I’ve never had fancy headphones. The $30 Logitech ones from the office supply store were sufficient for years. Not stellar, but they got the job done, until one day recently when my cat freaked out on my lap and tore the cord in two. Since then, I’ve hobbled along with even lower-end headphones, or ones I borrowed from family members.
Before, I only used headphones when I had to, such as for transcription work, for the occasional video, and to do my daily Duolingo German lessons. But my old headphones sat on my ears, which is quite uncomfortable after a while. Thus, I couldn’t wear them for long, and I never felt truly in whatever adventure I was having at my computer. Every noise distracted me, and when no one was home, I still felt separated from my computer experience.
Until now [cue dramatic music].
The V-MODA Crossfade M-100 headphones are over-ear, noise-isolating headphones that are comfortable to wear for long periods of time. They help cut the sound of noisy things around you, and, important in our house, the people around you aren’t bothered by the sound of what you are listening to. Made with a steel frame, these headphones are strong and cool to the touch, and the over-ear cushions are velvety soft. The headphones also fold up quite compactly for travel, and come with their own hard-sided travel case with carabiner clip. The set also comes with two Kevlar-reinforced cords: one normal black one, and one black and red one that can easily be daisy-chained or used to share music with a friend, or, as I often do, my kids. You can also change which headphone ear the cord attaches to. The set also comes with a 3.5mm stereo jack to 1/4-inch stereo plug adapter.
The standard headphones don’t come with a matching microphone, but you can easily add one on to your order to use for those Skype or Google Hangout business meetings and webinars. (I’m not the only one who has those, right?) For people who like to personalize their gear, custom shields can be purchased and swapped out, and they are even available in precious metals or with your custom design embossed on them. Not my style, but everyone’s different. Different-sized ear cushions are also available. The included size works well for me, but they are too small for my husband, Rory. In addition, V-MODA makes coiled and other kinds of accessory cords.
The quality of the V-MODA headphones is apparent. They are on the heavier side, which took a little getting used to, but it just makes them feel more substantial. I know when I am wearing my headphones. And whenever I place them on my head, I feel like I’m taking a trip away from it all. Quality, smooth sound at any level. These jaunts into business calls, instructional lessons, transcription work, ambient writing noise, or adorable cat videos make me feel like I’m in another world, decreasing my stress, increasing my focus, being more productive because less noise clutter brings me peace. And, yet, I’m still available to my family at all times.
These may very well be the last pair of headphones I’ll need for some time to come since they are so sturdy. In case my cat decides to get creative again, the cord unplugs from the headphones, so another freak-out won’t destroy the whole set. If anything goes wrong, I can just replace the cord, but that is not likely to be needed, with how strong and durable they are.
The award-winning V-MODA Crossfade M-100 headphones are available in a few different colors, even before you customize them with a shield, and serve as an oasis in an otherwise chaotic life. You can be totally focused on whatever sound you’re listening to, but there is still just enough ambient noise to still have one foot in the rest of the room. And if you wear them without any sound coming through them, you can hear what’s going on around you quite well. I find that very helpful.
Full specs can be found on the V-MODA site.
GeekMom received this item for review purposes.
