The V-MODA Crossfade 3 are V-MODA's third entry in the Crossfade line. These visually striking headphones come with the V-MODA Crossfade headphones' signature hexagonal-shaped ear cups and updated features; this includes aptX HD compatibility, a longer battery life, and handy conveniences like a companion app and USB-C charging.
Our Verdict
The V-MODA Crossfade 3 are decent for sports and fitness use. Their stability is good enough for weight training in upright positions, but they will come loose if you try taking them on a run. The controls are easily accessible buttons, so even if your hands are sweaty, it's not too difficult to turn up the volume, for example. Meanwhile, their build quality feels robust. While they come in a case and can fold down to fit in a gym bag, they're still not very portable.
- Robust build quality.
- Somewhat bulky.
The V-MODA Crossfade 3 Wireless are mediocre for travel. Their lack of active noise cancelling puts a damper on commutes, as rumbling engines and airplane cabin noise don't get blocked out very well, though high-pitched sounds are somewhat reduced. In addition, they feel comfortable if you don't wear glasses and their battery life is more than enough for international flights. They collapse into a case for easy storage, but they're not the smallest headphones, even when folded down.
- Robust build quality.
- Comfortable unless you have glasses.
- Poor overall noise isolation.
- Somewhat bulky.
The V-MODA Crossfade 3 are an acceptable pick for office use. They feel comfortable if you don't wear glasses, although, for smaller and medium-sized heads, they can rest too much weight across the crown. The headphones' poor noise isolation means your coworkers' chatter will probably still bother you. Their battery life will last a few shifts without needing a recharge, so you won't get caught without music. While you can take calls fine with their integrated mic, background noise won't be well separated from your voice.
- Robust build quality.
- Comfortable unless you have glasses.
Overall microphone performance is middling.
- Poor overall noise isolation.
The V-MODA Crossfade 3 aren't a great option for wireless gaming. While you can use their Bluetooth connectivity with a PC or phone, their latency will result in audio/visual desync.
The V-MODA Crossfade 3 are decent for wired gaming. Their analog connectivity with an in-line microphone means you can plug them into your PC and consoles. While their tuning doesn't sound especially analytical, the boom of explosions will feel immersive. However, the sound profile's scooped mids and dull treble means that dialogue can sound recessed and comparatively quiet. Your friends will hear you just fine, but the in-line mic rolls off the upper frequencies, so you won't sound true-to-life.
- Comfortable unless you have glasses.
Overall microphone performance is middling.
The V-MODA Crossfade 3 have decent audio reproduction accuracy. Their warm sound signature is fairly smooth, though a mid-range dip slightly thins vocals and lead instruments, and a stepped peak in the low-treble, more prominent in the right driver, can make some acoustic elements like guitar strings sound painfully bright. Their L/R drivers are well-matched overall, but a stereo mismatch can subtly shift the stereo image. Glasses and thick hair also alter the headphones' ability to deliver consistent sound. They also have low levels of harmonic distortion, reproducing audio without audible timbral coloration. However, their PRTF measurements show poor pinna interaction, so they don't contribute much to immersive listening through pinna interactions.
The V-MODA Crossfade 3 have poor noise isolation performance. Without ANC, these headphones don't attenuate much noise in the bass and mids, letting through bus engines and most office chatter. That said, they don't leak too much audio, barely exceeding the noise floor of an average room in the mid-range.
The V-MODA Crossfade 3 have sub-par microphone performance. The ear cups' integrated mics reproduce your voice with a nasal tone missing a bit of low-end. The mics don't do a great job separating your voice from background voices and sustained noises. When wired, you can also use the in-line mic—though its recording quality is worse, and it doesn't handle noise any better.
The V-MODA Crossfade 3 have mediocre frequency response consistency. Since frequency response consistency determines how well headphones sound on different people and between wears, it's one key component in the experience that can account for perceptual differences between people with the same headphones. These demonstrate a fairly dramatic deviation if your hair is long or you wear glasses. With glasses that break the over-ear seal, bass is reduced. Meanwhile, people with long hair can perceive elevated bass and mids.
Performance Usages
Changelog
-
Updated Mar 26, 2026:
This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.1, which removes the Group Delay test and rebalances scoring for the Harmonic Distortion test and Audio Reproduction Accuracy performance usage. For more details, consult our full changelog.
- Updated Mar 24, 2026: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.1, which features minor updates to our sound tests.
-
Updated Apr 25, 2025:
This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.0, which adds the following tests: Stereo Mismatch, Group Delay, Cumulative Spectral Decay, PRTF, Harmonic Distortion, and Electrical Aspects. We've added new performance usages and updated the text throughout the Sound tests and side-by-sides.
- Updated Apr 25, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.0, which updates our sound tests and performance usages. You can read more about this in our changelog.
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The V-MODA Crossfade 3 Wireless come in three colors, 'Matte Black,' 'Gunmetal Black,' and 'Bronze Black.' Through the manufacturer's website, you can customize the ear cups' plates with laser engravings and prints. You can view the label for our unit in 'Bronze Black' here. If you encounter another variant, please let us know in the comments.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The V-MODA Crossfade headphones line has devoted followers with the previous version, the V-MODA Crossfade 2 Wireless, sporting compliance with Military-Level Quality MIL-STD-810G standard, which is determined through a series of stress tests like humidity and shock. Although the latest headphones don't have the MIL-STD-810G standard, they seem similarly durable. They both come with a one-year warranty and an 'Immortal Life Program,' but that simply means you get replacement parts at a discount. Improvements include a much better battery life on the V-MODA Crossfade 3, an upgraded Bluetooth codec selection, and a new companion app. If you own the old model and don't mind the battery life, you might not want to upgrade yet, but if you haven't got either, the new model is better.
Still, if you're in the market for wireless headphones for both casual use and DJing, you can always consider the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2. These are the optionally wireless version of the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x, a model often found in DJ collections and in the hands of enthusiasts who like a bit of boom. They have a longer battery life than the V-Moda Crossfade 3 and a good amount of bass. That said, the Audio-Technica cans feel more plasticky, even if they have some metal to reinforce the headband.
For other great picks, check out the best wireless Bluetooth headphones. If you like the bass-heavy sound of these headphones but wonder what else is available, consider the best bass headphones. There are also the best DJ headphones if you're in charge of the music at the party.
The V-MODA Crossfade 3 are a bit better than the V-MODA Crossfade 2 Wireless, though they've more in common than not. The Crossfade 3 Wireless supply more than twice the battery life of the previous generation, and they charge with an updated USB-C port. Their app has an EQ to adjust their tuning and an upgraded aptX HD codec as an option. The Crossfade 2 Wireless use the good, but more basic, aptX codec. These also have a MIL-STD-810G certification; the manufacturer doesn't disclose whether the newer model has it. Both feel durable, with replacement parts available.
The Sennheiser HD 25 and the V-MODA Crossfade 3 have slightly different goals. The Sennheiser cans are wired-only and fit on-ear. They're simple and lightweight, and you can replace parts, but they're mainly plastic. Compared to the V-MODA, they're brighter. The V-MODA headphones are over-ears, and you can listen to them wirelessly or wired. They have an EQ, which the Sennheiser don't have, but it only works when you're listening over Bluetooth. Their build quality is more durable, and they fold up, but you can't articulate the ear cups to listen with one ear out like on the Sennheiser. The V-MODA are better for on-the-go use, but the Sennheiser are more suitable for monitoring.
The Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 and V-MODA Crossfade 3 are both over-ear Bluetooth headphones with straightforward controls and can work over Bluetooth or analog. The Audio-Technica have an app to adjust or change EQ and use the LDAC codec, which adapts your audio quality based on the connection. Their battery life is more than twice as long as the V-MODA. The V-MODA also have EQ to adjust the default warm sound (if you want to). They are more portable with a proper case and a more robust build. Their aptX HD codec is great for high-quality audio but doesn't adapt based on connection strength. Which is better depends on your priorities.
The V-MODA Crossfade 3 and the AIAIAI TMA-2 DJ are both headphones tuned for bass heads. The V-MODA are over-ears with better build quality, and you can replace some parts, but they're more complex to fix. They work both wirelessly and with analog. You can EQ them with their app when used wirelessly. They're more comfortable and stable. On the other hand, the AIAIAI are rather simple analog-only on-ears. You assemble them yourself, and they're easy to repair. They feel less comfortable, largely due to the headband being lined only with silicone, but they weigh much less. Unlike the V-MODA, you can swap out virtually every component easily, but you can't customize their warm sound with any apps, or fold them down like the V-MODA.
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
Test Results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
