V-Moda M-80 - Are they really that good?

Also any comments with regards to noise isolation both for isolating outside noise and stopping sound leaking out would be appreciated, as these are both quite important.

Hey Jason,

Well you probably know by now that I really like the M-80. Did you read my review by any chance?

The M-100 is an over-ear, rather than an on-ear like the M-80/V-80 (hence the discomfort). The M-80 will be more portable. The M-100 will be a similar size to the existing VModa LP/LP2...

The comfort of the M-80 has improved over time for me over my time with it but not massively. I would not let this put me off buying them though. My wife has been using them lately and she agrees. I would still say that it's less comfortable than the Sennheiser HD25-1 II and probably things like the B&W P5 (although I have not lived with that one, only tried it in a shop, Dale will help you out there).

Isolation wise I found the M-80 pretty good. It's a bit of a semi-open really because it has vents on the cups. Not much sound leaks out, compared to the Sennheiser HD25 again - a little bit of sound leaks in, but not really a lot. Nothing that would stop me recommending it for a commute or noisy office for example.

Speaking of noisy offices, I have been using the M-80 every day at mine since I bought them. I have no regrets but I am eager to try the M-100 to see if it's any better (sound and comfort). I will report back on that one as soon as I get them. 

So going back to the quality... for me they are great but will they be for you? Compared to the Beyer T70p (I'm guessing a bit here) I think they will have stronger bass and more rolled off treble (less sparkle). I am hoping to test the T70 soon so maybe I can say more on this soon. I really like the bass on the M-80, there is something very pretty and unoffensive about it, that's not a feeling that I had from the Sennheiser HD-25.

Price wise the M-80 has come down to £112 on Amazon recently, which I think is a steal! I would have happily paid the full RRP (£160) had I known how good they were but I bought mine off of eBay for about the same as you can get them now from Amazon. 

Here's one of those guys - hope I can answer some of this. The T70 and Grado both have strong highs, whereas the M80 highs are soft. I use the ipod treble boost which is very modest, and brings up the treble some - not to the level of those other two, but very satisfactory. There is no harshness or sibilants with or without EQ, so there is no risk in that respect. The really interesting thing about the M80 is the neutrality. It's impressive, yet the bass is not soft like some so-called neutral headphones.

The isolation is pretty typical of a good closed on-ear headphone. You'll get good blocking of the environmental noise in the mid-to-upper frequencies, but strong noise components like gears turning on a streetcar, industrial sounds etc. will get through. Sitting in an apartment with a noisy air conditioner, most of that gets blocked, but I can still hear some underlying muffled sounds. Fortunately the music covers that well. Leakage is very little. Sitting next to someone on the bus, you might play some rock music loud and if it were deathly quiet in the bus, the person next to you might hear a faint sound from the M80, but that won't happen because of the ambient noise. Same thing in a cubicle - you don't need as much volume, and so the leakage is even less and the person next door can't hear anything. More precisely, if you play music loud, to hear the leakage at all the next person has to be within about one to two feet away and listening *very* closely, and then it's very, very faint.

The M80 is an excellent value due to the sound, style, and build. The comfort is great, good for hours, but to avoid any fit problems it's good to see Tyll's Innerfidelity video where he shows how to bend the headband permanently to make the earcups line up perfectly with your ears, in case they're not that way by default.

No idea about the M100 yet. V-MODA is notorious for not releasing the final product until everything is perfect. But I'll be reviewing one of those, hopefully soon.

Cheers guys, 

Highly informative and detailed as usual from you both.

Well from what you have both said, and at the cost of £112.00 they have got to be worth a go. I didn't realise they were on ear designs, not that that bothers me, the Grado's are on ear, a lot of people have said they are uncomfortable but it's never bothered me.

I think the sound signature of the M80 will compliment both the Grado and Beyers for a change....and obviously the fact they are small will make them ideal for use out and about. My only concern would be the potential lack of treble, seeing as most of my use would be via iPhone and iPad, I don't think either of these have sound EQ options. I am sure it won't be to much of a problem.

I think that from what has been said the 100's sound like they will probably be bigger than I want for portable use...so looks like I will be on Amazon tonight doing a bit of shopping 

Both iphone and ipad have the exact same EQ's as the ipods, and even itunes on a PC or Mac can show you the actual adjustment.  That adjustment is minor, and I doubt very much that it would be a problem on or off.

Just another question for Dale / Quadpatch,

How do the V-Moda sound directly out of an iPhone / iPad (or equivalent) or would they benefit from additional amplification, something like the Fiio E11?

Cheers

I think they sound quite good from an Apple player, and while a separate amp is always better, most of the advantage is lost in the higher ambient noise levels outdoors or in public places. At home the difference with an amp is more noticeable.

I think they sound pretty good out of the iPhone 4 too. I don't think there would be a lot of point amping it, certainly not for the volume, they're easy to drive. They sound infinitely better out of the rPAC DAC/amp than just amping the iPhone from a battery powered amp.

Cheers Dale,

Sounds like I can save a bit of money there then.....the M-80 will be used outside and public places. If used indoors then they would more than likely be connected to my laptop via a USB DAC/AMP (more than likely the Arcam rPac).

I suppose for the sake of £40.00 I could invest in a Fiio E11 (however because this is a USB charged device, and would probably be used whilst on holiday when I don't have my laptop with me, would be a bit defunct after a couple of days when the battery is flat). 

However having said that....I do tend to listen to music in bed, in the garden, other areas of the house, where it isn't possible / suitable to have laptop with me.

Sounds like its a case of importance for me I'm on a bit of an upgrade / purchase charge at the moment with the following:

-Upgrading uDac2 to Arcam rPac.

-Purchasing V-Moda M-80.

-Upgrading Bocote cupped Grado's with Magnum Drivers / new cable / leather headband and Aluminium Gimbles and rod blocks.

*Blatant product plug alert*

Of course in the US, V-Moda has released its own iPhone headphone amp/DAC/battery pack - the VAMP.

Not cheap, and still don't know if/when it's coming to UK (and in what iPhone flavours...), but it's an interesting concept - especially if you want to drive higher-end headphones from an Apple.

Thanks for that Clare, 

I have seen a product like this before (however cant remember the name, and only obtainable directly from China or somewhere like that).

I like the concept, especially as they seem to be an amplifier and DAC combination (so bypassing the phones internal systems). I also like the fact that the phone fits into the product and therefore dont have to worry about fastening or holding together a seperate amp/dac with the phone (which for seem people means having a portable rig consisting of three products).

However I also feel that point is a dowside, as it substantially increases the footprint of the iPhone.....bit of a pain if you want to use the phone as a phone, and I would say exceedingly bulky in the trouser pocket 

probably not a problem f you dont mind attaching and detaching if you just want to use as a phone. However I do see gret benefits if you know you are using for long periods of music listening (on a plane, train etc or if on holiday and you are not taking calls)

Circa £400.00 by the looks of it....hmmm very pricey as well 

Having tried out an early sample, I can confirm that the VAMP makes your iPhone feel/look like some sort of military-spec satellite phone. But that may be part of its premium appeal for some users

As I said, not sure of any plans for UK launch (or pricing) at this time. We'll know more when V-MODA are over in UK next week.

Why ? you must have one of these

Good point mate....numerous ones!! That never even crosed my mind as an option.....Good Call

Another question for you Dalethorn,

I notice you have both the M80 and the ATH M50, how would you say they compare against each other...both sound wise and size wise?

I realise the M80 have an in line mic and controls and I always worry about this and the quality of the cable...something else to go wrong etc. I also don't plan on using the inline mic function.

Would be interested in hearing your thoughts, especially seeing as both models can be had for a similar price.