Designed to be an improvement on the original Crossfade wireless headphones, the Crossfade 2 is a superb piece of tech that offers luxurious versatility and quality, with only a few minor drawbacks.
Price: $330Bottom line: If you're able to afford them, the Crossfade 2 headphones offer incredible quality, durability, versatility, and portability.
Pros:
Elegant aesthetic.Superb sound quality.Unrivaled durability.Cons:
On the heavy side.Become uncomfortable after awhile.Buttons are low quality.What you'll love about V-Moda Crossfade 2s
Unlike most other headphones, the Crossfade 2s can take a tremendous beating and emerge unscathed. The fact that this monster withstood military-level stress testing and passed with flying colors means that nothing you can do to it (short of running it over with your car) will cause much damage. This is thanks to the Crossfade 2's steel frame and vegan leather headband. This much durability would usually mean a sacrifice of flexibility, but surprisingly these headphones are capable of stretching out almost an entire foot with no issues.
| Spec | V-Moda Crossfade 2 wireless headphones |
|---|---|
| Drivers | 50mm dual-diaphragm |
| Wired frequency response | 5 Hz to 40,000 Hz |
| Headphone sensitivity | 100 dB @ 1kHz 1mW |
| Microphone sensitivity | -42dB @ 1kHz |
| Battery capacity | 430mAh |
| Impedance | 32 Ohm |
| Weight | 309g |
On top of the horizontal elasticity, each individual headphone can be lengthened vertically, meaning that the Crossfade 2s will fit you comfortably no matter how your head is shaped. For further comfort, each headphone is lined with thick memory foam cushioning. When it comes to sound quality, the headphones excel here as well; between the superb drivers, the impressive sound isolation, and the extensive range of frequencies, Crossfade 2s offer one of the best listening experiences available.
When on the go, the headphones are capable of folding compactly, offering incredible portability. In terms of battery, you'll get anywhere from ten to 13 hours out of a full charge depending on how loud your audio is. Should your battery run dry, the Crossfade 2s come with a standard 3.5mm cable that can be used for wired connection. This cable plugs in to the bottom of the right headphone in a convenient location. If you happen to own a V-Moda BoomPro Microphone you can plug it in and effectively turn the Crossfade 2s into a gaming headset.
What you'll love less about V-Moda Crossfade 2s
Due to the way these headphones are built like tanks, they weigh in at a hefty 309 grams. Personally, I don't mind this as I think that having some weight to headphones makes them fit more securely, but if you're someone who prefers wearing lighter hardware, the Crossfade 2s may annoy you a bit.
Additionally, they may start to feel a little uncomfortable after several hours of listening. The cushions found in each headphone are great, but the gap between your ears and the speakers is small, meaning that they don't have much breathing room during use. Again, this is mostly a matter of preference — I personally like some space within headphones — but some people would rather have everything fit snugly.
Lastly, the buttons for various functions on the outside of the headphones feel like they're low quality. When pressing them during a listening session, it's hard to tell whether or not you applied enough pressure due to the lack of "clickiness". Often, you'll have to physically take the headphones off, creating an unwanted interruption. It may be a minor problem, but for the price of the Crossfade 2, it should be there.
The bottom line about V-Moda Crossfade 2s
At the end of the day, the Crossfade 2 headphones offer a fantastic, industry-leading listening experience for an expensive, but fair price. The cost for a pair may be high, but they're worth every penny you spend. The buttons are disappointing, and you may find the headphones to be a bit uncomfortable based on your preferences, but for the most part, you get what you pay for and then some.
A cool feature worth noting is that you can purchase customized metal shields on V-Moda's website that go on the sides of the headphones to personalize them. Make sure to check these out — the kind you see on my pair in this article are Sea of Thieves-themed.
V-Moda's Crossfade 2 wireless headphones are available for $330, but right now they're on sale for $250 on Amazon. If you're looking to get a pair, now is the time.
