To add to my last post, the larger driver would be perfect for me.
But sadly, I think if the M100 was essentially the the M80 but:
-over-ears
-minor tweaks/improvements in the highs, soundstage, and bass
-at least 2 color choices
-easily driven from a 4S
-cheaper than prototype, around $225-$250
These would sell more.
Again, I'd prefer the larger driver- something more noticeably better than the M80 and well worth the larger price tag. It be like HFI-580 to Pro 900.
M-100 w/smaller driver= Evolutionary
M-100 w/larger driver= Revolutionary
*
I wouldn't take the chance with a Beats-like built in amp. I don't think many current V-Moda loyalists would like it either.
These are my thoughts precisely. If the goal is to convert the current and future potential Beats market, nothing will do it like solid build, solid sound, and a more reasonable price tag. Expecting run of the mill consumers buying the headphones from BestBuy and RadioShack, who are usually either upgrading based on impulse, sales pressure, or advertising, or are looking for a deal, to spend $300 and then buy an amp to boot is just, well, not smart, because it neglects the basic motives of most people who will be exposed to the product with VMODA's current product placement strategy. I used to work for RadioShack, and I can guarantee that I would never have sold a single set of LPs if they required an amp. When I sold them, it was to people who were thinking about beats but didn't want to shell out the cash; the advertising of the beats made them curious about higher end audio, and they were looking for alternatives.
If Val wants to appeal to audiophiles and go the way of Sennheiser and AKG, I'm sure he will retain many fans just like those companies. After all, everyone wants to build the perfect headphone. But in my opinion, Val has poised himself to do something much bigger than that: if he wants to appeal to consumers, and finish what the Beats have haphazardly started, then the product needs to compete aggressively, and $300 is not an aggressive price in that market, especially if it requires an amp, which is, plain and simple, more than most people want to bother with for portable audio. Make it play out of an iPhone, and beat the Beats on every level, and I see Val doing interviews in Rolling Stone in 10 years being asked about how he revolutionized the portable audio market.
