So, I got the m-80s as my first high quality headphones as a belated Christmas gift to myself. I've had them for a few days now, and I've probably spent 15 hours listening to them, maybe 20. I'm not an expert, but I was asked to post my impressions so I will.
First of all, they look really slick. Everything about them screams quality. They feel durable and they're just freakin' cool. The packaging is well-designed and really sold me on my purchase - three cheers to the design department for V-Moda. The case is compact but has enough space that my Sansa Clip+ can fit in there with my headphones if I need to take them both on the go.
Comfort is... well, they're not uncomfortable, but I wouldn't say they're comfortable either. After a few days of stretching them out and just wearing them I can definitely say they've loosened up, but they still hurt my ears after extended wear (that's probably to be expected from on-ear headphones in general though). I should also note that I have a small head, and at their smallest setting these are actually a little big on me, but they work (they would fit me perfectly if my head wasn't shaved, actually).
Sound: this is the important bit, right? I mean, I've noticed things on tracks I've been listening to that I didn't even know were there listening on my $30 sony's (I can't even imagine what the difference would be if I were coming from cheap earbuds or the like). There are backing vocals, instruments, and just details I never picked up on that these headphones have made available to me so if you're on the fence about upgrading, I'd say do it. I'm never going back to cheap headphones ever again.
The bass is punchy and wonderfully detailed without being overwhelming. It's definitely there, and it makes its presence known, but not in a way that sacrifices the mids or treble or the overpowers the vocals. Drums are crisp, bass guitar is just a joy to listen to, and there's just enough of it there to be fun.
Mids are very forward. They're the most prominent, to my ears, part of the headphone's signature. This has the effect of really making guitar and vocals shine, though on some rock tracks it can feel like they're competing for space. Overall, though, I really like the effect, and the interplay of mids and based feels very complementary.
Treble is probably the weak point of the headphones, but that's not to say the treble is weak. Some people have said it lacks "sparkle" and to me it seems lack a certain definition. Where the bass feels punchy and defined the treble feels a bit recessed and, well, not muddy per say but dull. This doesn't bother me at all, because I would much rather have good bass and mids than pronounced treble, but for some people I could see this being annoying.
Overall I'd give these headphones an 7.5 or 8/10 at V-Moda's price and a 10/10 at their current Amazon price ($89.99). I just don't think there's a better deal out there right now as far as headphones go, and plugged into my rockboxed sansa clip+ this setup is probably the best <$200 rig I could ever hope for.
