[dbdynsty25]

Hi guys, thinking of an amp, dac or amp/DAC that can marry my m100s.. Any suggestions? Source is iPod classic 5.5 U2 ltd end..

 
C&C BH2...my favorite pairing.

 

[jazzman7]

   
IN V-MODA VERITAS QC
No other brand cares about variance but I OBSESS about it.  How can we talk about the SQ of a headphone if each unit sounds 3-12dB different throughout the curve from unit to unit?  I dont hear what you hear - before the fit. Also, our ears/ergonomics are essential as the FR machines do not know a real ear (concha/fit/etc) - we simply are not hearing the same thing. 
 
I COULD NEVER MASTER/MIX a track if I knew each headphone sounded different, even the same brand. So I we took 8 units of all competitors and sometimes >$300 headphones vary up to 15dB at 3-4 FR points! The mass produced competition are even 5-20dB from left to right along the curves. Cheap in-ears can cause hearing loss in seconds and vary up to 30dB even at 4khz and 10khz where we lose hearing fasted.
 
Most cheap "counter" brands <$20 have the wildest and INSTANTLY causes hearing loss. 15dB spikes at 4khz and 10??? Instant loss in minutes. Actually, there should be a class action lawsuit as it caused teens to have 20%+ hearing loss already lately. Imagine when they are 50?
 
FR and Xhz-XXkHZ is FUGAZI
FR curves of ONE UNIT mean nothing when they have such wild variance from unit to unit and factories. And psychoacoustics/true fits aren't measured like our R&D labs at V-MODA. 
 
Imagine a cigarette pack where one unit instantly gives u cancer and the rest are okay "high definition".  That is like most "marketing" headphone brands in the world that say the same words for marketing that could be the same as a car ad.  They do not know the nuances of sound, I've been studying this for 10 years in headphones, 20 years in car audio and have many patents on how to make consistent sound - even using new methods.
 
My variance OCD is your greatest gift... ONE bad unit by a customer ruins  my whole day, so it is not an option!  If we caused hearing loss, how can we sell high end headphones?
 
VARIANCE IN UNITS AND EVEN THE L/R CHANNEL
FR curves are ********, the 5-30 or 20-22 mean NOTHING.  It is like saying a sculpture is the same height so it has the same curves.  It isn't the range, it is what is in between and the ERGONOMICS that count.
 
Let me show you something, the green/yellow lines are the left/right channels of ONE headphone of a VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY POPULAR $200 on-ear headphone vs M-80...
 
GREEN/YELLOW = Left Right channel of one unit of a $200+ VERY HIGH SELLING COMPETITOR - one of the many "round circle plastic brands", guess who... imagine 8 units variance
 
RED/WHITE = M-80 LEFT/RIGHT CHANNELS...
 
Keep in mind the fit DOES alter the sound so FR curves are only useful for tracking and QC from unit to unit. FR range means nothing.  However, XS will have even stricter QC levels.
 

 
 
 
IN V-MODA VERITAS THEORY
HAVING SAID THAT, we discovered psychoacoustics unmeasurable by machines.  So initiated a program that I listen to EVERY batch of headphones.
 
Every V-MODA headphone production line will be signed off by me, like fine wine seasons may vary but at the end of the day it must uphold my standards.
 
And last of all as a selfish reason, I want to be able to grab any V-MODA and master/produce a track and know I hear what was meant to be heard.
 
-V

 
Thanks for this, Val.  I have both the V-80 and the M-80 (white) and can attest to your OCD on sonic consistency.  I EQ them to my sonic preference, and they are interchangeable in terms of sound.   Tyll's measurements of them at InnerFidelity show this, too.  
 
Driver mismatch is real.  I have heard it on an expensive headphone (I won't say which, but not one of your models). It is a real pain.  Kudos to you to get consistency as a corporate value.
 
About the V-80:  I had it in its case with me in class, and another guy came up to me and congratulated me on the choice.  He said he owned them too -- recognized the case -- and said they sounded awesome.    

 

[SpiderNhan]

You saw it here first!

http://v-moda.com/xs/

 

[miceblue]

You saw it here first!

http://v-moda.com/xs/

If the price is right, diamond-encrusted custom in-ear monitors? At that price, you can buy a STAX SR-009 with the Eddie Current Electra amp.

 

[jazzman7]

  You saw it here first!

http://v-moda.com/xs/

I think I saw it here earlier:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/695104/v-moda-xs-v-moda-m-80s-upgraded-new-v-moda-product-leaked-pictures-and-more/45#post_10202282
 
Props to you though -- you saw the XS first on Val's neck in NYC IIRC...

 

[zeppu08]

C&C BH2...my favorite pairing.

How do it sound? Is your ipod rockboxed?

 

[kingdixon]

Well i received my m-100 3 days ago, and been trying them since.
 
I have mad dog 3.2 w/Alpha pads, Fidelio x1, and my brother have a denon d600..
 
my first impression was not too impressed by the details because immediately i felt some lack of details relative to my other cans, although it still sounds awesome.
 
on the other hand i was very impressed by the bass, its just awesome, even i feel it corresponds more to bass db on rockbox, on my other headphones when i raise bass on rockbox i feel very slight changes, but for the m-100 raising the bass just feels as if you have a subwoofer infront of each ear which just feels great, and more great it doesn't affect the whole spectrum
 
also i was impressed by the portability it is a very small can and very portable with a nice style.
 
also the earpads for me feels more of an on-ear design, but i didn't find it in anyway fatiguing for sessions up to an hour and a half.
 
Amping it for me adds nothing, but a lil bit wider soundstage.
 
i have listened to lots of genres with it, all in flac, i think it favors anything with a good beat or with a good vocal, dub step, electronic, hip hop, pop, all these sound great.
 
for rock, hard rock or metal i felt it performs different with each band, i don't know if that has anything to do with the recording of the song, but breaking benjamin songs sound great, on the other hand 3 doors down or creed feels normal and kinda boring.
 
at the end iam in egypt and i had to pay lots of extraa shiiitt, i got it + XL pads for 420$ but i had to try it, will i keep it ?? for sure !!
 
but at 310$ only for the sound, relative to other cans i feel it a bit overpriced, but put in the made quality, the awesome portability, great service and warranty, will it sum up ?
 
thats my amateur point of view.

 

[SpiderNhan]

If the price is right, diamond-encrusted custom in-ear monitors? At that price, you can buy a STAX SR-009 with the Eddie Current Electra amp.

I'm sure the price is just a place holder, but it is called the XS (EXCESS).

 

[seanfisher5]

Yeah, the price has been throwing me off. When I commented on V-Moda's Facebook picture of the XS case explaining what the XS was likely to be, I got yelled at by other people.

 

[satram2311]

hi everyone , 
 
I currently own v moda m80 & m100 and use it along wif a cmoy. Listening to most of genres. Planning to upgrade to a portable DAC & AMP under $200, 
any suggestions which dac&amp should i go for ?

 

[dbdynsty25]

  hi everyone , 
 
I currently own v moda m80 & m100 and use it along wif a cmoy. Listening to most of genres. Planning to upgrade to a portable DAC & AMP under $200, 
any suggestions which dac&amp should i go for ?

 
There aren't a ton of high quality amp/dacs under 200 bucks. I've got the e07k @ $90 but I have always been looking for bigger and better since getting it.  I've been saving my pennies for either the Leckerton UHA-4 at $200 or the JDS Labs C5D @ $250.

 

[DrSheep]

I second the C5D for the M-100.

 

[miceblue]

I third the C5D too. I went to a local mini-meet recently and people were pretty impressed with how the M-100 sounded with the combo. I think I may have convinced one of them to get a M-100. XD

 

[satram2311]

   
There aren't a ton of high quality amp/dacs under 200 bucks. I've got the e07k @ $90 but I have always been looking for bigger and better since getting it.  I've been saving my pennies for either the Leckerton UHA-4 at $200 or the JDS Labs C5D @ $250.

thanks for the suggestion. 

 

[satram2311]

I third the C5D too. I went to a local mini-meet recently and people were pretty impressed with how the M-100 sounded with the combo. I think I may have convinced one of them to get a M-100. XD

will look into the C5D. tq