V-Moda S-80 on-ear headphones MSRP $400.00 Score Details “They're gorgeous, but too expensive, heavy, and lacking in features.” Pros Cons It’s generally true that when it comes to headphones, you get what you pay for. As prices go up, you can expect better materials, better craftsmanship, more and better features, and better sound quality. That’s why V-Moda’s new S-80 wireless, on-ear headphones are so surprising.
The same thing goes for the ear cushions, which are also magnetically latched, making them very easy to replace. This is a shame, because the ear cushions are sumptuously padded, and should be very comfy. But that powerful clamping force adds a lot of pressure, making them a lot less cushy. If you wear glasses, as I do most of the time, you’ll be in pain within 20 minutes as that pressure sandwiches your glasses limbs between your ears and your head, like a vise. Perhaps because of that pressure, I found that my ears also got hot quickly — something that should be less of a problem with on-ears.
Bluetooth connectivity is strong and reliable, and you can pair up to two devices simultaneously thanks to multipoint support. Pairing is straightforward, but don’t expect any extra help as there’s no Google Fast Pair or Microsoft Swift Pair. The S-80 support the AAC codec on iPhones and Android devices, as well as Qualcomm’s aptX HD on compatible Android phones. AptX HD does provide a small but noticeable improvement to overall fidelity.
Having sensors inside the hinges that automatically switch the drivers to speaker mode is handy, no doubt. But then V-Moda fails to keep that convenience going: if you set a volume level that works for speaker mode, it affects the volume for headphone mode too. This forces you to adjust the volume each time you mode switch, which defeats the benefit of having that sensor in the first place.