This is the rare comparison where we can't lose. Whichever one you pick, the money ends up in our Death Star fund. Still, there's a real difference between the two models, and you should know what it is before you open your wallet.
Henri (our CEO, who drives a constantly-breaking Alfa Romeo) once said the VMK20 is like a reliable Toyota and the VMK25.2 is like a BMW. Then Raimo corrected him: the VMK25.2 is more like a Mercedes W124, the only correct choice. The truth is somewhere in between.
So what's actually different?
Sound quality: The VMK25.2 has 45mm drivers and Jasse's latest DSP tuning. The frequency response is remarkably flat, which in practice means music sounds like the artist intended it to, not like some engineer in Shenzhen guessed it. The VMK20 has 40mm drivers and an older tuning. You can hear the difference. It's not huge, but it's there.
Noise cancelling: Both handle low frequencies fine. Plane engine hum, office AC, the neighbor's lawnmower: gone. Screaming kids: still not gone on either one. That technology hasn't been invented yet.
The VMK20's ANC runs on a separate chip, which is both a plus and a minus. Plus: you can use noise cancelling without Bluetooth. Minus: it doesn't turn off when the headphones do. Small detail, annoying if you don't know about it.
The VMK25.2's ANC is integrated more cleanly, and it comes with transparency mode. It lets ambient sound through at the press of a button, so you don't have to take your headphones off when someone wants to ask you something dumb.
Bluetooth: the VMK25.2 runs Bluetooth 5.4, the VMK20 runs 5.0. In practice that means a more stable connection and slightly better range. The VMK20 has the aptX HD codec, which pushes more data than the VMK25.2's base aptX. The VMK25.2, on the other hand, learns lossless aptX Lossless with a firmware update (Valco Updater app, Android). Neither supports LDAC, and you won't miss it.
Battery: The VMK25.2 lasts 55 hours with ANC on. The VMK20 lasts 45 hours. Both are ridiculously good numbers. You'll charge once a week, or less.
Talk time: Here's where it gets significant. The VMK25.2 pulls 95 hours of talk time, the VMK20 tops out at 40. If you live in Teams meetings all day, this alone might decide it.
Look and feel: The VMK20 has a fabric finish and is lighter (250g vs 300g). Lauri Lumme's design is understated and clean. The VMK25.2 has a more traditional plastic shell, but with magnetic swappable side panels, Skini panels and even 3D-printable ones. If you want your headphones in Depression Blue or with your cat's face printed on them, the VMK25.2 gives you that freedom.
Accessories: The VMK25.2 has an optional wireless boom mic. The VMK20 doesn't. If you're on a lot of calls or record a podcast, that's a big deal.
Why go for the VMK25.2?
It's simply the better headphone. Better sound, better Bluetooth, longer battery, more features. Jasse spent time fine-tuning it that he could've spent fishing, and you can hear that in the result.
Repairability is identical on both. Ear pads twist off and replacement pads are sold separately; everything else gets fixed by our Kajaani service center for a flat 69 €. Here we beat every competitor, including ourselves.
Who should get the VMK20?
If your budget's tight, the VMK20 is a great choice. It's not a worse headphone, it's a cheaper one. The sound quality still beats most competitors in the same price range. The fabric finish feels nice and the lighter weight helps during long sessions.
If you game a lot and latency bugs you, the best fix on either model is a 3.5mm AUX cable: zero latency on a wired connection.
If you want noise cancelling without Bluetooth, say on a flight without your phone, the VMK20's separate ANC chip has you covered.
Summary
| | VMK25.2 | VMK20 |
|---|---|---|
| Drivers | 45 mm | 40 mm |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.0 |
| Battery (ANC) | 55 h | 45 h |
| Talk time | 95 h | 40 h |
| Weight | 300 g | 250 g |
| Transparency mode | Yes | No |
| Swappable panels | Yes | No |
| Boom mic | Optional | No |
| aptX HD | No | Yes |
| aptX Lossless (with update) | Yes | No |
| Separate ANC | No | Yes |
If you can afford the VMK25.2, get it. If budget calls the shots, the VMK20 is still better than most headphones on the market.
Whichever one you choose, you've just funded our Death Star by roughly 0.000001 percent. Thanks for contributing to galactic security.
