We been rocking with V-Moda for some years now and they never seem to disappoint when it comes to their audio products. Whether its earbuds or headphones they seem to take their time at crafting their products and making sure only quality is put out. I think they are some of more stylish brand in regards to headphones seeing more metal and hard plastic then other companies. V-Moda announced their “XS” model back in the Spring which are supposed to take away all that space and gaping between your head and your headphones. Thus making them more comfortable, portable and light. Has V-Moda mastered the perfect fit for On-Ear Headphones?
Style
You don’t realize how small and compact the V-Moda XS are until you hold them in your hands. They have what’s called a SteelFlex Headband in which you can basically bend this bad boy up and don’t have to worry about them snapping. I have twisted it, bent it back and it goes right back to place making it virtually indestructible. Under the headband is a mesh padding while on top is kind of tough and tight leather feel.
Earcups are housed with Memory Foam Cushions for a soft feel on your ears and also help isolate sounds inside and block some noise from the outside. They seem to fit just right for me, but then again I have smaller ears, so they not work for those with larger ones. The CliqFold hinge folds the headphones pretty easy and feels sturdy with its metal casing. Only thing I may not be a fan of is the audio cables that hang out between the headband and the earcups. I keep thing they will get snagged but in reality they haven’t once since I used them.
Interesting with the ear cups, they have plugs so you can either keep them both sealed when not in use or plug-in one of the untangle-able Kevlar audio cables it comes with.
The V-Moda XS comes in an Exoskeleton Case which likes it will take its share of wear and tear very good. The case is actually hard to bend so I cant see it getting damaged and will keep your XS nice and protected.
Sound
The XS has 40mm Dual-Diaphragm Drivers which are supposed to provide superior 
sound with an inner ring for dealing with the highs and a softer outer ring for bass. I felt the clarity in these headphones were on point and didn’t seem to fault in any areas. Listening to tracks like Justin Timberlake’s “Not a Bad Thing”, vocals are heard clearly and bass isn’t too heavy. Tracks like Drake’s “Trophies” and A$AP Ferg “Shabba” were some good tracks to test out the Lows(Bass) and it’s not overbearing but still punchy. I have also taken calls with the XS which I tend to do with all headphones I use and sound was good and conversation could be heard clearly on both ends.
Experience
I used the XS extensively over the past couple of weeks. Actually more than I expected to. Sound is just so crisp on it and helps relax and zone out from everything else. I did wear them for long periods of times and didn’t feel any discomfort from them. Also testing out the “XS” size, I was able to throw them in some shorts I had on and not feel like I had them at all. And no I don’t wear big shorts but ones that have a pocket on the side. I was very impressed with that.
Smaller is Better?
Where in the headphones industry you are seeing some headphones that pretty huge in size but can typically sound better, its great to pick up a nice small pair of headphones, get great sound quality out of them and be able to throw them in say my backpack or pocket without any issue. Them being smaller though may turn out those with bigger ears and some may not like the relative small size of the XS in general.
The V-Moda XS are available now for $199.99
