[dweaver]

Just recieved a pair of the M100 Master to review and then return to Vmoda.

Like my own M100 I find these comfortable and solidly built. My original M100 is fitted with the larger pads so the comfort differences were slightly different as I find the Masters pads to be slightly more confining. From memory the original earpads on my M100 were slightly smaller and a bit stiffer. The kit has not changed much which speaks to the original design being solid and not needing much in the way of change.

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, Intersteller - 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 midbass 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 nice mids 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 and 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 wonderfull 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.

You might be wondering why no M100 original vs M100 Master comparison... unfortunately my original M100 has developed a short in the right ear cup so it available to test.

I will post more impressions over the next couple of days followed by a full review.

 

[Wiljen]

First off, big thanks for including me, I do very much appreciate the privilege.

Initial Impressions:

Cool packaging, I like the clamshell case but do wish it had some form of handle.

Very familiar somehow as it looks and feels very much like all the other V-Moda products I have tried. Pretty much all metal construction, well designed hinges and folding mechanism. Overall well built and should hold up well as a travel companion or a kid’s backpack. I have no worries about this thing breaking from any kind of normal use.

Fit on head: straddles the line between over-ear and on-ear. My ears do fit inside the pads but the pad touches pretty much all the way around. Headband adjustments are very positive and the M100 master has plenty of adjustment for different size heads. One thing to note is this model doesn’t have any cup adjustment on the vertical axis but the headband does have some flex to allow the cups to shift to accommodate glasses. I had no trouble but know for some the hifiman models that lack this feature are a no go due to fit issues.

Sound: mild V with emphasis centered around the sub-bass/mid-bass junction at the low end and the top end emphasis from the upper-mids through the lower treble range. Driver speed is good and textures are well rendered. Mids are nicely presented and while not the main focal point don’t feel particularly recessed either. Treble is polite and non-fatiguing with a roll-off high enough up to keep from feeling closed in. It could use a bit more treble energy for strings but otherwise performed quite well.

More to come,

Wiljen

 

[Niyologist]

THIS IS A FIRST IMPRESSION OF THE V-MODA M100 MASTER. I WILL FLESH OUT THIS IMPRESSION AND MAKE SOME EDITS OF THIS SOON FOR THE FULL REVIEW.


After l received and listened to the V-Moda M100 Master, I have immediately loved the packaging and design. The packaging is so premium and the design is so PREMIUM! It's insane how beautiful the packaging and design are. I have never seen anything like this in my entire life! There's a gorgeous box that outlines the design and the capabilities of the V-Moda M100 Master. Then there's the super-tough compact carrying case inside with the instruction manual and warranty info. Inside the case are the M-100 Master itself and the black and orange cables. The orange cable is primarily used for listening to music and phone calls. It has a mic and a pause and play button. I haven't put the mic and controls to good use because I have an S20. The black cable is for SharePlay. The function of SharePlay is for using the compatible headphone to connect to the female TRS 3.5mm adapter that is attached to the black cable. I have not put this to good use yet.

As for the sound signature and quality. The sound signature seems to have somewhat elevated bass, a noticeable dip in the lower midrange, along with a slight elevation in the treble.

The sound quality is very good. For a closed-back, I am impressed by the amount of space that the sound is able to envelop my head. The soundstage is wide, but the depth seems to be average. The spatial cues are good too. They are fast and manage to stay distinct to follow them across the stage on lighter soundtracks.

As for the bass, it's deep and rumbly. Although not overly bassy. The bass texture is fine and the bass slam is about neutral. I tried Hard Dance and while I heard a tight bass impact, it wasn't hard on my hearing.

As for the mids, this area seems to be laid back. There are no noticeable peaks towards the upper mids. It seems that the M100 Master slowly escalates the mids towards the upper registers. Not only that, the behavior of the mids seem to be relaxed and smooth. Despite the smoothness of the mids, there are no major issues with the vocals, strings, and percussion. They are present and not overwhelmed by the surrounding instruments. Although in grand soundtracks like Epic Soundtracks, their spatial cues present no distinct borders but don't really bump into each other. Still impressive. Detailed and smooth and no one is bumping into each other to form a jumbled mess.

Lastly, the treble is also smooth and not peaky at all. It's easy on the ears. The technical performance of the treble is just as great as the mids. It's smooth, but that doesn't stop it from being detailed. I have noticed that the treble sings well with Orchestral and Epic music.

 

[baskingshark]

I would like to thank V Moda for having me on the V Moda M-100 Master loaner tour. This is a small review of the set. It has been returned as per the agreement with V Moda.

Build:
- This set is built like a tank, very sturdy. Definitely looks more well built than some of my Audiotechnica plasticky sets that creak like mad. I do think build wise, this set can last a very long time and should be able to be a good travel companion on the road in terms of durability even if it is tossed into a bag without a case. In terms of weight, it okay for a headphone, not that heavy to give neckaches for me with longer listening sessions.
- Clamp and fit and isolation is about average. I do wear specs and do find the clamp okay, I've definitely had tried headphones with worse clamps before that are not compatible with spectacles. the V Moda M-100 Master can get a bit warm with longer listening sessions but I live in a humid country so YMMV. It is actually quite small when folded up and while I generally do not like to use headphones outdoors due to the bulk, I do think this set can be a good outdoors set due to the smaller profile.

Accessories:
- Rather generous set of accessories included, such as a case, 2 cables, a 1/4 inch jack. One cable comes with a mic for calls, the other has extended shareplay audio (allows one to daisy chain the headphone to another headset). The case is quite sturdy, no complaints about accessories.

Drivability:
- The V Moda M-100 Master is quite easy to drive, even from lower powered gear. But it does scale a bit better when amped, in terms of dynamics, microdetails and perhaps soundstage.

Sound:
- Sound wise, I would call this set a mild V shaped set. This is quite a well done V shaped, not the usual V shape that incorporates a boomy bass that bleeds or the overly shouty types that are common in budget headphones/IEMs. The V Moda M-100 Master is rather smooth and non fatiguing, and is quite suited for longer listening sessions. Despite being more laid back in tuning, the details are still there. Some CHIFI like to "cheat" by boosting the upper mids/treble to give a fake sense of details and clarity, but the V Moda M-100 Master still manages to get the details in without resorting to this cheat code.
- Bass seems to be midbass > subbass focused, bass is slightly north of neutral in quantity but this is not a basshead set. The subbass rumble is moderate, and not the deepest in extension, I would have preferred more subbass quantity/extension. Quality wise, it is good, nice bass texturing and speed, though on occasion there was a very mild midbass bleed.
- Mids are rather transparent, slightly depressed only. One thing to commend V Moda is that I appreciate that the mids are not shouty at the upper mids like a lot of CHIFI sets. - Treble is very smooth and polite, maybe trebleheads may not like it, but this set is very non fatiguing and can be used for longer sessions for treblesensitive folk.
- Technicalities like soundstage, details, imaging, instrument separation are good, music sounded quite spacious and not compressed, with good layering of music in complex movements.
- Timbre for acoustic instruments is very good.

Comparisons:
- When compared to the Audiotechnica M40X, the V Moda M-100 Master has a better build and is more sturdy and less creaky/plasticky. Comfort is also better on the V Moda M-100 Master. The V Moda M-100 Master has a thicker note weight and better timbre and beats the M40X in technical performance.
- When compared to the Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro, the V Moda M-100 Master is less comfortable. Build quality seems about on par. The Custom One Pro is more versatile in a way as it has sliders to change the sound signature, from something bass lite to neutralish to basshead. But the Custom One Pro has weaker technicalities like instrument separation, clarity, details and imaging compared to the V Moda M-100 Master.

Conclusions:
I really enjoyed the loaner tour of the V Moda M-100 Master, and was quite sad to send it back. This is a set that has a good build and does most areas well. The tonality is smooth and non fatiguing, with good technicalities and timbre. Small nitpicks would be a slight subbass roll off, and perhaps the fit and pads may be warm for longer sessions. Trebleheads may also not like the lack of sparkle, but having a too bright treble is a double edge sword as that may cause fatigue with longer listening sessions, which the V Moda M-100 doesn't. Overall, a good set to recommend!

 

[dweaver]

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 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 headphone 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 Conclusion

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 ears these will fit that bill completely.

 

[Magic77]

I know this an old thread, but I have a clueless question. Can I use these headphones balanced using a balanced headphone cable. Since they do have separate left and right inputs. In other words; the balanced cable would have an XLR connector at the end going into an XLR output on a headphone amp. Or would these need to be modded in some way. Thanks.

 

[plakat]

I know this an old thread, but I have a clueless question. Can I use these headphones balanced using a balanced headphone cable. Since they do have separate left and right inputs. In other words; the balanced cable would have an XLR connector at the end going into an XLR output on a headphone amp. Or would these need to be modded in some way. Thanks.

Might be possible, but you would have to rework the inner cabling. But what for? Balanced is not inherently better, and the M-100 doesn’t need much power…

 

[Magic77]

Might be possible, but you would have to rework the inner cabling. But what for? Balanced is not inherently better, and the M-100 doesn’t need much power…

Thanks for the reply. I’m looking at the new amp from Schiit, The Midgard. It has both a single ended output and XLR output. There is supposed to be a difference in sound from the XLR output, not more power just an audible difference. So, since I have the M-100 just wondering.

 

[plakat]

Thanks for the reply. I’m looking at the new amp from Schiit, The Midgard. It has both a single ended output and XLR output. There is supposed to be a difference in sound from the XLR output, not more power just an audible difference. So, since I have the M-100 just wondering.

I see. Yes, there are cases where the balanced circuit is simply better designed.
The easiest way might be to simply cut the cable that goes from left to right in the headband and then solder a cable that uses XL4 on the amp side and 2 TRS 3.5mm connectors on the other. On the 3.5mm side you use just two points, sleeve and ring for one side, sleeve and tip for the other

https://pinoutguide.com/Audio-Video-Hardware/Tele35s_pinout.shtml

 

[raulromanjr]

to this long-time headphone aficionado the V-Moda M100 Master's are the perfect headphone for someone who wants a pair of headphones that can bridge that "Pro" and "Fun" divide.

 

[mechHead631]

to this long-time headphone aficionado the V-Moda M100 Master's are the perfect headphone for someone who wants a pair of headphones that can bridge that "Pro" and "Fun" divide.

I know this is an old thread and I apologise for replying to it, but would these be an upgrade if I already have AKG K361 and Sennheiser HD 599? I listen mainly to metal, rock and instrumental music. I can only get closed backs.

 

[plakat]

I know this is an old thread and I apologise for replying to it, but would these be an upgrade if I already have AKG K361 and Sennheiser HD 599? I listen mainly to metal, rock and instrumental music. I can only get closed backs.

I still love the original M-100, which, to me, had an even better tuning, but the Master is still a solid fun headphone. If you like some bass, strong but not overbearing, balanced by slightly recessed but sweet mids and treble thats not sharp yet present, you might quite like it. It has a robust build, folds down into its very compact case for easy transport and is easy to drive while isolating quite well. Getting the XL pads might be worth the effort though, the standard pads are a tad too small for my ears while tie XL pads are very comfortable.

 

[mechHead631]

I still love the original M-100, which, to me, had an even better tuning, but the Master is still a solid fun headphone. If you like some bass, strong but not overbearing, balanced by slightly recessed but sweet mids and treble thats not sharp yet present, you might quite like it. It has a robust build, folds down into its very compact case for easy transport and is easy to drive while isolating quite well. Getting the XL pads might be worth the effort though, the standard pads are a tad too small for my ears while tie XL pads are very comfortable.

Hey! Thanks for such a quick response. I like well done bass which doesn't go too boomy. Also I like some mid-bass so that the instruments sound fuller. From what you've described, seems like I really might enjoy the "fun" sound of the Crossfade M100 Master. One thing that I just wanted to know if the treble is too shy and whether this affects the micro-details. I like to hear the cymbals and hi-hats in rock and metal music. I have average sized head so I think the default pads might be fine for me. If not, XL size earpads are readily available to order in my country.

 

[plakat]

Hey! Thanks for such a quick response. I like well done bass which doesn't go too boomy. Also I like some mid-bass so that the instruments sound fuller. From what you've described, seems like I really might enjoy the "fun" sound of the Crossfade M100 Master. One thing that I just wanted to know if the treble is too shy and whether this affects the micro-details. I like to hear the cymbals and hi-hats in rock and metal music. I have average sized head so I think the default pads might be fine for me. If not, XL size earpads are readily available to order in my country.

No, they are not too warm, treble is present yet not sharp or piercing. I'd consider them even rather detailed at their price point. They also have enough midbass for good punch and should fit well with your genres -- a friend of mine with similar taste in music quite likes his V-Moda CF2, which shares the general sound profile of the M-100.
Its a good idea to try the default pads first, yes. If they don't fit you, you can still get the XL pads.

 

[mechHead631]

No, they are not too warm, treble is present yet not sharp or piercing. I'd consider them even rather detailed at their price point. They also have enough midbass for good punch and should fit well with your genres -- a friend of mine with similar taste in music quite likes his V-Moda CF2, which shares the general sound profile of the M-100.
Its a good idea to try the default pads first, yes. If they don't fit you, you can still get the XL pads.

Thanks! That's what I really wanted to know. Your inputs have been really helpful. Now I only need to decide between these and HifiMan Sundara Closed Backs. Both are available at the exact same price here in my country. I'm leaning towards Crossfade Masters because of 2 years warranty, foldable design and a carry case and Sundara Open Backs have very polarising reviews. Some like it and some outright hate it. I will have to research more it seems to come to a conclusion.