[Speakerphile]

   
I know 8 people personally who bought the m100's, five sent them back for comfort issues.

 
Among friends, problems, as well as successes, tend to get exaggerated.  Most people do not want to be the dissenting opinion in the group, even though they may not agree.  I'm not saying they didn't have comfort issues.  Just that your group wouldn't be considered an accurate statistical model.  

 

[Oregonian]

Honestly, if you read every post on this thread, a pattern emerges. There are comfort issues regularly noted, and guys saying there are no comfort issues ("give it time", etc). I got rid of mine for comfort issues and just not thinking the sound was good enough to overcome the comfort and/or waiting for the XL pads. Then you have the "built like tanks" comments followed by the wing plate cracking issues, the rust concerns and the hinges not quite working as intended among others.

Here's the thing - they are good headphones but they are flawed, just like every other phone. Trying to tell people there are not comfort issues makes you look like a fanboy. This thread is full of them.

I applaud Val for listening and coming out with the XL pads. As noted, who else would have listened to his customers? Major props to him. I may buy another pair WITH XL pads and try them because I have an open mind to the possible improvement.

 

[DrSheep]

Well said.

 

[epithetless]

To those saying V-Moda are not obligated to put their products through a VTF phase, I agree. If you can't honor the people who were willing to become early adopters, don't release a product under these circumstances in the first place.

 
Well put.
 

I can understand that some of you may not like a lottery style fulfillment, but for their own reasons that is what V-MODA thinks is fair.

 
I'm betting "fairness" isn't really the policy guiding V-MODA in this case; I suspect a lottery-style fulfillment is just easier.
 

  VTF is old news.  M-100 has been mass produced for over a year with the current pads.  They didn't change any specs from VTF to mass production because, IMO, Val believed he had designed the M-100 to the best of his ability.  While many would agree that, in hindsight, XL pads should have been the standard, can you think of one other headphone manufacturer that would develop a modified earpad in response to customer feedback?
 
I still believe Val had the best of intentions with the VTF pre-launch as he was responding to "crowd sourced" feedback, including myself,  that the headphones were taking too long to be released.

 
FYI, "VTF" is the designation V-MODA gives to all the products it puts up for pre-order prior to the accompanying launch materials being in place -- not just the M-100 pre-launch. So far, the M-100, BoomPro, and XL pads have all gone through a "VTF" phase.

 

[sheheryou]

we can discuss everything about the M-100! That includes suggestions, feedback, pics, and future reviews!

 

 

[Speakerphile]

Honestly, if you read every post on this thread, a pattern emerges. There are comfort issues regularly noted, and guys saying there are no comfort issues ("give it time", etc). I got rid of mine for comfort issues and just not thinking the sound was good enough to overcome the comfort and/or waiting for the XL pads. Then you have the "built like tanks" comments followed by the wing plate cracking issues, the rust concerns and the hinges not quite working as intended among others.

Here's the thing - they are good headphones but they are flawed, just like every other phone. Trying to tell people there are not comfort issues makes you look like a fanboy. This thread is full of them.

I applaud Val for listening and coming out with the XL pads. As noted, who else would have listened to his customers? Major props to him. I may buy another pair WITH XL pads and try them because I have an open mind to the possible improvement.

 
My contention all along has been that the issue isn't as widespread as some suggest.  I never said it was a figment of anyone's imagination. 

 

[Evshrug]

My contention all along has been that the issue isn't as widespread as some suggest.  I never said it was a figment of anyone's imagination. 

x2
Consider this: My job is fixing phones, software and hardware. All day long. 5 days a week. Sometimes a customer will ask me if their problem is a common one... I reply that I can't really tell, because I only see people if they have a problem. All I know, is most people must like their phone enough (and $ investment) to try and get it fixed. People only complain if they have a problem, but we really cannot gauge how many people are happily enjoying their product and never have to come for repairs.

Head-Fi is a special collection of enthusiasts, and this thread in particular is like THE high-visibility place for M-100 feedback. I'm actually impressed with the number of content consumers in this thread — those started out as people who were already regular visitors to the site, and I'd suspect that their (our, cuz I fit the description and am pleased with my M-100, even if I had to wait a year to afford it) continued enjoyment and support for the product encourages others, who stumble on this thread before purchase, to give their own opinion on the product when they get it.

Personally, I have a lot of fun listening to these headphones. They're the best closed headphones I've ever heard, and they make sense to me because I wouldn't use large closed headphones at home (quiet enough here, so I've never been tempted to buy Denon's high end closed headphones). They're perfect out of the box IMO for listening during a mass-transit commute, during a break at work, or to just listen to a few songs without disturbing someone nearby. I agree that with longer listening sessions, say when you start going over an hour, they cause discomfort and I need to take a break. I think that for most people, most of the time they use it, the M-100 is a great/superior headphone. Now, if I wanted to listen longer without repositioning and taking breaks, I might consider new XL pads, but IMO the closed headphone category will always be a comfort concession due to trapped heat and the sealed leather/pleather pads. If you want to listen for hours at a time, the simple fact is that open-backed, large, circumaural headphones OR speakers are your best bet. Right now I find the M-100 more comfortable and sound better during that first stretch if I position mine so that it lightly pins back the back edge of my ear against my head, as opposed to tucking my ear in under the pad.

I have more opportunities to wear my M-100, even though I have longer single sessions with my AKG K712 Pros.

 

[Oregonian]

   
My contention all along has been that the issue isn't as widespread as some suggest.  I never said it was a figment of anyone's imagination. 

 
Nor was I singling you out - far from it.  Just a response from months of reading this thread religiously.  I actually think they are the second best portable headphone I've had. 

 

[Bruin9999]

   
No offense but that seems unlikely, or they didn't give it enough time for break in.

 
Well, I'm only commenting on what I know to be true. 

 

[flipper2gv]

Would it be possible to get non-vented shields?

Less vents means less bass and I wouldn't say no to this.

 

[miceblue]

Would it be possible to get non-vented shields?


Less vents means less bass and I wouldn't say no to this.

Q: have you ever seen a non-vented shield before?
A: no

So the answer is a negative there too.

 

[InvaderSkoodge]

  bought the xl pads for my m100 last night, already shipped
 
was totally unexpected given all this talk about "lottery fulfillment"

 
This is why it is so annoying, because a bunch of us have been rally looking forward to the XL pads, ordered on day 1, and people who order them now get them instantly. Also did you get the grey pads? Because those do say shipping in 1 day.

 

[HiFiGuy528]

are the pads in the wild? I ordered the grey ones today. Although I have all black headphoens. I want to do a video on them.

 

[jazzman7]

Some have received pads -- I've got mine.  So far, no pictures of the grey pads have shown up yet.
 
The M100 is definitely more comfortable now with the XL pads.  I do not see a need to go back to the old pads. 

 

[Snoopy Ears]

bought the xl pads for my m100 last night, already shipped

was totally unexpected given all this talk about "lottery fulfillment"

Me too! I ordered the grey ones last night. Don't have any comfort issues but was just wanted to feel and hear the difference.