Review: V-Moda Crossfade 2 Wireless – Versatile

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 30USD.

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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4.2/5 - (86 votes)
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A keen audiophile and hobby photographer, Berkhan is after absolute perfection. Whether it is a full-frame camera or a custom in-ear, his standpoint persists. He tries to keep his photography enthusiasm at the same level as audio. Sometimes photography wins, sometimes his love for music takes over and he puts that camera aside. Simplistic expressions of sound in his reviews are the way to go for him. He enjoys a fine single malt along with his favourite Jazz recordings.

15 Comments

  • Reply June 20, 2017

    dale thorn

    If you mentioned this elsewhere, just ignore…

    My Wireless-2 is around-ear, not on-ear, for average ears. My ears are not small.
    The Rose gold edition at $20 extra is Apt-X Bluetooth.
    The Wireless-2 is not as upper-bassy as the M100 or Wireless-1, but still has a lot of emphasis which, while good for outdoor use, lowers the fidelity indoors. The drivers and earcups are very good quality, so using the bass control indoors with the cable plugged in provides better sound.

    • Reply June 20, 2017

      Berkhan

      Hey Dale,

      – For me this is not a full sized headphone. Your experience may vary but it doesn’t cover all around my ears. That’s why I called it on-ear and my ears are average in terms of size.
      – Yes.
      – I don’t think it’s super bassy either, but the emphasis is definitely on lows.
      – And yes, it has a more natural sound when used with the cable. So basically wireless for outdoors and wired for indoors 🙂

      Thanks.

      • Reply June 20, 2017

        dale thorn

        I wonder what earpads you have. My ears aren’t just “not small”, they’re a pretty good size based on most American ears.

        • Reply June 20, 2017

          dale thorn

          BTW (neglected to mention), the article says “over ear” twice and “on ear” once.

        • Reply June 21, 2017

          Berkhan

          XL Pads you have?

          • Reply June 21, 2017

            dale thorn

            Not that I know of. But v-moda is supposed to be using larger earpads than they did on the M100. To be honest, when I hold the earcups of the Wireless-2 in my hands and look into the earcups/earpads, those openings are definitely smaller than the typical Beyer headphone, and just large enough for my ears. So even tho my ears are full size in the places I’ve lived and worked, anyone who has ears just a little larger might be too snug or worse in these Wireless-2 pads. Since there were more than a few complaints about the M100 pads, I’d be curious to know if they have fewer complaints about the Wireless-2.

  • Reply June 20, 2017

    Glen

    A separate $30 wired Boom Pro mic defeats the whole wireless feature in order to work around the deficient built-in mic.

    • Reply June 20, 2017

      dale thorn

      They don’t ship with a boom-pro as far as I know. I got the white from v-moda and the rose gold from Amazon. The boom-pro is for home use, while the Wireless-2 is pretty obviously for walkaround use.

      BTW, when my wife calls, I have the phone tucked away into my carry-bag, and she says the audio when I speak is crystal clear.

      • Reply June 21, 2017

        dale thorn

        Add’l note, just suggesting a couple of possibilities: One would be to see if covering or otherwise stopping the phone’s mic might reduce the noise or interference, and the other would be to see if the phone makes a big difference, like Apple versus Android.

  • Reply June 21, 2017

    Deniz

    I also have a boom pro and can’t recommend it enough especially for gaming. Great noise reduction and sensitivity, your friends hear everything you say and bot much else. And don’t forget that a small cable comes in the package for people who have separate mic and hp jacks (like most laptops).
    Great review as usual Berkhan 🙂

  • Reply June 22, 2017

    navii

    All I think of when I see v-mode headphones is Darth Vader.

  • Reply October 5, 2017

    Simon Johansson

    It’s been a while since this review was posted but maybe someone’s still around to answer a question or two.

    I’ve looking for a pair of headphones in the 150€-350€ range. I’m planning to play PC games and listen to music with them. I want a bit more “fun” sound rather flat and analytical. I don’t really have any great DAC/Amp setup. I have a Fiio E10K and that’s it. Now I feel I’ve narrowed it down to two pair of headphones, it’s either these, the V-Moda Crossfade II Wireless, or the Philips Fidelio X2HR. Unfortunately, since I live out on the countryside in northern Sweden, I don’t really have the option to go into some music store and try any of them out. I have to just read reviews and recommendations and make my decision based on that.

    Is there anyone out there that has tried out both of these headphones and can give me their opinion on preference?

    • Reply October 5, 2017

      dale thorn

      Good luck on getting the X2HR. The only reviews I found on the Internet were at Amazon.co.uk, and judging by the more than 90 percent 5-star ratings, I’d say someone is stuffing the ballot box. Other than Amazon UK, and a few non-committal comments at headfi, there’s nothing. The Wireless-2 from v-moda is the M100 with wireless capability, which sounds about the same in Bluetooth or wired use, and the difference in sound from the M100 is just in the bass. The Wireless-2 bass emphasis is about 3 db less than the M100, and it’s centered lower – around 90 hz for the W2 and ~110 hz for the M100.

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