V-MODA XS On-Ear Folding Design Noise-Isolating Metal Headphone (Matte Black Metal)

I am an standard consumer, and bought this product as an upgrade from a pair of klipsch s4i that I previously used for commuting. After my klipsch failing multiple times due to probably poor durability (of course, I treat my gear with care), I decided to try these rugged looking on-ear headphones in hopes of a more durable option. I realize that a on-ear headphone is not a complete replacement for an in-ear, and will be looking to replace my in-ear soon, but I wanted to test to see how an on-ear headphone fares as replacement for the roles of an in-ear (which I believe the owner of the v-moda, Val Kolton, originally intended these to be). If all goes well, I intend to make these my primary commuting headphones and keep an in-ear as secondary. I am also new to v-moda and was excited to try them out from the amount of praise I heard. I do not collect headphones or have much experience with many, but I do a fair amount of research before I make a significant purchase, so hopefully my review will give a first-timer's insight into the V-moda XS.-Sound-I listen to mostly EDM, D&B, trance, dubsteb, etc. the bass heavy music, as well as alternative and rock. Again, I am not an audiophile so I do not really obsess over 100% sound reproduction. That being said, the sound is impressive coming from such a tiny device. In comparison to the ATH-M50s or the klipsch s4i (only headphones I own as you might have guessed), these are up to par, and if not, better. In a quiet environment, the sound is clear, crisp, vibrant, and I can feel the gentle waves pulsating through my cranium. As for more in-depth comparison, I think others have done a better review on sound. There is not really much more that can be described better than as experienced in person.-Build-This was one of the main points I looked at when looking for headphones to replace my earbuds. I still think earbuds are awesome, but their durability will always be surpassed by headphones of similar quality range. I wanted something to last me for a while, and provide me with access to good quality tunes for hours of daily use. The V-Moda XS is constructed of metal hinges, kevlar covered wires, and a very flexible leather headband; all components feel like it will last for years to come with proper care. They also have beyond military-level MIL-STD-810G quality standards according to their website. I have no idea what this means, but this is exactly what I want when I am using these daily, in danger of bending or pulling the cord, dropping the headphones on concrete, or zip-lining down a building on fire using the headphones and cables while blasting some Hans Zimmer.-Comfort-Priced at $200, I expect these to be the most comfortable thing to put on my head, and they are. I had used and unused? headphones many times before because they began to hurt my ears after an hour of wear. These come nowhere close. I used these headphones for approximately 4 hours straight, listening to music, and my ears were fine. I believe this is where most of the resources were spent on trying to get the clamping force and cushioning just right in perfect equilibrium, and I believe they have achieved it. I consider my head to be average, and these cans felt natural on my head right out of the box. I have yet to find how long it will take for my ears to begin feeling discomfort, but at this pace, I may never reach that point.-Size-These things are tiny. The case fits into my average size palms, and the cans are cute (lost all my man cred here). I can comfortably throw these in my backpack, not adding any bulk or fearing it will break. They conform to my head very well and does not make me look like a Cyberman. I knew that they would be small from the reviews and descriptions, but I was still surprised when I received them.-Noise Isolation-The only complaint I have about the V-moda XS is noise isolation. I knew beforehand what I would be sacrificing isolation for comfort and durability, but I do miss the isolation of my in-ears. As expected of on-ear headphones, the noise isolation is not as good, and although on the average side of on-ears, I wish the XS somehow had better isolation. They seemed to keep the "v-vents" in the design which apparently improves the sound stage, but if it were up to me, I would rather sacrifice the sound stage for isolation. At 50% iPhone volume, I still hear mainly music, but noises such as the rumbles of the bus still penetrate. I was also concerned for the sound leakage as I get very irritated by people who ignorantly blast their music for the world to hear, and I also hate being a hypocrite. There is a good test video on this on youtube by UrAvgConsumer, but from my personal tests, up to 50% seemed like a safe level with a good seal, while more than 50% starts to leak quite a bit, so 50%-75% should be used accordingly to the environment, and well, just never go to 100% unless you're looking to get stares on the bus. In positive light, I will be less likely to miss a bus stop or get ran over.-Price-As of now, the XS runs around $200, and I figure it will for quite some time. It is a lot of dough for such a tiny thing, but considering the amount of research that must have gone into perfecting the comfort, and the quality (both build and sound) of the overall product justifies the price. They also provide a very nice hard shell case which includes a v-strap for holding cords.-Miscellaneous--Trivial problem, but I wish the cord had a volume rocker.-I love the color orange, but I still wish the cord had been black, since they are going with the low profile/stealth theme anyway-The sliders and the cliqfold hinge clicks. I love clicks.-Would have been nice if the cord plugs could click lock. Did I mention I love clicks?-Matte finish resists fingerprints!-OVERALL-I would rate these at 4.5. Excellent build and sound quality, superb compact form, and indestructible, -0.5 for isolation, so I rounded up and gave it a 5.From reading forums, it seems like v-moda listens to a lot of its fans' opinions, so I am excited for their next iteration. As for now, although still testing, I think these will be my primary commuting headphones.TL;DR: These headphones have amazing sound and build quality and a very compact size. I wish noise isolation was a bit better. Would highly recommend.

I almost never write reviews, but I'm so impressed with these headphones that I almost feel obligated to review them. In the past, I never paid much attention to v-moda headphones (even though I've always thought they looked nice) because a number of reviews I read a while back indicated v-modas were generally very bass heavy and sonically tuned to rival Beats products, which didn't appeal to me at all.Recently, it dawned on me that I listen to music while exercising far more than any other time. My previous workout cans ("The Construct" by Philips/O'Neill) were OK, but a big step down in sound quality from my other headphones, which I certainly wouldn't want to use while exercising. They're just way too fragile. It got me wondering why nobody seems to make great sounding headphones designed to accommodate an active lifestyle. Determined to find something better, I scoured the web.That's when v-moda showed up on my radar. Previously, I never knew that v-moda's products were specifically designed to be durable. I didn't know about their two-year warranty either, or their "Immortal Life" trade-in program which replaces your broken headphones, regardless of condition, at half price. Surprisingly, my search turned up very few people who actually use v-modas for exercising, but I did come across a post on a headphone forum by v-moda's CEO who says he and other v-moda employees use their products quite often while running, hiking and climbing. I also found many reviews saying great things about the sound quality and comfort of the XS, so I was eager to give them a try. The only thing that made me a bit hesitant was that some reviewers said the headphones slid off when tilting their heads up or down. Many people made no mention of it at all, however, so I went ahead and placed my order.I'm really glad that I did! The first thing I noticed was how solid and artfully crafted they were. Photos don't really do them justice. Hooked up to my Fiio X5, they sounded great right out of the box. They're not what I'd call neutral; the bass is definitely more present than in any of my other headphones, but it's detailed and doesn't overpower the overall presentation. After listening critically for a while, I decided that I preferred a bit more detail in the top end. A slight bit of EQing later, I was smiling from ear to ear. Honestly, I don't think I could be happier with my purchase. The XS is so solidly built and backed by such a fantastic warranty and trade-in program that I have no reservations about wearing them during my workouts. They're considerably more comfortable than my old Philips cans and, thankfully, they stay on my head just fine. Aggressively shaking my head around would likely cause them to shift or maybe even fall off, but I don't generally make those kinds of movements. For that, you'd probably need a fairly uncomfortable set of headphones with a vice-like grip.I'm so very impressed that such a compact, solidly built, stylish pair of headphones can produce such a full, detailed, spacious sound and still manage to be affordably priced. These might not be the absolute best sounding headphones I own, but they're certainly the most versatile, and they do sound great. The XS has narrowed the sound quality gap between my headphones so much that I really don't regret spending most of my time listening to my workout cans anymore. I'll be using these things a lot, even when I could be listening to my other, more expensive cans.

The headphones themselves are decent enough in regard to sound quality. I was very happy with them. However, I mildly regretted going with an "on-ear" headphone as I use them to study for hours at a time and as advertised, they very much sit ON your ear. Which means that the outer portion of your ear rests between the cushion and your skull. After a while you feel the pinch. Second, you'll notice in the photo that the headphone itself became unfastened from the head piece. This has happened twice now. The first time it was under warranty and they fixed it. However, after that, they said tough luck and offered me their "immortal life program" in which I would have to trade in my device and receive 20% off an upgrade. The fact that this headphone is likely to fall apart on you is reason enough not to buy it. You're spending close to 200$ on this. Spend it more wisely on something with less of a design flaw. The screws fastening the ear piece to the headpiece are freaking tiny and I haven't been able to find a replacement. I'm stuck using my airpods for absolutely everything and consider this purchase an absolute waste of money. Best of luck with them if you go through with the purchase.