New V-MODA (White) M-80 headphone - review

[dalethorn]

I got this a few days ago and wrote this review from scratch, even though I had a previous review on the original M-80. For one thing the appearance of this white M-80 is amazing - makes my white B&W P3 look very bland by comparison. But I think they improved the sound too.

 

V-MODA (White) M-80 headphone review - HiFi Headphones Forum - online headphone & earphone community forums

[HiFiInsider]

No video?

[dalethorn]

Video comes last. The thing I've decided about video, since it's spontaneous and ad-lib, is I need to be well rehearsed since I'm describing the physical headphone, the sound, and maybe using terms I wasn't familiar with before acquiring the new device. So the text review is edited and re-edited over many hours until everything is just right, and that becomes the major support for the video. Eventually I want to not only describe the sound accurately in the video, but be able to contrast it with other similar items. That's important because saying "This headphone has great bass" is totally meaningless without a reference point. But, as time goes on I'll be able to refine my methods. The feedback from Youtube users helps.

 

Some photos, taken with the iPhone4s:

http://dalethorn.com/Photos/iPhone4s/Headphone_Vmoda_M80_01.jpg

http://dalethorn.com/Photos/iPhone4s/Headphone_Vmoda_M80_02.jpg

[crazy4cans]

I got this a few days ago and wrote this review from scratch, even though I had a previous review on the original M-80. For one thing the appearance of this white M-80 is amazing - makes my white B&W P3 look very bland by comparison. But I think they improved the sound too.

 

V-MODA (White) M-80 headphone review - HiFi Headphones Forum - online headphone & earphone community forums

 

Dale your reviews are a very good read. Keep up the good work! I thought Dave Solomon's review on headphones.com was very good too and I bought on that recommendation. Your seems to agree with his somewhat: https://www.headphones.com/Headphones/V-Moda-M-80-SHADOW-CROSSFADE-M-80-On-Ear-Headphones-with-Apple-Mic-3-Button-Remote-Shadow-M-80-SHADOW-69654.html

 

Wish I had known the white was coming, I love the way it looks.

[dalethorn]

Dale your reviews are a very good read. Keep up the good work! I thought Dave Solomon's review on headphones.com was very good too and I bought on that recommendation. Your seems to agree with his somewhat: https://www.headphones.com/Headphones/V-Moda-M-80-SHADOW-CROSSFADE-M-80-On-Ear-Headphones-with-Apple-Mic-3-Button-Remote-Shadow-M-80-SHADOW-69654.html Wish I had known the white was coming, I love the way it looks.

 

Thanks! I double-checked that link, and there's a lot of detail there. The reviews of the M80 have been overwhelmingly favorable, and here's a little tip that I didn't include in my review to prevent confusion: If you look at Tyll's video review of the M80, it's positive of course, but he picks the nits here and there, mentioning "congestion" as a byproduct of having very small earcups. I'm not sure I entirely agree, and here's why: The factors that make certain sound characteristics are not usually simple - they're usually complex. So in my case when I get a little nagging feeling that I'm hearing congestion or dryness or anything that subtracts from the sense of "liveness", I increase the treble slightly. For instance, in Foobar2000 on the computer, I'll set the 14 khz slider to plus 6 and each lower slider to one less until I'm flat at 1.8 khz. That usually fixes the "congestion".

 

But whatever you do, I recommend experimenting, because the basic quality of the M80 is excellent with outstanding (in my opinion) bass that doesn't color the mids. When I use EQ it isn't to fix a bad headphone, it's just to adjust a good headphone to perfection. The trick is to not create those large narrow peaks and dips - use moderate adjustments and keep them smooth from slider to slider.

 

On the colors, the red/black and the white are very different visual experiences. Both are done very well by the v-moda guys.

[dalethorn]

Here's my video review from tonight:

V-MODA M-80 White Stereo Headphone Review by Dale - YouTube