[Review] V-Moda Crossfade LP

Do you believe in love at first sight?

I first heard word the V-Moda Crossfade LP in a press release email a few months ago. My first impression was that they were an incredibly stylish piece of hardware with impressive V-Moda internals. By the time I took a look at the technical specifications, I was salivating. The Crossfade LP packs a pair of 50mm dual-diaphragm drivers with a frequency response of 5Hz to 30,000Hz.

Recently, by a very lucky series of events, I was given the opportunity to get my very own pair of Crossfades. Now that I've had about a week with them, I'm excited to share my findings.

Right from the start, the Crossfades catch your attention. The packaging is sturdy, and has a nice heft that feels like professional equipment.

Inside the box you'll find the Exoskeleton case, which I am a HUGE fan of. This hard case is a great way to store the Crossfades and their extras for travel, and has a nice rubberized finish.

Also included in the box are a product manual, VIP warranty card, and a microfiber cleaning cloth with an embossed V-Moda logo. The Crossfades come with a one-year premier warranty, and with V-Moda's Replay-Replacement program, if they ever break, you get 50% off of a new pair!

The Crossfades come with two, count 'em, two kevlar-reinforced audio cables. The cables are detachable, which makes for easy storage. One is 3 feet long and includes an in-line mic with volume controls. The other cable is almost 6 feet long, and does not have the in-line controls. All of the 3.5mm jacks are gold-plated, and a 6mm gold-plated jack is also included.

The headphones themselves are a gorgeous example of brilliant design. The shape of the ear cups and frame gives the Crossfades a pointedly "different" look. There are subtle V-Moda logos on the frame above the ear cups, which are a very tasteful way of branding the product. The frame is all metal, and I have no doubt that the Crossfades will last me several years without wear.

The headband is padded well, and the pads on the ear cups are made of memory foam. I found the Crossfades to be EXTREMELY comfortable, and had no trouble wearing them all day.

When it comes to looks and comfort, these headphones are fantastic. However, it's the sound quality that matters when reviewing headphones. The Crossfades don't dissapoint.

They have stood out from the crowd in every testing scenario. Val Kolton and V-Moda have given the Crossfades a very healthy dose of Bass. Mids and trebles are refreshingly crisp as well. They especially shined while playing dance and bass-heavy music, but they also made acoustic tracks sound great. V-Moda has many well known DJ partners that have helped them develop the Crossfades, which may explain the strong presence of bass. It may come close to overpowering higher ranges of sound for some, but it comes down to personal preference. Personally I don't think the extra bass muddies the higher ranges.

If you have a chance, test-drive the Crossfade LP headphones at your local Apple store, and enjoy their top of the line performance. They retail for $249.99, which is more expensive than many pairs of over-ear headpones on the market, but they are worth the money. Still cheaper than a pair of Beats Studio headphones, and with very comprable sound quality, these should definitely be on your list if youre in the market for new headphones. Their solid construction, fantastic audio quality, and impressive level of comfort make the V-Moda Crossfade LP and excellent pair of over-ear headphones.

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