V-MODA Vibe In-Ear Noise-Isolating Metal Headphone (Gunmetal Black)
by V-MODA
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List Price: Our Price: $36.99 You Save: $22.96 (38%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
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for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of V-MODA Vibe In-Ear Noise-Isolating Metal Headphone (Gunmetal Black)
Customer Review: Outstanding!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been using the v-moda vibe for about a week now with my iPod Nano and I absolutely love this baby. Although I have a huge music collection as well as three iPods, I never considered buying high end earbuds until about two weeks ago. Since I'll be heading on a 16 hour flight in a couple of days, I thought - why not invest in some great noise isolating earbuds instead of putting up with the terrible earphones that the airlines usually hand out.
After reading the reviews on Amazon, I first went to my local retailer and bought a Shure E2C. While the audio quality on the Shure E2C was great, it takes a lot of maintenance..... and as other reviewers point out, the bass response is terrible unless you get the silicone insert perfectly right. If thats not enough of a headache, the bass response can differ widely every time you use the earphones, depending on whether the earbuds "seal" correctly. It took so much work everytime I used it, it made more sense for me to get a pet instead!!!
So I returned the E2C's and got myself the Creative Aurvana's. Great packaging and slick presentation, but the earbuds suck!!! The bass response was terrible and my music sounded flat! I returned those within 48 hours of use. Seriously, dont even bother with the Creative Aurvana. Its a total waste of time and money.
Finally, with my trip looming large, I decided to get the v-moda vibe once again after reading the stellar reviews on Amazon. I mean, a product with 4 stars after 312 reviews has got to be good, right? I got the earbuds and decided to try them on (skeptically). I was completely blown away! So much so, that I decided to write my first review ever on Amazon. So here are the pros and cons of these earbuds.
Pros:
1. Phenomenal bass response. It doesnt have the "please make me deaf" kind of "super bass", but has a rich uniform bass - much better than the Shure and Creative buds.
2. Mid range and highs are also great and crisp
3. The fit and maintenance are both super easy. No clogging, not 'ear wax cleaning tools' etc
4. The "seal" is also great - and importantly, consistent. Also, the seal pretty much isolates most sound. So you definitely want to be careful when wearing these. (For example - I couldnt hear the tap running when I was in my kitchen. I couldnt even hear my phone ringing right in front of me)
5. Fits right, no slipping even when you are walking or running
Cons:
None really. The packaging, presentation etc could be better. The "leather" bag it comes with looks kinda cheap, etc. But all of this, in my opinion is purely incidental and immaterial. I mean, do you buy earbuds for the sound or for the way its packaged/accessories?
Another suggestion:
When using the iPod, I found the "Rock" EQ setting gave me the best response on the buds. Try listening to "Stairway to Heaven" and you can hear Jimmy Page's (I think) fingers brush against the strings of the lead guitar as he plucks away. Beat that Shure! Creative, just roll over! :)
Customer Review: Some easy solutions to reviewer complaints
Summary: 5 Stars
Despite having absolutely no interest in cosmetic design of earbuds, I have great interest is functionality and performance, and the Vibes shine in these areas.
Thanks to the (relatively few) negative reviews, I have found several plausible solutions to the cord failures, microphonics and one-side loss of audio for this otherwise outstanding product. I also propose likely solutions to some confusion about tonal characteristics.
Preventing cord failure at the ends
The simplest preventative is minimize movement of the cord. At the 'bud ends, this is easily done by wrapping the cord around the ear instead of just letting it hang (heck, at this price you might even prefer to lose an ear than damage the cord). A big additional benefit of ear-wrapping is that noise from cord movement is practically eliminated.
The durability of the cord at the stress points at the plug and earbuds can be easily improved by applying a small drop of 'Liquid Electrical Tape' (Star Brite, Ft. Lauderdale, FL) for about 2 mm (3/16-inch) along the cord from the existing rubber strain reliefs, using a toothpick. I obtained this from the Ace hardware store for about $5, and have used it successfully for several similar jobs, indoors and out. This liquid vinyl gradually stiffens over time, but retains flexibility and durability similar to that of the existing rubber reliefs. It adheres very well to the black rubber cord, but I can't speak to the clear insulation on some models (although this may not impede its effectiveness). Of course this doesn't make the cord any stronger, but may increase durability by increasing the minimum bending radius.
Fixing loss of sound on one side
Near the bottom of the FAQ on the V-Moda website is the description of this problem being often caused by foreign matter entering the earbud and physically obstructing motion of the transducer. The FAQ recommends blowing gently into the business end of the earbud to clear the obstruction. Perhaps some of the negative raters might have solved their problem this way.
Distorted audio characteristic
The Vibes are the first earbuds that I find allow me to completely disable all equalization and hear much of the definition that the sound engineer intended (when listening to an appropriate sound source*). However, the downside to this level of quality is that the distortion introduced by equalization can become glaringly obvious. Perhaps some who don't observe the richness of the Vibe's audio may be hearing the real effects of some equalization or audio processing they have enabled to improve the sound of weaker devices. Try disabling all equalization and see what happens. I found that most SRS and DFX features, while still functional, tend to obscure the superb definition that these 'buds can otherwise provide. If distortion remains, check for dirty connectors.
* For example, when listening to 'Music Choice' 48-kHz PCM from an SA digital cable box via S/PDIF decoded with the Intel ICH4 AC'97.
Customer Review: Powerful Bass/Solid Construction
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought these earbuds as a replacement for an older pair of iPod earphones and have had no regrets from day one. Right off the bat, the first thing you notice is the construction of these earbuds. They completely outclass most other earbuds with buds in a solid metallic housing that connect through a woven mesh cable to a unique 45 degree angled 3.5mm audio plug. The entire setup simply screams durability. The woven mesh cable seems much more resilient than standard synthetic rubber cables and are much easier to untangle. There is also a refreshingly wonderful lack of plastic used in the Vibe's construction. In short, the V-MODA Vibe goes all out in appearance, scoring points early on from its initial unwrapping.
With such an attractive appearance, the Vibe better have some serious sound quality to back it up as well, right? No matter how it fares as eye candy, if it doesn't deliver in sound quality, it's nothing more than a glorified pair of earplugs, after all. Not to worry, I assure you now that you can lay down your fears because the Vibe can and will handle just about everything you throw at it. However, you probably noticed I said "just about," well, that's because the Vibe is not perfect, and I must point out that the Vibe DOES, in fact, have an Achilles' Heel. The trouble seems to occur specifically in music that is heavy on piano solos where the pianist seems to feel more at home in the upper registers. Basically, the normally rich, vibrant sounds you are used to become accentuated by tinny squeaks when particularly high notes are emphasized. So, if you happen to be considering this purchase with a stack of Yiruma CD's waiting to be tested, don't bother. For the rest of us who listen to songs that focus more upon the bass and midrange of music, this pair will not disappoint. With the proper fitting, these earbuds provide bass that reverberate within your head and maintain a beautiful clear, crisp sound throughout your playlist. A quick recap:
++Pros++
Bass
Sound
Construction
Durability
Carrying Case
--Cons--
Piano Solos
Customer Review: Look No Further!
Summary: 5 Stars
I consider myself somewhat of an audiophile, but like most people I cannot afford the uber-expensive, top-of-the-line in-ear headphones. Unfortunately, I also put my headphones through a lot of unintentional abuse in the course of active use, which means that even the high-priced headphones I have purchased in the past have been destroyed. After reading quite a few positive reviews about these headphones, I decided to give them a go. And let me tell you, I couldn't be happier with them! The sound quality is exceptional, especially for the price! I swear I'm hearing things in my music that I've never noticed before. The bass is crisp, strong, deep, and clean; the mids are balanced and, unlike most headphones I've had in the past, are quite noticeable; and the highs don't have that tinny "tweetery" sound that I so abhor. There is no gap between the lows and highs like most other in-ears, these have a full range of sound with a bright, yet deep and full "atmosphere". They are extremely comfortable and fit like a glove in my ears, and I usually have a difficult time getting a good fit, having to go through several of the silicone sleeves to get a snug seal, and usually not the same size on both sides. These fit beautifully right out of the box! Also, the cord on these is quite sturdy and flexible, and they have fixed the old design flaw in the jack that allowed for fraying. As rough as I am with these, they show no signs of wear and tear, either visibly or in sound quality. Not to mention they really look great! They fit perfectly in my ear canal, so much so that they are barely visible. None of that alien probe antennae looking nonsense sticking out of your ears! Even if I break these guys, I WILL be returning for another pair! These have got to be the best pair of in-ears I've bought in years. I highly recommend that you save yourself a lot of grief trying out other products, and purchase yourself a pair of these sweet babies. You won't be disappointed!Customer Review: These earbuds freaking rock.
Summary: 5 Stars
These earbuds freakin' rock. ROCK. R O C K.
Bass response is good. Nice, crisp, clear highs. Great midrange. Fits in my ear well. Blocks the sound of a military C-130. If you've ever ridden in the belly of one of those, you'll know, you need earpulgs or go deaf. Now, you can do it with a set of these babies and all I could hear was Mp3's. Sweet, sweet MP3's.
This is my second pair. My first pair fell out of my pccket and got caught in a door as I was leaving the gym, and it ripped the earbud off the wire. This is actually a lot better version. The first ones had a rubber covering on the wire, which was weak and tended to break in places. I'd end up dropping a dab of super glue on the wire to protect the wires inside the wire casing.
However, these are covered with a sort of "hardened cloth mesh" which makes the wire (slightly) stiffer and more able to take a beating. Since I work out, these take a beating. And oh, what a difference a good set of pounding earbuds makes when your pounding some steel.
When I got my new Nano, I immediately threw those earbuds in a drawer as a backup and slapped my V-Moda's on. I'm not an "Audiophile" but I do know what sucks and what is uncomfortable in my ear and these things sound FREAKING AWESOME and they fit so well in your ear, you don't even notice you're wearing them.
The earbud rubber pieces do tend to go "bad", (get crummy, hey, some people have earwax) after about 6 months. Whaddya know, you can order more earbud fittings at the V-moda store. I've done it and the service is fast and the price is right. Amazon used to sell 'em, but the last time I checked, they didn't stock them any more.
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I highly recommend these earbuds.