V-Moda Crossfade LP

V-Moda is taking on the high-end cans segment for ‘people on the move’, with plenty of ambition apparently. Launched at around £170, the Crossfade LPs are positioned among the most expensive headphones on the market.

Hardware: Not all that discreet

Straight out the box, the Crossfade LPs catch the eye. While the arch frame is covered with padded material, you can see the glossy metal they’re built with where the settings are placed. The headphones themselves are covered with chrome plates and can even be customised.

Supplied with both a standard cable and a cable with a remote and a mic, the LPs are compatible with your smartphone or computers with a mini-jack combo (headphones + mic). Solid and removable, these cables are reinforced with Kevlar (you’ll have to go some to damage them!).

They also come with a semi-rigid cover in the shape of the headphones and while this protects your Crossfades and can hold the wires (as well as a clasp), it is a shame that you can’t fold them up to reduce their size.

These headphones are comfortable on the ears (not as comfortable as the Boses) thanks to a dense, thick padding, but your ears will get hot quickly as they’re completely closed. You’ll feel the frame but not too much.

Audio: what Beats headphones should be

The Beats models are the flagship for boomy, heavy bass headphones but unfortunately they go too far and mask pretty much the rest of the range, drowning you in a pool of marshmallow goo.

The Crossfade LPs don’t fall into the same trap and give an assuredly warm sound without becoming mushy. They're very pleasant for urban and electronic music and even do okay on classical and rock, though are slightly suffocating at times. Overall, the dynamics are very good.

The spatialisation and precision is good almost to the point of giving the impression that a spatialisation processor has been fitted. The sound has plenty of substance, as if there’s a slight reverb, and this makes it very enveloping and not unpleasant as long as you’re listening to the styles it does best with.

Our readings

 

There’s not much to say on this curve. You can clearly see the prominence of the lower end. There are a few issues, which could be corrected. Note the peak around 8 kHz, which may indicate some sibilance.


There's some harmonic distortion, which is thankfully contained (just above 1.5%, human hearing not sensitive) and therefore not serious. Otherwise, everything's fine.



These obviously aren’t the nicest looking square waves but there’s nothing too bad here either. They confirm the prominence of the low end as well as the distortion in the bass. If all headphones were as good, we’d be more than happy.

Finally, the Crossfade LPs are some of the most successful models on the market for bass enthusiasts and moreover the available customisation means you can go flamboyant or stay more reasonable.