DJ headphones have generally filtered down through the product lines of pro-audio companies well versed in professional level products. But generally, the pro look and feel of these headphones has been less than pleasing on the eye. Thus the DJ market has seen an influx of cosmetically focussed lifestyle brands attempt to make a dent in the DJ scene, and have generally been successful in turning the heads of previously aesthetically unadventurous DJs.

So are the V-MODA Crossfades just an exercise in chrome and quirkiness, or are they actually good headphones?

A quick note about pricing: I generally use Google to get the average street price in US dollars, Euros and GB pounds. Normally this works well, with prices coming in more or less within 5-10 of your local currency. With these headphones however, I found such a broad range of pricing that putting down a single one proved impossible. The baseline is V-Moda's own store, that charges $199, but if you shop around (like Amazon for example), for be in for a nice surprise.



In The Box: Being a lifestyle product, you would expect a degree of image consciousness on the actual product. But also extends to quite ridiculous levels with the packaging too. Aside from the multi-sided and probably awkward to make box, it's adorned with dubiously tasteful reptile skin fastenings and full-on metal studs. Eye-catching? Most definitely. Over-the-top waste or time and money? Even more so.



But once inside, one of the real draws of the Crossfades becomes apparent - the alienesque exoskeleton carry case opens up to unveil the truly beautiful headphones, along with a straight 2m cable for DJs, a 1.4m cable, complete with iPod/iPhone controls (volume, pause and inline microphone) as well as a mini to 1/4" adaptor, but not the screw type. Oh and a cleaning cloth too to keep the shiny stuff shiny.



Looks: It's like retro and modern all in one go. Coming in 6 colour ways, it's a mixture of shiny chrome, lush synthetic fabrics and liberal splashes of colour. There is quite a lot of metal here (not plastic as some reviews have stated), all held in place with microscopic Allen screws.

On your head, the sort of elongated hexagonal earpieces cut an extremely distinctive dash on your head. People will stop and look, especially when disco lasers bounce off the chrome and blind then. I just of course, but the Crossfades make a big impression on the crowd, but still look discrete on your head.



Build Quality: Given the appearance, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the Crossfades would be all about looks and perhaps skim of the quality. But you couldn't be more wrong as in your hand, they feel solid yet very giving. While I don't have the luxury of a time machine to see how well things last in the long term, I tend to get pretty rough when stress testing. And I was very pleasantly surprised with just how well the Crossfades stood up to my rough justice.



I'm not one for attempting to break things, but these stood up to way more than usual. Casual twisting and pulling displayed no complaints or creaks. In fact, violent shaking showed just just how well put together these are. Even the metal earpiece arms don't bend at all. On that subject, I wish they were a little more rounded on the edges. They're a wee bit uncomfortable in your hands when taking them off.

The construction bodes well for staying one piece too. The only hinges are on the earpieces and are pretty solid. Should they fail, it looks like undoing a couple of screws will see spares easily fitted.



I'd like to give special mention for the frankly weird cables. I'm used to rubberised flexible coiled ones that stretch and tangle in nanoseconds. But the Crossfades come with the oddest yet coolest and lightest cables ever - that'll be the Kevlar. They look and feel like bootlaces - seriously, I was tempted to cut the plugs off and lace up my Cats for a photo. But I'm buggered if I can tangle them at all. Brilliant. Oh wait... they don't lock in place, but they're really tight.



Sound Quality: So there has to be a downside to all this upside right? Well a little yes, but not as much as I'd expected. Given the mixture of lifestyle and DJ, I had little expectation as to audio fidelity. But I was pleasantly surprised with what I heard. DJs need bass, and the Crossfades deliver that in scoops, but maybe leaving the mids and highs just a little bit behind in its wake. For DJing, this is just fine, and for general listening it'll work as well. Let's not forget that most audio devices have EQs so it can be tweaked to make them sound better still. This does obviously rule them out for production though.

Cranking the volume up does lead to an experience that I'd not had before - the drivers actually made the whole headphones vibrate on my head, but not without distortion. Clearly not good for you at all, but novel nonetheless.

Isolation: Keeping noise out as well as in is important for headphones that span the target markets. In this respect, I would say that the Crossfades are better for DJs than for listeners not wanting to annoy people close by. For people who like to be deafened when listening to their iPods, expect to be punched in the face by commuters. For DJs, it's still good though - not hermetically sealed good, but still ideal for even the loudest of booths or parties.



Comfort and Stability: Having got a couple of lower scoring categories out of the way, let's get into one where the Crossfades excel. The large earpieces are cushioned with a supersoft leatherette pad that sit ohsocomfortably against my ageing skull. And due to the rigid yet flexible construction, they stay put for hours, possibly better than 99% of all the cans I've tested. I'm sure you can guess what the 1% is. Using just one cup yields great results to, but because of their extra weight, if you're a real head nodder they may move a little.

The headband is really nice too. The whole underside is padded with soft memory foam, and is incredibly comfortable no matter where you have them on your head, or for how long either.



Compactness: Despite the lack of folding, the Crossfades still have a quite a small footprint. But this is made largely irrelevant by the brilliant case. It's a real work of art that fits your headphones like a perfectly formed suit of armour. Not only does it look great, but it really does protect your investment from the beatings usually metered out in a DJ's life.

Value for money: I'd say it's very high. There's a hell of a lot going for them over a lot of the market, and when you factor in the Rock On Lifetime 50% off discount on your next purchase, regardless of condition of your old ones then value is high. I guess deciding to pay more for these than a regular pair of DJ headphones comes down to your personal taste rather than function. They certainly make a statement, but more than that offer a lot more than just cosmetics.

Summary

V-MODA clearly want you to have more than just pretty headphones. Undoubtedly they are pretty, but you see and feel the difference between the Crossfades and other DJ headphones. It's a matter of weighing up your own needs as a DJ and seeing if the Crossfades meet those needs. For me the pure overall excellence of the complete package more than makes up for the minor picky points. From a pure DJ perspective, the Crossfades hit the target.

Hype: Image, quality, comfort, cables
Gripe: Minor niggles with isolation and sound quality.