Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsFirst Impressions
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2014
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.
