TMA-1 / HD 25 – 1 / Crossfade LP2

When my TMA’s headband snapped I had to find a replacement while the warranty was being processed, so I picked up a pair of V-Moda Crossfade LP2. I only had them for 10 days, so obviously I can’t say anything in regards to long-term durability. Also didn’t gig with them, and only practiced with them twice. Otherwise I just used them for listening to music at home and on the go.
I had the limited (everything’s limited edition nowadays, yet stuff never seems to sell out anywhere, funny) matte black version. I personally would’ve liked it without the shiny ring of polished metal on each earcup, but still a very nice understated design. There’s almost no branding going on, only a tone in tone “V-Moda” branding on the headband and (those are functional too) little V-shaped vents on the earcups (and yes, they do leak some sound – not the best choice for going to the library). The headband’s padded with some meshy fabric, on the outside it has a leather feel to it. It’s supposed to be from some fancy memory metal that you can kinda adjust the tightness with but that’s still durable to no end – I can’t comment on how that’s working out in the long run. I don’t know what’s wrong with US American marketing but you won’t find any component on these headphones that isn’t spacecraft-grade this, military-grade that… Whatever helps to sell stuff.
I loved the earcups, because as opposed to the other two headphones discussed these aren’t on-ear but circumaural / over ear. That makes sense, since these also pack 50mm drivers (instead of 40mm for the HD 25 and the TMA-1). When it comes to feeling comfortable I actually prefer the circumaural design, since my ears aren’t getting squashed. With their hexagonal, lengthy shape they enclose the ears nicely without being overly big. I find them to be quite small footprint and understated for a pair of headphones packing 50mm drivers (the HDJ 2000 struck me as much larger) and the sleek modern design definitely looks cool. Although something about the design strikes me like it is some gamer’s headphone from Creative or something like that. But that’s personal preference. And don’t get me wrong, they feel the most high quality out of the bunch, with lots of metal and leathery stuff involved (without making them heavy).
I think the V-Moda give you the best all around package when it comes to accessories. You don’t just get a cloth bag like with the Sennheisers or the AIAIAIs but a nicely made hardcase (looks better in reality than on pictures) with some straps inside that can hold your adapters, cables, a small carbine hook, spare exchangable coverpieces for the earcups etc. Also you get an extra cable with iPhone mic and remote – and not just with certain special versions. The cables are a bit weird. To be honest, they don’t feel exactly confidence inspiring. According to the marketing fluff they are covered in kevlar and whatnot. But they feel very light and flimsy. It’s cool for the mic cable, which is gonna be used on the go, but for DJing purposes I would’ve preferred a regular coiled cable. Also they have their connectors at a 45° degree angle, I don’t see where that’s good or bad, I guess they try to stand out. Mind you, since they plug into one earcup with a regular 3,5mm jack you can use other cables if you like. The cable doesn’t lock into place though, and I also didn’t find it to plug in too tightly. The 6,3mm adaptor isn’t the screw on type either, so if you are moshing around the booth that might be of concern…
I found the headphones to be the least tight on my head (I didn’t mess around with the memory metal thingy though). While I found the earcups to be very comfortable, for me the headband got uncomfortable quite fast, despite the padding. In DJing use the earcups are too big for my liking. My headphones are around my neck most of the time, and I glance slightly downwards to my controller and laptop – and they are in the way since they are bigger than the other two. They have no swivelling action but aren’t as flexible as the AIAIAI, so I found them the least suited for one ear monitoring and alway a bit annoying while Djing.
Soundwise I guess you either love or hate them (and I had a hard time deciding which camp I fall into). They go down to 6Hz and pack some _serious_ bass. Especially the sub bass on these is really good, listening to dubstep, trap or even bass heavy electro house is awesome on these. Even without burning in they were already reaaally good in that department, and it’s been a while since I’ve last been walking around the city and caught myself with a big fat smile on my face just because my headphones sounded that great. But finally I decided they have too much bass for me. The bass heavy genres IMO are the only fun ones to listen to with these cans. The mids might still be okay, but the highs are way too underrepresented to an extent that IMO even makes mixing some genres harder. The enormous bass overpowers everything. Also listening to non electronic genres (Indie Rock/Pop, Folky stuff, Alternative, Metal) on the go wasn’t fun at all. They just sound boomy, bath-tubby and bassheavy. Resolution isn’t too bad though. If you are primarily a “bass music” DJ and heavily into dubstep, trap and that kind of stuff, I think you will love these. Plus I gotta say that their lifelong replacement policy (if they break after the 2 year warranty you can always get a new pair for 50% off) sounds pretty cool.

+ high quality feel and sleek design
+ iphone mic/remote cable
+ case, replacement policy
+ good resolution sound with amazing bass
– too bass-heavy for most genres IMO
– big earcups (comparably) and bad ergonomics for DJing

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Given that they all pretty much cost the same I think you get the most bang for the buck with the V-Moda (long-term durability withstanding). They feel very well made. They are customizable in the way they look (you can get your own DJ Name/Logo on them and whatnot). You get a very nice hardcase for transport and protection, an iphone cable, the lifelong replacement warranty thing. Unfortunately (depending on the genres you spin) I think the bass might be too heavy. And for my style of DJing they weren’t the most comfortable ones to use.

Soundwise I think the HD-25 are the ones to beat here. They deliver punchy bass but they are still clear and defined, which is where both the V-Moda (by far) and the AIAIAI lack. I find their sound to be addictive. The HD-25 look boring though and for me as an iPhone user who sometimes likes to use his DJ phones on the go to check out new tunes etc. not being able to swap for a short remote cable is a dealbreaker.

The AIAIAI have already become a classic design-wise. For me they are really ergonomically thought-through for their intended use by DJs. Soundwise similar to the HD-25 they are only nearly as good IMO. For me they lack a lot of the clarity and dynamics of the Sennheisers. They’re said to be durable but I had a bad experience with a snapping headband which according to AIAIAI was a manufacturing fault. They are still my headphones of choice for their ergonomics and for use on the go. If they break again I’m going with the Sennheisers for sure.