Tested using Methodology v1.3.1
Review updated Sep 08, 2016 at 12:11 pm
Latest change: Test bench update Nov 21, 2019 at 11:22 am
By Sam Vafaei and Marc Henney
6.1
Mixed Usage
7.2
Neutral Sound
5.9
Commute/Travel
6.2
Sports/Fitness
6.0
Office
5.1
Wireless Gaming
6.9
Wired Gaming
6.0
Phone Call
+ Create your own
overview test results deals 0 comments
Type Over-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless No
Transducer Dynamic
Noise Cancelling No
Mic Yes
The V-MODA Crossfade M-100 are stylish and customizable headphones, with an above-average sound for critical listening. They have a durable build quality and a stable, comfortable fit. However, they feel slightly tight on your head and they struggle in loud environments. They don't block noise well and leak quite a bit at higher volumes.
Our Verdict
6.1 Mixed Usage
The V-MODA Crossfade M-100 are decent headphones for everyday casual use. They have a tough, durable build quality and an above-average sound quality. Unfortunately, they're not versatile enough for all use cases. They leak quite a bit and don't isolate well in loud environments.
Pros
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Good audio reproduction.
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Comfortable and stable fit.
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Sturdy and durable design.
Cons
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Poor noise isolation.
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Leaky at high volumes.
7.2 Neutral Sound
The V-MODA Crossfade M-100 are above-average for neutral listening. They're a bit tight but comfortable enough for long listening sessions. They deliver decent sound quality with good bass, relatively well-balanced instruments and vocals, and a competent soundstage despite their closed-back design.
See our Neutral Sound Recommendations
5.9 Commute/Travel
The V-MODA Crossfade M-100 are subpar for commuting. They poorly prevent ambient noise from entering your audio, which isn't ideal for noisy flights or for commuting via public transit.
See our Commute/Travel Recommendations
6.2 Sports/Fitness
The V-MODA Crossfade M-100 are decent for sports. They're tight, and the ear cups are relatively flat on your ears which prevents them from swaying if used while running or exercising. However, they're a bit bulky and will get a little hot and steamy during intense workouts, especially if you sweat a lot. Their control scheme is also not the best.
See our Sports/Fitness Recommendations
6.0 Office
The V-MODA Crossfade M-100 are mediocre for office use. They won't isolate you very well from the chatter of a lively office, and they're also a bit leaky at high volumes.
See our Office Recommendations
5.1 Wireless Gaming
6.9 Wired Gaming
6.0 Phone Call
- 6.1 Mixed Usage
- 7.2 Neutral Sound
- 5.9 Commute/Travel
- 6.2 Sports/Fitness
- 6.0 Office
- 5.1 Wireless Gaming
- 6.9 Wired Gaming
- 6.0 Phone Call
+ Create your own
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Feb 16, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
- Updated Oct 02, 2017: The microphone has been tested with our new methodology, as explained here
- Updated Aug 10, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
- Updated Mar 01, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Sep 08, 2016: Review published.
- Updated Sep 06, 2016: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Aug 09, 2016: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Compared To Other Headphones
See our recommendations for the best over-ear headphones, the best wired headphones, and the best studio headphones.
Test Results
Design
Type Over-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless No
Transducer Dynamic
The V-MODA Crossfade M-100 have an industrial yet modern aesthetic that looks good but won't work for everyone. They come in a variety of colors, and you can customize the backplate with a personal logo or insignia. These headphones will stick out in public with their eye-catching and unique design which, depending on your personal taste, could be a good or a bad thing.
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7.0 Design
Weight 0.62 lbs
Clamping Force
The V-MODA Crossfade M-100 are decently comfortable headphones that are a bit tight on the head. The ear cups are large and will fit around most listeners' ears. However, the cups are a little shallow, and the headband is a bit tight. Thanks to the decently cushioned ear cups, the tension of these headphones isn't too noticeable but might cause slight discomfort over long listening sessions.
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LEARN ABOUT COMFORT
5.3 Design
OS Compatibility
Ease Of Use Good
Feedback Mediocre
Call/Music Control Yes
Volume Control No
Microphone Control No
Channel Mixing
Noise Cancelling Control N/A
Talk-Through
Additional Buttons No
The V-MODA Crossfade M-100 have a mediocre control scheme. The standard audio cable that comes with them only has one button and a mic. The button provides call/music and track skipping, but no volume controls. It's also a bit too rubberized, which doesn't deliver good tactile feedback. However, V-MODA offers more optional cables like a three-button mic cable, as well as the BoomPro mic dongle and CoilPro coiled audio cable with in-line controls.
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LEARN ABOUT CONTROLS
6.2 Design
Avg.Temp.Difference 6.5 °C
They get moderately hot if you have them on for more than 30 minutes. It's not super uncomfortable, but you feel a noticeable difference that might keep you from listening to your audio for extended periods. Furthermore, they won't be the ideal headphones to take to the gym due to their closed-back design and leather-like padding, preventing a lot of air flow within the ear cups.
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LEARN ABOUT BREATHABILITY
6.1 Design
L 5.25"
W 5.38"
H 3.38"
Volume 95.47 in³
Transmitter Required N/A
The V-MODA Crossfade M-100 are decently portable. They're mid-sized over-ear headphones that fold into a very compact format that'll fit into smaller bags and purses. Unfortunately, they're too big to fit in larger jacket pockets, so they'll be a bit of a hassle to carry around on your person without a bag.
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LEARN ABOUT PORTABILITY
8.5 Design
Type Hard case
L 6"
W 5.5"
H 4"
Volume 132 in³
They come with one of the best cases we've tested. The hard case is compact and will protect them from scratches, water damage, and falls. It's a tough, durable case that's also quite portable.
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LEARN ABOUT CASE
8.0 Design
The V-MODA Crossfade M-100 have a good build quality. The headband has a lightweight, metal frame that feels sturdy, and flexible enough to handle a decent amount of physical stress. The ear cups are made of a dense plastic that won't easily break from a few falls. However, the customizable metal plate attached to the ear cups may get scratched through regular wear and tear. The cable that links the two ear cups is also somewhat exposed and could get damaged easier than the rest of the build.
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LEARN ABOUT BUILD QUALITY
7.5 Design
These headphones are quite stable. The tight headband and flat ear cups apply decent pressure around the ear and don't sway during exercise. These aren't sports headphones, but their design is stable enough to use while running or jogging. However, they're still a little too bulky and cumbersome to use at the gym or while doing strenuous physical activity.
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LEARN ABOUT STABILITY
Design
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Design
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Design
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Design
- V-MODA Crossfade M-100 headphones
- Carrying case
- 1/4" to 1/8" adapter
- Audio cable
- SharePlay Audio Cable
- Manual
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Sound
Bass Amount
Treble Amount
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LEARN ABOUT SOUND PROFILE
6.9 Sound
Avg. Std. Deviation
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LEARN ABOUT FREQUENCY RESPONSE CONSISTENCY
Sound
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LEARN ABOUT RAW FREQUENCY RESPONSE
7.8 Sound
Std. Err.
Low-Frequency Extension
Low-Bass
Mid-Bass
High-Bass
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LEARN ABOUT BASS ACCURACY
8.1 Sound
Std. Err.
Low-Mid
Mid-Mid
High-Mid
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LEARN ABOUT MID ACCURACY
6.8 Sound
Std. Err.
Low-Treble
Mid-Treble
High-Treble
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LEARN ABOUT TREBLE ACCURACY
6.6 Sound
Peaks
Dips
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LEARN ABOUT PEAKS/DIPS
7.9 Sound
Weighted Group Delay
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
Weighted Phase Mismatch
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LEARN ABOUT IMAGING
5.8 Sound
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
PRTF Size (Avg.)
PRTF Distance
Openness 4.9
Acoustic Space Excitation 4.2
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LEARN ABOUT SOUNDSTAGE
7.8 Sound
WHD @ 90
WHD @ 100
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LEARN ABOUT WEIGHTED HARMONIC DISTORTION
4.9 Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
Noise Cancelling No
Bass
Mid
Treble
These headphones have poor isolation. They don't have active noise cancellation and perform as expected. The passive isolation starts to kick in at around 400Hz, and reaching its maximum at around 3kHz. However, the amount of isolation provided in the mid-range is quite poor, and the isolation achieved in the treble range is only decent.
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LEARN ABOUT NOISE ISOLATION
6.7 Isolation
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
These headphones have poor leakage. They leak a bit more than most closed-back over-ears. The significant portion of leakage is between 300Hz and 6kHz, which is rather broad. However, the overall level of leakage is low.
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LEARN ABOUT LEAKAGE
Microphone
Integrated
In-line
Boom
Detachable Boom
Mic Yes
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LEARN ABOUT MICROPHONE STYLE
6.0 Microphone
Recorded Speech
LFE
FR Std. Dev.
HFE
Weighted THD
Gain
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LEARN ABOUT RECORDING QUALITY
6.5 Microphone
Speech + Pink Noise
Speech + Subway Noise
SpNR
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LEARN ABOUT NOISE HANDLING
not tested Active Features
Battery Type
Continuous Battery Life
Additional Charges
Total Battery Life
Charge Time
Power Saving Feature
Audio While Charging
Passive Playback
Charging Port N/A
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LEARN ABOUT BATTERY
0 Active Features
App Name N/A
iOS N/A
Android N/A
macOS N/A
Windows N/A
Equalizer
ANC Control
Mic Control N/A
Room effects
Playback Control
Button Mapping N/A
Surround Sound N/A
These headphones have no compatible app.
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LEARN ABOUT APP SUPPORT
0 Connectivity
Bluetooth Version
Multi-Device Pairing
NFC Pairing
Line of Sight Range
Default Latency
aptX Latency
aptX(LL) Latency
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LEARN ABOUT BLUETOOTH
0 Connectivity
Non-BT Line of Sight Range
Non-BT Latency
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LEARN ABOUT NON-BLUETOOTH WIRELESS
9.5 Connectivity
Analog Audio
USB Audio
Detachable Yes
Length 4.33 ft
Connection 1/8" TRRS
Wired Latency
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LEARN ABOUT WIRED
Connectivity
PC / PS4 Analog
PC / PS4 Wired USB
PC / PS4 Non-BT Wireless
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LEARN ABOUT PC / PS4 COMPATIBILITY
Connectivity
Xbox One Analog
Xbox One Wired USB
Xbox One Wireless
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LEARN ABOUT XBOX ONE COMPATIBILITY
0 Connectivity
Type
USB Input
Line In
Line Out
Optical Input
RCA Input
Dock Charging
Power Supply
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LEARN ABOUT BASE/DOCK