V-MODA M-200 ANC are an updated version of the classic M-200s with active noise cancellation and wireless Bluetooth connectivity.

The original M-200s are a popular choice among musicians, producers and audiophiles, with studio-grade hi-res audio, an iconic design and hexagonal sheilds. With a wired-only option, it made the pair great for creators, but not ideal for day-to-day music streaming. Announced at CES 2021, the new V-MODA M-200 ANCs bring wireless connectivity and active noise cancellation to the same classic design, making them a great choice for streaming music, podcasts and calls.

Tuned by Roland and support for Bluetooth 5.0, Qualcomm aptX HD and AAC codecs, these headphones will produce around the best quality you can achieve from a wireless set. Multi-device pairing makes switch between phone and computer a breeze. Internally, sound is produced from the 40mm drivers, capable of producing 50-40,000Hz. The drivers are slightly smaller than the 50mm drivers on the older model.

Mostly a covered by a matte black colour, design is almost identical to the older M-200 headphones, with large earcups, a PU leather exterior, replaceable magnetic memory foam cushions and customizable shields. Choose from a variety of aluminium shield colours and a laser engraving of your initials or upload your own logo. At 320g, they are slightly heavier than 290g on the non-ANC model.

V-MODA are calling the ANC “hybrid active noise cancellation” with ten levels of control available in the V-MODA app. EQ customisation is also available here, using presets or manual slider adjustments. Physical buttons atop the earcup control playback, volume, calls and the voice assistant (Google Assistant or Siri). Covering the left earcup activates voice-in, lowering the volume and turning off ANC, letting the outside world in. Battery is on par with the industry standards at 20 hours with ANC turned on. 10 minutes of FastCharge will provide 1.5 hours of listening.

The CliqFold hinge folds away the headset into the included hard-case, with additional room for accessories. An included 120cm audio cable can be used for maximum quality and zero latency listening. Optional extras include a $30 BoomPro Microphone for gaming and $101 Speakeasy DAC-AMP Lightning Cable for studio-quality sound from iOS devices.

Real-world performance of sound quality and ANC remains to be seen. At $499.99, this places the M-200 ANCs $150 above the non-ANC M-200s that sit at $349.99. $150 is a reasonable amount to pay for the extra features, however $499.99 is a lot to dish out for wireless headphones, that will naturally suffer with the usual lower quality of wireless audio. The recent arrival of Apple’s AirPods Max for $549 almost softens the blow of V-MODA’s pricey new headphones.

The V-MODA M-200 are available for order today on Amazon.

Click here for more fantastic wireless ANC headphones. Or for tighter budgets, click here for the best ANC headphones under $200 and $100.