V-MODA Bass Freq In-Ear Stereo Headphone (Bling Bling Black)
by V-MODA
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Our Price: $39.95 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of V-MODA Bass Freq In-Ear Stereo Headphone (Bling Bling Black)
Customer Review: Without a Doubt, the BEST..! (With a caveat...)
Summary: 5 Stars
Ok, I've been searching for replacement buds for my Koss Sparkplugs for a while (If you see my review on them you'll know why), and until I got these I'd been through two other sets and wasted $$ on them both; the Koss KEB24 has that annoying 'round the back'cord style, popping out of my ears repeatedly as I'm not used to that short-side, and I couldn't seem to get sound to come from both sides simultaneously. I was about to head to the doctor to see if I had a hearing problem (I'm almost serious) because I could hold the Left side away from my ear and hear sound coming through fine, but once inserted into the ear it was muffled drastically; coupled with the fact I had the mp3 player's volume much louder than was necessary & still couldn't hear well from either side.
Then there was the JBuds Hi-Fi Noise-Reducing Ear Buds. Good design, earbuds fit "Ok", but there was basically NO bass. Another $20 wasted. Did more review-searching, and came across these little beauties. Hm, "bass Freq"? Well, why not? It was this or go back to the great-sounding-but-tragically-short-lived Koss SparkPlug, and I KNEW what was in store if I did the latter. Got these in last night, they glided into the ear with the sized cushions right out of the package, and when I turned on the iPod...Impressed is putting it mildly!
My music tastes range from classical to (some) Hip-Hop, Soundtrack scores to Disco and 80s Pop, New Age to Techno and EVERYTHING sounds great from these headphones. I almost killed my ears listening to Steve Jablonsky's "Scorponok":) and loved every pulsing second of it. The manufacturers aren't kidding when they say you can feel the bass in these--you CAN (but may not want to).
If that's an issue, then please look elsewhere for a headset. If you're a "bass FREQ" like I am, look no farther. The noise-cancellation is terrific; on the SparkPlug I had the cushions pretty well jammed into my ear canal to block out the environmental sounds; these sit quite comfortably without having to press hard into the ear at all, making prolonged use enjoyable and no worries about having to take them out momentarily and then struggle with getting 'just the right fit' again (like I did with the Spark). Now, the only question left is durability, because I loved the SparkPlug too, until every one I had stopped working less than 4mo old, so expect an update in a few months on this. Now let's get back to the music.
***UPDATE September 2009***
Okay, so I've hade these earbuds for several months now, and just purchased another pair literally 10 mins ago (Amazon has a great deal $10 off at the moment!) and thought I'd update my review. Obviously, I'm still happy with the buds, but I thought it may be helpful for other (potential) buyers if I came back and added a couple quirks and (gasp) dislikes I've come across while using the Bass Freqs.
PROS:
-The sound is still gorgeous...as long as you REALLY, REALLY like to hear bass in whatever music you're listening to. As I stated above, I'm not that big into hip-hop/rap, but really do appreciate bass, especially in soundtracks and 80s Pop. These buds will NOT disappoint on that level. I've found NOTHING better when it comes to the deep basses and I don't feel at all that the vocals/treble is drowned out.
-They REALLY DO CANCEL NOISE. If you need to drown out background noise, these puppies are for you. Total musical immersion :)
CONS:
-Okay, something I've discovered with these--and honestly, was most likely the issue with the Koss earbuds I trashed above--is that they will NOT hold up if you exercise (READ:SWEAT) in them. These buds appear especially sensitive to moisture and I now believe that's why I was blowing through headphones every couple months. I used them on the treadmill most days a week and couldn't understand why my headphones would just "suddenly" stop working one day (most times only in one ear). As an experiment, I bit the bullet and bought the JayBird earphones which are touted as specifically designed for sports/activewear and stopped using my wired earphones for exercise. They have not had an issue with sound suddenly dropping out or one side not working, until...
A couple days ago, I was cooking in the kitchen and went to rinse my hands. I had the buds in and the left side was coming out of my ear, so I just quick-dried my hands on my shirt and pushed it back in. I may've done this several times while cooking, but thought I was being careful not to touch the buds with wet fingers. Evidently not, because only a day later, the sound on a YouTube video was sporadic at best. I changed from the white buds to blue and the same video was clear as day. The white buds haven't worked in one side since the kitchen incident. I'm now convinced they just don't handle the moisture well, and since they are not advertised as such, wouldn't reccommend these for anyone looking for earbuds to run/exercise in. Otherwise, I love them for leisurely listening and while at work (desk job). Hope this helps others
Customer Review: Dont be to quick with impressions
Summary: 4 Stars
I purchased this on Jan.18th 2007 after many debatable and personal hesitance. You know how it is when you read these customer reviews, some look for the negatives on the product. Then when you see a positive review sometimes you get that thought "yes!" Well, I am one of those shoppers. Getting back to these earbuds: When these "V-MODA Bass Freq Earbuds - Bling Bling Black" earbuds showed up I was excited. I immediately and carefully unpacked these buds. The packaging was very good. The buds were packed not just in styrophome peanuts but the manufacturer packaging as well.
I inspected them carefully and I immediately noticed how small they were. That long stem you see is 3/4" long & 1/8 in diameter. The cord from the bottom of that stem to the end of the plug is 46 1/2" long (or 3'10 1/2" long). The outer shell is constructed with plastic. Included were 3 sizes (S.M.L) of rubber fittings. I use the mediums. The plug itself is 1/8" gold-plated.
I plugged these "V-MODA Bass Freq Earbuds - Bling Bling Black" into my 1gigabyte sandisk m240. My first impression was a mixture of awe and disappointment. "YUCK! Where in the heck is the bass that these are supposed to produce!?" So I made some adjustments with the equalizer and they sounded a little better but...the sound wasn't as I expected. I went back to the internet to do MORE research. If any of you are educated on sound quality you have to take into consideration of the source that is powering the drivers (or speakers) so I thought it was my MP3 player.
I stumbled onto a review and read from a customer that sometimes speakers need to be "burned-in". I am well aware of that term as I am an advanced computer gamer/geek. For those that don't know here's what that means; the burn in process is to leave them on at a moderately high level for a period of time. This technique will break in the drivers, after the burn-in, sound quality increases dramatically. There is a significant increase in the sharpness of the treble (I believe the frequency response goes up), and the spacialization was noticeably enhanced. The bass (or lower end) is also deepened. Though this is a highly debatable subject I am merely giving you an option to consider before you make a final impression. Please make your own opinion on this subject.
Some report the speakers sound great out of the box and they did not hear significant differences over time. Others found harshness and restricted bottom end to be very distinct or improved (Depending upon how much you use the speakers in question) Alternatively, you can leave your MP3 player run unattended for the life of a battery. (If applicable). This is something you may want to consider or try. I found doing this made a huge difference.
Getting these earbuds fitted properly takes time. Adjustments are a must to get the most out of these earbuds. Experiment with them, use all of the rubber fittings and move them around in your ear. When you get the right sound to your liking try to keep and remember where you place them. Now this is where I find an issue. I use my MP3 player when I walk. I don't jog so I can imagine the frustration of keeping these buds in place. Yes, these buds do lose that position as I explained above. I have to keep adjusting them around depending upon my physical movements. The cord was also an issue with me. In my opinion it is a bit delicate at the plug and at the stem. What I did was wrap some black electrical tape around the wire at the base of the plug to give it some support for that 'just-in-case'. I recommend that you take some precautions and use these buds with care as you should with any earbuds.
My final thought: I give these earbuds a 4 star rating because of the cord and the construction but these earbuds are awesome! The sound that these buds produce is very close to what they claim what they can do. A problem of how well these stay in place is a issue with me and may be with you as well. I don't jog so I will assume that this may be a HUGE problem for those that do. If you have the extra cash get the "V-MODA Vibe Earbuds - Gunmetal Black style". These may be sturdier. I tested the ones I purchased with various music styles and I am very pleased. I wanted to hear how much bass these buds can produce so I played some rap music. WOW! There is a definite `thump' that these buds have.
I recommend that when you play MP3 format to use a high bit rate of 320kpbs. I cannot comment on the other formats and/or bitrate as I don't use them. Listening to FM radio with these buds is also a very enjoyable experience. The sound is amazing! For the money I spent on these, I feel it is well worth it. Give them some time before you make your final impression (A month like I did). Good luck and I hope you find these enjoyable as I do.
Customer Review: These headphones replicate the club scene down to the bone
Summary: 1 Stars
So you're probably thinking why I gave these v-moda bass freq headphones such a low rating with such a cool title for this review. Well, have you ever been to a club? Do you know what its like to stand right next to the speaker and get blasted with air pushing sound waves? While that sounds rather entertaining, it's important to know that most clubs focus on bass and not nearly enough mids and highs and thats exactly how I can describe the bass freq in-ear headphones.
After reading the reviews other people gave, as well as CNET's, I thought I was thoroughly convinced these were the end-all plugs. I got them today, opened them up with earie excitement. To even more excitement I plugged them into a audio device (such as my ipod) and began playing some tunes. The songs I play are generally of the Electronica genre (Trance, Dance, House, IDM, Electro, etc). I also dj (dj polaski). Anyways, I plugged them in and WOW, the bass was amazing, in fact, it was very pure - not muddy or sluggish. However, the highs and mids were very plugged up.
I swear, the highs were almost indistinguishable from the mids and the mids were swallowed by the bass. It was such a horrible sound that it literally sucked the enjoyment out of any song I played. I even played bass heavy tracks, but the more bass, the less mids/highs. I don't know what people are listening to when they say these are great headphones. I'd rather listen to my over-the-head Sony MDR-V6 cans on the streets, in utter embarrassment, rather than listen to these plugs. I tried to EQ off of winamp, and it helped a little, but the overall quality of the sound after was hollow and uneventful.
While they look cool, any functionality out of these things quickly make them ugly. I cannot believe CNET rated these things as an 8.
The good thing about these headphones was the pure bass it created. Mentioned before, the bass was not muddy, sluggish, constrained. It really was a pure sound. Almost better than my sony cans (over-the-ear headphones for those who dont know). I thought that buying these things for my trance/techno music would have enhanced them. But every time I listen I have a yearning for those awesome mids/highs that make trance/techno so beautiful. I also tried some rock songs thinking that perhaps v-moda had a personal vendetta again electronic style music, but to my dismay, it was more of the same, and worse. Can you imagine a bass guitar drowning out ALL of the drums hi-hats and cymbals? Can you imagine a bass guitar drowning out all of the singing like it was staged under water? Jesus spoke the truth in parables, I find that I thats the only way I can do it in order to get you to understand.
Ok, enough about my opinion, a little more about the product. The product is pretty light, the plugs themselves seem a little flimsy, but that could be me. The colors are cool, I have the orange/camo color which is kind of ugly but it was cheapest of the colors. There are three different sizes of silicon fittings. I found no different in the sizes. You'll know when you have them in right when you can hear the bass. Any leak between the fittings and the ear and the bass will leak. The cable manager really doesn't manage well only because the length of the entire cord, from plug to plugs (no pun intended) is REALLY short.
Overall my recommendation of these things is NIL. I won't ever purchase these again. In fact, the same day I bought them is the same day I'll be returning them. I'm so disappointed. It's also important to note that I know what I'm doing when I'm using plugs. Some other people who write these reviews will argue that the people who didn't give the bass freq a good score didn't know how to use the plugs right. Well, I say that those who gave the bass freq a GOOD review obviously put the plugs in the wrong hole, because there was nothing outstanding about them.
All in all, V-Moda was right, these plugs definitely replicate the club scene - overpowering bass that drown out every other kind of sound.
Customer Review: Just a Note
Summary: 3 Stars
For those still doing some comparison shopping re: Earbuds or IEMs (In Ear Monitors). The following four units have very similar high frequency characteristics:
Creative Labs EP-630
Sennheiser CX300-B
V-MODA Bass Freq
V-MODA Remix M-Class
To my ears, which are use to Sennheiser's HD 580s headphones - as their reference, I find that the mid and hi freq response is pretty much the same for these four ear-buds - clean but just a little bit soft on the high end.
Their biggest difference come at the bottom, all but the V-MODA Remix hype their strengths at Bass frequencies. To me the Creatives and the Sennheisers have a baby bass boost. Almost unnoticeable, but enough to be noted with the proper tune(s). The MODA Remix has a pretty good bass bump, always noticeable; when material has strong bass notes - they can start to mask the mid-bass and the mid-frequencies. If there is a great deal of bass material, you can lose the vocalist along with other mid-freq material. The MODA Bass Freq has such a pronounced bass boost that I find it impossible to use them for any length of time. To my ears, they are semi-unusable, the bass is so dominant that it climbs up throughout the freq spectrum and drowns out a great deal of detail. I no saying it drowns the Mid's & Hi's on every cut, but the more bass content, the more the entire frequency spectrum is colored by the bass. My ear prefers a flatter freq response and notes the Bass coloration easily. As an oldie, but goodie - I am very familiar with my music library, and it is easy for me to note, when something is off. So my first MODA Bass Freq unit went to a friend's teen who loves, and NEEDS that constant thump in his skull.
However my second MODA Bass Freq unit, when combined with a DAP that has a Customizable equalizer setting, it is possible to flatten out the Bass Bump. I choose to give the Mid's and the Hi's a bit of a boost, while leaving the Bass flat. I find this more effective than trying a correction by causing a drop in the Bass region. Different ears will get differing 'mileage'. Always adjust an equalizer to you ears preferences, not a theoretical standard. The ears know!
Obviously, if you've got the need for that bass, then the V-MODA Bass Freq might be perfect for you. Otherwise you have three excellent alternative candidates to choose from. Real bass is tight, like an Electric Bass Guitar; 'base' on the other hand has a soft, round and rotund sound - like a poorly tighten drum.
So, my point is not to appoint a winner. It is to give you a gauge as to which unit may meet your ear's needs, depending on your need for that 'bass'. Sorry, I can't compare to SONY cause it has been a long time since they drew my attention to their 'buds'.
It should be noted that the EP-630 and the CX-300-B are supposedly the same unit, except for the fact that the Creative has a symmetrical cable (equal length legs) while the Sennheiser has an asymmetrical cable (unequal length legs). I will also note, that it seems this model is being killed by the manufacturer (whomever they are), as the CX-300-B is no longer listed on the Sennheiser web site, and the EP-630 is listed in SOME, but NOT most of the links to headphones and/or ear-buds on the Creative web site; and Creative has not had the 630s in stock for a couple of weeks now, after having had them on sale (or was it a liquidation???).
I don't know if replacements are on the way, but you will note that the CX-300-B and the EP-630 both have limited listing here on Amazon.
Enjoy you toy of choice,
angel
Customer Review: Insane Bass
Summary: 5 Stars
There's a handful of product out there that advertise themselves in various ways. Most, however, fall short on their claims. These earphones are the exception.
The Bass Freqs live up to their name. The bass on these is insane (I mean insane in a good way). Bass lovers will fall in love with these earphones at the moment they put these on.
Now, sound quality is pretty impressive. Obviously, the bass frequencies are increased, but the bass doesn't undermine the mids and highs. The strong bass and the crisp mids and highs allow for a better listening experience. I listen to pretty heavy Rock, and, personally, the Bass Freqs deliver potent sound that rival the sound other expensive headphones offer. The downside of the heavy bass is that if you're not a bass addict, you will most likely not like these. These earphones are for the people who enjoy deep bass. If you're a person that likes earphones that have balanced low, mid, and high frequencies, you will possibly not enjoy the quality of these.
Seeing as the audio quality is superb, the most important decision to make before buying these is choosing the color. V-Moda offers a pretty modest array of colors to choose from (enough to match your music player). The style of these earphones is pretty slick, and it will match with your music player quite nicely. However, I was surprised at the small size of the earphones. For me, the size of the earphones displayed in the Amazon page is deceiving. Nevertheless, the small size makes these earphones extra portable.
Finally, the Sound Isolation. I own some Noise Canceling Headphones which basically produce white noise in order to drown out external noise. With that technology, battery power is necessary. However, these earphones do not require batteries to turn down external noise. The earpieces go deep inside your ear so perfectly that the tight seal drowns out the noise around you. Compared to my Noise Canceling Headphones, the Bass Freqs make an excellent job in blocking out noise, allowing you, the listener, to enjoy the powerful bass. I would recommend trying out all the ear pieces (which are included) in order to determine which ear pieces give you the best sound isolation and ultimately the best sound quality.
I am not disappointed so far by these. They're an extremely great product.
[edit] These don't last long. The cables are thin and since the phones use a straight plug, damage to the phones takes place to a higher degree. I've had more luck with the V-Moda Vibes, which are nearing a year of use (albeit, after extensive use of tape, crazy glue, and heat-shrink tubing to keep the phones from falling apart). If you want to make the phones last longer, avoid wrapping the phones around your mp3 player as that pretty much creates tension (tension that later translates to broken cans). A use of a pouch is recommended.