V-Moda XS On-Ear Folding Headphones (Matte Black)

Being a travelling Audio Visual Technician, the most important headphone attributes to me are durability, compactness, professional features & a reliably true representation of sound. I took months deciding which new headphones would best suit me & the V-Moda XS appears to balance all these needs in equal measure. I’d prefer writing a 6-month review but am so impressed after just 2 days that I couldn’t wait to shout about this great find. Subjectively, this review won’t be music to everyone’s ears but from my perspective it already feels like V-Moda have eliminated every single issue I’ve encountered over a 15-year career working with portable monitoring headphones & crafted the XS’s just for me, in one awesome looking package to boot: bonus. Delivered to my local collection point at the time promised & in a sturdy, attractive product box. The included zip-up travel case, which snugly holds folded headphones & cable, fits in the palm of my hand & seems solid enough for a kick-about at Twickenham. It’s hard, contoured design minimises wasted space & benefits from the natural structural integrity of the clam shell it resembles. I’ve removed the mini carabiner supplied but it could easily clip onto bag, belt-loop or bike if that’s how you roll. The headphones themselves are very compact, folded or unfolded. Their strikingly unique design is aggressively modern with a nod to retro-aviation, while the engineering & quality displayed by the all-metal framework, hinges & screws exceeds high-end equivalents at twice the price from long-established manufactures. The hinges make a reassuringly satisfying metallic click when opened or closed, which sounds pure class & lets you know they’re ready for business. There’s a good amount of padding on the headband which fits my small head well with arms fully retracted. Each arm extends about an inch so all but the most boffin-sized noggins should be off to the races. While the headband lies evenly across my head without gaps, it’s not particularly grippy so not suited to sports use but listening on the bus/at home/work/studio should pose no problems. The on-ear cups fit perfectly & snugly over my wee ears but the larger over-ear V-Moda headphones may be more comfortable for prolonged listening periods if overall size isn’t an issue for you. There’s enough flex & memory in the headband for DJ’s to use off-the-neck, though the cups themselves don’t swivel on left/right axis – only up/down ensuring a good seal with ears. I’m no DJ so personal preference is advised. Overall weight & bulk are surprisingly low considering all that lovely aluminium, giving comfort in use or at rest around the neck. Although bass-heads may prefer a louder headphone with bias towards a fuller low-end drive, this wasn’t important to me & I found the bass clean, punchy & well defined without interference to other frequencies or vice versa. My reference audio files have never sounded better & I’m able to pick out all the small nuances that give me a kick from song to song, though I’ve only had other on-ear headphones for comparison. Incoming & outgoing noise isolation through the closed-back cups is good enough for me but not 100% so use in extremely noisy or silent environments may be semi-problematic to some. A medium length & highly visible orange braided cable is included, which features in-line mic & call button for use with phones + natty 45degree angled jack at source end – bit of a gimmick but one of several USP’s which represent the attention to detail breathed over every inch of this product. Some have mentioned cable sends noise through mic when rubbed on clothing but personally untested nor relevant to how I’ll use these headphones so either way I couldn’t give a monkey’s myself. The cable is fully detachable/replaceable (essential for pro cans) but what makes this model stand out are the twin inputs on left & right cups, meaning you can choose which side to plumb into: sounds like another gimmick but in reality, I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve been distracted in the past by a cable trailing across my ever-changing workspaces & sound desks. It’s also good having the back-up port if one fails outside warranty. Equally impressive is the option to use the second port as a pick-up for your BFF’s cans too if you feel like sharing, or at a push send a monitored feed from your desk if running short on outputs. The ports can be blanked-off with small plastic bungs, which are fiddly for large fingers but worth having & using all the same. I’m a huge fan of the standard jacks supplied, which firmly push-in/pull-out without needing a twist – I’ve found locking cables a weak point on other headphones & a frustration when cables can’t be interchanged nor quickly uncoupled for moving about the studio. I’m surprised no ¼ inch jack adapter supplied & would prefer inclusion of longer coiled cable option as standard but these are my only negatives, which I’m happy to accept if helps keep unit cost of such thoughtfully produced kit this low. The fixed cable linking left & right cups, although fully braided itself, is partly exposed either end between headband & cups so needs a certain amount of respect (i.e., zipped away during storage or in transit). Spare cables, ear pads & other accessories are available as options, as are personalised side plates which look seriously tempting but may not be easily available in the UK. The slightly cheaper silver & white XS option will look good to the Mrs or out on the street but my industry is black all the way & mine are proper, full-on stealth-bomber black. 2-year warranty + Immortal Life guarantee tells me this product is built to last & that V-Moda is a serious audio player I want to do business with. It’s no surprise design, style & engineering come from California, Italy & Japan respectively, though I note final assembly (whatever that stretches to) occurs in China. Pretty standard I guess but still disappointed my hard-earned is funding a kleptocracy. You can buy cheaper, smaller headphones that are basic, ugly, tinny & will fall apart or plush, all singing, all dancing studio cans at the expense of valuable space & cost. The V-Moda XS seems to take the best from all these worlds & is like nothing else I’ve seen. Great sound & features, ridiculously portable, beautiful design & build quality that genuinely raises the bar. In an ideal world, headphones would last me 5 years plus: This is the first set I’ve owned that look like they could actually deliver that small slice of utopia. I commend V-Moda for producing a set of headphones absolutely unique to the market at a price I’m happy to pay…I’d probably pay a little more if I knew production took place alongside design or engineering. Very much looking forward to using in anger at a sound desk or video camera near you all soon… UPDATE: Used for a few weeks now & these cans just keep making me happier! Absolutely no ear pain experienced even after 3+ hours constant use. The headband makes contact across the width of my cranium, which disperses weight well. Great sound quality across the board. Small solid case fits any nook & cranny in bag & kept headphones in perfect condition on working road trip across Europe. I can confirm the cable does send noise to cans/mic during calls when rubbed on clothing but I think this is a trait of all braided cables - I still prefer braided for durability & this doesn't bother; if it did I would just swap out the cable. I've tested these with other jack to jack cables & they all work fine. Phones are comfortable around neck & cable easy to plug-in whilst wearing. Even at full volume I've found little distortion to sound. I don't use for pleasure listening - If I did I'd definitely want louder drivers & would opt for larger over-ear model. UPDATE 2: A couple of months of professional use have exposed an issue. Cups started to wobble, on closer inspection 7 of the 8 hinge screws were very loose, the 8th was missing completely. Ordered replacement screws (M1.6 x 3mm) from auction site then tightened with allen key (1.5mm) using threadlock. 2 further weeks of use & threadlock is doing its job well - cups feel firm once more. Problem rectified & still in love with these cans, just sad & surprised to find a major fault so soon after purchase.

Sonido balanceado, pero con mucho detalle. Se aprecian detalles que jamás habías escuchado en tus canciones. Los altos son brillantes y detallados, los medios son presentes y sólidos, los graves son muy presentes, pero no empañan el resto de las frecuencias. Las voces son un placer escucharlas, son tan claras que sientes que eres tu el que canta. Pros: -Diseño único, son plegables y permite disminuir el tamaño del audífono y caja de transporte (incluida) -Sonido con detalle, en cualquier género y películas especialmente las de acción y suspenso. -Materiales de construcción como ningún otro audífono, son parcialmente metal y las partes de plástico son muy duras. -Personalizables. -Soporte al cliente de 6 estrellas, garantía de 2 años, si presentan algún problema; ya sea defecto de fabrica, algún accidente como romperlos o problemas estéticos, te piden que los destruyas y te mandan otro sin más preguntas, o enviarlos y te mandan unos nuevos. Cons: -El cuero sintetico se puede desprender en lugares calurosos, pero me los cambiaron sin problemas. -Poca variedad de accesorios, cable, funda(caja) de transporte y carabina para colgarla. Los LP incluyen más. En conclusión son un 10/10. Mientras no busques audífonos llenos de graves, pero buscas audífonos con mucho detalle y sonido flexible para cualquier género sin graves de más ni menos estos audífonos son para ti. PD: Los audífonos pueden dar BASTANTE bajo si se los pides con un equalizador etc.

I am an standard consumer, and bought this product as an upgrade from a pair of klipsch s4i that I previously used for commuting. After my klipsch failing multiple times due to probably poor durability (of course, I treat my gear with care), I decided to try these rugged looking on-ear headphones in hopes of a more durable option. I realize that a on-ear headphone is not a complete replacement for an in-ear, and will be looking to replace my in-ear soon, but I wanted to test to see how an on-ear headphone fares as replacement for the roles of an in-ear (which I believe the owner of the v-moda, Val Kolton, originally intended these to be). If all goes well, I intend to make these my primary commuting headphones and keep an in-ear as secondary. I am also new to v-moda and was excited to try them out from the amount of praise I heard. I do not collect headphones or have much experience with many, but I do a fair amount of research before I make a significant purchase, so hopefully my review will give a first-timer's insight into the V-moda XS. -Sound- I listen to mostly EDM, D&B, trance, dubsteb, etc. the bass heavy music, as well as alternative and rock. Again, I am not an audiophile so I do not really obsess over 100% sound reproduction. That being said, the sound is impressive coming from such a tiny device. In comparison to the ATH-M50s or the klipsch s4i (only headphones I own as you might have guessed), these are up to par, and if not, better. In a quiet environment, the sound is clear, crisp, vibrant, and I can feel the gentle waves pulsating through my cranium. As for more in-depth comparison, I think others have done a better review on sound. There is not really much more that can be described better than as experienced in person. -Build- This was one of the main points I looked at when looking for headphones to replace my earbuds. I still think earbuds are awesome, but their durability will always be surpassed by headphones of similar quality range. I wanted something to last me for a while, and provide me with access to good quality tunes for hours of daily use. The V-Moda XS is constructed of metal hinges, kevlar covered wires, and a very flexible leather headband; all components feel like it will last for years to come with proper care. They also have beyond military-level MIL-STD-810G quality standards according to their website. I have no idea what this means, but this is exactly what I want when I am using these daily, in danger of bending or pulling the cord, dropping the headphones on concrete, or zip-lining down a building on fire using the headphones and cables while blasting some Hans Zimmer. -Comfort- Priced at $200, I expect these to be the most comfortable thing to put on my head, and they are. I had used and unused? headphones many times before because they began to hurt my ears after an hour of wear. These come nowhere close. I used these headphones for approximately 4 hours straight, listening to music, and my ears were fine. I believe this is where most of the resources were spent on trying to get the clamping force and cushioning just right in perfect equilibrium, and I believe they have achieved it. I consider my head to be average, and these cans felt natural on my head right out of the box. I have yet to find how long it will take for my ears to begin feeling discomfort, but at this pace, I may never reach that point. -Size- These things are tiny. The case fits into my average size palms, and the cans are cute (lost all my man cred here). I can comfortably throw these in my backpack, not adding any bulk or fearing it will break. They conform to my head very well and does not make me look like a Cyberman. I knew that they would be small from the reviews and descriptions, but I was still surprised when I received them. -Noise Isolation- The only complaint I have about the V-moda XS is noise isolation. I knew beforehand what I would be sacrificing isolation for comfort and durability, but I do miss the isolation of my in-ears. As expected of on-ear headphones, the noise isolation is not as good, and although on the average side of on-ears, I wish the XS somehow had better isolation. They seemed to keep the "v-vents" in the design which apparently improves the sound stage, but if it were up to me, I would rather sacrifice the sound stage for isolation. At 50% iPhone volume, I still hear mainly music, but noises such as the rumbles of the bus still penetrate. I was also concerned for the sound leakage as I get very irritated by people who ignorantly blast their music for the world to hear, and I also hate being a hypocrite. There is a good test video on this on youtube by UrAvgConsumer, but from my personal tests, up to 50% seemed like a safe level with a good seal, while more than 50% starts to leak quite a bit, so 50%-75% should be used accordingly to the environment, and well, just never go to 100% unless you're looking to get stares on the bus. In positive light, I will be less likely to miss a bus stop or get ran over. -Price- As of now, the XS runs around $200, and I figure it will for quite some time. It is a lot of dough for such a tiny thing, but considering the amount of research that must have gone into perfecting the comfort, and the quality (both build and sound) of the overall product justifies the price. They also provide a very nice hard shell case which includes a v-strap for holding cords. -Miscellaneous- -Trivial problem, but I wish the cord had a volume rocker. -I love the color orange, but I still wish the cord had been black, since they are going with the low profile/stealth theme anyway -The sliders and the cliqfold hinge clicks. I love clicks. -Would have been nice if the cord plugs could click lock. Did I mention I love clicks? -Matte finish resists fingerprints! -OVERALL- I would rate these at 4.5. Excellent build and sound quality, superb compact form, and indestructible, -0.5 for isolation, so I rounded up and gave it a 5. From reading forums, it seems like v-moda listens to a lot of its fans' opinions, so I am excited for their next iteration. As for now, although still testing, I think these will be my primary commuting headphones. TL;DR: These headphones have amazing sound and build quality and a very compact size. I wish noise isolation was a bit better. Would highly recommend.

No Bass! Cheap sound.

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