[miceblue]

My V-MODA Crossfade M-100 experience so far.
 
This post will feature my impressions as well as a kind of review for the M-100...really, a long post.
 

Spoiler: Phase%201%20-%20Pre%20Burn-In%2C%20Pre%20Break-In%20Period

Sound

1. Testing on my Sansa Clip Zip, for a true "portable" test.

Lows

1. Bass punch is decent, not the best, but it's there
2. To me the bass seems a bit too much, at least in a quiet home it seems that way
3. Dem bass guitars really shine (such as in Fourplay's songs)

 
Mids

1. Mids seem a bit withdrawn, as AnakChan mentioned, but still very acceptable for me.
2. Nice warmth in the mids
3. Upper mids sound pretty good to me, female vocals seem a bit more realistic than with my SRH940 because of the added warmth I think.

 
Highs

1. Less shimmer in the treble compared to the SRH940, but that might be a good thing for mobile listening
2. Treble seems to be not as extended as I would have liked and seems a bit plastiky to me (testing using Cloudkicker's "Amy I Love You" song)
3. ^ yeah cymbal crashes seem a bit quiet (I don't know if recessed is the right word) relative to the lower frequencies (tested using Fourplay's "Bali Run" and 12 Girls Band's "莫高窟 (Mo Gao Ku)" songs)

 
Soundstage

1. Soundstage is decent, not as large as what I was expecting. It seems deeper than wide. SRH940 had a wide soundstage relatively speaking.

 
Other

1. Fit DOES matter. On one position the mids were hollow and bass extension was lacking. Moved the headphones slightly forward and the sub-bass became more noticeable.
2. I don't think the M-100's would be good for rock music if you like to "be the drummer" (pretend you're playing the drumset)
3. ^ I like to move my hands when playing a rock track as if I were playing the drum set, just a weird quirk I do. The bass pedal of the drum set has some good thump and authority in tracks that I've listened to. To me, the cymbals sound laid back/withdrawn (is that the right word?); they're present and they have some sparkle, but I feel that they're somewhat veiled by the bass pedal, when I think the cymbals are inherently louder-sounding than the bass pedal. This happens on the multiple rock tracks that I've listened to. As a result of this, I find that it's harder for me to "be the drummer" since it's harder for me to hear the cymbals over the mids and lows.
4. Spoiler: List%20of%20tracks%20I've%20used%20for%20%22being%20the%20drummer%22%20(all%20are%20in%20FLAC%2C%20ripped%20from%20CD%2FBandcamp%20downloads)

   12 Girls Band - 莫高窟 (Mo Gao Ku)
   Battles - Futura
   Cloudkicker - Amy I Love You
   Fourplay - Bali Run
   HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR - Pain (I've seen them live)
   Illness Sickness - Anything But Postrock
   Malice Mizer - Le ciel
   Matt Mayfield - It's All About You
   Moi dix Mois - D+SECT (I've seen them live)
   Stereopony - ツキアカリのミチシルベ (Tsukiakari no Michishirube) (I've seen them live)

 
 
 
Headphone

1. Comfort doesn't seem to be an issue for me, but my ears are starting to warm up after 15 minutes of use.

1. Earcups are actually kind of shallow. The edges of my ears don't touch the earpads themselves, but they do touch the "driver enclosure"
2. The noise leakage is very minimal despite the semi-closed V-PORT design
3. No one has really mentioned it, but there is a felt patch on the M-100's V-PORT that might affect how it sounds (possible opportunity for modding?).

Spoiler: Photo%20of%20the%20V-PORT%20felt

1. The M-100 in-person is TINY when folded! I am still surprised at how small it is!

Spoiler: Photo%20of%20M-100%20folded%20against%20FiiO%20E7%20and%20external%20hard%20drive

1. The new Clique hinge mechanism is pretty clever. I don't know why there are so many of the metal discs on the hinge, but the main mechanism is that there is a nub on one disc, and when you fold it, the nub goes into a little niche on another disc, which makes the *click* sound. Doing it in the reverse is the same process. I'm not sure how long this "nub" will last, but since it's made of metal, I'm assuming it will last a while.

 
 
 
Accessories

1. The case's zipper is hard for me to zip/unzip. It seems to be quite "stiff".
2. The SharePlay and Boom Pro Mic cables are longer than the regular, single-button microphone cable (6 ft vs 4 ft).

Spoiler: Photo%20of%20cable%20length%20comparison

1. The Boom Pro Mic cable's microphone has pretty good audio quality I think

Spoiler: Photo%20of%20Boom%20Pro%20Mic%20and%20SharePlay%20cables%20and%20custom%20shields

Spoiler: Boom%20Pro%20Mic%20audio%20quality

Audio Test - Boom Pro Mic on Mac OS X
...compare to...
Audio Test - MacBook's built-in microphone

1. Microphonics seems to be an issue for me. For example, when I turn my head to the left (with the cable being in the left earcup), I can very clearly hear microphonics as the cable rubs against my shirt. The cable microphonics of the SRH940 (kind of a rubbery cable) are much less noticeable and seem very dampened in comparison (kind of a low-piched sound as opposed to the M-100's higher pitched sound)
2. Shield swapping seems to be pretty easy once you get the hang of it

1. Simultaneously SharePlay cable and dual-source listening seems to work just fine

Spoiler: Photo%20of%20simultaneous%20SharePlay%20and%20dual%20entry%20port

 
 
 
Box

1. I don't have a smartphone to scan QR codes, but the M-100's box seems to have 4 such codes on the box and one for registration
2. The box's material is a very soft-feeling, thick, sturdy cardboard. None of your average, everyday thin cardboard boxes.
3. The "ribbon cutting ceremony tradition" is something unlike any product I have encountered in my entire life. I have honestly never felt more excited to open a package then with the M-100.
4. The handle of the M-100's box is made of the same material as the headphone's headband, which is still an unknown material to me
5. The boxception design of the M-100 box is very clever and is pretty neat in my opinion. This is definitely a box I'm going to keep!

 
 
 
Videos

1. Unboxing with leakage test
2. Shield swapping with felt on the V-PORT
3. Hidden box feature

 

 

Spoiler: Phase%202%20-%20Post%20Burn-In%2C%20Pre%20Break-In%20Period

Spoiler: Big%20Boring%20Burn-In%20Log%20%3C-%20that's%20a%20tongue%20twister

Tracks used: 5-Minute Pink Noise (300 second, 0.8 amplitude pink noise generated by Audacity in Mac OS X, exported as WAV signed 16-bit PCM file, mono)
5-Minute Pink Noise (300 second, 0.8 amplitude pink noise generated by Audacity in Mac OS X, exported as WAV signed 16-bit PCM file, stereo)

Media player used:
iTunes 10.7 (21) on Mac OS X (maximum volume output)

DAC/amp used:
FiiO E7 USB DAC/amp (bass boost 0)

Cable used:
V-MODA SpeakEasy cable

Phase 1 - Left Earcup Mono Track Burn-In
Saturday October 13, 2012
Left earcup with cable, right earcup with V-MODA "cork"
Loud volume (E7 volume level 10) start: 00:35:57 (0 plays; start)
Medium volume (E7 volume level 05) start: 16:00:57 (~185 plays; ~15.41666667 hours later; ~15.41666667 hours from start)
Quiet volume (E7 volume level 01) start: 20:20:57 (~237 plays; ~4.93250003 hours later; ~19.77 hours from start)
No volume (disconnect headphone jacks and suspend in air) start: 00:36:25 (~288 plays; ~4.271666667 hours later; ~24.0077777778 hours from start)

23:55 of "resting time"; reset MacBook
 

Phase 2 - Right Earcup Stereo Track Burn-In
Sunday October 14, 2012
Right earcup with cable, left earcup with V-MODA "cork"
Loud volume (E7 volume level 10) start: 01:00:20 (0 plays; start)
Medium volume (E7 volume level 05) start: 16:31:42 (185 plays; 6:22 video break (paused iTunes and disconnected E7 from MacBook); ~15.41666667 hours later; ~15.52277778 hours from start)
Quiet volume (E7 volume level 01) start: 20:48:30 (~236 plays; ~4.28 hours later; ~19.80277778 hours from start)
No volume (disconnect headphone jacks and suspend in air) start: 1:48:30 (~296 plays; 5 hours later; ~24.8083333333 hours from start)

23:55 of "resting time"; reset MacBook
 

Phase 3 - Left Earcup Stereo Track Burn-In
Monday October 15, 2012
Left earcup with cable, right earcup with V-MODA "cork"
Medium-loud volume (E7 volume level 07) start: 02:12:25 (0 plays; start)
Quiet volume (E7 volume level 01) start: 22:12:25 (~240 plays; 20 hours later; 20 hours from start)
No volume (disconnect headphone jacks and suspend in air) start: 02:12:25 (~288 plays; 4 hours later; 24 hours from start)

34:20 of "resting time"; reset MacBook
 

Phase 4 - Right Earcup Mono Track Burn-In
Tuesday October 16, 2012
Right earcup with cable, left earcup with V-MODA "cork"
Medium-loud volume (E7 volume level 07) start: 02:46:45
Quiet volume (E7 volume level 01) start: 22:50:00 (~240 plays; 20.05416667 hours later; 20.05416667 hours from start)
No volume (disconnect headphone jacks and suspend in air) start: 02:46:45 (~288 plays; 3.945833333 hours later; 24 hours from start)

34:20 of "resting time"; reset MacBook
 

Phase 5 - Left, Dual-Entry Stereo Track Burn-In
Wednesday October 17, 2012
Left earcup with cable, right earcup with Shure SRH940
Medium-loud volume (E7 volume level 07) start: 03:21:05 (0 plays; start)
Quiet volume (E7 volume level 01) start: 23:21:05 (~240 plays; 20 hours later; 20 hours from start)
No volume (disconnect headphone jacks and suspend in air) start: 03:21:05 (~288 plays; 4 hours later; 24 hours from start)

34:22 of "resting time"; reset MacBook
 

Phase 6 - Right, Dual-Entry Stereo Track Burn-In
Thursday October 18, 2012
Right earcup with cable, left earcup with Shure SRH940
Medium-loud volume (E7 volume level 07) start: 03:55:27 (0 plays; start)
Quiet volume (E7 volume level 01) start: 23:55:27 (~240 plays; 20 hours later; 20 hours from start)
No volume (disconnect headphone jacks and suspend in air) start: 03:55:27 (~288 plays; 4 hours later; 24 hours from start)

34:22 of "resting time"; reset MacBook
 
Friday October 19, 2012
04:29:49 Listen and write impressions

Rest until 08:20

This concludes the pink noise "burn-in" period.

 
Total time of pink noise burn-in (excluding "resting time"): 144.71 hours
 
Sound
Lows:

1. The bass extension is really good
2. Drum pedals have a really nice kick/thump to them

 
Mids

1. They have a nice lush/organic-sound to them
2. Upper midrange seems to have a slight emphasis

 
Highs

1. There is a nice sparkle without having the feeling of fatigue

 
Other:

1. The sound has barely changed (if at all) since pre burn-in
2. I still think the drums are laid back relative to the mids (initial cymbal and drum hits don't have the "bite" I think they're supposed to have)

 
 
 
Headphone

1. For people who wear glasses, the M-100's pads don't press on your glasses' arms too much and still retains a good seal (unlike the SRH940)
2. When folding the M-100 with the Clique hinge, one of the adjustable headband arms also "folds" back to position 0 because my knuckle hits the arm

 
Phase 3 - Post Burn-In, Post Break-In Period (Final Impressions):

Spoiler: miceblue's%20earpad%20modification

Spoiler: Photos

 

 

 
 

 
How I did the mod
 
Paper towel info:
Brand: Up & Up (I think this is Target's house brand)
Size: 11 in (27.94 cm) X 10.4 in (26.416 cm)
Layering: 2-ply

• Take the paper towel and tear/cut it into fourths
• Using one of the fourths, tear/cut it in half
• Fold each of these so that you are left with 2 long strips (see second photo)
• Use one of these pieces in each earcup (I lined the right, bottom, and left sides of the earcup)
• Repeat steps 2-3
• Cut one of these pieces in half so you have 2 shorter pieces
• Use one of those pieces in each earcup so that each earcup has 1.5 long strips (I lined the upper right, top, and upper-left parts of the earcup). In the top photo, the smaller piece is the other half of a fourth that is leftover.

 
Sound

1. The bass is reduced in quantity, making it sound more balanced with the rest of the audio spectrum
2. The midrange is more forward and details are clearer to hear
3. The highs are much easier to hear (in particular the cymbals, which is the one main area of the unmodded M-100 that I think could have been improved; they are muuuuch better defined with the mod and they still remain not sibilant to my ears)
4. Surprisingly the soundstage seems to have gotten wider too. It sounds much more spacious with the mod. This soundstage can rival the SRH940 in my A/B comparison on my MacBook + Audirvana Plus + FiiO E7 setup (it's still not as wide, but it's much wider and deeper than the unmodded M-100)

 
Headphone:

1. As for fit, yes the pads are stiffer, but my ears no longer touch the driver enclosure as much, so it's more comfortable as a whole.

 
Test tracks:
Joanna Wang - Lost In Paradise (the vocals are brought more forward and sound a little clearer)
Battles - Futura (the bass pedal isn't emphasised as much, but the punch is still there, so the cymbals are easier to hear; drummer-mode is activated! ) )
Cloudkicker - Amy I Love You (same result as ^)
Ottmar Liebert - Snakecharmer (the guitar seems more up-front)
Massive Attack - Teardrop (the bass isn't as prominent, but it sounds more balanced to me; the "ssss" vocals are still sharp as before probably due to the recording, but they are again not ear-grating like they were on the SRH940)
Fourplay - Chant

Spoiler: Raw%20notes%2Fscribbles

Modded
good instrument separation
drum up front
drum pedal has punch, a little too much for me
bass guitar is very prominent, and has lots of authority
cymbals ts ts ts audible, more in background (quiet)
snare drum easily heard, back on stage
1:11 very good left/right imaging, lots of air between instruments
voices in background in front of snare drum a few steps
other drums have very forward sound
1:40 voices slightly in front of drums, front stage, bass guitar in front of drums (well defined notes)
piano is very clear, in front of drums and background vocals, front stage
2:50 guitar? now takes front stage, piano good distance away, bass next to piano, cymbals barely audible
cymbals clearly defined, nice authority
very good L/R imaging for drumset
5:50, cymbal ting ting ting ting audible, voices in front, bass guitar slightly behind voices

Unmodded
good instrument separation
drum up front, but more behind than modded, tonality seems off (sounds flatter in sound)
drum pedal has more punch
bass guitar is not as clear, (bu duuuuum ditto dooom, doom part is much quieter than modded), but louder than modded overall
cymbals ts ts ts ts is barely audible, still in background
1:11 ok left/right imaging (less wide)
snare drum easily heard, might cover "doom", seems farther back than modded
voices in background seem further back than before, but still in front of drums
decent left/right imaging, not as wide
1:40 main vocals seem quieter than bass guitar (doom doom doom doom doom bass), bass guitar in front stage, notes not well defined
piano is clearly defined again, not as forward, but in front of drumset and bass guitar, behind background voices (sound nasally)
2:50 guitar takes front stage, piano behind, bass guitar in front of piano (overshadows)
cymbals clearly defined, way behind vocals
good L/R imaging for drumset
5:34, cymbal ting ting ting ting audible, next to voices, bass guitar in front

Overall, modded sounds like a wider stage with better instrument separation, but not as deep (sounds like 1st row in a concert?), unmodded sounds like a deeper stage with less width and the bass guitar is more forward in the stage (sounds like 10th row in a concert? more reverb sound?).

 
 
Listening in a noisy environment
 
After trying the M-100 at school and on the bus, I concluded that:
Modded

1. It does have better noise isolation but not a whole lot more, as I mentioned. The bus's engine noise was drowned out a bit more, especially the higher frequencies.
2. Cymbal crashes and other higher frequency sounds were more apparent than unmodded

 
Unmodded

1. The U-shaped sound is more preferable, to me, while walking on campus/with extra background noises
2. The bass was more easily heard over the outside noise than the modded version, so it was actually really pleasant to hear the bass guitars in some tracks over people's conversations
3. Laid back lower midrange was harder to hear over outside noise, but the upper mids were nicely balanced with the bass (snare drum and cymbal hits can get a bit fatiguing though)
4. The quieter [upper?] treble was also more pleasant to my ear since it's not fatiguing (the modded version was a similar experience with my SRH940, too little bass and lower mids, too much upper mids and highs)

 
 
Isolation test

Spoiler: Raw%20notes%2Fscribbles

Test track played on $20 desktop speakers: Quincy Jones - Back on the Block
(M-100 is not connected to anything, cable is removed from earcup)
 
Modded
Isolation is pretty good
Most of the highs are blocked out
The mids/vocals are somewhat blocked out (I can still hear the singer's lyrics and the background "ooo waaai eee ooh")
Bass guitar is kind of audible
 
Unmodded
Isolation is still pretty good
More of the highs come through to me (the snare drum's hit is more audible), but they're still mostly blocked out
The mids/vocals, just like the highs are a tad bit louder to me (the lyrics are more distinguishable）
The bass guitar is is also more audible

Overall there is slightly more noise isolation when modded, but it's not a deal-breaker.
Both versions isolate a decent amount. With this mod, the higher and upper-midrange frequencies are blocked out more. They don't isolate as much as the SRH940, which I thought was good (Innerfidelity says it has a -14 dB isolation rating, which is about average for a full-sized headphone), but it's pretty close.
 
 
Soundstage test
 
Using this video as a test for the soundstage, it gave me a good sense of the M-100's soundstage.
Unmodded

1. I definitely sense more depth than width as I've mentioned before. The two sentries at the L/R locations at 1:48 in the video seem to be more diagonal L/R, giving a larger sense of depth. On the SRH940, the L/R locations are much more accurate from my quick listen, and the echo effects in the TF2 room makes the room much more realistic-sounding than the M-100 relatively speaking.

 
Modded

1. Wow OK this is kind of scaring me. With this mod, the soundstage IS in fact wider as I previously mentioned as well. The L/R imaging of the sentries is more accurate (L/R as opposed to diagonally behind L/R) and the echoes of the sentries in the room make the room sound much larger than it was in the unmodded version....this larger soundstage actually does rival the SRH940, also as mentioned before.
   

 
 
 
I've been switching from modded to unmodded and the sound difference is very clear to me. The best thing about this mod is that it's completely reversible and is easy to do.

Spoiler: DigitalFreak's%20earpad%20modification

DigitalFreak suggested a different mod that uses smaller paper towel pieces.
 

Spoiler: Photos

 

 

Spoiler: Raw%20notes%2Fscribbles

 
Setup: MacBook + Audirvana Plus (integer mode, exclusive access mode, use max I/O buffer size, best quality sample rate conversion) + FiiO E7 (volume level 05, bass boost 0)
Track used: Fourplay - Chant
 
DigitalFreak Modded
very good instrument separation
drum up front, mid-stage
lots of bass pedal punch
bass guitar in front of drums, very prominent, well-defined notes
cymbals ts ts ts ts audible
vocals up closer to front stage
good L/R imaging
bass guitar in front (dun dun dun dun dun sound), cymbals behind vocals
piano slightly in front of bass guitar, drumset behind
guitar takes front stage, bass guitar behind, piano behind bass guitar, drumset behind that
3:29 very clear cymbals and drums, vocals slightly in front, bass guitar behind vocals
5:50 cymbal ting ting ting ting present, next to bass guitar, vocals in front, piano slightly behind

Unmodded
ok instrument separation
drum further back
more bass pedal punch
bass guitar in front, VERY prominent (I can feel it rumbling my gut), slightly slurred notes
cymbals ts ts ts ts barely audible (bass guitar/pedal overshadows)
vocals next or slightly behind bass guitar
OK L/R imaging
bass guitar in very front (dun dun dun dun dun sound), cymbals next to vocals
piano in front of drums, behind bass, vocals slightly in front of piano
guitar takes front stage next to bass guitar, piano behind both, cymbals barely audible
3:29 cymbals sound lacking in higher ring, vocals next to or slightly behind drumset
5:50 cymbal ting ting ting ting back on stage, vocals slightly in front, piano next to vocals, bass guitar slightly behind vocals/piano

miceblue Modded
excellent good instrument separation (lots of air between instruments)
drum up front, mid-stage
least bass pedal punch, still good though
bass guitar slightly in front of drums, prominent, well-defined notes
cymbals ts ts ts ts is audible
vocals closer to front stage
very good L/R imaging
bass guitar in front (dun dun dun dun dun sound), vocals very slightly behind, drums slightly behind vocals
piano in front stage, bass guitar behind, vocals slightly in front of bass guitar
guitar in front stage, piano slightly behind, bass guitar behind in front of drumset
3:29 very clear cymbals and drums, vocals in front of drumset, bass guitar slightly in front of drumset
5:50 cymbal ting ting ting ting present very clear, vocals in front, piano slightly behind bass guitar next to drums
 
Overall impressions, DigitalFreak's mod is mid-way between miceblue's mod and not modded. miceblue's mod seems to have better instrument separation and stage width, but at the loss of some bass impact/presence, sounds more balanced overall. DigitalFreak's mod still retains the M-100's signature bass but is more clearly defined/cleaner and the midrange is brought more forward as well as having clearer treble.

 
Given the slight differences between mods, I could actually go for either! They both sounded good to me for that particular track.
I like DigitalFreak's mod a little more since 1) it retains the signature M-100 sound for the most part, and 2) it's easier to install. My mod, on the other hand, significantly changes the sound and it's much more cumbersome to install.

Spoiler: Frequently%20Asked%20Questions

Q: Are the M-100's uncomfortable?
A: For me, generally no.

1. They are pretty comfortable for me even if the top of my ear touches the driver enclosure in the earpad.
2. Clamping force was an issue for me at first. Stretch/flatten the headband out a few times and I think you should be fine. If you noticed in my unboxing video, flattening the headband made the earcups looser/spaced farther apart.
3. If you have angled ears like me, twisting the headband away from you (take the top of the headband with both hands and twist the back of your hands towards you) can help with that too.
4. Getting my ear completely inside of the earpad takes a few seconds of headphone adjustment/shifting.
5. To me the M-100 is heavier on the ears rather than the head because most of the weight is placed in the earcups rather than the headband. Even though the top is minimally padded, I haven't had any comfort issues with the headband. It's very flush against my head, so there is no one area that puts a lot of pressure on my head.

 
While exercising on the other hand:

1. The earpads get really hot really easily
2. As BRSxIgnition mentioned, as you wear the M-100 for long periods, the earpads get compressed and so they provide less cushion. As a result...the top of my ear was hard-pressed against the driver enclosure and I didn't notice the pain until I sat down and pried the headphones off my ears. Even after an hour of rest, my ears were still quite sensitive to the pain. :/
3. Ewww sweaty earpads, good thing it's easy to wipe off.

Spoiler: Photo

 
 
 
Q: How large are the earpads?
A:

Spoiler: Photo

 

 
 
 
Q: How is the soundstage for the M-100?
A: Please check the "miceblue's earpad modification" section near the bottom.
 
 
 
Q: How is the noise isolation of the M-100? How is the noise leakage?
A: Please check the "miceblue's earpad modification" section near the bottom for noise isolation. For a noise leakage test, please check out the end of my unboxing video at around 16:55.
 
 
 
Q: Do the M-100's need an amp? Can my [insert iDevice here] drive it?
A: No the M-100 doesn't need an amp, but it does benefit from one. Yes your iDevice can reasonably drive the M-100.
With my FiiO E7 USB DAC/amp, comparing it to the Sansa Clip Zip:

1. The bass is smoother as a whole and is more detailed.
2. Bass impact increases, futher increasing that gut-hitting feeling you get from bass pedals and guitars.

1. The highs are also smoother and less sharp.
2. I hear a little more spacing between instruments, so the soundstage is a little larger and instruements are better defined.

 
 
 
Q: Are the M-100's good for rock music?
A: I still might be the only one who thinks this, but I don't think rock is one of the M-100's strongest genres. It certainly sounds really excellent during mobile listening, but if you sit at home or work in a quiet environment, the cymbal crashes aren't as engaging as other headphones I've heard (they seem to be further back on the stage to me).

1. For most of the rock tracks I've listened to, I hear the instruments like this (during quiet environment listening/at home): Bass guitar/pedal  guitars/vocals  snare drum  cymbal crashes
2. While mobile listening, rock music sounds more balanced (to me at least): Bass guitar/pedal guitars/vocals  snare drum  cymbal crashes

 
 
 
Q: Is there a channel imbalance?
A: Yeah I noticed a few instances of channel imbalance in the 5 kHz - 10 kHz range

Spoiler: Audacity%20Test%20Screenshot

 

 
 
 
Q: Where are the M-100's made?
A: I'm not sure but they are "Assembled in China".
 

 
Overall I'm extremely satisfied with the M-100, unmodded and modded. I only wish the mids were a tad bit more forward, but that's a personal preference.

• As a "road warrior" (mobile listening), the unmodded M-100 is a terrific headphone for its price and it's probably the best portable headphone I've encountered under $1000 for my musical tastes.

1. The amount of bass is PERFECT for this kind of listening, whether it's on the bus, or traveling between classes. While waiting outside of a classroom before class starts, there's not a lot of background noise, and boy does that bass have impact! It really gets to your gut (in a good way).
2. The midrange sounds more balanced during mobile listening from my experience, but it's still noticeable that they are slightly laid back. I would prefer the mids to be a step forward but the mids are definitely within my realm of acceptance.
3. The vocals are not up-front/in-you-face, but they are pleasant to listen to for modern music (T-Swift sounds really good to me; her voice isn't right up-front in your face, but it's very pleasantly balanced with the drums and bass while I listened to her Fearless and Speak Now albums on the bus)
4. Cymbals and drums are easy to follow while mobile listening and the cymbal crashes in particular don't sound as laid back as if you were listening to the same track at home/in a quiet environment.
5. Of all of the portable headphones that I've tried in the < $500 mark, I would honestly pick the M-100 over those headphones for its overall sonic performance, portability, and its flashy looks and plethora of customization options are an added bonus.

 
   2.  At home, the modded version is now my new reference headphone!

1. The amount of bass is perfect in this configuration. The impact and presence are still there, just not as much. The bass seems much more balanced for quiet environment listening and more genres of music sound good with the M-100.
2. The midrange is brought forward a few steps so that vocals and string instruments are more pronounced. This is great for some classical music even, which the unmodded M-100 didn't do very well for my tastes.
3. The highs are also brought forward a tad bit so that cymbal crashes are much more engaging in a quiet environment/home listening. They still remain non-sibilant so they sound more balanced with the bass and midrange as a whole

 
In short: pros >> cons
 
*Note: all of my test tracks were either EAC CD-ripped FLAC files, direct CD listening, or Bandcamp FLAC downloads.
 
 
 
Update:
I wrote a huge, in-depth formal review for the M-100 on the official Head-Fi product page:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/v-moda-crossfade-m-100/reviews/7820

 

[Leon Dota]

UPDATE ON M-100 + DIGIZOID ZO2.3
 
Just listened to DJ Shadow's 'The Outsider' album (bad DJ Shadow album, decent album overall) and boy oh boy these these kick ASS with Hip-Hop/Rap. Just pounded my head into oblivion. DJ Shadow's sick scratching was crystal clear, as were most of the vocals in the bass-heavy tracks.
 
GOOD STUFF.
 

 

[Craigster75]

Quote:

UPDATE ON M-100 + DIGIZOID ZO2.3
 
Just listened to DJ Shadow's 'The Outsider' album (bad DJ Shadow album, decent album overall) and boy oh boy these these kick ASS with Hip-Hop/Rap. Just pounded my head into oblivion. DJ Shadow's sick scratching was crystal clear, as were most of the vocals in the bass-heavy tracks.
 
GOOD STUFF.
 

Can you compare quantity with the ZO2.3 to bass quantity produced by other "bass cannons" you have heard?

 

[WestCoastPatty]

Quote:

UPDATE ON M-100 + DIGIZOID ZO2.3
 
Just listened to DJ Shadow's 'The Outsider' album (bad DJ Shadow album, decent album overall) and boy oh boy these these kick ASS with Hip-Hop/Rap. Just pounded my head into oblivion. DJ Shadow's sick scratching was crystal clear, as were most of the vocals in the bass-heavy tracks.
 
GOOD STUFF.
 

Where can I buy a ZO2.3 other than Amazon? Amazon won't ship to an APO so they are a no go. 

 

[hi-fi-ve]

I'm confused...
 
How did some of you manage to get their hands on the V-MODA M-100 already? They aren't even released. I want a pair now lol HELP!!!

 

[miceblue]

Quote:

I'm confused...
 
How did some of you manage to get their hands on the V-MODA M-100 already? They aren't even released. I want a pair now lol HELP!!!

V-MODA offered a pre-order special back in August. People who purchased it back then have received the first batch of M-100's in the last couple weeks.
 
You can actually pre-order a M-100 for the second batch here: http://v-moda.com/crossfade-m-100/

 

[WestCoastPatty]

I recommend the following... Place your M-100's on your head. Go to YouTube and change sound quality to HD, and please Enjoy!
 
 

 

[miceblue]

I recommend the following... Place your M-100's on your head. Go to YouTube and change sound quality to HD, and please Enjoy!

Sounds pretty good. Personally I'm not a fan of dubstep in general.

Amon Tobin's tracks sound incredible on the M-100!

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

[VIDEO]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXU5aUbJ_W8[/VIDEO]


[VIDEO]http://youtu.be/djLQ_plCwn4[/VIDEO]



[VIDEO]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jaRA6nGyUg[/VIDEO]



[VIDEO]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=se7w6pqBBxg[/VIDEO]



[VIDEO]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DXVzaUN_Y0[/VIDEO]

Also, this sounds freaking amazing too. It sounds muuuuuch better on the M-100 than the SRH940 since the drum sounds and "ssss" vocals aren't ear-grating.


[VIDEO]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7K72X4eo_s[/VIDEO]

 

[SwKWhiteKnight]

Hey everyone, I'm new to headphones in general, and I need some help. Anyway, after listening to some Beats Tour earbuds (my friend found them and gave 'em to me to keep) I realized there was so much i was missing out on with my music. I love the way those headphones sound, crystal clean and the bass was great. 
Then I read a few comments saying that "Beats" are garbage for their prices  
Anyway, long story short are these headphones much better than Beats? Are these the best headphones I could buy bass, comfort and style/appearance wise? Especially for this price? How do these compare to the Q 701's, Beyerdynamic DT 880's, and Sennheiser HD 598's???
 
Also, since I'm getting into headphones (especially over-ear headphones) can anyone explain the benefits and process of "amping" headphones? What is the purpose? Is it easy to do? Does it effect the headphones that much? Is it expensive? 
 
The reason I ask is cuz someone put this in the thread:When unamped it's passable but when amped this can shines noticeably. When unamped soundstage sounds compressed mids especially guitars seem blurred and bass loses extension. This can loves it when you throw some extra juice at it and accordingly it should be accommodated. 
 
Thank you for all your help guys! I appreciate your guys' opinions and answers!

 

[Kirin]

I just tried to place an order and got an error message with "invalid order" and told to email v-moda, which I did. But then the email bounced with an error as well!
What's going on?
Has anyone else had this problem?

 

[largemouth bass]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SwKWhiteKnight /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Anyway, long story short are these headphones much better than Beats? Are these the best headphones I could buy bass,

 
> Putting on helmut and goggles, sits back in grotesquely over-padded recliner while firmly holding onto the armrests. Awaiting the inevitable.

 

[Leon Dota]

Quote:

Can you compare quantity with the ZO2.3 to bass quantity produced by other "bass cannons" you have heard?

 

You mean compare the M-100 + ZO2.3 to other bass cannons unamped or amped by the ZO2.3?
 
 
Quote:

Where can I buy a ZO2.3 other than Amazon? Amazon won't ship to an APO so they are a no go. 

 
Amazon is the only place I know, sorry :x Maybe Ebay...?

 

[robble]

Quote:

The reason I ask is cuz someone put this in the thread:When unamped it's passable but when amped this can shines noticeably. When unamped soundstage sounds compressed mids especially guitars seem blurred and bass loses extension. This can loves it when you throw some extra juice at it and accordingly it should be accommodated. 

Passable is a bit of an understatement to say the least, and I don't think a lot of reviews say that. They just say that it responds well to an amp. Only waaaaaay back in prototype stage was it particularly mentioned that it's passable compared to amping
 
(and yes, I'm just going to zero in on the meat here)

 

[SwKWhiteKnight]

Quote:

Passable is a bit of an understatement to say the least, and I don't think a lot of reviews say that. They just say that it responds well to an amp. Only waaaaaay back in prototype stage was it particularly mentioned that it's passable compared to amping
 
(and yes, I'm just going to zero in on the meat here)

 
Thanks!

 

[miceblue]

Quote:

Hey everyone, I'm new to headphones in general, and I need some help. Anyway, after listening to some Beats Tour earbuds (my friend found them and gave 'em to me to keep) I realized there was so much i was missing out on with my music. I love the way those headphones sound, crystal clean and the bass was great. 
Then I read a few comments saying that "Beats" are garbage for their prices  
Anyway, long story short are these headphones much better than Beats? Are these the best headphones I could buy bass, comfort and style/appearance wise? Especially for this price? How do these compare to the Q 701's, Beyerdynamic DT 880's, and Sennheiser HD 598's???
 
Also, since I'm getting into headphones (especially over-ear headphones) can anyone explain the benefits and process of "amping" headphones? What is the purpose? Is it easy to do? Does it effect the headphones that much? Is it expensive? 
 
The reason I ask is cuz someone put this in the thread:When unamped it's passable but when amped this can shines noticeably. When unamped soundstage sounds compressed mids especially guitars seem blurred and bass loses extension. This can loves it when you throw some extra juice at it and accordingly it should be accommodated. 
 
Thank you for all your help guys! I appreciate your guys' opinions and answers!

 
Hello there! Welcome to Head-Fi, and sorry about your wallet.
 
Quote:

Anyway, long story short are these headphones much better than Beats?

Unless you prefer super boosted bass, yes definitely. The M-100's offer a much much much cleaner bass response that doesn't bleed as much into the midrange, a midrange that is very well-defined, and highs that are sparkly, yet not harsh-sounding.
 
Sorry if your response is ill-received here...people here tend to regard the Beats by Dre headphones as some of the worst headphones on the market. I do have to give them props though for introducing people, such as yourself, into higher fidelity audio equipment.
 
 
Quote:

Are these the best headphones I could buy bass, comfort and style/appearance wise? Especially for this price?

It depends on the type of headphone you're looking for and for what genres of music you listen to.
The M-100's bass is good for a lot of different music genres, where as the Beats' bass is mainly aimed for modern pop/hip-hop/rap/R&B music listeners. Music genres aside, there are a lot of options for bassy headphones nowadays that all do a better job at rendering the bass more accurately than the Beats headphones.
The M-100's have a very clean-sounding bass response that is slightly accentuated to compensate for external noise heard during mobile listening. They are also closed-back headphones so they isolate background noise.
If you want a headphone only to listen to music at home, I would consider another headphone that has less bass, and is open-back.
 
As for comfort, the M-100's are a mixed bag. For some it's really comfortable, such as in my experience, but for others the earcups are too shallow and/or small in size. I admit that the Beats headphones are very comfortable though.
 
For style/appearance, I also agree that the M-100 is a really excellent headphone for that purpose. With different colour schemes, shield colours, and the ability to have a custom design/logo engraved on the shields, V-MODA's headphones offer a level of customisability that no other audio company offers!
Walking on the streets with a pair of clunky-looking Shure SRH940's isn't exactly a pretty appearance. XD
 
For the price, I would say the M-100's are a fantastic headphone for the overall sound, slightly emphasised bass response, appearance/style, and comfort (for me).
 
 
Quote:

How do these compare to the Q 701's, Beyerdynamic DT 880's, and Sennheiser HD 598's???

Again, it depends on your preference of overall sound presentation and music you listen to. For example, I don't think I would recommend the K/Q 701 if you listen to dubstep, electronic, or modern pop/hip-hop/rap/R&B because its bass response isn't well-suited for those genres.
 
The headphones you listed are more traditional audiophile headphones and don't have the same bass, midrange, and treble response as the M-100. The M-100 was built for mobile listening, so it has more of a U-shaped sound signature (slightly boosted bass and treble), compared to the relatively more neutral headphones you listed. Also, all 3 of those headphones are open-back, so they tend to have very little noise isolation and some noise leakage; not ideal for mobile use.
 
In fact, those headphones are completely different in sound signature signature compared to that of the M-100. I own a Shure SRH940 which has a similar sound signature to those 3 headphones and it's definitely much different than the M-100 in terms of sound (bass light, airy and analytical, vs slightly bass emphasised and more "fun"/musical)
 
 

Spoiler: Relating%20to%20amps

 
Quote:

Also, since I'm getting into headphones (especially over-ear headphones) can anyone explain the benefits and process of "amping" headphones? What is the purpose?

Amping theoretically helps a headphone perform at its best. It's hard for me to describe it specifically so I'll give you a classic example.
 
Plug in the AKG K/Q 701 into your iPod and you get "meh" sound quality at a quiet listening level even on max volume on the iPod.
Plug in the AKG K/Q 701 into a Schitt Asgard amp and you can fully appreciate the sound the K/Q 701 can produce at a much higher listening level.
Why? The K/Q 701 is notorious for being a headphone that's hard to drive properly, I think due to its high impedance rating. The higher the impedance rating is, the more power you need to feed your headphones. An iPod doesn't have enough power to drive the headphones properly so you get relatively poor sound out of the K/Q 701.
 
 
Quote:

Is it easy to do?

It's pretty easy to do. Just plug in your headphones into the amp, connect your amp to a Digital to Analog Converter (DAC), and you're pretty much set (of course it depends on your setup too, sometimes an amp needs to be hooked up to a power outlet and sometimes the DAC needs to be hooked up to a source of music such as your iPod).
 
 
Quote:

Does it effect the headphones that much?

If you have a headphone that's easy to drive, it doesn't affect the headphone that much other than volume level.
If you have a headphone that's difficult to drive, it can make a huge difference.
If your amp is coloured (it has a certain sound to it, such as a tube amp's warm, vinyl-like sound), then it can make a big difference in a headphone as well.
 
 
Quote:

Is it expensive?

Yes and no. It depends on how powerful, portable, and type of amplifier you want to purchase, in addition to the quality of sound it produces.
 
Examples:
A solid state FiiO E11 is portable, meant to drive smaller headphones and only costs ~$60 USD nowadays.
A solid state Schitt Asgard is a desktop amplifier, needs to be hooked up to a power outlet, can drive larger, higher impedance headphones, and costs $250 USD.
A Woo Audio WA22 fully balanced tube amplifier is also a desktop amplifier, needs to be hooked up to a power outlet, can drive larger, higher impedance headphones, and costs a whopping $1900 USD; add other vacuum tubes to it and those by themselves easily cost $100+ each.