Customer Reviews

V-MODA Vibe Duo In-Ear Noise-Isolating Metal Headphone with Universal One-Button Mic (Gunmetal Rouge)

5 star:		(120)
4 star:		(95)
3 star:		(51)
2 star:		(106)
1 star:		(130)

 

 

If I were to have written a review when I first plugged these in, I would have given them 5 stars hands down. The sound is wonderful, the microphone and control works great, I was so happy with these. They really were great earphones.

Fast forward about a month, and like so many other reviews, they just stopped working. V-Moda seriously has an issue, it's obvious in the reviews where people have had this product for a month or more, and their earphones just stop working. I was so disappointed, mostly because I really, really, REALLY loved these earphones. But if they just stop working, what good are they worth?

I would say that my usage was light, maybe I'd use them once or twice a week for a few hours at a time. I really am disappointed.

I sure wish there were other options.

The sound is good, they fit comfortably. And they break like clockwork. I'm on my third set, and this is frankly getting old, especially at the price.

I'm on my second pair in about eight months.

As many other reviews here have stated, they do sound quite good and the interchangeable earpieces are great.

But the wiring at the connector consistently fails. First one channel goes, then the other.

The cloth covering does absolutely nothing to protect the internal wiring.

If you can't even put your iPhone in your pocket without damaging the earbuds, what's the point?

And yes, they will replace them for free, but the customer pays shipping.

I really wanted to like this product, but there's no excuse for spending $100 on an item that breaks in a few months of normal, careful use.

OK, they are pricey. $99 for a pair of earbuds. Granted,they are extremely stylish, with the chrome accents, and fabric cords, and the nifty little case, but $99 is a lotta cash for a pair of iPod/iPhone earbuds. Good thing they sound terrific. Very deep punchy bass, though some people may not like them as much if they're not bass freaks. Highs are pretty good, and anyone will agree they sound better than the slightly better than average pack in iPhone earbuds. They look greta, they sound great. These models have the long awaited call button/skip track feature on the cord, which the first models did not have. It works well, people sound great and I never had anyone say they couldn't hear me even when in a crowded store.

The silicone fittings come in three sizes and two colors, so you get extras to fit your ear size. They are very snug and isolate sound similar to a pair of earplugs, blocking out some noise. Though these aren't noise cancelling, they do suppress a lot of noise. Excellent in that respect.

Bottom line: Worth it? For me, yes...the braided fabric wire means less tangles, and the sound isolation and comfort are tops. The call button mimics the original pack ins, and allows the same functions. And the sound is great. I say go for it, if you're looking for a better pack in for the iPhone. iPod users have cheaper alternatives without the call button feature but there really aren't many options for iPhone users, at least not yet.

Physical Observations:
* Very nice squeeze-to-open 2-3/8" x 4" pouch
* One set of Small, Med, and Large silicone earcanal inserts in semi-transparent clear and one set in black (6 total).
* Wiring covered in woven cloth. Very flexible boarding on limp.
* Mini-plug is straight, extends 7/8" from iPhone when in place
* Chrome barrel crimp with V-Moda logo at Y where cables to earbuds meet
* Microphone/call button barrel on right side earbud.
* Cloth covered cable to right earbud is same diameter as main cable with small clamp to attach cord to clothing.
* Cloth covered cable to left earbud is approx 2/3 as thick as main cable.

Using the Earbuds:
My 56 yr old eardrums still work but do not pickup the very subtle nuances of audiophile playback as they did when they were 25 yrs old. I bought these earphones because the iPhone OEM earphones hurt like heck after 10 minutes,and my current Shure E4c's do not have the call answering/pause button that the Apples do.

The V-Moda's came with the medium-size silicone inserts in place and, for me, did not form a seal in my ears. The phones sounded horribly tinny. I changed to the largest inserts, which did form a good seal. The V-Modas produced a well balance sound and very pleasing output (sounds great to my old ears). After using them for a week, I prefer them to my Shure E4c's that sound very good, but not 3.5x worth. Most of what I listen to are audible books and videos/movies in while stuck in airline seats.
The tight seal the large inserts create do a very good job of isolating
exterior noise. The earbuds are small, nicely trimmed in black enamel and chrome. I found the cloth to be easier to untangle than vinyl coated cordsets.

I used the "semi-clear" insert for the left side and a black one for the right side so I could tell'em apart quickly. Each earbud is marked with R or L in # 0.01 font near the driver output tube, which is completely obscured when a large ear canal insert is used.

The call button in the barrel microphone is a small slightly raised button easily found with bare fingers, but may be difficult to locate if the user is wearing gloves. In contrast, I can just mash down on the longitudinally split rectangular tube design on the Apple phones.
Makes using my iPhone as a music and vid player very enjoyable and they work well in phone mode, isolating sound in a noisy office and produce excellent sound.

Sonically better than the OEM Apple earbuds for my ears and I can wear these cushy in the ear type ear buds as long as I want without discomfort.

lets start from the beginning. The headphones looked great, felt great, sounded great, and worked with the iphone as described. From the beginning I thought that the wire felt a little fragile, and my feeling was confirmed. After less than three months, they started playing only out of one ear. I tested it with several other devices, with the same problem, so it was definitely a problem with the headphones.

Is this what to expect from a set of supposedly premium headphones? I think not. Absolutely unacceptable...

I had the non-iphone version of these but exchanged them for the version with the music/voice control button. I liked them so much, I recommended them to a friend. About 3 months later, one of his earbuds started to short and then just a few day later, mine did as well. He sent his back under warranty probably 2 and a half weeks ago (as of this review) and at first they said they didn't receive it, he tracked the package though and knew it got there, and they now say they did receive it, but due to the "holiday season" they are trying to fill his order as quickly as possible.

Bear in mind he received this "holiday season" email on February 5th, more than a month since Christmas and New Years. Unless they celebrate Chinese New Year as well as a company holiday, I don't see how that is a valid excuse for taking 2 weeks to just send out a replacement.

I have yet to ship mine out to be replaced, but I'm not looking forward to the process at all.

Be warned that although they do sound, and look great, the quality may not be up to par and you may be left without headphones for weeks at a time if you need to get them replaced through V-Moda.

Hope this was helpful.

UPDATE: I wish I could change my rating to one star. I'm currently on my fourth pair of these headphones, they keep shorting out. The latest one they sent me (with the redesigned plug) lasted even less time, taking roughly 3 weeks before one of the buds shorted out. VMODA is a bum company, I will never buy another product from them as long as I live. I've spent almost $30 shipping broken headphones to them as well, time to cut my loses.

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!

5 months down the road and I'm already on my 3rd replacement. You do the math.

I bought these back in October and already one side in barely audible. The other side is also starting to fade. I'm sending them back for repair but who wants to go through that hassel after less than 3 months use. The sound quality must have been consistanly failing over time because when I recently plugged in the original iphone ear buds I was amazed at how much better they sounded than these 100 buck babies. The only real plus with these is the phone mic that allows me to answer calls while I'm listening to music at the gym. They do at least stay in your ear much better than the stock Apple buds but as far as blocking out external noise definitely not 100%. Not worth the hefty tab in my oppinion.