Design & Construction

The V-Moda Crossfade series is said to be the one of the most iconic and durable headphone designs that have stood the test of time and probably the only one with a lifetime warranty. Under Roland's new leadership, the third iteration of Crossfade gets a much needed refresh, but can it live up to expectation for its fans? Well, there is only one way to find out. Diving straight into the design, the Crossfade 3 features similar dimensions and aesthetics to its predecessors. A metal all-around build coupled with plastic shell on the earcups as well as a thin leather headband. Accent colours of gunmetal, bronze or black highlights the key elements at the sides of the headband and extendable arms, while the earcup shields remain eternally replaceable with customisation options available for your self-expression. Some may be concerned over the exposed cables under the arms of the headband, but the braided cable proved to be rather strong and to survive rough handling. Meanwhile, the earcups fit did not change from its predecessors, the fit is more of a hybrid in-between of an on-ear and over-ear fit. Unless you have really small ears, the ear pads are most likely going to rest on your ears. The outer part of your ear are definitely going to rest on the inner fabric. Since the yokes are pretty much inflexible and fixed, the headphones hardly contour to the nature of the human's head which curves at the back of the head. For short commutes, I could wear the headphones without any discomfort but for any long flight, I highly discourage so since they do not contour to your head shape, rests on your ears and cause wearing fatigue after an hour or so. The headphones weigh in at 315g but the headband, do an excellent job of distributing the weight so that there is no pressure at the crown of the head. It is also built to be really compact, so you might need to extend it fully like myself to fit my head nicely. Since the Crossfade 2s, there is XL cushions available for separate purchase on V-Moda website, however, I have not found any news that the XL cushions are compatible for the new Crossfade 3s whether it may be going though buyer reviews or on V-Moda's support. The XL cushions claim to offer better comfort with a larger and wider ear cushions however, this is simply a change that V-Moda could have easily couple with the new headphones instead of making consumers splash out on something as fundamental as spending extra for comfort. Much like the recent Beats Studio Pros, its design has been left untouched for almost a decade and is due for an update now. However, there may be a reason why the Crossfade series cannot alter its design since it relies on its CliqFold headphone structure to fold up into a super compact frame, putting its modern day competitors to shame. Together with its unbreakable nature, it has proven itself to be the strongest one ever made. Adding to that, its thin and small frame means that when looked from the front, its profile is by far the slimmest and sleekest headphones ever. In my opinion, it does a better job than the AirPods Max where you looks like you have ear muffs on. To round all of that up, the batman-inspired hardshell case makes a return to encase the headphones where there are optional holes for ventilation to allow DJs who play in them air out the sweat accumulated on the ear pads and prevent premature leather rot. Two fabric bands on both sides acts a secure holders for the charging as well as the audio-in cables. Now, back to the headphones. controlling the playback functions are on the top right earcup with trusty physical old-school buttons. A single press on the multi-function button to play/pause, a double press to skip forward, a double press to skip backward, a 3 second hold will bring up any smart assistant of Alexa, Google or Siri depending on your OS. Meanwhile, a single press on the volume buttons will increase or decrease the volume respectively. Towards the bottom of the earcup's face, you will find the power slider with an LED indicator that also doubles as a bluetooth pairing switch with a 3 second forward slide. There is also a lack of wear sensors so the music will not automatically pause if you remove the headphones from your head. For calls, there is yet another set of controls. A single press answer/ends the call and holding it for 2 seconds will reject the call. Total battery life stands at 30 hours on a full charge, but there is no mention of any quick charging capabilities nor how long it takes to fully recharge the headphones from a dead battery. 

 

Sound Quality

Exciting, energetic and loud is how I would describe the sound of the Crossfade 3 Wireless. With its large 50mm dual-diaphragm drivers, V-Moda signature club-like sound will surely satisfy EDM lovers.. So let's start off with the bass response. In short, it is deep, punchy, and tight, it never distorts at maximum volumes and does not bleeds into the mids when it is at a low volume level. The bass depth is on par with the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless and shares a similar skull rumbling resonance. One of the useful features here is indeed the maximum volume where it is much neede for DJs who are looking to use it for monitoring at loud festivals. Overall, the sound signature of the Crossfades is clean and tight too, with bright sounding highs that are filled with plenty of details and the crisp mid-range with good vocal detail especially with the help of the equaliser tuning that is found in the V-Moda app that really help to configure the sound to your ears. The soundstage isn't as wide as the Sennheiser HD 25 that are widely used by DJs but details can still be perceived clearly in fast-paced songs. The instrument separation is excellent with distinct left and right channels being heard clearly. Since the Crossfade Series is built on a wired playback history as headphones, they offer superior 24-bit Hi-Res Audio playback when used with the included audio cable, making them the ultimate choice for Djs monitoring their mixes and for producers creating new beats. Now, wirelessly, if you are not so much of an EDM or Hip-Hop fan, I am glad to report that the headphones works perfectly with all other genres ranging from Pop to Rock after you fiddle with the customisable sound settings in the V-Moda App available for download from the App & Play Store. In the app, you will first see the Devices page where you can select which compatible V-Moda device to delve into. Thereafter, you will be greeted with the battery life status and codecs in use. At the bottom, you will find the Sound and Settings tab. Next, there is the Equaliser setting which you can choose to customise your very own or choose from the presets. There are presets like Rock, Pop, Podcast, Hip-Hop, Jazz. Different presets do work well with different music genres. You may also select any presets available and further tune and rename it to become your custom setting. Of course, if you are feeling adventurous, you can opt to select Manual and create a custom from scratch on your own like what I have done here to create a perfect V-shaped sound signature that most headphones are tuned to today. Onto the Settings tab, you can change the auto-off timing from 30 minutes to 3 hours and disable it completely. You can check the app version, read the FAQs, register your headphones for warranty as well as update it periodically for new firmware. There is no Active Noise-Cancellation on the Crossfade 3 Wireless, hence users can only rely on passive noise isolation to block out noise when used outdoors. Overall, because the fit on the headphones is not exactly encapsulating, it does occasionally let in some loud ambient noises when commuting. The sound leakage is also on the higher side especially in quiet spaces with an 80% and above volume level. In terms of call quality, the headphones does not mention the number of mics it has, however the microphones picked up some surrounding noises with my voice sounding a little muffled and robotic. Wind noise reduction was not great as the mics are greatly affected by any wind noise when outdoors.

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Connectivity & Portability

The Crossfade 3 Wireless support the latest AptX HD, AAC and SBC codecs together with Bluetooth Version 5.1. The battery life peaks at an average of 30 hours, a significant increase from the 14 hours offered by its predecessor. The headphones' connectivity to the app is perfect as it is able to detect my headphones when its already connected via Bluetooth all the time. If you try to watch videos or movies with these, they do not have any latency in audio transmission. There is a 3,5mm audio jack for wired music playback together with a one-button SpeakEasy audio cable that features an in-line mic useful for calls as well as a 1/4" Pro Adapter to plug into DJ Mixers and studio equipment. DJs can also opt to purchase the official coiled cable for longer length and flexibility for live gigs. In the package, there is a USB-A to USB-C cable that can be used for charging and wired playback.

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PROS

• Durable Build

• Energetic Sound Signature

• Long Battery Life

• CliqFold Hinge for Storage

• Shields Personalisation

• Simple Controls For Music Play & Calls

• In-App Equalizer

• AptX Codecs Supported

• Bluetooth 5.1

• Customisable Shields

• Compact Hardshell Exoskeleton Carry Case

• 1/4" Pro Adapter

• Audio Cable with ​In-line Mic

• Compact Hardshell Exoskeleton Carry Case

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CONS​​​​​​

• Inflexible Fit

• Small Earcups

• Weak Call Quality

• Lack of ANC & Transparency Mode

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The Bottom Line

In all, the V-Moda Crossfade 3 Wireless still represents the peak choice for DJs and those who enjoy electronic dance music greatly. Some of its compelling features that stood the test of time include its durability, decent 30 hours battery life coupled with energetic and upbeat sound signature and self-expression via its shield personalisation programme. It is a recommended choice for creatives looking for a daily driver for daily commutes. Three colours of Gunmetal Black, Bronze Black and Matte Black are available to fit users of different personalities and styles.