try to turn them into proper bass cannons. I use the below EQ for the M100s - I only use it for fun silly bass sessions. Mids and highs have to be killed otherwise I'd instantly go deaf and gain/pre-amp has to be killed too other instant (digital signal) distortion. Then use the power of a iFi iDSD Micro BL to bring it up to loud, distortion-free head shaking levels.

Tempted to get 'em next month or something just for review purposes, but I feel like the train left the station since last year; does anyone still care about this headphone at this point?

Purplezorz

 

[StarTreker]

Cool conversation about V-Moda cans! I think the consensus is, that most audiophiles go for other high fidelity can's like Sennheizers for example. But those who are DJ's or bassheads, are more prone to go with the V-Moda's, IMO. I myself do enjoy highs that are nice and crispy, and can appreciate vocal clarity. However, I am also a basshead, and as such, headphones that just give clarity out of the box, but have 0 sub-bass range, are an atrocity to me. Because of this, I am always going to be biassed towards bass heavy can's.

I recently purchased the V-Moda Crossfade LP2's and I love them. But its important to note that they were not ready for prime time out of the box. Like many can's out there, you have to EQ them in order to get the full potential out of them. And those who choose not to AMP and EQ, are missing out greatly with the V-Moda's in my humble opinion. I have my 32HZ and 64HZ ranges at +10DB, thats insane levels of sub-bass when running just 800MW of amp power through them! But like many have seen as well, the upper high ranges are a bit veiled for my tastes, so I razed the 3K +4DB, 5K - 8K - 16K all to +8DB.

Its also important to note that sound stage, stereo separation, bass impact, and clarity will change, when using the official V-Moda XL pads. I recently wrote a full review on my can's for the site, so have a look at that if your interested. But for me, I couldn't justify spending 200 to 300 dollars on the new M-100 Master or the M-200 can's, so I went with the LP2's.

 

[Purplezorz]

Cool conversation about V-Moda cans! I think the consensus is, that most audiophiles go for other high fidelity can's like Sennheizers for example. But those who are DJ's or bassheads, are more prone to go with the V-Moda's, IMO. I myself do enjoy highs that are nice and crispy, and can appreciate vocal clarity. However, I am also a basshead, and as such, headphones that just give clarity out of the box, but have 0 sub-bass range, are an atrocity to me. Because of this, I am always going to be biassed towards bass heavy can's.

I recently purchased the V-Moda Crossfade LP2's and I love them. But its important to note that they were not ready for prime time out of the box. Like many can's out there, you have to EQ them in order to get the full potential out of them. And those who choose not to AMP and EQ, are missing out greatly with the V-Moda's in my humble opinion. I have my 32HZ and 64HZ ranges at +10DB, thats insane levels of sub-bass when running just 800MW of amp power through them! But like many have seen as well, the upper high ranges are a bit veiled for my tastes, so I razed the 3K +4DB, 5K - 8K - 16K all to +8DB.

Its also important to note that sound stage, stereo separation, bass impact, and clarity will change, when using the official V-Moda XL pads. I recently wrote a full review on my can's for the site, so have a look at that if your interested. But for me, I couldn't justify spending 200 to 300 dollars on the new M-100 Master or the M-200 can's, so I went with the LP2's.

I heard the LP2s were like the original basshead can. It used to be all about the Sony XB range back then, but then V-moda came in and it was yet another level
I've got the V-Moda Neros which is based on the LP1 and I've recommended it and the Crossfade Wireless 1 to a lot of casual listeners and they love it - resolution is quite low though. The jump between those and the M100s is perfect IMO. Still not a clarity can, but resolution between the two improved and the bass potential increased even more. They said the CFW1 was the same is the 100 - that was a lie, they were talking about outta the box.
All of the newer cans pale in comparison to the M100 bass wise - sure they refined the signature a bit, but as alluded to in other forums, Rolland took over and the ex CEO left, so it's to be expected.

Now IMO, if the master can do what the M100s (and clearly the LP2s lol) can do bass wise with EQ, it's a massive relief, cos I'd recc 'em all day if you get the XL pads with them. As the original 100s and below are no longer being made, eventually, the original M100 would fizzle out, but, I'm sure there's a massive used market + stock in music shops that still need to be sold so, it's all good.

I'll check out your review for old times sake

Purplezorz

 

[StarTreker]

I heard the LP2s were like the original basshead can. It used to be all about the Sony XB range back then, but then V-moda came in and it was yet another level
I've got the V-Moda Neros which is based on the LP1 and I've recommended it and the Crossfade Wireless 1 to a lot of casual listeners and they love it - resolution is quite low though. The jump between those and the M100s is perfect IMO. Still not a clarity can, but resolution between the two improved and the bass potential increased even more. They said the CFW1 was the same is the 100 - that was a lie, they were talking about outta the box.
All of the newer cans pale in comparison to the M100 bass wise - sure they refined the signature a bit, but as alluded to in other forums, Rolland took over and the ex CEO left, so it's to be expected.

Now IMO, if the master can do what the M100s (and clearly the LP2s lol) can do bass wise with EQ, it's a massive relief, cos I'd recc 'em all day if you get the XL pads with them. As the original 100s and below are no longer being made, eventually, the original M100 would fizzle out, but, I'm sure there's a massive used market + stock in music shops that still need to be sold so, it's all good.

I'll check out your review for old times sake

Purplezorz

Hey, thanks for the education! I didn't know that the LP2's were the original basshead can. Over 5-years ago I was still a speaker nut, cause I thought speakers were king of the land. But I started gaming with a 70-dollar gaming headset, and started noticing how I could hear more with headphones. But I wasn't satisfied with the lack of sub-bass I was getting out of the 40mm drivers. So, thats when I came to Head-Fi about 4-years ago, to find who the bass king was. I learned that the JVC's were the kings, but people's hinges weren't snapping yet. GULP!

At least I got a solid 4-years out of them, which is longer then most people got, before the hinges snapped. So back to the original basshead can I guess, the LP2's. And I never got the chance to try out the JVC SZ 2000's, so I never experienced the ultimate levels of bass satisfaction, so coming from the JVC SZ 1000's, I don't really hear any loss. And Like I said in my review, the V-Moda's bass reproduction is more accurate IMO. I notice that the Crossfade wireless is heavily popular on Youtube, along side the M100's. Its kind of a sign where the market has been going, and what people want.

Head-Fi has their own Youtube channel, who knew? But it appears that they very rarely post video's there, which is sad, cause Head-Fi could totally have their own review channel, where they review all the headphones that they get. But anyways, the video's I saw from the channel, were the guy from Head-Fi meeting up with Val, who is the CEO of V-Moda. I got a kick out of the video's honestly, cause Val totally looked like Hilander with the jet black hair in a pony tail like that lol. One of the video's was making such a huge deal out of the V-Moda shields, and it was very clear that Val was trying to push the precious metals shields the most, which runs you hundreds of dollars to get. lol

I think I heard that the master is supposed to try to be studio grade headphones, weather they really are or not is another matter. I guess some DJ's would prefer studio grade, I would understand that benefit to them for mixing the sound properly and all. However, if all the DJ is playing is Hip Hop style, or dubstep, you don't need no studio grade headphones to hear that properly, any bass cannon can fill the need, especially the V-Moda LP2's.

 

[V-MODA Team Member]

Hey everyone! Thank you all so much for taking the time to write about the M-100 Master. We've actually rejoined Head-Fi recently as a sponsor and are collecting feedback and experiences in this thread. We'd also love to see any photos you might have as well!

​

 

[WickedInsignia]

Just got these and first impressions are quite good! A nice consumer-oriented sound that was more balanced than I expected. Very smooth with a nice out-of-head soundstage. Bass is very tamed, borderline polite and acts as a firm foundation.

Very sturdy on the head and not really seal-dependent.
Out of curiosity...are the XL pads bigger than the defaults that the M100 Masters come with?

 

[OmniscientNihilist]

Just got these and first impressions are quite good! A nice consumer-oriented sound that was more balanced than I expected. Very smooth with a nice out-of-head soundstage. Bass is very tamed, borderline polite and acts as a firm foundation.

Very sturdy on the head and not really seal-dependent.
Out of curiosity...are the XL pads bigger than the defaults that the M100 Masters come with?

i think the masters come with the XL as the default now

 

[WickedInsignia]

i think the masters come with the XL as the default now

Actually I don't think that's the case after some inspection. Here's a photo of mine (left) with default pads, and a photo on V-Moda's official page for the XLs (right). The pads are visibly deeper. That's on an original M100....but in my experience both models are identical in size.

I'll order a pair. If they're the same, at least I have spares!

 

[StarTreker]

Guys, you shouldn't be using the V-Moda XL pads. While it is true that the XL pads are slightly bigger in thickness, they will deflate in a month or so of solid use. You don't have to take my word for it either, countless reviewer reports on the XL pads state this fact. Get yourself some Wicked Cushions pads for V-Moda headphones, you can get them from the manufacturer website, or on Amazon or Ebay.

This is what my Wicked Cushions pads look like...

This is what the Wicked Cushions Look Like On V-Moda Cans...

Here is a picture of my cans using the stock NON-XL V-Moda Pads...

And here is a picture of my can's once trying out the V-Moda XL Pads...

In my humble opinion, the stock V-Moda pads suck bigtime, won't give your ear lobes any support, and allow your ears to rest on the drivers. The V-Moda XL pads, get your ears further away from the drivers, don't change the sound signature much, but will eventually deflate after a month or two of use, causing your ears to once again, rest on the driver.

The Wicked Cushions pads, are a more denser foam material, and use a higher quality leather construction. They keep your ears off the drivers, they don't ever deflate, in the nearly year that I've owned them now, can easily be maintained with leather conditioner treatments, (Which I've done one treatment on since owning, but need to do another treatment soon!) and only change the sound signature slightly where it emphasizes high frequencies a tad more.

Furthermore, EQ can always be used to tune the sound signature exactly how you like it despite whatever change the pads make. But at the end of the day, when it comes to a set of cans, comfortability with pads, can either make or break a pair of cans. In my opinion, the Wicked Cushions pads are the absolute #1 priority item needed, to use V-Moda can's of any model.

Additionally, I recommend using a headband cushion if you have the LP1 or LP2 models, the headbands are very thin and hurt the head. But shouldn't happen with the higher end M100 and M200 models.

 

[WickedInsignia]

Guys, you shouldn't be using the V-Moda XL pads.

Thanks for the advice! I'll probably wind up getting them anyway for the time being, since it's hard to get other pads where I live. I don't keep my V-Moda in the case so that may help with the deflation issue.
Those Wicked Cushions look good, I'll check them out!

 

[WickedInsignia]

Quick update:
I thought there might be a channel imbalance with my copy of the M100 Master since I noticed there was more subbass on one side.
I don't have the XLs in yet but swapped the left and right pads and the imbalance moved over to the other ear.
The culprit pad is more depressed than the other one, so the cause is most likely a bad seal.

Just a general advice then to people: if you suspect an imbalance, check your pads. Looking forward to fitting the XLs soon, hopefully they provide better sell.

 

[plakat]

The new pads on the Master and the CF2 models are different from the XL pads, which are still deeper. I'm using them now for some time, did not compress so far (two sets, one on my M-100 Master and another on my CF2). I seldom use the case, which does compress the pads a bit more.

To me the XL pads are *much* more comfortable than the original pads of the CF2/Master -- but that depends on ear size and preferences of course.

 

[Wiljen]

Got my review posted today https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/v-moda-crossfade-m100-master.24825/reviews#item-review-25178
also available on my blog with full sized photos

 

[WickedInsignia]

Another quick update:
These sound marginally better with the XL pads. After a quick swap back-and-forward, the bass moves from midbass-focused to mostly sub-and-high bass. The top end opens up a bit with more air, soundstage is wider, and I feel that overall texture/speed increases. Imaging loses a little stability though so some instruments become more “ethereal”, which is an interesting and not necessarily negative effect. Everything sounds less veiled in general and the signature is brighter. I really dig this balance! It's fast, snappy, and highly musical.
XLs are also exponentially more comfortable than the default pads. It's pretty much a requirement at this point. I still get some discomfort - my ears stick out quite a bit and touch the driver housing so I get a hotspot there - but overall better.

On a side note, I feel like V-moda don't care too much for build consistency. The XL pads I received have slightly different widths (I can feel this difference in the way they seal over my ears), the default pads I received are slightly more squished on one side than the other, and the cushioning in my headband is uneven. Not a headphone for those who are fussed over that sort of thing.