For those of you that don't know, there's a world of things the layman never encounters in their music listening experience. A world of FLAC files, true sound and premium quality that most of us are blissfully ignorant of. And that's well and good, because once you dip a toe in, your everyday headphones or speakers just won't cut it. And that's where v-moda excels.
We've reviewed the v-moda Crossfade M-100 headphones before and it was glorious. This time around we're testing their latest entry into India, the Crossfade Wireless. It's pretty much the same pair of headphones, but with the advantage of wireless connectivity, and boy does that make a world of difference.
As before, this v-moda beauty comes with premium packaging too. Within a cardboard box, fitted with a leather carry strap and fastener, is the Crossfade Wireless, encapsulated in a sturdy, form-fitting hard-shell carry case. At 292g, the Crossfade Wireless is only slightly heavier than its wired counterpart, the M-100. Sure, that may seem like a lot, but the piece is so well designed that you can wear it for hours with no discomfort, leaving aside a case of sweaty ears caused by the airtight memory cushion.
And that design isn’t restricted to just good looks. The Crossfade Wireless is built using steel in the headband and Kevlar reinforcing the cables, so much so that the headphones pass military-grade MIL-STD-810G testing. And to accentuate that rugged charm is the vegan leather padding for the band and earpieces. And don’t forget the customizable earpiece plates; you can swap out the default aluminium ones with textured steel, raw or precious metals, or even 3D printed ones, and you can even have v-moda laser engrave a logo before they send you your pair. As if the headphones didn’t look cool enough on their own.
Packaged along with the headset is a USB to micro USB charging cable, and a wired analog cable with microphone. When you run out of juice, you can plug in the analog cable, which automatically shuts off all battery-powered electronics in the headset, and lets you enjoy almost the same quality of sound with absolute zero latency.
On the performance side, the v-moda Crossfade Wireless has a frequency range of between 5Hz to 30 KHz, more than you’ll ever be able to hear. It uses 50mm dual-diaphragm audio drivers (patent pending) with an inner and outer ring, separating the bass from the mids and highs. The result is sheer mind-melting performance. Volume is absolutely not an issue, these babies can crank it up to 11, and sound is crystal clear. Facing rock numbers, the jarring base only ever seemed to be as much as the artists intended, and more vocal-focused numbers roll off your ears sweet as honey. I can honestly say that, with the Crossfade Wireless, Enya’s Hide and Seek gave me chills all over again, so many years later.
In addition to the quality of sound. the memory cushion earpieces fit just so over your ears, passively cancelling out most ambient noise, while also restricting your musical taste to your own ears, and no one else’s.
And of course, the newcomer this time around, Bluetooth functionality. Pairing is a breeze; just turn on and sync up to two devices simultaneously. And that connectivity is stable for a good 30 feet in an open space, closer to 20 with walls in between. Battery life is also great, giving approximately 11-12 hours of usage on a full charge. And of course, if your battery dies unexpectedly, there’s always a wired option.
In addition to the Bluetooth pairing are the three shortcut buttons on the device; play/pause, and volume controls. No doubt, the buttons are located in a seemingly intuitive spot at the top of the right earpiece, but it’s going to take you a few misclicks before you start getting the right buttons on the first try. More likely this is because of how the keys are streamlined, rather than a design flaw; they’re just a little TOO flush with the earpiece frame.
For the final verdict, let’s be clear about one thing; this is not a toy. It’s not a bauble you purchase and forget, its not a hobby tool that you neglect. If you buy the v-moda Crossfade Wireless, it’s a statement that you’re serious about your music, and doing anything other than pushing this headset to its limits would be sacrilege. And that’s why, a steep price of Rs 24,990 seems oddly fitting. Indian buyers can find this beauty exclusively at Headphone Zone.
