****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
V-Moda is a brand that has always been very fashion forward. It was until the M80 and M100 in which they were able take traction and gain popularity by merging their designs with respectable acoustics that was generally pleasing to a wide range of people. Now, they have finally taken what made them popular and removed the wires. This is the new Crossfade Wireless.The box is a bit taller than the M100’s version because there is no longer the click fold hinge that allowed the headphone to collapse in upon self, rendering the new Crossfade wireless not as portable. This may be a deal breaker to some, but the included case is still of quality and attempts to minimize its footprint by molding its shape to the headphone. Included in the box is a spare set of shields usually this will be the custom set you’ve created. You have your quick guide and warranty information especially informing you about V-Moda’s kick ass immortal life program. Inside the specially molded clamshell zipper case you’ll find the micro USB cable to charge your headphones and the 1 button with an in-line microphone cable allowing you to use the Crossfade wireless in passive mode in the event the battery dies or you simply yearn for the best possibly sound quality. And at last you have the clip to mount the case on a bag or your belt.The Crossfade Wireless retains the same incredibly rugged and sexy design as the M-100 and LP series. What’s even more amazing is that it keeps the same size even despite now housing internal electronics to allow wireless connectivity. I have the XL pads installed and these offer improved cushion depth, a bigger soundstage and a smoother sound as well a wider ear diameter for superior comfort over the stock pads. A much recommended upgrade. The headband offers substantial padding to avoid hot points at the top of the head and remains aesthetically pleasing by not being overly bulky and/or not aligning to the curvature of your head. In summary, these are gorgeous, well-built headphones that can easily withstand everyday wear and tear and if you do break them, the immortal life program is an option.The location of the wireless controls are fairly intuitive. On the top left we have the volume down button. On the top middle, we have the multi button, play, pause, answer and reject calls as well as activating your voice assistant and on the top right we have the volume up button. Moving down we have a single rocker that when pushed to the middle turns on the headphone and pairs it to the last known device and when pushed and held to the far right for 2-3 seconds puts it in pairing mode. The Crossfade wireless can be connected to 2 devices at once, for example a smart watch and a smart phone or a smart phone and a tablet.The M-100 was at a time my favorite headphone, but it was until I ventured off into what other high quality portable offerings were available that made me see its flaws. The M-100 is undeniably a pleasing and fun sounding headphone with stunning bass performance, but its resolution and coherency leaved some to be desired. The Crossfade Wireless is a welcoming improvement. By taking the famous M-100 sound and fine tuning the frequency response balance to be more linear as well as brining out more resolving power to allow the subtle textures and harmonic low level details to surface has resulted in being my favorite Bluetooth headphone, period and possibly being my overall “favorite” sounding headphone surpassing the Master & Dynamic MH40. Yes, these are that DAMN good. When in Bluetooth operation, the following said about the sound quality of the Crossfade Wireless is still mostly the same, but it just doesn’t have the same level of detail and overall focus as when it is wired and plugged into a fine setup. Other than that, these are the best sounding Bluetooth headphones I have heard and owned surpassing the Parrot Zik 2, Sennheiser Momentum Wireless, Sony XB950BT, Bang & Olufsen H8, Definitive Technology Symphony 1, Beats Studio Wireless, Beats Solo2 Wireless, Samsung Level Over and Bowers & Wilkins P5 Wireless. The sound of Crossfade wireless is still immediately on the fun sounding side of the spectrum, but still very refined and coherent. No part of the frequency range is absent.The bass extends endlessly and punches you with no mercy when the song calls for it. This is one of the most downright seductive bass presentations that I have ever heard and it manages to integrate into the midrange quite stupendously well without destroying that whole octave. The midrange is still a bit relaxed, but it’s more neutral sounding than the M100 and sounds clean and proportionally well represented. Vocals sound rich and full even whilst the bass is turning the skin on your face into water waves. The treble seems a bit more present and extended over the M100, but most importantly, it’s a cleaner and more natural sounding treble which really helps clean up the initial transients thus improving imaging and granting the Crossfade Wireless a very, very good soundstage for a closed back and among my best performers in that region.Now, these aren’t my best sounding portables, but they are not far from it whilst retaining a character that grants them undeniable enjoy ability. I love to be able hear every single thing in the recording, but I more importantly enjoy feeling the emotion in the recording more and this is where the Crossfade Wireless excels.
