V-MODA Crossfade 2 Wireless - We Discuss It With Val Kolton - Head-Fi TV

[LajostheHun]

Nice! How does it sound? And does it come in Rose Gold?

Sounds awesome using my LG V20 driving my Fidelio x2, ATH M50, and NAD HP-50, no it only comes in that titanium color.

 

[expontherise]

what if we turn in 2 v-moda legacy items 100% off? (no need to actually answer that lol)

 

[plakat]

This time around I'll not wait a year but trust @valkolton -- I ordered mine today, but got the matte black. Rose gold is not for me and I live quite happily without aptX with the original Crossfade Wireless. Would be interesting to know which codec it uses when connected to an AK380, but on the other hand I don't care much... I like how it sounds, so thats fine.
 
Interested how the new tuning differs from M100 and CFW1... and while I like the old pads, the new version does look nice (did not like the XL pad in that regard).

 

[skyejack]

  This time around I'll not wait a year but trust @valkolton -- I ordered mine today, but got the matte black. Rose gold is not for me and I live quite happily without aptX with the original Crossfade Wireless. Would be interesting to know which codec it uses when connected to an AK380, but on the other hand I don't care much... I like how it sounds, so thats fine.
 
Interested how the new tuning differs from M100 and CFW1... and while I like the old pads, the new version does look nice (did not like the XL pad in that regard).

I didn't mind the Rose Gold at first and then I watch Booredatworks video review and it was covered in fingerprints. Nooooo thank you. Matte black all around for me.

 

[Oversalted]

Apt-X? Cliq-Fold? YES!
 
These are the V-Moda's I've been craving.
 
...except that Rose Gold. I can't, I just loathe it. I'm happy to pay the price of the Apt-X model, but not in that scheme. Val - please make this option available in at least matte black as well.
 
Also - any need to add on the XL earcups with these, or is the redesign sufficient?
 
Cheers.

 

[MICHAELSD]

I think the oversight with Crossfade 2 Wireless is that the wireless feature is just considered a bonus, whereas for my own use Bluetooth AAC when implemented correctly is sufficient 100% of the time while listening to Apple Music; conversely, the hi-res certification/wired mode is a nice bonus to me for when I listen to lossless files. I made up my mind after the Momentum that I won't buy another wireless headphone that doesn't have AAC codec support. AAC >> apt-X, it's been proven that aptX is about 20%+ inferior to modern AAC.

P.s. I love the rose gold color, but don't care for aptX. I'd still use AAC on my iPhone and Mac. Matte white is gorgeous too. But assuming there's no AAC support...

 

[skyejack]

  Apt-X? Cliq-Fold? YES!
 
These are the V-Moda's I've been craving.
 
...except that Rose Gold. I can't, I just loathe it. I'm happy to pay the price of the Apt-X model, but not in that scheme. Val - please make this option available in at least matte black as well.
 
Also - any need to add on the XL earcups with these, or is the redesign sufficient?
 
Cheers.

I'm also wondering about the ear cups as well. He says in the video that they're memory foam, which the XL pads clearly are not. If these are smaller yet more comfortable than the XL pads, I'll be quite happy. I'm also wondering if these will be sold as an extra item for the M100 and original Crossfade Wireless?

 

[WCMTWS]

Have CFW that I've had for a couple months now, really would like to see a phantom chrome in these! And lets say we wanted to partake in the 'immortal life' program. I see that the headphones are disposed of, does that mean I can pull my shields off and send just the headphones in? This is a real question.

 

[AlwaysForward]

Can anyone comment on the isolation and sound stage?

 

[Gentle Pro]

Hello everybody,
 
I've been on the market for a while now looking for the best pair of Headphones for my usage and I came across the CFW 2s.
 
I will be using the headphones for 2 main purposes:
 
1) Gaming, so I would like to know how the CFW 2s fare against the gaming oriented headphones/headsets. Would I be better off getting another pair of headphones?
 
2) Music since I commute everyday and travel a lot as well so having a pair of wireless headphones is a big bonus. For this purpose would these be better than Bose's QC35 or Sony's MDR 1000X ?
 
I'm also interested in knowing if I would notice the absence of Apt-x on a smartphone (S7 edge) if I opt for the Matte Black finish.
 
I appreciate any insight you might provide me with because I'm having the hardest time deciding what pair of headphones best suit my needs.
 
Cheers

 

[DiscoProJoe]

Wow, very interesting news.
 
I checked out the specs for the CFW2 on V-Moda's website, and noticed the sensitivity rating is only 100 dB, compared to 107 dB for the CFW1, and 103 dB for the M-100.
 
When my dad visited me here in Chongqing last fall, I compared the sound of his CFW1 in wired mode to my M-100s, using my dual-listening setup with my extreme EQ presets, Rockboxed iPod Classic, and Cayin C5 portable amps.
 
I personally couldn't notice any difference in the sound quality, sensitivity, or power handling. (Again, between the CFW1 vs. the M-100.)
 
But my main concern with the new CFW2 is if the larger earpads noticeably reduce the sensitivity or not. With the extreme EQ'ing I do (particularly in the sub-bass region), I need all the amplifier power, and all the sub-bass sensitivity I can get. Basically, if you want massive sub-bass, then you're gonna need massive power, massive sub-bass sensitivity and power handling in the headphones, and massive EQ'ing to achieve that.
 
So, my main question here is...does the new CFW2 have noticeably less sub-bass sensitivity than the CFW1 and M-100? I'm really curious to know whether that's true or not.
 
Bear in mind that I designed DiscoProJoe's Rockbox EQ Presets specifically for the M-100 (and the equivalent CFW1 in wired mode). With the proper EQ preset for the song that's playing, using the M-100 or CFW1 in wired mode, the midbass / lower-midrange bloat is eliminated, the sub-bass is massive, the upper midrange (1 -2 kHz) is very clear and pronounced, and the soundstage and musical detail are phenomenal.
 
Disclaimer: I personally consider "HD sound" to be a good-sounding MP3 at 192 kbps with DiscoProJoe's Rockbox EQ Presets. I personally can't hear above 17-18 kHz, so the ability to play sounds of up to 40,000 Hz doesn't make any sense to me.
 
Anyway, last but not least,...I'm hoping that someone can bring a pair of the new CFW2 to the New York spring meetup on Saturday, June 10th, as I'll be in attendance all day long. I'd love to hear how the CFW2 sounds with my portable setup, and can't wait to hear other people's equipment, and to show off my stuff as well! 

 

 

[Marc Lian]

Are there any active coupon codes or promotions on this new release?

 

[PDevil]

Also bought the mic for gaming just to be rebelious Instead of buying new cables for my Astros as they're ridiculously priced cables and their even more outrageous shipping costs on something they can throw in an envelope and mail out.

I've never seen someone go on about something so minuscule as shipping costs.  What seems "minuscule" to you might actually be a big deal for others especially when we are talking about $300+ headphones.  For a lot of people, that's a big investment that's meant to last them a long time.
 
 
Quote:

  Also - any need to add on the XL earcups with these, or is the redesign sufficient?
 
Cheers.

Based on the videos I have seen, I don't think there is a need for the XL pads.  I'm still saving mine (they were on my M-100's then CFW1's) but the new pads look like they're about the same size and thickness as the XL pads.  I watched an ~11 minute video on YouTube and the guy had his M-100's and CFW1's sitting next to the CF2W's, the CFW1's had the XL pads and they looked very similar to the pads on the CF2W's.  I'm sending my CFW1's off today and will be ordering the new model whenever they e-mail me so I will be able to do a direct side-by-side comparison in another week or two.
 
 

  Have CFW that I've had for a couple months now, really would like to see a phantom chrome in these! And lets say we wanted to partake in the 'immortal life' program. I see that the headphones are disposed of, does that mean I can pull my shields off and send just the headphones in? This is a real question.

Yep, you can take the shields off and send the headphones in.  I traded my M-100's in for the CFW1's and I'm doing the same for the CF2W's.  The only thing I sent in with my M-100's was the headphones themselves and the case.  I kept the shields, earpads, and audio cable.  I'm only sending in my CFW1's with their case as well.  I'm keeping the earpads, audio cable, shields, and microUSB charging cable.  I think you can even technically save the case, I was originally told (when I traded in my M-100's) that they just want the headphones.

  1) Gaming, so I would like to know how the CFW 2s fare against the gaming oriented headphones/headsets. Would I be better off getting another pair of headphones?
 
2) Music since I commute everyday and travel a lot as well so having a pair of wireless headphones is a big bonus. For this purpose would these be better than Bose's QC35 or Sony's MDR 1000X ?
 
I'm also interested in knowing if I would notice the absence of Apt-x on a smartphone (S7 edge) if I opt for the Matte Black finish.

1) I haven't listened to the CF2W's yet but, if they're anything like the M-100's and CFW1's, you'll get a good sound stage with nice stereo separation.  They were decent with simulated surround sound but definitely not as good as my Astro A50 headset.  The CFW1's were better than the stereo Turtle Beach headset I had before the Astro A50's.
 
2) I'm only going off of the CFW1's and M-100's but I preferred their sound quality over the Bose QC35's.  I'm not a fan of the way the QC35's sound.  They feature an active EQ that adjusts itself based on playback volume.  The bass is boosted at lower volumes and then held back when you turn the headphones up.  For me, I had to turn them up to around 65% in order for their active EQ (which can't be disabled) to produce results that I liked.  I have only listened to the MDR-1000X's in passing so I can't really comment on them.  I would venture to say that the V-Moda's are going to produce more bass and mid-bass than the Sony's.
 
3) You might not.  Most people are fine with standard SBC.  Personally, I think standard SBC sounds fine unless I am actually paying attention to what I'm listening and I don't do that when I'm out walking.  I listen to the music but don't focus on analyzing the quality while I'm taking my morning and afternoon walks.  SBC produces results that are good enough for me to enjoy the music during my walks and artifacts are often obscured by outside noise (like cars).  That being said, whenever I actually sit down and listen to the music, I can notice (what I think are) artifacts.  I haven't done any blind, volume-matched listening tests so it could just be placebo on my end.  One thing to think about is Android O.  I don't know if Samsung will actually support it with the S7's (they're notoriously bad when it comes to upgrading to the next version of Android) but Android O will allow phones to output audio over Bluetooth using SBC, mp3, AAC, aptX, aptX-HD, and even LDAC.  You should be able to choose what codec gets used with which device.

 

[DoctaCosmos]

I didn't make a whole thread seem like biblical amounts of complaining because of it though. now that I think about it, what better way to keep a thread active and on top of recent discussions so people are always noticing this thread and know about the product than to purposely troll the consumers they know will be having conniption fits over something so dumb. They literally have the apt-x technology at their finger tips. They could offer it as an upgrade just like they do for everything else on their fully customizable website and charge extra for it just like they do for everything else. Is this really about taking a piece of metal that costs an extra .08 cents to color and profiting $19.92....probably not. They could just easily make that an add on option.

 

[SpiderNhan]

First review is up:

http://www.digitaltrends.com/headphone-reviews/v-moda-crossfade-ii-wireless-review/#/2

And another:

http://djbooth.net/dj-equipment/review/v-moda-crossfade-ii-wireless-bluetooth-dj-headphone-review-video