Tag Archives: v-moda
V-Moda’s M-100 Crossfade headphones get a professional upgrade
V-Moda's heavy duty Crossfade M-100 headphones -- known for their 3D-printed personalization -- have been given an upgrade. The Crossfade M-100 Master has been engineered in conjunction with Roland in what V-Moda calls a "creators first" approach, ma...
Wirecutter’s best deals: Save $50 on V-Moda Crossfade 2 wireless headphones
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Engadget giveaway: Win a V-Moda Remix speaker or Crossfade II wireless headphones!
V-Moda has long been known to provide great sound quality along with a unique and customizable designs. This year the company launched its updated Crossfade II wireless headphones, letting you roam free for up to 14 hours of listening (or unlimited w...
V-MODA Remix Speaker Review: Style and Substance in a Small Package
V-MODA has been a leader in the headphone space for a while now, making some excellent gear for your listening pleasure. Now, for the first time, V-MODA is making a Bluetooth speaker, with the aim of providing the same kind of premium build, design, and sound quality found in their headphones.
One look at the V-MODA Remix, and it’s clear that this isn’t just another one of the countless Bluetooth speakers on the market. For starters, the $300 speaker is wrapped in premium materials, not plastic, giving it a sense of heft and substance. It weighs 1.9 pounds in the aluminum model I reviewed, or 1.6 pounds in the black vegan leather version.
One of the big selling points of the Remix is that you can purchase 3D printed accessories to transform its sides, grill, and outer housing with a variety of bold designs. The Remix is quite handsome right from the factory, so for me, I’m pretty good without customizing mine.
The 3D customizations are very expensive too. Even the lightweight fiber components can set you back several hundred bucks. The speaker with the orange fiber design shown below costs $460. That’s nothing compared to one with real platinum sides which brings the price up to $370,000 or more. Yes, you could buy a house or a supercar for the same price as that speaker. Clearly, those precious metal mods are targeted at people with money to burn. For the rest of us mere mortals, the plain or fiber-modded Remix will do just fine.
Like all things V-MODA, the sound quality from the Remix is very good, offering crisp, clean audio, with a good amount of power. It’s got a pair of 9-watt full-range drivers, and frequency response is an honest to goodness 20Hz to 20,000 kHz. Granted, it’s still a pretty small speaker, so it won’t shake the walls, but it offers up enough volume to fill a small room like an office. Distortion is well managed all the way up to the volume limit, and there’s enough brightness and punch without being shrill or muddy, and there’s not the slightest bit of rattle from the enclosure. Since it’s just 8.1″ wide, the soundstage is quite contained and directional to the position of the speaker itself, though there are clearly distinguishable left and right channels.
As an added bonus, you can plug in a pair of headphones and use the Remix in “VAMP” mode, which turns it into a very good headphone amplifier. The headphone amp doesn’t work with Bluetooth sources, but it’s a great way to get an extra boost and improved audio quality from analog sources with a 3.5mm connector. Overall sound quality from the headphone amp is on-par with the dedicated amp I’ve been using for several years, though I wish it had a DAC built in like my standalone unit. Still, connected to the analog audio output on my iMac, the Remix does double duty as a desktop speaker and headphone amp, reducing clutter. It also works as a speakerphone when connected via Bluetooth.
The built-in 3400 mAh rechargeable battery is good for up to 10 hours of playback time, depending on volume level, and charging is achieved via a modern USB-C connector. V-MODA includes a USB-C to USB-A cable for charging.
If there’s anything standing in the way of the V-MODA Remix at all, it’s the price. At $300, there are a whole lot of other good sounding Bluetooth speakers which go for quite a bit less money. Most of them won’t have the build quality or materials of the Remix, nor will they offer the customization options, or the built-in headphone amp. If a blend of style, substance, and sound quality are important to you, the Remix is definitely worth a look and a listen.
V-MODA Forza Metallo Wireless Earphone Review: Stylish and Stellar Sounds
Every time V-MODA comes out with a new pair of headphones, I get excited to test them out. That’s because every single pair I’ve ever tested sound great, and lasts and lasts. I’ve yet to be disappointed in their products. In fact, my go-to pair of in-ear phones are V-MODA Forza Sports. So I wasn’t surprised when I popped their Forza Metallo Wireless earphones in that I was treated to more excellent sound quality.
The wireless version takes everything that I loved about the wired Forza Metallos, and does it without the need for pesky wires to get in your way. So if you were thinking about the wired ones, but want something easier to wear, you’re in luck.
Part of what makes the wireless model so great is their ergonomics. They offer an excellent in-ear fit, but also come with a battery pack and receiver module that sits neatly around the back of your neck, ensuring they stay in place.
The titanium reinforced neckband doesn’t slip around, and keeps everything in its proper place, including the controls for volume, pause/play, power and answering calls which sit nicely in place on either side of your neck.
The controls themselves are smartly designed and responsive, and took me only a few seconds to get used to which buttons do what – which is important since you have to use them without the benefit of sight.
The drivers themselves offer a snug fit thanks to a wide variety of included soft silicone eartips and earwings to keep them from falling out when you’re active.
Those earwings can be replaced with a variety of pricey 3D-printed earcaps, which are stylish, but you sacrifice the locking ability of the wings if you go that route. Personally, I think they’re are a bit of a gimmick, and the standard headphones look great the as-is. Besides, for me, it’s all about sound quality and comfort.
With the proper eartips in place and gently pushed into your ear canal, they offer an exceptionally rich sound experience, with a beautifully smooth and distortion-free sound across the entire listening spectrum. Like other V-MODA headphones, the sound is crisp and warm, and not harsh even at the highest volume levels. The low end is clean and natural, with a satisfying kick, though if you like earthshaking bass, look elsewhere. For those of us who prefer to hear sounds as they were recorded in the studio on the other hand, these are close to perfect.
There’s a nice and sense of dimensionality and space to the soundstage too, something that’s often difficult to pull off with in-ear headphones. While I wasn’t in the recording studio while Adele recorded Right As Rain, I’m betting that what I just listened to was pretty darned close to the original. I threw a wide variety of genres at them, from rap to classical, from hard rock to folk, and they didn’t flinch.
Battery life is good, offering up to 10 hours of wireless playback depending on volume level. I also like how their remaining battery shows up in the iOS Batteries widget and in the top right corner – a very nice little feature not included on all Bluetooth headphones.
While there are oftentimes sacrifices made for wireless headphones, it seems as if V-MODA has given up nothing for the Forza Metallo Wireless. They sound just as good as the already excellent wired version, plus they add the convenience of Bluetooth. In addition, their smart design makes them fantastic for working out or other activities where wires might get in the way. If you’re looking for a pair of wireless in-ear headphones, you’ll definitely want to buy a pair. You won’t be disappointed.
The Forza Metallo Wireless earphones are available now in both the White/Silver reviewed here as well as Gunmetal/Black, and sell for $170(USD). They’re worth every penny.
V-Moda’s Crossfade 2 wireless headphones sound better, last longer
Nearly two years after V-Moda introduced a wireless version of its popular Crossfade headphones, the company's back with a set that promises to be much better all around. Looks-wise, the new Crossfade 2 Wireless model is almost identical to its prede...
V-Moda’s Remix speaker can be customized with 3D-printed parts
V-Moda has been experimenting with 3D printing since 2015, when it started letting customers personalize their XS and Crossfade M-100 headphones with 3D-printed shields. Just in time to kick off the music section of SXSW, the company is now taking th...
Review: V-Moda Forza Sport Earphones
If you’re looking for some great sounding in-ear headphones that you can wear during all kinds of activities, V-Moda has got you covered. Their new Forza earphones offer exceptional sound, great fit and versatility, and a cool design too.
Forza earphones are available in three different styles: a wireless version with metal covers called the Forza Metallo Wireless($170 USD), a wired version available with metal finishes called the Forza Metallo($130), and the version reviewed here, simply known as Forza($100). If you like orange and black as much as I do, you’re in luck, because that’s one of your three color choices, along with white or black.
Regardless of having the least fancy looking styling of the bunch, the base Forza model is anything but basic when it comes to sound quality, offering exceptionally clean and dynamic audio, and excellent isolation from outside sounds. Frequency response is excellent, and they offer a shockingly good low end despite being an in-ear model, with a good punchy low end that reaches down below 20Hz without distortion, and a high end that’s well beyond the audible range of humans. Dynamic range is excellent, offering smooth transitions between quiet and loud musical passages.
For the ultimate in versatility and comfort, V-Moda includes not just four sizes of silicone ear tips, but three sizes of in-ear sport fins which neatly integrate into the design of the earphones, rather than looking like an afterthought as they do with many other earphones. The package also includes a pair of ear hooks, which let you hook the earphones around the outside of your earlobe. I found the sport fins to offer good protection from falling out during activities, but if you’re really working out hard, you might want to try the hooks instead.
The V-Moda Forzas prove that you don’t have to sacrifice audio quality in active/sport earphones, and I highly recommend them for anyone in the for a great pair of in-ear headphones that offer great value for the price.
V-Moda’s line of ‘Forza’ earbuds is meant for workouts
If you're familiar with V-Moda, you know that the brand is mostly known for making premium over-the-ear headphones. While it does have earbuds in its portfolio, that's never been the company's main focus. Today, however, V-Moda is introducing the For...