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x-post from the impressions thread of Tokyo 2011 Fall Headphone Festival ( http://www.head-fi.org/t/577893/tokyo-japan-meet-at-the-fujiyaavic-2011-autumn-headphone-impressions/15#post_7857306 ):
V-Moda M-80:
- This prototype was brought by Val Kolton, the man behind V-Moda (info here: http://shop.v-moda.com/p-195-crossfade-m-80-on-ear.aspx )
- I always thought this brand was just for wannabes looking for cool looking headphones without regard to how good or bad they sound
- I could briefly listen to it a couple of times out of my iPhone 4 (no amp) before and after the meet as we hanged out all together
- The fact that Val gave me 500 bucks to say good things about his new headphone might influence these impressions but basically, I liked what I listened to as I could not immediately detect any major fault and the tonal balance was very pleasing (emphasis on bass but not bloaty).
- Joke aside (Val is actually not very generous and didn't even buy me a beer , the headphone is named after some kind of explosive and I have to admit it fits well as it was simply a foot-tapping experience for me.
- I listened quickly to a direct competitor, the Sennheiser HD-25 "original" ( http://www.sennheiserusa.com/music-dj-headphones-hifi-stereo-adidas-sennheiser_504260 ) with same iPhone player and it was nowhere near as good. In particular, the Sennheiser had some unnatural mid-highs which I noticed right away
- Only drawback I could see is that it gets sweaty rather quickly and the clamping force is significant which may be getting uncomfortable over long time. I suspect this strong clamping force is part of the reason why it sounds good as the seal / distance to the driver apparently has huge influence on the response.
- I'd say, it's probably a good choice for someone who likes a fun sound with punchy / forward bass (but not bloated). It's probably also good in a noisy environment as the isolation is significant and the tonal balance will cover up low frequency background noise leaking through the headphone