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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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of V-MODA Bass Freq In-Ear Stereo Headphone (Bling Bling Black)
Customer Review: Very Good Pair of Earphones
Summary: 5 Stars
In light of some of the reviews about its defective nature, I would like to interject. I've had my pair for over a year now, and they're still working fine. Could it be possible that others are receiving defects? Possibly. However, if only one pair of earphones works fine, we must assume that's the way the developers wanted it to be, and that's how they develop it in the factories. You can get a defect by accident, but you can't get a set that's better than the rest by accident. Instead, I would like you to consider how you treat your headphones, what environment you usually use them in, and how you protect them when you're not using them. Find a way to store them so that they will not get tangled, store them in a place away from moisture, and unplug them when not in use. Granted, v-moda decided to construct these with plastic, but I think the plastic is much denser than a pair of stock Ipod headphones for example.
In terms of its other qualities, yes, I will attest to their powerful bass, although perhaps a bit too powerful for the in-ear variety of headphones; however, this is easily adjusted by an equalizer. One comment here: if you have music that's encoded at a low bit-rate, don't blame the headphones. Always try the headphones on a music file that's at least 320kbps .mp3, or .wma lossless, or any other high quality file, preferably extracted from a cd instead of downloaded. If you've ever been to a Bose store, I can assure you that they use the highest quality music to present their headphones as better than yours, hoping that the consumer will overlook the difference in the music. I would say that the soundstage is a bit constricted, as a result of the in-ear construction and the high proportion of bass to other ranges.
They are very comfortable, whether I am running, working, or doing anything, I hardly notice them in my ears. You will have to spend some time trying out different sizes, but I think its better than having no options to choose from. One criticism is that wire motion tends to make some sounds, I speculate that it's due to the phones moving in your ears. I've come to ignore it, even during runs, however it may bother you a bit. I don't know if there's a set of earphones immune to this, from my thoughts on its causes.
Customer Review: Use these buds gently if you want them to last.
Summary: 2 Stars
I've had two pairs of these ear buds and the cumulative amount time they lasted was maybe 8 months. The first pair stopped working after approximately 2 months, so I purchased some cheap sennheisers (sp?) to replace them. These sennheisers had horrible sound. I don't recall the model number, but they cost somewhere in the same neighborhood as the V Moda Bass buds. The sennheisers lasted maybe the better part of a year, so I decided to try a second pair of the V Modas because I did like the "bassiness" I got from them and thought maybe it was just bud luck the first pair crapped out so quickly.
This time around, the ear buds themselves would come apart exposing the internal wiring for no good reason other than I walked, sat down, breathed, or blinked my eyes with them in my ears. This occurred very soon after purchase and got on my nerves a little bit. Fortunately, they could be popped back together without much fuss and I was back on my way rocking out. After a few short months, sound from the right bud starting cutting in and out very slightly, which is exactly what my first pair did, so I knew they were more of the "slowly fade away" approach to life as opposed to the whole "blaze of glory" idea.
Now, here I am with yet another pair of broken V Moda Bass earbuds writing this review to give everyone out there considering these fair warning of what you may be getting yourself into. I use my ipod and buds almost exclusively at work because I do love music almost as much as tuning out work interference (picture Ron Livingston as Peter Gibbons from Office Space if he had had an iPod back in 1999) and do a fair amount of sitting down, getting up, and walking around with the ipod in my front pocket with the bud cord attached. I mean, what can I really expect from a $20-something pair of V Modas anyway? Not much apparently. I've considered investing in a high-end pair, but must concede that unbeknownst to me, I am somehow so rough on these poor buds, that they have no other choice than to die a slow, painful death. The sound quality seems fine; there is definitely ample bass, but build quality is low, so if you choose these buds be gentle on them and maybe they will last more than 6 months for you!
Customer Review: Like a promising date that ends in disaster
Summary: 2 Stars
I couldn't stand the Apple brand earbuds. No matter what people said, they just sucked. The sound is tinny, shallow, and the volume usually has to be all the way up. I even bought the $100 pair of Bose because they were supposed to be that good. Not impressed does not begin to describe how I felt about those Bose earbuds. I was annoyed the sound quality was average, and that it lacked any powerful ranges or noise cancellation. So it was great excitement that I purchased this set of earbuds. The reviews seemed balanced enough, and I figured for under $30 I had nothing to lose.
The first pair I bought (that's right...the first pair), in Rocker Red, was a delight. I was enthused by the fact that V-Moda gave me a color choice, and then I was thrilled to hear actual bass coming through the earbuds. In fact, I was using 1/4 of the volume I had been previously using. The only thing I didn't enjoy at the time was the cord wrapper. That thing is ugly and clumsy. You'd think V-Moda would've put slightly more effort and time in developing a cord winder. I had the first pair for about two months, then the wiring in the cord busted, resulting in sound that literally came through as if I was holding a tape deck, playing a tape that had been dubbed over so many times songs resembled squealing mice, stuffed into a box, stuffed into a large tunnel.
I was unwilling to believe the quality would be that level of cheap that these earbuds broke before a whole quarter ended (I'm a finance nerd, sorry). So I quickly purchased a second set, and my roommate ordered a pair as well after my initial enthusiastic review. This time, the pair broke after one month, and his stopped working at the same time. Unbelievable. And for the exact same reason, the crappy wiring. I even used that god-forsaken clunky piece of plastic they call a cord manager to prevent wire stress at the joint.
With that said, if you're willing to part with $30 just willy-nilly, give these a chance. The bass will blow you away (although the highs sound slightly distant and the midranges are not very clear), but between the crappy materials, construction, and life of the earbuds, it might be best to buy a pair of Sennheisers. Seriously.
Customer Review: Too much bass and thin cords... (Good otherwise)
Summary: 4 Stars
I've been in search of a perfect set of in-ear earphones for iPod. I've purchased different earphones and tried many, and this V-Moda Bass Freq comes in at "pretty good" for the price.
First thing you'll notice with these earphones is that the cord attached to these earbuds are super thin, though highly flexible. If you're like me who use (and abuse) the earphones everyday, you may worry about its durability. I have not used these for more than a month so far, so time will tell.... The sound quality is better than average of what you can find in this price range. As the name suggests, and many of the other reviewers had stated that these earphones give you a lot of bass. A LOT!! If you like a lot of bass these earphones would be perfect for you. For me, it's a little too much. Some music gets drowned in bass although the earphones are giving you fairly good mids and highs. I had to use equalizer to tone down the bass... I own a pair of very high-end earbuds from Shure, and if you compare the sound from Shure to V-Moda, you can tell all that bass from V-Moda is very unbalanced. I do have Apple's "In-Ear Headphones", and I must say they have much better balance (though I don't recommend Apple's at all) than V-Moda. For example, if you listen to pop or hip-hop music a lot, V-Moda may be good for it, but if you listen to folk or guitar-heavy rock, or even classic (a lot of acoustic instrument) you may find V-Moda to be too bass-heavy or even find the sound to be muddy.
As an alternative (if you aren't looking for too much base), so far in my quest to find the perfect set of ipod earphones, I like Sony Mdr-Ex75/Blk Ex Earbuds Headphones with 9Mm Hi-Sensitivity Driver (Black) for the price, and all around sound quality. They're in-ear type to block outside noise, and they're comfortable wearing (and so is V-Moda, by the way). Very good balance overall in bass, mids, and highs, and very clear sounding. They're also pretty sturdy too, unlike the super thin V-Moda cords... I have tried Bose TriPort but I cannot justify their high price tag... Sony sounds better imho.
Customer Review: Love them! (but not very durable)
Summary: 4 Stars
I purchased a pair of these in August 07. I LOVED LOVED LOVED them! They sounded GREAT, they are naturally loud, so I could listen to my mp3 player at half the volume. They also block out external noises so you can listen at even lower volume if you are concerned with hearing damage. I love the little rubber piece to wind the excess cord around. I bought a pair for my dad who is 80 and has hearing aids -- they are loud enough that he can hear his audiobooks with them.
So, the bad... I tend to be kinda rough (not purposely, just rather clumsy) with my belongings. I didn't wind the cord up enough and would listen while I work on things in the yard or exercise. Several times I caught the cord on stuff, thereby ripping the ear pieces out of my ears. The rounded earpiece would break apart. I'd snap it back together, but eventually, the wires broke off and it was all over. They had lasted me about a year.
I loved them so much, I bought another pair in July 08, resolving to be really careful with them. I WAS really careful with them, but I would leave them plugged into my mp3 player and wind the cord around the player before putting it in it's protective bag. Apparently, bending the plug-in end didn't agree with it. I noticed this and stopped doing it, but it must've been too late by then because, alas, the other day, the plug became detached from wire - the whole plastic piece just popped off. It's April, so it's a bit shy of a year.
So, in Summary:
THE GOOD:
* The sound is great.
* The volume is great.
* The earpieces come in various sizes, so the fit is great.
* They are comfortable to wear, even for extended periods of time.
* They block external noise.
These are easily the best headphones I've ever purchased.
THE BAD:
* If you don't take care, you can unintentionally damage or dismember them.
But I still love them and I still recommend them to friends. Not everyone uses their mp3 player as much as I do or while doing difficult tasks as I do. And not everyone is quite as clumsy with the cord as I can be.