V-MODA Vibe Duo In-Ear Noise-Isolating Metal Headphone with Universal One-Button Mic (Nero)
by V-MODA
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of V-MODA Vibe Duo In-Ear Noise-Isolating Metal Headphone with Universal One-Button Mic (Nero)
Customer Review: Wonderful sound...when it works!
Summary: 3 Stars
Like many, I got these headphones to replace the absolutely horrible earbuds that came with my iPhone. I can't tell you how much I love the sound on these. I bought them in a mall and the sound was rich and full. In fact, I had to turn the volumne down to 50%, even in the noisy mall. I began hearing sounds in my songs that I didn't know existed. I didn't realize that when someone calls you while you're listening to music, the music fades and you actually *hear* your ringtone! Before, my music would just stop. I'd then hit the answer call and say "hello", assuming I had a call. Now my phone was ringing, mind you, but it was too low for me to ever hear, even at maximum volume.
So why only three stars? They are simply not durable. I bought these two days before thanksgiving and the chord, which seemed like a winner because it's wrapped with fabric, started fraying on me within a week! Ok, no biggie. However, just like the iPhone earbuds, one of the earbuds started separating on me and I'd have to keep clicking it back together. Yes, the metal earbud housing would separate. At the time, I paid $125 for these and figured I shouldn't be having this much problem three weeks into owning them. So I took them back to the apple store and they gladly replaced them and even refunded me money because they're now going for $99.
So I have a new pair and everything's going great. Well, just yesterday (01/21/09) the sound on the right ear goes out. And when I mean goes out, you know how you can usually play with it and get the sound to come back and at least have functional earphones until you get a replacement? Yeah, that's not the case with these puppies. The sound is GONE! I was looking up V-moda to see how I could get my money back and saw the amazon link first and figured I should write my review.
Here's the deal. They have a year warranty and (so far) seem to be cool about simply replacing your earbuds. But considering their previous model had the *exact* same complaints, I'm worried that they'll just continue breaking and after a year, I would have paid for a very expensive pair of earbuds with no more warranty. Bottom line, if I spend a good deal of money on earbuds, the manufacturing process should remove issues that cause failures I expect in $10 headphones. If not for the quality control issues, this is a 5 star product all the way. Unfortunately, however, if I have no faith that the product will hold up, how can I recommend it? I can't.
Customer Review: Possibly the best deal you'll find for earphones.
Summary: 5 Stars
I first purchased a pair of Vibe duos several months back, in the same order as a set of Sennheiser CX300-B Earbuds (Black) . I used both and thought the sennheisers were a clear cut winner, with their booming bass and crisp, bright highs. I was going to gift the vibes to a friend, however, after a week of breaking both in, I did a similar comparison because something made me not want to let go of the vibes, probably their flashy exterior. In this second test, the vibes nailed everything perfectly. Great low-frequency response, mids as you'd expect them, and brilliant highs. With the balance of sound these earphones offer, listen closely and you'll hear new dimensions in your music. This is especially true in newer rock/alternative where songs are so over-produced that a lot of low volume tracks are present, and you usually don't hear them. Be it a subtle guitar overdub or an unusually unnoticeable ascending bass fill, the vibe will literally let you hear all the right notes. This sets sound quality blows the water out of the Shure E3c Sound Isolating Earphones and costs much less
The microphone works quite well. I tested this with the iPhone 3G, and call quality was fantastic for me, and on the other end I was told that every word came out clearly compared to the often tinny, blurry sound of the iPhone's built-in mic. Placement is just right, so you won't have to lift the mic up to talk, although if you're like me, you still will as a social cue to tell people around you're talking to someone, rather than being insane.
Durability is also solid, I have both the first batch model (straight plug) and the newer replacement (with the plug at a 90 degree angle as pictured above) and neither pair has broken, despite fairly rough handling. My one complaint is that the grip, if you'll call it that, on the first model came loose fairly quickly, which was a little bit of a nuisance.
Earphone comfort, I believe, is entirely subjective, but in my own, the vibe was great, and even after extended use my ears were not sore. I'd recommend using the small size buds that the vibe comes with for optimum bass.
The vibe duo is a fantastic buy, and I recommend it to absolutely anyone looking for a good pair of earphones.
Customer Review: Finally! With call+ipod control button!
Summary: 5 Stars
First and foremost these headphones have the absolute best sound of any that I have ever owned in the past 10 years -- and unfortunately, I go through headphones like they're going out of style, because it's tough to please me. The bass response is INCREDIBLE -- pristine -- no mud, just blissful skull vibrating pure bass (okay, so J/K on the vibration -- I don't actually listen to music that loud but these are MORE than capable of filling your head full of incredibly intense sound).
The bass is what struck me as exceptional, but that's because usually that's what's lacking in the dozens of small, comfortable headphones that I have tried over the years. The mid-range and high-end are also absolutely phenomenal!!! All in all, just a very well balanced, intense, and dynamic sound!!!
Finally! No more searching for that perfect set of headphones. The comfort was perfect for me out of the box and with all the additional soft gels, these will fit comfortably for anyone who is already happy with an in-ear design. These seal the ear canal very well and block out the majority of external sound so the volume level does not need to be very loud in order to hear the nuanaces of the music -- yet when speaking my own voice doesn't resonate excessively -- no trouble tolerating the sound of my own voice with these firmly in place. Just a great balance between sound blocking and minimizing my own voice resonance while on a call.
With the addition of the call+ipod control button, these are the PERFECT replacement for the stock iPhone headphones -- filling out the depth of bass and intensity that are lacking in Apple's standard headphones.
My one complaint is that unlike the Apple control button, which is so easy to find (just squeeze anywhere on the mic section), the button on the V-Moda is a bit small and only at one end of the mic section -- it took some getting used to just to find the thing. Ultimately this really is just a matter of getting used to the difference in design -- easy enough to reach for the mic and find the button -- the lapel clip keeps the mic in position so I don't have to fumble to find it. After just one afternoon of use, I have no trouble at all finding and using the mic button.
All things considered, this is the last set of headphones that I will ever buy! I absolutely love them!
Customer Review: Great so far!
Summary: 4 Stars
I love these headphones, and there are a lot of good things about them, but I don't think they justify the $100 price tag.
Aesthetically, they are top-notch. I have the black and chrome ones, and they look great, and can catch some eyes with those that know quality headphones, but not too flashy to let everyone know you're using an iPod or iPhone.
The fabric-wrapped cord is also very convenient, as they don't get tangled as much as the OEM Apple headphones, even when you stick them in the nice little pouch V-Moda provides. The textured chrome part provides some grip as you take these out of your ears. I could never get a good fit/seal with the apple canalphones, but I find it easy to get a nice seal and comfortable fit with these.
I personally don't really like the feel of in-canal phones, but they are practical for me because I have an hour-long bus ride everyday, and they do a pretty good job isolating the sounds of the bus. However, the noise isolation is limited; loud noises and loud laughing and raised voices can sometimes be heard even with music playing. Other than that, I can't even hear myself typing this review.
Most importantly, the sound quality is pretty good. I'm no audiophile, but I know what I want and don't want to hear in my music. On my iPhone's default EQ settings, the bass is a bit pronounced, and the voices and some instruments may be drowned out, but once you set it on "treble booster" the music sounds nice and balanced. The highs won't be extremely clear, but there is no tinniness and you do notice individual instruments and sounds more than you would with the Apple earbuds or even the Apple canal-phones. It's a pretty noticeable improvement over the provided headphones, and it also has the nice button functionality, and the microphone works well, though I'm not so sure it's yards ahead of the Apple microphones.
Overall, these are good quality headphones, but for 100$ I was expecting a little bit more out of them. I'm more than satisfied with them, but I sometimes find myself thinking I should have saved some money and went with the Skullcandy FMJs.
Also, I've read some reviews where the headphones have given up in less than a month, but I'll update this review if something does, in fact, happen to them. (Crossing my fingers.)
Customer Review: V-Moda Vibe Duo
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had the V-Moda Vibe earphones for several years now and have been more than happy with them. As I was looking for something in the way of a stereo phone headset for my iPhone, I naturally thought of V-Moda and their Vibe Duo. And I am again happy.
The textured metal earpieces (available in chrome, black and red colors) give the Vibe Duo a very industrial look. The cable in made of a vinyl-like material, almost cloth-like, rather than the traditional plastic coating. Most headsets or earphones include perhaps two or three different sizes of eartips (that is the piece that seats the speaker in your ear), but V-Moda includes eight pairs of eartips, six black and two clear. A storage pouch is included to store your eartips.
This is a phone headset, so it has an inline button to answer calls. On the iPhone, this button also serves as your play/pause button, your skip button, and your rewind button. The action is determined by how many times you press the button. I've seen this feature in other headsets as well and it makes it really nice to be able to store your iPhone in your backpack, purse, etc. In terms of the talk button, I was somewhat disappointed in the design. The inline talk button is on a round chassis, which can make it difficult to quickly locate. I wish that V-Moda would have flattened the chassis so the button would be easier to find.
Many in-ear speakers suffer from a lack of bass and sound tinny. The Vibe Duo has excellent bass and produces a rich audio experience. They are rated at 12 Hz to 22 kHz, covering the range that the human ear can hear. Crisp highs and booming lows with a nice mellow mid-range make these ideal for music. Phone calls sound as clear as the cell signal you're getting, and the microphone performs just as well.
As for the fit, you can certainly find an eartip size and style that will fit your ears among the many eartips included. The single-flange design of the eartips seat well and they do a decent job isolating external noise. I particularly like the jack on the Vibe Duo. The cable is offset to the side so you can push the male jack into the female port without worrying about any damage to the cable.
If you're going to use your headset for music in addition to taking phone calls, the Vibe Duo will not disappoint.