Youtube review:
Photos:
http://dalethorn.com/Photos/iPhone_XsMax/Headphone_Vmoda_M100_Master_01.jpg
Sources: iPhone XsMax/iPad Pro 11-inch with Oppo HA-2/AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt DAC/amps, various computers using the Meridian Explorer2/AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt DAC-amps.
Review note: My first impressions of the sound of the V-MODA M100 Master headphone ('Master' hereafter) are based on direct comparisons to other headphones, particularly those that resemble its design (Full-size closed-back), but also to a few premium headphones for reference. I'll describe how I relate to the Master (i.e., my objectives and how I use the headphone) only after covering all of the technical issues.
Users who've followed the M100 since the early days (late 2012), and its progress to becoming the ultimate Amazon headphone at one time, tend to be possessive about its sonics (not to mention physical quality) and rather sensitive about changes to its design. I'll get right to the point: Compared to "classic neutral" headphones like the Sennheiser 600/800 series and Beyer Teslas, I found the M100 to have a ~10 db emphasis in the upper bass, and a slight recess in the mid-treble around 5 khz. After reviewing headphones like the AudioQuest NightHawk and Focal Elear (just two examples of many), I came to realize that their large mid-treble recesses were becoming popular, probably due to the Loudness Wars and the boosted "presence" in those recordings, and thus I no longer consider the M100 or M100 Master treble to have any recess.
Naturally, I stick to the High Fidelity standard** rather than the fashion standard, and so I simply adjusted the M100 bass down a bit and enjoyed hi-fi sound from their superbly engineered drivers and acoustically-correct earcups. Since then, the V-MODA Wireless continued the M100 signature, the Wireless-2 trimmed the bass emphasis to about 6 db, and the new M100 Master drops that emphasis to approximately 4 db. First impressions score big with me, and right out of the box playing some familiar tracks, I was amazed by the Master's clarity, dynamics, and detail - particularly the superior bass detail compared to the popular brands sold at (for example) the Apple Store.
**When your headphone and music sound like the real thing, you're on the right track. Also note that while every headphone benefits from some period of burn-in, the better quality headphones are closer to their final sound right out of the box.
The new M100 Master is "High Res Certified" (or something to that effect), and due to the large dual-diaphragm drivers with the new Roland-designed voice coils etc., you'll really appreciate the difference with lossless and higher-resolution music tracks. Every popular headphone has some individual quality that leads to its popularity, but I'm more than convinced that there's nothing within twice the Master's price that can compete with it on fidelity - clarity, dynamics, detail, tonality - the whole deal. I've purchased all of the headphones I've reviewed in the past couple of years, and so naturally I tend to like what I purchase, or send it back. The striking difference with the M100 Master is the detail, which is more obvious at the lowest frequencies since most headphones lose clarity there.
I won't spend more time on the M100 Master's sound for now, for these reasons:
1) The music tracks listed below, which were included in my tests of the Master, feature a wide range of music tonalities that highlight any sonic weaknesses in the headphone.
2) The sound is better than I expected, and far better than competing brands anywhere near this price level.
3) The history of the M100 and its attention to both build quality and sonic quality are a good heads-up that this Master edition is building an even better future on exactly those qualities.
The M100 Master comes with high-quality pleather-covered earpads, which are my favorite because they don't tend to accumulate sweat and oils that can change the sound over time. The soft squishy foam inside these earpads make for an extremely comfortable fit, assuming a user's ears aren't unusually large. The openings in my Master earpads measure 1.5 x 2.25 inches, or 3.8 x 5.7 cm. Both Left and Right earcups have a 3.5 mm socket for the headphone cable, and V-MODA supplies small rubber plugs to protect these sockets when not being used. The padded headband's size adjustment range is slightly over an inch, and given that my average head fits the middle of that range, it should accomodate a wide range of head sizes. I bent my headband forward slightly to give the earcups a slight toe-in, and users can take advantage of that to better fit their head shapes.
The M100 Master is currently matte-black only, which is rather elegant a la stealth aircraft and other high-tech electro-mechanical products. Custom shields are available in various colors, designs, and 3-D printed metals. My current shields are the "Croc" design, included free with the headphone. Previous shields I've had include 3-D printed spikes and the laser-engraved "Immortal Angel" motif. I've had headphones with shallow earcups, and worse yet - spiky protrusions on the driver covers inside the earcups. Neither of these occurs with the M100 Master.
The Master's isolation is good - average or better for a circumaural closed-back design - good enough for most home use and outdoor use where it's not extremely noisy, but probably not good enough for public transport for critical listening. Leakage is very low - enough that playing music loudly in a quiet office might work, unless someone sitting very close-by hears the sound faintly and objects. The Master comes with two cables: a ~4 ft black cable and a much longer red/black cable with an extra headphone "share" socket. The classic V-MODA zippered hard case for their compact CliqFold designs is also included.
In previous reviews I've included the following music samples with comments about how the headphones sound with each track. My suggestion is instead of reading each one as an absolute unto itself, you could compare my notes here to those other reviews and see how the M100 Master compares with each individual track. These tracks were evaluated without any EQ settings.
Photos:
http://dalethorn.com/Photos/iPhone_XsMax/Headphone_Vmoda_M100_Master_01.jpg
Sources: iPhone XsMax/iPad Pro 11-inch with Oppo HA-2/AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt DAC/amps, various computers using the Meridian Explorer2/AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt DAC-amps.
Review note: My first impressions of the sound of the V-MODA M100 Master headphone ('Master' hereafter) are based on direct comparisons to other headphones, particularly those that resemble its design (Full-size closed-back), but also to a few premium headphones for reference. I'll describe how I relate to the Master (i.e., my objectives and how I use the headphone) only after covering all of the technical issues.
Users who've followed the M100 since the early days (late 2012), and its progress to becoming the ultimate Amazon headphone at one time, tend to be possessive about its sonics (not to mention physical quality) and rather sensitive about changes to its design. I'll get right to the point: Compared to "classic neutral" headphones like the Sennheiser 600/800 series and Beyer Teslas, I found the M100 to have a ~10 db emphasis in the upper bass, and a slight recess in the mid-treble around 5 khz. After reviewing headphones like the AudioQuest NightHawk and Focal Elear (just two examples of many), I came to realize that their large mid-treble recesses were becoming popular, probably due to the Loudness Wars and the boosted "presence" in those recordings, and thus I no longer consider the M100 or M100 Master treble to have any recess.
Naturally, I stick to the High Fidelity standard** rather than the fashion standard, and so I simply adjusted the M100 bass down a bit and enjoyed hi-fi sound from their superbly engineered drivers and acoustically-correct earcups. Since then, the V-MODA Wireless continued the M100 signature, the Wireless-2 trimmed the bass emphasis to about 6 db, and the new M100 Master drops that emphasis to approximately 4 db. First impressions score big with me, and right out of the box playing some familiar tracks, I was amazed by the Master's clarity, dynamics, and detail - particularly the superior bass detail compared to the popular brands sold at (for example) the Apple Store.
**When your headphone and music sound like the real thing, you're on the right track. Also note that while every headphone benefits from some period of burn-in, the better quality headphones are closer to their final sound right out of the box.
The new M100 Master is "High Res Certified" (or something to that effect), and due to the large dual-diaphragm drivers with the new Roland-designed voice coils etc., you'll really appreciate the difference with lossless and higher-resolution music tracks. Every popular headphone has some individual quality that leads to its popularity, but I'm more than convinced that there's nothing within twice the Master's price that can compete with it on fidelity - clarity, dynamics, detail, tonality - the whole deal. I've purchased all of the headphones I've reviewed in the past couple of years, and so naturally I tend to like what I purchase, or send it back. The striking difference with the M100 Master is the detail, which is more obvious at the lowest frequencies since most headphones lose clarity there.
I won't spend more time on the M100 Master's sound for now, for these reasons:
1) The music tracks listed below, which were included in my tests of the Master, feature a wide range of music tonalities that highlight any sonic weaknesses in the headphone.
2) The sound is better than I expected, and far better than competing brands anywhere near this price level.
3) The history of the M100 and its attention to both build quality and sonic quality are a good heads-up that this Master edition is building an even better future on exactly those qualities.
The M100 Master comes with high-quality pleather-covered earpads, which are my favorite because they don't tend to accumulate sweat and oils that can change the sound over time. The soft squishy foam inside these earpads make for an extremely comfortable fit, assuming a user's ears aren't unusually large. The openings in my Master earpads measure 1.5 x 2.25 inches, or 3.8 x 5.7 cm. Both Left and Right earcups have a 3.5 mm socket for the headphone cable, and V-MODA supplies small rubber plugs to protect these sockets when not being used. The padded headband's size adjustment range is slightly over an inch, and given that my average head fits the middle of that range, it should accomodate a wide range of head sizes. I bent my headband forward slightly to give the earcups a slight toe-in, and users can take advantage of that to better fit their head shapes.
The M100 Master is currently matte-black only, which is rather elegant a la stealth aircraft and other high-tech electro-mechanical products. Custom shields are available in various colors, designs, and 3-D printed metals. My current shields are the "Croc" design, included free with the headphone. Previous shields I've had include 3-D printed spikes and the laser-engraved "Immortal Angel" motif. I've had headphones with shallow earcups, and worse yet - spiky protrusions on the driver covers inside the earcups. Neither of these occurs with the M100 Master.
The Master's isolation is good - average or better for a circumaural closed-back design - good enough for most home use and outdoor use where it's not extremely noisy, but probably not good enough for public transport for critical listening. Leakage is very low - enough that playing music loudly in a quiet office might work, unless someone sitting very close-by hears the sound faintly and objects. The Master comes with two cables: a ~4 ft black cable and a much longer red/black cable with an extra headphone "share" socket. The classic V-MODA zippered hard case for their compact CliqFold designs is also included.
In previous reviews I've included the following music samples with comments about how the headphones sound with each track. My suggestion is instead of reading each one as an absolute unto itself, you could compare my notes here to those other reviews and see how the M100 Master compares with each individual track. These tracks were evaluated without any EQ settings.