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V-Moda’s new S-80 on-ear headphones have not being getting good reviews — and it’s pretty easy to see why.

First, they’re an on-ear headphone, which are a dying breed as consumers who eschew earbuds gravitate toward over-ear models if they’re going the full-size headphone route. Secondly, they’re expensive at $400. And at 355g — just 31 grams lighter than Apple’s 386-gram AirPods Max — they’re heavy: The headband can put a little pressure on the crown of your head. (I shifted it off the apex of my head, moving it forward slightly.)

6.4

V-Moda S-80

$400 at Amazon

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Impressive build quality
Great sound, particularly for an on-ear headphone
Removable ear pads and swappable faceplates (both adhere magnetically

Don’t Like

Heavy
Expensive
Could be more comfortable
Lacks features for the price
No carrying case

Additionally, they don’t have such features as active noise-canceling, a transparency mode or much of anything extra except for swappable faceplates that adhere magnetically (that’s nice) and an automatic volume boost that turns the headphones into sort of a wearable speaker when you turn the ear cups face up when the headphone are around your neck. They don’t even come with a carrying case or an option for wired listening (they’re rated for 20 hours of battery life).

So the question is: Why on earth would anybody buy them instead of the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bowers and Wilkins PX7 S2 — along with several other excellent headphones — are being offered for the same price? I don’t have a good answer other than to say they S-80 are really well-built and have one major strength: They sound great. In fact, they may just be the best sounding on-ear headphones out there right now. They also sound better than V-Moda’s Crossfade 2 Wireless headphones, offering better clarity and depth, though that model is more comfortable to wear.

V-Moda S-80 ear pads close-up — The headphones have 40mm drivers and removable ear pads that adhere magnetically.

David Carnoy/CNET

Equipped with 40mm drivers, they offer well-balanced, detailed sound with sparkling highs, natural-sounding mids and punchy, powerful bass that never gets boomy. They support the AAC, AptX HD and SBS audio codecs but not AptX Adaptive. They have a relatively spacious soundstage — particularly for an on-ear headphone — and they’re a headphone you can listen to for long stretches without any hint of listening fatigue. That said, some folks simply won’t be able to find them comfortable enough to wear for long stretches. I found my comfort zone with them but a comfort zone probably isn’t something you want to have to search for with a pair of headphones.

I didn’t have a big problem with the lack of active noise canceling because the removable and replaceable ear pads do seal your ears off from the outside world pretty well and offer good passive noise isolation. The speaker mode is a little underwhelming because the volume boost doesn’t really take the volume to the same level as the horseshoe-shaped wearable speakers I’ve tried from Bose and Sony over the years. And voice-calling performance is only so-so outdoors with subpar noise reduction (it’s fine indoors with no wind and other ambient noise).

V-moda S-80 has swappable faceplates — You can buy additional faceplates with some pretty cool designs (you can choose one extra faceplate with your initial purchase of the headphones)

V-Moda

V-Moda S-80: Final thoughts

V-Moda’s earlier wired on-ear model, the XS, is being discounted in white for as little as $110. V-Moda spent a lot of time developing that model to create a more compact, streamlined alternative to full-size over-ear headphones. It has a folding headband and is relatively comfortable for an on-ear headphone with decent sound. I’m not sure why V-Moda didn’t just create a wireless version of that for around $250.

Instead we got the S-80, which is really well-built and sounds great for an on-ear headphone, but is hard to make a case for at its $400 price when you factor in its ergonomic issues and lack of features. On some level I like it for being different and a weird bird, so to speak. However, it’s a bit mystifying and will have to come down in price to make it really worth considering.

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This story is part of CES, where CNET covers the latest news on the most incredible tech coming soon.

Say what you will about the AirPods Max‘s high price, but it seems to have paved the way for other companies to release more expensive headphones. Case in point: the new V-Moda M-200 ANC, which carries a list price of $500. That makes it $49 less than the AirPods Max and it comes with a traditional carrying case, as opposed to Apple’s widely mocked Smart Case.

See it at V-Moda

I really liked V-Moda’s wired M-200 headphones ($350), which feature clean, well-balanced sound and appeal to audiophiles, and this is the wireless noise-canceling version of that model. I haven’t heard the M-200 ANC yet, but will let you know how it sounds — and compares to the AirPods Max — as soon as I get my hands on a review sample. Like other V-Moda headphones, the shields on the ear cups are customizable at the company’s website.

Read more: Best noise-canceling headphones for 2021

Here are the M-200 ANC’s key specs, according to V-Moda.

V-Moda M-200 ANC features

40mm drivers with neodymium magnets and copper-clad aluminum wire coils
Hybrid active noise canceling, adjustable in the V-Moda app
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth audio codecs: Qualcomm aptX HD, AAC, SBC
Mobile app for customizing sound through different EQ profiles and to adjust noise-canceling levels
Up to 20 hours of wireless playback on one charge with ANC activated (10 minutes of charging gets you 90 minutes of extra playback)
Voice assistants: Google Assistant or Siri
Charging: USB-C
Frequency response: 10-40,000Hz (Hi-Res Audio certified in wired mode)
Adjustable headband with a steel core coated in 100% PU leather
Artificial (vegan) leather earpads with 3D memory foam adhere magnetically and are replaceable
Detachable cables: Audio Only Cable added when zero latency is required
Weight: 320 grams (11.3 ounces)
Warranty: One year, plus Immortal Life Replacement Program
Exoskeleton carry case
Shield customization: Choose from a variety of aluminum shield colors with initials or a design laser engraved
Price: $500 (£370 or AU$650 converted)
Ships in six to eight weeks

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Ask anyone who owns a camera drone what their main gripe is and the answer is likely short flight times. Drone maker Zero Zero Robotics says its upcoming V-Coptr Falcon will blow past industry standards by staying in the air for up to 50 minutes. And it didn’t do it by bulking up the battery, but by going from a typical four-rotor design to using just two that tilt.

Partially inspired by the V-22 Osprey, the bicopter’s tilt-rotor design offers a two-fold efficiency gain to achieve its greater flight time, said Zero Zero Robotics’ COO Emily Wang. Going with two rotors is more compact and efficient than a quadcopter, but the aerodynamics are also a lot better.

“With a quad-rotor design, you have a lot more air resistance because basically as it flies forward the whole top (of the drone) ends up facing the direction of flight,” Wang said. “With tilt-rotor technology, the profile stays more or less the same the entire time you’re flying. We really think it’s going to be a game changer and it’s a really big breakthrough.”

V-Coptr Falcon camera drone does more with less

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The company might not be as familiar a name as DJI or Parrot, but Zero Zero Robotics already had some success with its first two drones, the Hover Camera Passport and Hover 2. Those two were mainly about safely getting great selfies on the spot without worrying about piloting. Even under ideal conditions, though, their flight times maxed out around 20 minutes.

Sadly, that’s not unusual: Consumer camera drones at the V-Coptr’s size typically get 20 to 30 minutes of flight time. That really limits how far you can fly before you have to think about the return trip in order to land safely. Extending the flight time to 50 minutes means you’ll have greater flexibility in distance and number of locations on a single charge as well as the number of shots you’ll be able to capture in one flight.

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From a shooting-features standpoint, the V-Coptr Falcon is a pure aerial photography drone, Wang said. It’ll record video at up to 4K resolution at 30 frames per second and snap 12-megapixel photos, all stabilized by its three-axis motorized gimbal. You’ll also find a few of the subject-tracking shot options that are available on the more selfie-focused Hover line. The drone’s front obstacle avoidance helps out here, too.

However, with a video transmission range of up to 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) and longer flight times, the V-Coptr Falcon is more about getting all those long-distance shots you couldn’t get with other drones or making sure you get all the angles you want with a single flight. Also, unlike the company’s Hover models, you’ll get a full (but still compact) controller with a flip-up mount for your phone so you can use it to see what you’re shooting and control the camera and other settings.

zero-zero-vcoptr-falcon-08 — A small button at the front on each side lets you unlock and raise the rotor arms when you’re ready to fly.

Joshua Goldman/CNET

The V-Coptr Falcon is available for presale with a refundable $100 deposit direct from Zero Zero starting today for $699 through Dec. 31. It will retail for $999 when it starts shipping in February 2020.

It doesn’t look like the company is stopping with just the Falcon, though. Zero Zero also showed me a smaller tilt-rotor bicopter concept called Project D that weighs just 249 grams (0.55 pounds) also with a projected flight time of 50 minutes, which could potentially outperform market-leader DJI’s Mavic Mini.

What do you think? Is this the drone you’ve been waiting for or is 50 minutes still not long enough?

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The V-Moda Forza Metallo ($130 or £120) is a little smaller than most in-ear headphones, and one of the most comfortable in-ears I’ve ever used. Soundwise the Forza Metallo looms large, and (being a V-Moda) its build quality is exceptional.

It’s sweat- as well as water-resistant, has a newly designed 5.8 mm driver, ear hooks, a fashionable carry case along with a three-button iOS or Android mic and line remote. Curiously, the headphone’s impedance isn’t listed on the company’s website or the packaging. The Forza Metallo also comes in two finishes: gun black and rose gold.

The V-Moda Forza Metallo in-ear headphones.

V-Moda

The Forza Metallo’s cables seem rugged, and that’s great, but I heard them rubbing against my clothing through the headphones. You can minimize the rubbing noise by using the included cable shirt clip. For those who want to add some bling to the Forza Metallo’s look, V-Moda offers optional, made in New York City, 3D-printed metal covers for the ear pieces. Also noteworthy, V-Moda’s two-year warranty is double the coverage most in-ear headphones offer.

Before I popped on the Forza Metallo, I turned on the “Hamilton Mixtape” album to reacquaint with the last V-Moda in-ear I reviewed, the Zn ($180 or £150). This reimagining of tunes from the megahit Broadway musical sounds great on the Zn, with lots of bass, clear mids and brilliant treble.

No complaints about the sound, so what could the Forza Metallo bring to the party? That’s easy, bass was the biggest, most obvious change (as there’s more of it), but the quality of the bass hasn’t been sacrificed, definition is decent and bass impact is up a notch or two over the Zn.

Vocals sound naturally balanced, as Jill Scott’s old-school soul take on “Say Yes To This” from the “Mixtape” album sent chills up my spine on both the Zn and Forza Metallo.

I mostly listened to the Forza Metallo on the New York subway with my iPhone 6S ($190 at eBay), and the little in-ears did a good job hushing the noise of the trains. Pushing Swiss post-punk rock band Liliput’s artful noise way up, the Zn was clearer and livelier while the Forza Metallo had a richer, fuller tone. That’s great, but to my ears the Zn’s clarity was more enticing and let more of the band’s energy come through.

A selection of V-Moda’s 3D printed metal covers for the Forza Metallo.

V-Moda

As I continued listening, I preferred the Zn for its superior overall transparency, but it’s also $50 (or £30) more expensive than the Forza Metallo. Then again, bass lovers might be swayed by the Forza Metallo’s weightier sound.

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The sports headphone market is hot these days and V-Moda, now owned by musical instrument maker Roland, wants in on the action.

Its new Forza Series features two wired in-ear models, the Forza ($100) and Forza Metallo ($130), and the Forza Metallo Wireless ($170), a neckband-style Bluetooth model that’s due out in December. The two wired models are available now. No word yet on international pricing but we’ll add it as soon as we get it — for reference $170 is about £140 or AU$220.

I got an early look at a near-final version of the Forza Metallo Wireless and it seems very promising, though I didn’t get to hear how it sounded. It will be competing against Beats’ upcoming $150 BeatsX headphone.

V-Moda Forza (pictures)

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I did receive early samples of the Forza and Forza Metallo and have been using them for the past few days. Both the design and sound quality are impressive and it’s easy to get a secure fit using one of the four included ear tips. V-Moda’s well-designed, patent-pending sport fins and ear hooks are also in the box, along with a nice carrying case.

The entry-level Forza has plastic buds, while the step-up Metallo has metal buds and an upgraded cord. The Metallo sounds slightly better, too. They’re very clean sounding headphones with tight, punchy bass. In that sense, they don’t have the typical V-Moda sound profile, which tends to accentuate the bass and can lack some clarity.

V-Moda Forza Metallo (pictures)

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I discussed them with Steve Guttenberg, who writes CNET’s Audiophiliac blog. He tried the Metallo, and we both thought they had a more neutral sound profile. Steve’s not a big fan of V-Moda’s earlier bass-heavy sound profiles, but he said he liked the Metallo a lot. I did, too.

As an added bonus, you can customize the look of the headphones with optional 3D-printed caps. This is similar to what V-Moda does with the customizable plates for its over-ear headphones, but this is the first time any headphone company has come out with accessories for in-ear headphones, that I’m aware of.

You can purchase 3D printed caps to customize the look of the headphone.

V-Moda

Just like the fins, the caps simply fit over the top of the bud and they do fit securely. I’m yet to receive any caps, but V-Moda reps said they’ll be shipping soon.

It’s important to point out that while they’re being marketed as sports headphones — and yes, they’re sweat-resistant — they’re also designed to be used as everyday headphones.

We’ll have full reviews in the coming weeks of all three Forza models. For now, take a look at V-Moda’s specs for the Forza Metallo Wireless:

5.8 mm Micro Driver
Qualcomm wireless Bluetooth chipset
Sweat- and weather-resistant nanocoating technology
Four different sizes of Bass Level Isolating Soft Silicone (Bliss) 3.0 fittings ensure best fit and optimal sound quality
Detachable ActiveFlex sport fins, in three sizes, ensure stability while running or working out
Lithium-ion battery: Up to 10 hours of music playback and ultra-fast charging
Noise-cancelling dual microphones for making phone calls
10 meter (32 feet) range and two-device connectivity
iOS battery indicator and widget
Available in December for $170

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We’re starting to see some consolidation in the headphone market, with Incipio picking up Skullcandy for $177 million and HoMedics quietly buying Sol Republic. Now, musical-instrument maker Roland is acquiring a 70 percent stake in V-Moda, maker of the Crossfade M-100 and other popular headphones.

Val Kolton, a former DJ who founded V-Moda 12 years ago, will remain V-Moda’s CEO and retain the remaining 30 percent of the company. (The exact financial details and terms of the agreement were otherwise not disclosed.)

Val Kolton (left), CEO of V-Moda, with Jun-ichi Miki (right), CEO of Roland.

V-Moda

“This is a partnership,” Kolton told CNET. “Roland’s engineers are going to help us develop new products more quickly. We just didn’t have those kind of resources before.”

Kolton added that some of those new products will hit the market in the coming months.

“I can’t say what they are yet,” he said. “But there will be more headphones. And we’ll be getting into some other categories. But we’re going to do them a little differently. It’s going to be interesting. I can promise you that.”

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Editors’ note (3:24 p.m. PT): This story has been updated to correctly the new ownership split of V-Moda between Roland and CEO Val Kolton.

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V-Moda Vibrato Remote earphones (photos)

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V-Moda has gained quite a reputation for its stylish, low-profile earbuds. The good word has been helped along by the fact that these ‘phones offer plenty of low-end thump for those who have only experienced the anemic bass offered by stock earbuds. The latest model to be pumped out of the V-Moda factory, the Vibrato Remote, is no exception.

This $129 pair offers plenty of thump, a slick and durable design with a built-in mic and remote for use with the iPhone and iPod, and a unique plug housing that’s designed to withstand wear and tear. Better yet, overall sound quality is solid, and the call answer button works with Android devices as well. Just don’t get these if you prefer a more recessed low end. Also, be aware that these are far from “lightweight.”

Read the full review of the V-Moda Vibrato Remote.

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