showme99
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2015
- Posts
- 235
- Likes
- 138
Was there a picture included with your post? If so, I can't see it.
V-MODA M-200: Official Impressions & Reviews Thread
- Thread starter V-MODA
- Start date
Hey all,
I received the M-200 on Tuesday as part of the V-Moda Hardware Review Program. V-Moda was one of the first audiophile-adjacent headphone brands I owned as I started getting more interested in headphones and hi-fi many years ago. Previous V-Moda headphones I've owned include the LP2 and the M-80. If you had told me a decade ago I'd be receiving a loaned review sample directly from V-Moda to offer my thoughts and feedback on their headphones I would have been skeptical to say the least, so this is a really cool opportunity.
The unboxing experience is appropriately premium. I love the look, feel, and compact size of the case, and I love the design of the headphones from an aesthetic point of view. My particular pair has copper faceplates with a white printed design, which I like less than the sleek black faceplates pictured on the box.
The headphones are not super comfortable. There is a bit of a hot spot where the headband rests at the top of the skull and the earcups are shallow. These really limit the potential for long listening sessions. Although I have mostly moved into IEMs from full-size headphones, the one pair of closed back over-ear headphones that I own at the moment, the Aiwa Arc-1, are significantly more comfortable.
Before I get to the sound, I want to add to the chorus of voices questioning the choice of a 3.5mm balanced connection. This does not reflect the predominance of 2.5mm balanced devices or the recent industry movement to 4.4mm Pentaconn and is a huge missed opportunity in my opinion.
There is much less bass than I was expecting based on my previous experience with V-Moda headphones, and overall, I think this is a good thing. I really like the more neutral bass tuning on the M-200 and the speed and articulation of the bass are pretty good. The treble is definitely on the smoother side and while it is early in my review process I think I would have wanted better detail retrieval at this price point. Soundstage is also pretty limited.
My biggest issue with the M-200 is the midrange, specifically in how the M-200 handles vocals. There seems to be a significant suck-out in the upper midrange that blunts the leading edge of vocals. There is very little presence. Male vocals in particular sound muffled, though female vocals also do not sound as rich or vibrant as I would like. This is a shame because most other instruments sound very natural to me with the M-200.
Stay tuned for my full review, which will be up on Head-Fi and my blog.
I received the M-200 on Tuesday as part of the V-Moda Hardware Review Program. V-Moda was one of the first audiophile-adjacent headphone brands I owned as I started getting more interested in headphones and hi-fi many years ago. Previous V-Moda headphones I've owned include the LP2 and the M-80. If you had told me a decade ago I'd be receiving a loaned review sample directly from V-Moda to offer my thoughts and feedback on their headphones I would have been skeptical to say the least, so this is a really cool opportunity.
The unboxing experience is appropriately premium. I love the look, feel, and compact size of the case, and I love the design of the headphones from an aesthetic point of view. My particular pair has copper faceplates with a white printed design, which I like less than the sleek black faceplates pictured on the box.
The headphones are not super comfortable. There is a bit of a hot spot where the headband rests at the top of the skull and the earcups are shallow. These really limit the potential for long listening sessions. Although I have mostly moved into IEMs from full-size headphones, the one pair of closed back over-ear headphones that I own at the moment, the Aiwa Arc-1, are significantly more comfortable.
Before I get to the sound, I want to add to the chorus of voices questioning the choice of a 3.5mm balanced connection. This does not reflect the predominance of 2.5mm balanced devices or the recent industry movement to 4.4mm Pentaconn and is a huge missed opportunity in my opinion.
There is much less bass than I was expecting based on my previous experience with V-Moda headphones, and overall, I think this is a good thing. I really like the more neutral bass tuning on the M-200 and the speed and articulation of the bass are pretty good. The treble is definitely on the smoother side and while it is early in my review process I think I would have wanted better detail retrieval at this price point. Soundstage is also pretty limited.
My biggest issue with the M-200 is the midrange, specifically in how the M-200 handles vocals. There seems to be a significant suck-out in the upper midrange that blunts the leading edge of vocals. There is very little presence. Male vocals in particular sound muffled, though female vocals also do not sound as rich or vibrant as I would like. This is a shame because most other instruments sound very natural to me with the M-200.
Stay tuned for my full review, which will be up on Head-Fi and my blog.
I received the M-200 last night via the review program.
First off, these look awesome. I likely would have just bought black on my own, but I'd like them to match this set if I ever get a set of V-modas. My wife even commented, and she usually rolls her eyes at me when I rave about how good a headphone looks.
Comfort:
I owned a set of M-100 long ago, and comfort wasn't their strongsuit. This modern set fits my ears much better, allowing me to listen for a couple of hours without issue. With that said, I do with the pads were a bit deeper. I will be wearing them the whole workday today, doing a mix of teleconferencing and music-listening.... let's see how it goes!
Sound:
Interesting indeed. Not an M-100 in the slightest. These are a mid-focused set with what seems to be a similar bass rolloff to my HD6xx but with slightly less treble clarity. With that being said, I really do like how vocals sound. The excellent imaging paired with slightly boosted mids helps to capture finer nuances of the voice, keeping me up several hours later than usual last night. I look forward to diving deeper for the review, but am also a little turned off by the lack of treble sparkle for this price point. Take that with a grain of salt though, until I do some more listening across multiple albums and genres.
Additional Notes:
Sound Isolation in both directions = Fantastic.
The cable is a little too microphonic. Since it shoots out of the bottom, it catches by shoulder/collar and makes noise anytime I turn my head at all. I guess it doesn't help that I use an ultrawide monitor :-/
clamp force really isn't bothering me with these, maybe the new pads are the ticket.
I look forward to doing a deep dive and full review. This is certainly a quality set that deserves some Head-Fi critique. I'm very glad V-Moda made this all happen, I find that brands that embrace customer feedback usually produce much better products.
First off, these look awesome. I likely would have just bought black on my own, but I'd like them to match this set if I ever get a set of V-modas. My wife even commented, and she usually rolls her eyes at me when I rave about how good a headphone looks.
Comfort:
I owned a set of M-100 long ago, and comfort wasn't their strongsuit. This modern set fits my ears much better, allowing me to listen for a couple of hours without issue. With that said, I do with the pads were a bit deeper. I will be wearing them the whole workday today, doing a mix of teleconferencing and music-listening.... let's see how it goes!
Sound:
Interesting indeed. Not an M-100 in the slightest. These are a mid-focused set with what seems to be a similar bass rolloff to my HD6xx but with slightly less treble clarity. With that being said, I really do like how vocals sound. The excellent imaging paired with slightly boosted mids helps to capture finer nuances of the voice, keeping me up several hours later than usual last night. I look forward to diving deeper for the review, but am also a little turned off by the lack of treble sparkle for this price point. Take that with a grain of salt though, until I do some more listening across multiple albums and genres.
Additional Notes:
Sound Isolation in both directions = Fantastic.
The cable is a little too microphonic. Since it shoots out of the bottom, it catches by shoulder/collar and makes noise anytime I turn my head at all. I guess it doesn't help that I use an ultrawide monitor :-/
clamp force really isn't bothering me with these, maybe the new pads are the ticket.
I look forward to doing a deep dive and full review. This is certainly a quality set that deserves some Head-Fi critique. I'm very glad V-Moda made this all happen, I find that brands that embrace customer feedback usually produce much better products.
AudioNoob
1000+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2004
- Posts
- 1,341
- Likes
- 210
Thanks to v-moda for the review sample! (though I'm guessing I won't be getting another one from them )
The build quality is typical of v-moda, well put together metal headphones with a screws exposed aesthetic. I got a pair in a very nice metallic sky blue. They fold together in a very compact ball and have a form fitting case which make them excellent to travel with.
At this point its repeating others but the earcups are small and shallow which makes it hard to get a good seal. For an ear size reference, HD598 cups fit me perfectly though my ears will touch the plastic within. Given their magnetic attachment, I'm guessing it wouldn't be rocket science to offer an extra XL in the box at this price.
Source - Audioquest Dragonfly matching Spotify 44.1khz for the inital test. I don't have a balanced amp on me, as others mentioned, strange decisions on the TRRS 3.5mm they chose to include.
Sound is a little strange to me, it's hard to describe but it sounds like an over-dampened driver that got rid of lower resonances and left some higher resonant frequencies intact. The reason I say that it sounds over-dampened is that it is actually very articulate with good frequency separation. This would be in contrast to say something like HD598 which is similarly mid-centered but blends things together with lower harmonics that result in a "warm" overall signature.
Indeed, if I pull up a frequency sweep, it's pretty linear until we get to high mids and then there are several wobbles. Worth noting here that I have some driver imbalance: 100-300 Right 1000-1500 Right 3500-3700Left 14000 Right
Bass is recesssed (normally a good thing for this Ety-head) to a fault, caving in some more resonant sounds (think low human range, cello, upright bass). I think it's the lacking sub-bass reproduction, they are certainly there and capable of being precise given the size of the drivers, but they are a little too pulled back. Similarly, high impact bass notes such as high precision kicks cannot cut through the cacaphony.
Mids are forward, and it does best with higher, clear timbre vocals, Esperanza Spaulding (her recordings are usually great though) coming through naturally for example. There is an excessive, resonant boost in the region of 900-5000hz that lends it a resonant, but necessarily detailed quality. It also makes volume balancing difficult as a countertenor will come whopping through if you adjust your volume for the orchestration. This furthers the effective rolling off of lows and highs as you have to lower the volume, or you pull it up, and that makes them rather tiring to listen to.
Highs are rolled off, which I was surprised by, given their explicitly neutral target curve and the price range. To me, it comes through as lack of detail, which, being an etymotics type of person, is not my jam.
Soundstage is a bit hard to describe, it is not expansive but it is not in your ear either, it is a bit like a Torus(donut) around your earcups. The imaging is not particularly articulate, I'm not picking instruments in any specific location in space. It's like two egg shapes extending to the back of my head with not much in front.
Conclusion
I am a little unsure who the m200s are going for, especially at this price. Given the limited bass reproduction and soundstage, coupled with the small cups, they are foregoing the three major benefits of large drivers and over the ear phones. I have iems that match them in those areas which seal better and are a lot more portable.
There aren't that many neutral, closed back, foldable over-the-ears out there so there definitely is some space for such headphones. K371? Haven't listened to them. Again though, the size of the ear-cups really make these more of an on-ear experience for all but small ears and so perhaps they should be compared to smaller contenders such as the hd25.
Given the uncomfortable in-between size of the cups, I might suggest going with the older XS in the v-moda family which has a slightly warmer but still on the neutral side (for v-moda) signature that might appeal to a larger group. Since they are designed to be on-ear, they have less pressure on your cheek muscles. They fold compactly and come similarly presented, taking even less space, and are 1/3rd the price.
The build quality is typical of v-moda, well put together metal headphones with a screws exposed aesthetic. I got a pair in a very nice metallic sky blue. They fold together in a very compact ball and have a form fitting case which make them excellent to travel with.
At this point its repeating others but the earcups are small and shallow which makes it hard to get a good seal. For an ear size reference, HD598 cups fit me perfectly though my ears will touch the plastic within. Given their magnetic attachment, I'm guessing it wouldn't be rocket science to offer an extra XL in the box at this price.
Source - Audioquest Dragonfly matching Spotify 44.1khz for the inital test. I don't have a balanced amp on me, as others mentioned, strange decisions on the TRRS 3.5mm they chose to include.
Sound is a little strange to me, it's hard to describe but it sounds like an over-dampened driver that got rid of lower resonances and left some higher resonant frequencies intact. The reason I say that it sounds over-dampened is that it is actually very articulate with good frequency separation. This would be in contrast to say something like HD598 which is similarly mid-centered but blends things together with lower harmonics that result in a "warm" overall signature.
Indeed, if I pull up a frequency sweep, it's pretty linear until we get to high mids and then there are several wobbles. Worth noting here that I have some driver imbalance: 100-300 Right 1000-1500 Right 3500-3700Left 14000 Right
Bass is recesssed (normally a good thing for this Ety-head) to a fault, caving in some more resonant sounds (think low human range, cello, upright bass). I think it's the lacking sub-bass reproduction, they are certainly there and capable of being precise given the size of the drivers, but they are a little too pulled back. Similarly, high impact bass notes such as high precision kicks cannot cut through the cacaphony.
Mids are forward, and it does best with higher, clear timbre vocals, Esperanza Spaulding (her recordings are usually great though) coming through naturally for example. There is an excessive, resonant boost in the region of 900-5000hz that lends it a resonant, but necessarily detailed quality. It also makes volume balancing difficult as a countertenor will come whopping through if you adjust your volume for the orchestration. This furthers the effective rolling off of lows and highs as you have to lower the volume, or you pull it up, and that makes them rather tiring to listen to.
Highs are rolled off, which I was surprised by, given their explicitly neutral target curve and the price range. To me, it comes through as lack of detail, which, being an etymotics type of person, is not my jam.
Soundstage is a bit hard to describe, it is not expansive but it is not in your ear either, it is a bit like a Torus(donut) around your earcups. The imaging is not particularly articulate, I'm not picking instruments in any specific location in space. It's like two egg shapes extending to the back of my head with not much in front.
Conclusion
I am a little unsure who the m200s are going for, especially at this price. Given the limited bass reproduction and soundstage, coupled with the small cups, they are foregoing the three major benefits of large drivers and over the ear phones. I have iems that match them in those areas which seal better and are a lot more portable.
There aren't that many neutral, closed back, foldable over-the-ears out there so there definitely is some space for such headphones. K371? Haven't listened to them. Again though, the size of the ear-cups really make these more of an on-ear experience for all but small ears and so perhaps they should be compared to smaller contenders such as the hd25.
Given the uncomfortable in-between size of the cups, I might suggest going with the older XS in the v-moda family which has a slightly warmer but still on the neutral side (for v-moda) signature that might appeal to a larger group. Since they are designed to be on-ear, they have less pressure on your cheek muscles. They fold compactly and come similarly presented, taking even less space, and are 1/3rd the price.
Last edited:
SilverEars
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2013
- Posts
- 14,449
- Likes
- 6,473
I recommend trying out USB Audio Player Pro with Tidal if any of you have Android devices. I'm getting good sound out of this app out of my phone. It's really odd that this app has this much influence on the sound. I'm getting thumping bass, and it doesn't sound rolled off, and highs are better presented out of this app. I'm quite surprised that I'm getting such sound out of my smartphone. I think it's the app.
Did UAPP do something lately that improved the sound? Did they figure out way to get the smartphone to put out more power?
I know that these are pricier than K371, but K371 has too much upper-mids, more so than the M-200. The sound can get overwhelming due to this. I think the K371 has more bass presence, but quality is about the same.
Did UAPP do something lately that improved the sound? Did they figure out way to get the smartphone to put out more power?
I know that these are pricier than K371, but K371 has too much upper-mids, more so than the M-200. The sound can get overwhelming due to this. I think the K371 has more bass presence, but quality is about the same.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2012
- Posts
- 15,788
- Likes
- 2,328
A set of these arrived to my home yesterday too as part of their review invitational, build quality is sturdy and the sound is a bit narrow with some what forward vocals. I was surprised tho at the stage depth and overall quality of bass they presented. I'll have more in-depth impressions shortly as well!
Last edited:
Trunks159
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2012
- Posts
- 3,340
- Likes
- 186
Idk you guys. I'm curious as to what headphones you're comparing these to @AudioNoob
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2012
- Posts
- 15,788
- Likes
- 2,328
given the price and size I'll be comparing them to my emu purple heart, the AKG k371 an my old school HD 25-1 ii
right out the box I can tell they're not on par with The Ether CX that I personally use for mixing... not that I would expect them to be given the rather vast price difference
AudioNoob
1000+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2004
- Posts
- 1,341
- Likes
- 210
At this pricerange, there are a lot of options from K240s to Fostex/Maddogs, a little more would get you a Dan Clark Aeon. I don't have a collection of closed headphones at the moment but have had a range from K240s, hd280, mdr-v6. You could dampen some dt770s. There are less known Denons.
I think the problem is that the earphones are aiming at somewhere very specific, neutral/monitor like portable closed phones, and compromises some of their brand's natural affinities in trying. I also happen to be sensitive to imbalances and resonant peaks -_o(-_-)o_- I also happen to be Mx.Critical, there are plenty others to go for the glowing plenitudes
Last edited:
Well, they look really good, too, in the typical V-MODA style.I received the M-200 last night via the review program.
First off, these look awesome. I likely would have just bought black on my own, but I'd like them to match this set if I ever get a set of V-modas. My wife even commented, and she usually rolls her eyes at me when I rave about how good a headphone looks.
Comfort:
I owned a set of M-100 long ago, and comfort wasn't their strongsuit. This modern set fits my ears much better, allowing me to listen for a couple of hours without issue. With that said, I do with the pads were a bit deeper. I will be wearing them the whole workday today, doing a mix of teleconferencing and music-listening.... let's see how it goes!
Sound:
Interesting indeed. Not an M-100 in the slightest. These are a mid-focused set with what seems to be a similar bass rolloff to my HD6xx but with slightly less treble clarity. With that being said, I really do like how vocals sound. The excellent imaging paired with slightly boosted mids helps to capture finer nuances of the voice, keeping me up several hours later than usual last night. I look forward to diving deeper for the review, but am also a little turned off by the lack of treble sparkle for this price point. Take that with a grain of salt though, until I do some more listening across multiple albums and genres.
Additional Notes:
Sound Isolation in both directions = Fantastic.
The cable is a little too microphonic. Since it shoots out of the bottom, it catches by shoulder/collar and makes noise anytime I turn my head at all. I guess it doesn't help that I use an ultrawide monitor :-/
clamp force really isn't bothering me with these, maybe the new pads are the ticket.
I look forward to doing a deep dive and full review. This is certainly a quality set that deserves some Head-Fi critique. I'm very glad V-Moda made this all happen, I find that brands that embrace customer feedback usually produce much better products.
I'm actually interested in getting an M-200 as an on-the-go headphone, as my existing M-100 (and its brethren) have seen better days. They look a little worn from years of use.
I'll see if I'm able to get a hold of a pair for auditions. I did register for the Review Program, but I wasn't selected, unfortunately (or my submission went missing). In any case, I'm really eager to try them!
Otto Motor
Headphoneus Supremus
First impressions of the V-Moda M-200:
1. Sturdy build, metal frame reminiscent of my Beyerdynamic Custom Pro. So far so good.
2. Very tight fit and high clamp pressure on my big head. Hard to wear with glasses. Hmmm...
3. Flat tuning and flat soundstage: no widh or depth. Lacks sparkle. Not good.
4. Compared to my Sennheiser HD 600: the Senns are way more comfortable, have a warmer sound, much better staging and spatial cues. OK, they are open back...... and they are a plastic design and bulkier.
1. Sturdy build, metal frame reminiscent of my Beyerdynamic Custom Pro. So far so good.
2. Very tight fit and high clamp pressure on my big head. Hard to wear with glasses. Hmmm...
3. Flat tuning and flat soundstage: no widh or depth. Lacks sparkle. Not good.
4. Compared to my Sennheiser HD 600: the Senns are way more comfortable, have a warmer sound, much better staging and spatial cues. OK, they are open back...... and they are a plastic design and bulkier.
Last edited:
lawshredpower
100+ Head-Fier
Hey everyone! Here's my full review of the V-MODA M-200. Hope it contributes to the community!
Disclaimer
V-MODA has sent me this M-200 for review as part of their program. My opinion is strictly subjective and I have not received payment for it. Although, full disclosure, V-MODA will send me “something as a thank you for helping (sic)” afterwards.
I. Introduction
So, yes, the V-MODA M-200. As soon as I’ve heard about this review program my interested piqued. When I think V-MODA the picture that comes to mind is DJs wearing them live and posting pictures on social media. People with strange names I’ve never heard about. And then the M-200 comes out, allegedly kinda aimed towards audiophiles. When I say kinda I say because although the audiophile word is thrown here and there the product page seems more focused on DJs producing in the studio. But then again, V-MODA is owned by Roland Co. and I come from a professional guitar playing background. All those things considered, they got my curiosity. Costing $350, did V-MODA pull this off? Have they manage to release an audiophile-oriented pair of cans that can compete on its price range?
II. Packaging
Some may disagree, but sound is not everything. When I start paying more than a few bucks I expect to get my money’s worth on the full experience. Take the Sennheiser HD800S for example - it’s a $1500 pair of headphones. I love how they sound but they come boxed in a carton of eggs! I like some foreplay before the climax, it does help. I enjoy the pantomime I confess! The V-MODA M-200 seems to get this. The packaging is nice and the unboxing itself for the first time is a proper experience for a headphone with this looks and on that price range. Superior in this aspect to many rivals. Although my unit was clearly opened before it was repackaged neatly and I could enjoy the whole moment even if I didn’t need to peel any stickers.
Proper unboxing experience!
III. Aesthetics
OK, I need to be blunt. I never got the V-MODA whole aesthetic concept. They are angular, geometric, full of rivets. If I could describe the looks of the V-MODA product line I’d say “Neymar playing Fortnite”. I am not a 40 year-old hi-fi enthusiast that can only listen to his Debussy with a glass of cognac laying on his Herman Miller Eames Lounge Chair but still I see no appeal on the V-MODA visual. It looks like it was made by Razer. Something a kid would ask his mother to buy solely because it looks cool. They could keep their traditional lines and still design something less look-I-am-so-edgy.
Good looking and praised, but not my cup of tea.
IV. Built and Comfort
Well, I do not like how it looks, but how does it feel? The M-200 is indeed sturdy and has a nice finish. I’m not a fan of how this finish can leave finger marks so easily, like the Chord Mojo, but as long as you’re not sloppy you should be fine. Again, some quirks here seem to point this is a more mainstream-focused headphone, not audiophile or producer-oriented. So, one plug-only cable? I’m not sold on that, honestly. The cables running outside each cup look cool indeed, but at the same time I’d rather they stayed inside for protection. It would be safer to have one input for each side. What happens if those exposed cables break? Not user replaceable. It’s nice that the M-200 has cable inputs on each side so you can choose to wear your cable left or right. I’d love to test that nice touch but for the life of me I could not remove the cap! I was already risking damaging the plastic piece when I gave up. Too small for fingers, too tightly secure for tweezers. What am I missing here? The instruction booklet did not help me on that. Maybe I did something wrong here so take my experience with a grain of salt. On the other side of the spectrum the magnetic attachment for the pads are a much welcome inclusion firm and hassle-free.
Can I haz plug?
So what about comfort? They feel really light on the head. I’m a small headed guy and the M-200 feels tightly secured and comfortable even lying down. The cups are small for an over-ear headphone, so I suppose big eared people should have an on-ear vibe wearing these - it kinda did even for me. The padding feels nice and comfortable but the drivers are so close to the ear! I have fairly small ears and I can feel the whole driver protective cloth touching them. And this clearly has an impact on the sound. More on that later on.
Over/on-ears.
Noice.
Although the M-200 is comfortable and perfectly able to be used lying down and walking there’s a big con: try not to rub the cable on your clothes or the cans on your pillow/headrest. Everything is super microphonic. Give a tiny scratch on the cable with your fingers and you’ll hear it super loud inside your head. Even louder than the well criticized Focal Stellia cable.
V. Accessories
The M-200 is worth its price when it comes to accessories. A nice, small, well built pouch, 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter, carabiner clip, a cable with microphone and button control and a balanced cable. Everything looks fine for the price range (cool looking and good materials, and I honestly dig the quirky angular connector), although the carabiner clip is indeed fragile. A cable with a microphone shows again I’m not sure what V-MODA is trying to achieve with this product. What’s the demographic here? I am nitpicking for sure on this, so do not take my thoughts on that matter as a big concern of mine.
Pairs really well with this Peak Design Backpack.
All the case candy.
Well, at least the M-200 comes with a balanced cable for the more hifi-oriented clientele. Great! I can’t wait to try these cans on my balan- WHAT? A 3.5mm balanced cable? Now, seriously, this is the same as not including a balanced cable at all. Why 3.5mm? The more popular standards nowadays are 2.5mm and the 4.4mm connectors. Who uses 3.5mm balanced outputs? They do exist but are very unusual. I have no idea what motivated V-MODA to adopt this standard. Also, if a less tech-savvy consumer buy this some confusion may happen. So the 3.5mm balanced cable hangs between useless and dangerous. Since a japanese company owns V-MODA I’d expect a little bit more poka-yoke from their part. Would be better if V-MODA sold these headphones with only one cable and discounted the cost of the useless balanced 3.5mm one.
VI. Sound
Now the main factor. How does it sound? Well, I’m the kind of guy that needs that WOW factor during the first seconds of listening. Some details and opinions can only come from extended periods of testing, but you can always tell if you’re loving it on the first few moments. When I first plugged the M-200 my immediate reaction was: “well... it does not suck, phew!”. But unfortunately I cannot go further than that. I’ve heard a few puns in the past: “they have V even on their name!” and such. Gladly this is not a basshead boomy headphone nor a SUPER scooped one. But this is not a headphone I’d have. The bass is not super tight but it’s not loose. The highs are pleasantly present without being screechy. Not the most resolutive cans I’ve heard on the price range though. Everything sounds so tightly closed into your ears, like a band rehearsal on dad’s garage. I wonder if putting the drivers further apart the user’s ears would improve that. Sometimes I felt squished by the band playing. Maybe, as stated before on this thread, thicker, bigger pads would fix this. Sound isolation felt good and people around me could not notice any sound leakage.
A bed and a book: the M-200 is a good match.
The biggest problem with the sound lies in the upper mids. I would not say this is a properly V-shaped sound signature, but there’s something lacking so much. Vocals and specially high gain guitars get thrown so much back in the mix. If you switch between other headphones you can clearly tell the V-200 mid-range feels woody, like some tracks on the mix got recorded inside a wooden crate. I am a metal head since birth basically, and this range is especially precious for me and the type of music I listen. Maybe other users would not find that upper mid scoop that unpleasant but this is the main point to consider sound-wise when it comes to buy these.
And since V-MODA is owned by Roland Co. and before a hifi enthusiast I’m a musician, I’ve decided to try the M-200 as a monitoring headphone while playing guitar! This was actually a better use for it. The headphone feels like and snug on my head and does not get in the way when you’re shredding. That lack of upper mids do not impair proper monitoring when playing at home or recording. I would not recommend using it to mix or master though, but then again I would not recommend using headphones for that at all. And since they are fairly easy to drive, my cheap trustworthy Focusrite interface had no trouble pushing it.
Fit for shredding.
Also, they come with a microphone, so might as well try it. Sadly, the mic is garbage. Nothing special about it. Aliexpress level. Not ideal for Zoom calls daring these pandemic times. You’re better off using basically any TWS out there. I’d recommend these only for quick phone calls when you’re too lazy to remove the headphones before answering.
Can I call you later?
VII. Conclusion
All things considered, the V-MODA M-200 can be a good option on its price range. The case is cool, the headphone is well built and portable. Anything can push it, even the iPhone snap firecracker. If you don’t mind all my peeves listed above, why not? To be honest, during the test I could not a/b test it against similarly priced rivals but then again the Focal Listen cost a bit less than the M-200 and is much more to my liking. I’ve missed it a lot during the testing. If the closed back design and/or portability is not a must-have to you, the Sennheiser HD600 still reigns supreme on the M-200’s price range when it comes do sound. The comfort the M-200 provides laying down is not something to take for granted though. That’s very unusual for a pair of headphones on my experience, go ahead and ready a book by the bed using it and it will be a pleasant moment. Congrats to V-MODA, but still not quite there for me. And please ditch the 3.5mm balanced cable.
Gear used
Chord Hugo TT2
Astell & Kern AK380 + amp
Astell & Kern SE200
Chord Mojo
Apple garbage dongle
Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 1st gen
Tidal
Roon
HQPlayer
Some of the albums played
Van Halen - Van Halen
Van Halen - Live: Right Here, Right Now
Van Halen - 5150
Kiss - Creatures of The Night
Freak Kitchen - Confusion to the Enemy
Freak Kitchen - Cooking with Pagans
Bryan Beller - View
Dream Theater - Awake
Whitesnake - Slip of the Tongue 30th anniversary remaster
Steve Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - Couldn’t Stand the Weather
Disclaimer
V-MODA has sent me this M-200 for review as part of their program. My opinion is strictly subjective and I have not received payment for it. Although, full disclosure, V-MODA will send me “something as a thank you for helping (sic)” afterwards.
I. Introduction
So, yes, the V-MODA M-200. As soon as I’ve heard about this review program my interested piqued. When I think V-MODA the picture that comes to mind is DJs wearing them live and posting pictures on social media. People with strange names I’ve never heard about. And then the M-200 comes out, allegedly kinda aimed towards audiophiles. When I say kinda I say because although the audiophile word is thrown here and there the product page seems more focused on DJs producing in the studio. But then again, V-MODA is owned by Roland Co. and I come from a professional guitar playing background. All those things considered, they got my curiosity. Costing $350, did V-MODA pull this off? Have they manage to release an audiophile-oriented pair of cans that can compete on its price range?
II. Packaging
Some may disagree, but sound is not everything. When I start paying more than a few bucks I expect to get my money’s worth on the full experience. Take the Sennheiser HD800S for example - it’s a $1500 pair of headphones. I love how they sound but they come boxed in a carton of eggs! I like some foreplay before the climax, it does help. I enjoy the pantomime I confess! The V-MODA M-200 seems to get this. The packaging is nice and the unboxing itself for the first time is a proper experience for a headphone with this looks and on that price range. Superior in this aspect to many rivals. Although my unit was clearly opened before it was repackaged neatly and I could enjoy the whole moment even if I didn’t need to peel any stickers.
Proper unboxing experience!
III. Aesthetics
OK, I need to be blunt. I never got the V-MODA whole aesthetic concept. They are angular, geometric, full of rivets. If I could describe the looks of the V-MODA product line I’d say “Neymar playing Fortnite”. I am not a 40 year-old hi-fi enthusiast that can only listen to his Debussy with a glass of cognac laying on his Herman Miller Eames Lounge Chair but still I see no appeal on the V-MODA visual. It looks like it was made by Razer. Something a kid would ask his mother to buy solely because it looks cool. They could keep their traditional lines and still design something less look-I-am-so-edgy.
Good looking and praised, but not my cup of tea.
IV. Built and Comfort
Well, I do not like how it looks, but how does it feel? The M-200 is indeed sturdy and has a nice finish. I’m not a fan of how this finish can leave finger marks so easily, like the Chord Mojo, but as long as you’re not sloppy you should be fine. Again, some quirks here seem to point this is a more mainstream-focused headphone, not audiophile or producer-oriented. So, one plug-only cable? I’m not sold on that, honestly. The cables running outside each cup look cool indeed, but at the same time I’d rather they stayed inside for protection. It would be safer to have one input for each side. What happens if those exposed cables break? Not user replaceable. It’s nice that the M-200 has cable inputs on each side so you can choose to wear your cable left or right. I’d love to test that nice touch but for the life of me I could not remove the cap! I was already risking damaging the plastic piece when I gave up. Too small for fingers, too tightly secure for tweezers. What am I missing here? The instruction booklet did not help me on that. Maybe I did something wrong here so take my experience with a grain of salt. On the other side of the spectrum the magnetic attachment for the pads are a much welcome inclusion firm and hassle-free.
Can I haz plug?
So what about comfort? They feel really light on the head. I’m a small headed guy and the M-200 feels tightly secured and comfortable even lying down. The cups are small for an over-ear headphone, so I suppose big eared people should have an on-ear vibe wearing these - it kinda did even for me. The padding feels nice and comfortable but the drivers are so close to the ear! I have fairly small ears and I can feel the whole driver protective cloth touching them. And this clearly has an impact on the sound. More on that later on.
Over/on-ears.
Noice.
Although the M-200 is comfortable and perfectly able to be used lying down and walking there’s a big con: try not to rub the cable on your clothes or the cans on your pillow/headrest. Everything is super microphonic. Give a tiny scratch on the cable with your fingers and you’ll hear it super loud inside your head. Even louder than the well criticized Focal Stellia cable.
V. Accessories
The M-200 is worth its price when it comes to accessories. A nice, small, well built pouch, 3.5mm to 6.35mm adapter, carabiner clip, a cable with microphone and button control and a balanced cable. Everything looks fine for the price range (cool looking and good materials, and I honestly dig the quirky angular connector), although the carabiner clip is indeed fragile. A cable with a microphone shows again I’m not sure what V-MODA is trying to achieve with this product. What’s the demographic here? I am nitpicking for sure on this, so do not take my thoughts on that matter as a big concern of mine.
Pairs really well with this Peak Design Backpack.
All the case candy.
Well, at least the M-200 comes with a balanced cable for the more hifi-oriented clientele. Great! I can’t wait to try these cans on my balan- WHAT? A 3.5mm balanced cable? Now, seriously, this is the same as not including a balanced cable at all. Why 3.5mm? The more popular standards nowadays are 2.5mm and the 4.4mm connectors. Who uses 3.5mm balanced outputs? They do exist but are very unusual. I have no idea what motivated V-MODA to adopt this standard. Also, if a less tech-savvy consumer buy this some confusion may happen. So the 3.5mm balanced cable hangs between useless and dangerous. Since a japanese company owns V-MODA I’d expect a little bit more poka-yoke from their part. Would be better if V-MODA sold these headphones with only one cable and discounted the cost of the useless balanced 3.5mm one.
VI. Sound
Now the main factor. How does it sound? Well, I’m the kind of guy that needs that WOW factor during the first seconds of listening. Some details and opinions can only come from extended periods of testing, but you can always tell if you’re loving it on the first few moments. When I first plugged the M-200 my immediate reaction was: “well... it does not suck, phew!”. But unfortunately I cannot go further than that. I’ve heard a few puns in the past: “they have V even on their name!” and such. Gladly this is not a basshead boomy headphone nor a SUPER scooped one. But this is not a headphone I’d have. The bass is not super tight but it’s not loose. The highs are pleasantly present without being screechy. Not the most resolutive cans I’ve heard on the price range though. Everything sounds so tightly closed into your ears, like a band rehearsal on dad’s garage. I wonder if putting the drivers further apart the user’s ears would improve that. Sometimes I felt squished by the band playing. Maybe, as stated before on this thread, thicker, bigger pads would fix this. Sound isolation felt good and people around me could not notice any sound leakage.
A bed and a book: the M-200 is a good match.
The biggest problem with the sound lies in the upper mids. I would not say this is a properly V-shaped sound signature, but there’s something lacking so much. Vocals and specially high gain guitars get thrown so much back in the mix. If you switch between other headphones you can clearly tell the V-200 mid-range feels woody, like some tracks on the mix got recorded inside a wooden crate. I am a metal head since birth basically, and this range is especially precious for me and the type of music I listen. Maybe other users would not find that upper mid scoop that unpleasant but this is the main point to consider sound-wise when it comes to buy these.
And since V-MODA is owned by Roland Co. and before a hifi enthusiast I’m a musician, I’ve decided to try the M-200 as a monitoring headphone while playing guitar! This was actually a better use for it. The headphone feels like and snug on my head and does not get in the way when you’re shredding. That lack of upper mids do not impair proper monitoring when playing at home or recording. I would not recommend using it to mix or master though, but then again I would not recommend using headphones for that at all. And since they are fairly easy to drive, my cheap trustworthy Focusrite interface had no trouble pushing it.
Fit for shredding.
Also, they come with a microphone, so might as well try it. Sadly, the mic is garbage. Nothing special about it. Aliexpress level. Not ideal for Zoom calls daring these pandemic times. You’re better off using basically any TWS out there. I’d recommend these only for quick phone calls when you’re too lazy to remove the headphones before answering.
Can I call you later?
VII. Conclusion
All things considered, the V-MODA M-200 can be a good option on its price range. The case is cool, the headphone is well built and portable. Anything can push it, even the iPhone snap firecracker. If you don’t mind all my peeves listed above, why not? To be honest, during the test I could not a/b test it against similarly priced rivals but then again the Focal Listen cost a bit less than the M-200 and is much more to my liking. I’ve missed it a lot during the testing. If the closed back design and/or portability is not a must-have to you, the Sennheiser HD600 still reigns supreme on the M-200’s price range when it comes do sound. The comfort the M-200 provides laying down is not something to take for granted though. That’s very unusual for a pair of headphones on my experience, go ahead and ready a book by the bed using it and it will be a pleasant moment. Congrats to V-MODA, but still not quite there for me. And please ditch the 3.5mm balanced cable.
Gear used
Chord Hugo TT2
Astell & Kern AK380 + amp
Astell & Kern SE200
Chord Mojo
Apple garbage dongle
Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 1st gen
Tidal
Roon
HQPlayer
Some of the albums played
Van Halen - Van Halen
Van Halen - Live: Right Here, Right Now
Van Halen - 5150
Kiss - Creatures of The Night
Freak Kitchen - Confusion to the Enemy
Freak Kitchen - Cooking with Pagans
Bryan Beller - View
Dream Theater - Awake
Whitesnake - Slip of the Tongue 30th anniversary remaster
Steve Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - Couldn’t Stand the Weather
Last edited:
sov73811
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 10, 2016
- Posts
- 126
- Likes
- 105
I was kinda hoping to have a full review by now as I've had these for over a month but really haven't had nearly as much time as I had hoped with the M-200. But...do any of you have any KSC-75 foam pads (or even HD600 foam that can be cut up) laying around? If so, remove the pads and throw the foam on top of the drivers and then give the sound a listen. If my ears are any indicator, you should get a bit more bass and calm the midrange a bit.
Khan SW
Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 2, 2017
- Posts
- 77
- Likes
- 87
@lawshredpower Beautiful review, I'm however more interested in what model PRS that is and how do you find the Kemper to work out? Is it truly worth the cost as I've been taking a serious look at it for a while now.
Users who are viewing this thread
