I’m an audiophile who loves house music, jazz, classical, deep vocal beats, and classic rock and hip-hop albums. For the purposes of this best headphone review I compared my recently bought V-Moda Crossfade M-100s with my 5-year-old Sennheiser HD280PROs and borrowed my sister’s Beats by Dre and my father’s Bose headphones.
V-MODA Crossfade M-100s vs Sennheiser HD280PROs vs Beats by Dre vs Bose Headphones Review
The V-MODA Crossfade M-100 (Amazon) headphones have the best packaging and carry-case.
My headphone/listening background:
I DJ-ed on the radio in college and have been an audiophile for at least a decade, big into vinyl and constantly listening to new music and trying to expand my appreciation of different genres.
If I had to chose just ONE track to test out headphones, it has to be Money For Nothing by Dire Straits.
Having said that, this best headphone review will use layman speech because I am not a headphone expert. I don’t know all the different headphone lingo and terminology, but I know what I like and what most non-expert music fans are looking for in a pair of headphones.
What are the best cans (headphones) on the market?
I’m not comparing headphones at each price point, instead this headphone review focuses on different price points and compares the most popular headphones on the market:
When I was comparing each of these headphones, I was focused on their noise cancelling properties and noise leakage, headphone comfort on the head, portability, bass, vocals, texture and layers, durability, and how the headphones look (style doesn’t matter to me, but I know it does to some people).
I ran A LOT of different songs from the whole genre gamut through each of these headphones: EDM, indie rock, hip hop, classical, rock, country, jazz, live music, metal, and pop.
I’ll throw some music recommendations out there. Don’t just check out the videos here on this review page, click over and listen to everything (especially if you have a couple of headphones you’re testing out).
You’ll know most of these songs, but if you don’t know anything you have an obligation as a music lover to listen. I don’t want to sound up-my-own-ass here but I’m trying to save your life – this is MUSIC. This is serious fucking business, man.
Best songs to test headphones:
- Loud and heavy by Cody Jinks: You can hear all the different layers distinctly. Vocals are crisp and in the foreground, then you’ve got the strings enunciated so well it should feel like, if you have good headphones, someone’s in the room strumming right next to your ear.
- So What? by Miles Davis – what better jazz track to test than the most recognisable jazz song of all time – perfect for testing that reverb and base and little details – you feel like you’re there in the recording studio with them.
- Solid Air by John Martyn – you’ll get chills listening to this song. Martyn is one of the few artists who can make me laugh and cry in same minute. Those who know anything about music know that Martyn is a genius. For testing live music with your headphones, Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley and Big Love by Lyndsey Buckingham are also good options.
- Ten Million Slaves by Otis Taylor – this is the perfect track for testing how your headphones handle dual/separated audio, banjo in one ear, vocals in the other ear.
- Angel by Massive Attack – this is the song you use to test bass and texture.
- Riders On The Storm by The Doors – hands down this is the best song for testing ambience and mood.
- Juicy by The Notorious B.I.G. – because Biggie.
If you had to pick just ONE song in order to test headphones and stereo systems, it would have to be Money For Nothing by Dire Straights. A close second would be Bohemian Rhapsody. After that, take your pick.
How much do the different headphones cost?
These are all at time of writing (2019), but there are different deals on these all the time through Amazon:
- V-Moda Crossfade M-100 – $240 (Amazon)
- Sennheiser HD280PRO – $100 (Amazon)
- Bose (not sure exact model) – $300 (Amazon)
- Beats by Dre – $250 (Amazon)
Beats by Dre Headphones Review
Are Beats by Dre headphones comfortable?
Honestly Beats by Dre are not really comfortable at all.
Beats are way too small for my head and the ear pads are tiny – they don’t even come close to covering my ears and feels like they cut off the circulation at the top and bottom of the ears.
Are Beats by Dre good quality headphones?
The sound quality of Beats by Dre headphone is actually laughable.
If I had bought the Beats myself, I would be extremely pissed off and would return them immediately.
Even without first listening to some tracks through better headphones like the Sennheisers, Bose, and V-Modas, I knew Beats were crappy headphones.
It’s basically like someone has just taken some budget earbuds and wrapped uncomfortable casing around them.
Beats are marketed at those who like tracks with some bass, hip-hop, rap, RnB, and all that. But honestly they don’t even do that well.
Maybe if someone knew nothing about music whatsoever and had never experienced good headphones, it might dupe someone but for the price tag you would expect them to actually make music sound half-decent and they simply don’t.
Why do people buy Beats by Dre?
It’s a status symbol thing by people who don’t know any better.
Everyone knows Beats cost a couple hundred bucks, so wearing them is a way to show you have… a couple hundred bucks to drop on headphones.
I don’t get status buys. I don’t understand people who are into that shit.
My V-Modas cost the same as Beats (a bit less actually) and in my opinion they look better and they make music sound amazing, plus they’re comfortable.
Why pay the same price for a massively inferior pair of cans?
I guess people also think Beats look cool, but I really don’t. I much prefer the sleek look of the V-Modas.
After playing around with the Beats for thirty minutes for the purpose of this headphone review, I couldn’t wait to take them off and listen with some decent headphones.
Swapping the Beats for the V-Modas is like going from a young girl who thinks she’s hot shit but is actually a basic bitch who doesn’t know how to move in the bedroom to an elegant woman you can take to fancy restaurants who actually knows how to please her man.
If the Beats were are car, they’d be a suped-up Vauxhall Astra.
You can check out other Beats by Dre headphones reviews here.
Bose Headphones Review
Are Bose headphones comfortable?
Hands down the Bose headphones are the most comfortable headphones out of all of these.
They don’t cover the ear completely, but Bose have a real luxurious padding and a way of sitting on your head that make it feel like you’re not wearing anything at all.
Bose are the Fetherlite condoms of the headphone world.
You’d think because of how gently Bose headphones sit on your head and because they don’t engulf your ear that Bose wouldn’t be great for noise cancelling, but you’d be surprised.
Comfort does not sacrifice sound quality.
It feels like you’re actually in the room with a live performance.
If comfort is your prime concern with headphones, grab a pair of Bose because they are the most comfortable headphones.
Are Bose good headphones?
Bose aren’t marketed for those who want a lot of bass, and they’re definitely not for the bass-heads, but they do a much better job of rendering bass than the Beats. They sound more organic and smooth, whereas the Beats just sound like some shitty sub-woofer some punk has fitted his red Citroen C2 out with.
Bose might just be the Bentley of the headphone world, though they actually don’t give the best sound out of all these headphones in this review.
You can check out other Bose headphone reviews here.
Sennheiser HD280PRO Headphone Review
I’ve had this pair of Sennheisers for five years.
It’s only the other day that one of the headphones gave out and stopped playing music.
I’ve travelled with these Sennheisers, had them crushed at the bottom of my rucksack, thrown them around, and been super careless with them and they have endured so well.
For durability, the Sennheiser HD280PRO are great headphones.
Are the Sennheiser HD280PRO headphones comfortable?
I’ve seen some reviews saying that the Sennheisers are tight, but I think they’re extremely comfortable.
It’s a snug but comfortable fit.
I love how the headphones completely cover my ears, which makes them superior at noise cancelling.
The padding is super comfortable.
Even though the Bose headphones rank highest for comfort, the Sennheisers are a very close second and I actually prefer them due to the fact that they cover the whole ear.
Sounds silly maybe, but the Sennheisers make me feel safe.
You can also have the Sennheisers resting comfortably around your neck when you’re not using them, whereas the V-Modas are tight around the neck.
The Sennheiser 280HDPROs are the best headphones for noise cancelling
Travelling coach or economy class instantly feels like you’ve upgraded to first class when you put the Sennheisers on.
I can’t imagine travelling without them.
For portability, they are very big and take up a lot of room, plus the cord is super long, which can be frustrating, but I’ve had 12-hour red eye flights that I’ve actually enjoyed because I felt like I was either in a cinema watching my movie or in a concert listening to my music.
And having the Sennheisers over the ear without anything playing blocked out the noise of the plane engines and crying babies so well that I was actually able to get some shut-eye (super rare for me on planes).
What does music sound like through the Sennheisers?
Music sounds amazing through the Sennheisers.
Their price plus the comfort and the fact that they’re so good at cancelling out noise makes them the superior choice of headphones, but for music quality they come second place to the V-Modas.
Sennheisers are infinitely better than Beats for a fraction of the price.
If Sennheiser were a car, they’d be the Range Rover of the headphone world.
You can check out other reviews for the Sennheiser 280HDPRO headphones here.
V-MODA Crossfade M-100 Headphones Review
I saved the best, my favourite headphones in this review, for last: the V-MODA Crossfade M-100 headphones.
Are the V-MODA Crossfade M-100 headphones comfortable?
The V-MODA Crossfade M-100 headphones are a little too small for my ears (which are big and I have a big head) when comparing to the Sennheiser which I think are super roomy.
They are still comfortable despite this and I might grab the extra large ear pads, but it’s not a big deal to me and I still effortlessly lose myself in the music and can wear these for hours.
The Modas are luxuriously comfortable compared to the Beats, but lose in regards to comfort when it comes to the Sennheisers and Bose. They make up for that in the area that counts most to a lot of people – sound quality.
Are the V-MODA Crossfade M-100s good headphones?
No.
The V-Modas are not good headphones.
They are freaking amazing headphones.
When it comes to music quality, the V-Modas beat every other headphone in this headphone review hands-down.
That’s not to say Bose and Sennheiser aren’t great – they’re still fantastic – but the V-Modas are simply far superior in regards to music.
If you want headphones that will really allow you to appreciate different layers and textures in music, headphones that make it sound like you’re at the actually concert when you’re listening to live music, headphones that do bass artfully, headphones that present vocals crisply, headphones that are masterfully designed on the audio front, then the V-Modas are the clear winner.
With the V-Modas, it’s like you’re listening in HD.
If I want to do long-distance travel on a plane, the Sennheisers will be my first choice.
If comfort is my primary deciding factor, it’s split between Bose and Sennheiser, but I’d give the edge to Sennheiser.
But if I want to be a music critic, if I want to sit down and put on my favourite album or a new album I’ve been looking forward to all year and I want to lose myself in the music and appreciate the music, I will choose the V-Modas every single time.
The V-MODA Crossfade M-100s are warm, they’re elegant, they’re intimate, they’re fun, and they understand music.
There’s a reason V-Modas are the top choice of world-class DJs.
They are simply superb.
They’re also great for broadcasters and podcasters with a very elegant in-built microphone.
V-Modas are the Ferrari of the headphone world.
You can check out other V-MODA Crossfade M-100 reviews here.
V-MODA Crossfade M-100 vs Bose headphones reviewed
I made my family compare the difference between the V-Modas and Bose.
I tried to get them comparing the Beats, but as my mother said, “We don’t need to do that, we already know they’re naff.”
And as my dad said, “People only want Beats because the football players wear them.”
When they compared the Bose headphones with the V-Modas, they were instantly blown away.
Like me, my mother noticed that “you can hear more stuff” with the V-Modas.
This is true. I heard details in my favourite songs, songs I’ve listened to hundreds of times, that I’ve never heard before.
What a treat. It’s like finding an Easter egg when you hear details in songs you’ve never heard before.
And my father was so impressed he immediately said he was going to buy his own pair so he could appreciate music while doing the yard work.
So what are the best headphones ranked?
Out of the headphones I reviewed, I rank the best headphones like this:
- 1st best headphones: Crossfade M-100 V-Moda (Amazon)
- 2nd best headphones: Sennheiser 280HDPRO (Amazon)
- 3rd best headphones: Bose (Amazon)
- 4th best headphones: Beats by Dre (Amazon)
What headphones do you recommend?
Let me know in the comments below. And drop me music recommendations – what music sounds great through a top quality pair of headphones?