Disclaimer: The V-Moda Crossfade 2 Wireless was shipped to us by V-Moda, with an additional BoomPro Microphone. The price of the V-Moda Crossfade 2 is set at 330$ USD and the mic costs 30$ USD.
INTRO
Back then, when I started to put some interest into this hobby, one of the headphones that caught my eye was the Crossfade M80. It was my first love and I wanted it so much at the time, but never had a chance to listen to it. Years later as a reviewer, I get my hands on the Crossfade 2 Wireless.
Time flies.
I saw the headphone through Head Fi forums and then I asked whether can we get a sample. In the end, V-Moda sent us both the Crossfade 2 and Forza, and the microphone. Very nice of them. The review of the Forza will come after this review.
V-MODA
V-MODA is a private international company, specializing in the design and production of mobile audio products. The company was founded in 2004 by Val Kolton, a professional DJ and producer. He originally focused on technological innovation and new patents to develop the fashion headphone lines for DJs. The products and brand were designed in Italy, in Milan and Venice, on frequent design research trips.
Back in Los Angeles, one day Val found himself on Rodeo Drive, watching a woman step out of her Rolls Royce, dressed to kill in total haute-couture. There was just one thing that ruined her perfect image: a set of cheap white plastic headphones. This was back in 2002.
V-MODA began developing the M series in 2010 (for Modern audiophiles). 2011 saw the launch of the first M series on-ear headphones, the M-80, which was very popular at the time, soon followed by the M-100 over-ear headphones.
CROSSFADE 2 Wireless
Evolved from M series, the V-Moda Crossfade 2 Wireless is the 2nd wireless version. Same signature design elements, same durability and same style, only wireless. Pretty much straightforward, but of course it’s not that simple.
Our best over-ear wired headphone yet…that can be unleashed via Bluetooth
CONTENT, BUILD and DESIGN
A very stylish packaging welcomes you which reflects the style of V-Moda. The content includes a great carrying case, a V-Moda sticker and the papers. The box shows the mentality of the brand, very impressive right from the start.
The impressive display continues when you get the headphones out with the case. The case is spectacular to me, looks like it can take any blow. Of course I didn’t test it in that way, but it gives the impression to the extent that you start to think you can toss it around. I say, it’s very unlikely to see a damage to the headphone when it’s inside.
The headphone itself is simply remarkable in terms of materials and build. From the headband to the all metal hinges, it’s an example of a high quality product. It’s not a surprise to me because I read the impressions and reviews all over the web, saying that these might be one of the toughest headphones available. Maybe they’re not as durable as the classic versions because of the tech inside of it (and that’s just a prediction), but still it’s nothing less than fantastic.
The one I received is the full black variant which looks very noble to me. Black is always good, no? Well, you get plenty of options, with rose gold being the most flashy one. A downside about that though; only the Rose Gold version has the AptX Bluetooth tech. To be honest I don’t know how it works or what it brings to the table but this one doesn’t have that.
Also, V-Moda offers custom machined shield plates for you to add a more personal look. As I remarked, the birth of V-Moda is based on design and style so one should not expect less than great from the brand.
USAGE
Before focusing on the sound, let’s get into some details in terms of user experience. I haven’t faced a single problem using the V-Moda Crossfade 2 Wireless. It’s very easy to get used to it. From top to bottom you get a great on-ear headphone with nice functionality. First of all the thing that impressed me was the small footprint when the headphones are folded. It gets much smaller that way, so you have more space in your bag, nice mobility here.
There’s no active noise cancelling but the isolation is quite good so I don’t think it was necessary to add the feature. Also, NC can disrupt the sound in some ways so I’m glad they didn’t put that to this one. V-Moda wanted to achieve a sound quality that can go up to the audiophile levels this time around, thus it’s quite normal not seeing that feature. It’s a little heavy. and that’s because of the internal DAC and AMP modules (that one is called VAMP, surprise). Nothing uncomfortable but still should be noted, since it can get a little uneasy to your head in a long period.
The wireless functions work flawlessly. Connecting the headphones is simple. You open it with the switch which is on the earcup, then flick it to the right and hold it there for 3 seconds. Than it’s all ready for you to connect it to your device. There are also buttons to change the volume and start-stop the playback. I found these buttons a little fiddly so I didn’t use them too much, instead I controlled the playback on the device. Maybe it’s just me but I didn’t feel very comfortable trying to push them on the earcups. There’s a built-in Bluetooth Mic on the headphone but the performance of it is not quite good. The people on the other line said that my voice was not clear and the sound was noisy. In a quiet environment though it should work better.
Bluetooth range is great, you can move quite far from your device and still there are no cuts in the sound. By the way, despite being a wireless model, you can also use it with the supplied cable. That disables the sound processing of the headphone and you listen it the usual way. I will talk about the difference between wireless & wired shortly in the next section.
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