Customer Reviews

V-MODA Vibe In-Ear Noise-Isolating Metal Headphone (Gunmetal Black)

5 star:		(74)
4 star:		(48)
3 star:		(23)
2 star:		(17)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

These are good earphones - though I was not always convinced.
I've owned several in-ear style earphones in the past at this price range and lower. These are certainly the most 'fun' and sturdy. Despite my doubts, I highly recommend these earphones.

Allow me to preface:
After weeks of research on different in-ear style headphones, I decided on these. They fit my budget and they offered what I wanted - noise isolation, noticable bass, and a sturdy (i.e. not flimsy) construction - all complimenting my "while listening to an iPod on a commute" use for these.

I purchased the earphones. Then cancelled the order almost immediately. Later, I again decided to buy them.

This cancel was because, after more investigation, I discovered some not-so compelling features of these earphones and the company. I'll list them below and explain how I got over them (to help quell any concerns you may have), and then give some feedback regarding what they're like now.

Firstly, I learned that the 'sound curve' was unbalanced. I read that the bass was overpowering and possibly at the expense of a natural sounding mid and high range. As an avid blues/jazz listener, I was concerned by this.

Secondly, I read on a reputable website dedicated for iPod listeners (which shall go unnamed), that their experiences with V-Moda were not good. I heard of marketing practices that could be deemed somewhat 'shifty' or 'underhanded'. I didn't like that.

Thirdly, I found other earphones of similar price that were rated highly. The alternatives were tempting.

Fourthly, and finally, what's up with the marketing? The website plays music that I can't seem to permanently shut off. There's a lot of company-created jargon (BLISS, V-Masque, VIP card) that I'm usually wary of. And who exactly is supposed to use these things again? Oh yes, youthful, urbanized, jet-setting club-goers from Hollywood. Not me. Oh well.

Then I learned to stop worrying and love the V-Moda Vibes.

I figured I'd purchase them. Let them 'burn-in' (as I had so frequently read about in reviews; the process of allowing the earphones to play at a normal or above-average volume for hours until using). And return them if they failed as miserably as some reviewers seem to feel. I have not returned them after a month's use nor do I plan to do so ever. These are good earphones.

The SOUND curve is colorful. It is bass-heavy. It makes the earphones feel substantial. Especially compared to other in-ear earphones, the Vibes really shine. Most in-ear earphones lack any sort of strong bass. These are vastly different. For playing any bass-heavy music, these are unparralleled in-ear earphones (at this price range, given my experience). However, I am somewhat dissapointed with jazz playback. The mids and highs seem muddled, even with EQ settings. Regardless, it is passable and at least sounds 'rich' if not accurate. This does lead me to believe that these earphones are not suitable for studio-monitoring. But at this price range, I don't think any earphones meet that standard! In short, I look forward to listening to these earphones. It's fun - an odd qualification, I know. But that's the best way I can describe the experience. I would not, however, willingly sit at my computer desk and use these over the full experience of speakers or ear-cup designed headphones. I can't imagine any in-ear earphone that would make me want to do that, though.

BURN-IN did make a difference. I let them burn-in for nearly two days. It turned the earphones from sub-par, hollow, and tinny into rich, deep, colorful like they are now. Definitely worth the time and highly recommended.

The WIRES and CONSTRUCTION are sturdier than other in-ear earphones I've used in the past. I don't feel like repeated bending will make them disintegrate as others have. In fact, these are the most sturdy wires and earphones I've encountered for in-ears. As with many things, time will ultimately decide. For now, I'm pleased.

The FIT is comfortable. The company's claims of resting your head on a pillow are fair assessments. The multitude of interchangable ear tips is fantastic. I was pleased with the range and it made me feel like the company's attention to detail was promising.

Some reviewers cite the STRAIGHT-PLUG as a problem. It is. But a small one. An elbow-shaped jack would be far better, but the straight-plug isn't a killing blow. I have seen the wire crimp up against the wall of the straight-plug and it seems to fold. Something for me to watch for in the future. But in terms of pulling the plug out of my iPod, I don't see it as much of an issue.

Due to the design of these earphones, NOISE-ISOLATION is not as strong as others I've tried. I thought this would be a deal breaker. However, with the reduced level of noise-isolation, I'm actually enjoying it more. It's more like noise-reduction. For example, if I'm walking on a sparsely populated street and playing music at a moderate volume, I can hear only my music and maybe loud ambient sounds. Alternatively, if I'm on a crowded train, I am aware of conversations immediately around me but cannot make out the words unless I concentrate. When I use these earphones for plane travel, I think they'll work great; isolating the right amount of noise. To describe the noise reduction, I'd say to cover your ear canal with the pads of your thumbs. What can you still hear? That's what you'll hear when the Vibes are in.

Finally, keep in mind what you're buying. You're buying IN-EAR EARPHONES. These are designed to be inserted into your ear-canal. For those with very small ear-canals or who don't like things in their ears, I'd say not to purchase this style of earphone. Additionally, as noted earlier, these reduce noise! Not suitable for driving or any other activity which requires a high-level of alertness. Also, note that the bass is substantial for this style of earphone, but not necessarily for big headphones.

Some other NOTES that may be important to the buyer:
These have a y-split, not a j-split cable. Very important to some people, it seems.
I didn't believe it, but these do truly look great in your ears. It seems they targeted 'fashion' and they got it right.
The 'extras' (excepting the extra ear tips) are terrible. A champagne colored faux-leather bag (youthful, urbanized jet-setters can definitely tell the difference, V-Moda). A silicone boomerang meant to wrap your cord over. A registration card disguised as a "VIP" pass. V-Moda scored with the earphones themselves, but not with the peripherals. Regardless, I paid the money for the earphones and the extra ear tips were a great bonus!
The metal is indeed cold during cold weather. No big deal though. It warms up quickly.
The metal on the 'gun black' color is a slightly deep green tint. The image is a fairly accurate representation.
These must be inserted "straight" into your ear-canal. If they're off kilter they'll bother your ear. Extremely easy to remedy.
Also, I have read about (very few) headphones seeming tinny, even after burn-in. If this is the case, you may have a defective pair. But believe me, it's worth the hassle to get a working pair!

These are superb earphones. They serve all the necessities for this class and excel at some (bass response, sturdiness). And though they may slightly lack in some areas (supremely accurate mid/high representation, noise-isolation), the pros definitely outweigh the cons. If you want an in-ear earphone and are looking at this price range, I fully recommend buying the V-Moda Vibes. There'd better be a compelling argument not to!

Just got these earbuds and I must say they're pretty good. They have a pretty clear and crisp sound, and a decent sound stage. Excellent for those who like listening to easy listening, jazz, classical, music of that nature. The buds have some bass, but definately not enough to satisfy any normal "bass head". Those looking at these earbuds should consider the following things:

1) Although they say "Gunmetal Black", they are definately not black. They have a sort of green tinge to them. Not that I really care since most of earbud in my ear so you won't see it.

2) The mini connector on this thing, that you would plug into your device is a strange shape so trying to pull it out of a tight jack can be infuriating. The connector is made of metal and shaped like a cone. Any amount of mouisture or the oils on your finger will make removal a project (you could pull on the cord, but that is not recommended).

3)If you love your bass, these are not for you. Although there's enough there to to make it enjoyable for an easy listener like me, those who want their "face mashed in" by bass should look elsewhere. For you "bass heads", you may want to checkout the "Ultimate Ears Metro.fi 2". These earbuds have a pretty good amount of bass though not as clear as the Vibes. You can get them here on Amazon.com for about the same price, [...] (yes, I have listened to the Metros).

4) Although they do provide isolation, these earbuds do not do the best job doing so compared to others. Outside noise is not totally blocked out when there is no music playing. Once the music starts however, outside noise is very difficult to hear. They have a little hole drilled into the bud which probably helps give it an open sound, but also probably hinders the isolation (I say probably since I am not the one who designed these things, so I don't know what those holes are actually for). Not sure how they would perform in a noisy environment like an airport or on a plane.

All in all, I think this is a pretty good buy. I certainly enjoy them with the types of music that I listen to. I would definately recommend them to those who just want to sit back a relax.

I'll say things quick and simply. I have experience using sennheiser hd595, altec lansing im716, etymotic er4p... Fairly expensive headphones.
These headphones right here perform very well for the price you are paying for them. V-moda Vibe is designed for use with portable players, and specifically for club music - ie Hip-Hop, Electronica, Soul - and they prove to be the best headphone for that music in the sub-$300 range. (although combination of some full-size phones with expensive sources may do better, but when you got $300 - this is it, and u r paying only a third).
What is also notable is that they do very well with almost every single other type of music. If you have no previous experience with high end audio gear - this is it (no Bose is not high end, Bose is overpriced, these will sound tons better than the Triport. if u want price comparison - triport should cost about 30 bucks). In short - if you are looking to spend $100 on headphones, or even more - this should be the best choice for you. They sound amazing, they run equally great from comps and portables, and they are very comfortable to wear as they weigh close to almost nothing. Don't be scared by their apparent size in pictures, they are actually very small and hide inside your ears better than earbuds. They are rather loud so moderate listening levels are advised.
And if you do have previous experience with high end audiogear - ie Sennheiser or Beierdynamic headphones - read on since this will be more detailed explanation of the sound. If you don't - grab these and find out what music can really sound like.

For audiophiles now:
These headphones perform amazingly for bass-heavy music, rhythmic music, and anything/everything that uses electric instruments. They have great separation, and very fast response. They are also one of the best iems for percussion - outdone by some of the high-ends like UM2, ES1/2, maaaybe properly amped etymotics. These headphones also soundstage fairly well, with some instruments being put to the back while some kept up front. They have a hole in the chasis, producing a semi-open design, (which I'd say is revolutionary for iems), which is partly responsible for soundstage, and makes them easier to listen to, at the cost of a portion of the isolation.
Their weakest musical area is classical music - because of the slight hump in the mids piano starts to sound improper, and that applies to guitar, and some other chord instruments. Although only those specific ones - as it holds one amazingly to reproduce single-note instruments like strings, brass, woodwind ... especially woodwind and brass. If you listen to classical music only though - these are not the best, altec lansing im716 should be a better choice in this price range. For ANYTHING else - these win over in sub $200 price range for the phone, or sub $300 if u want to include the amp in the price. These do not benefit from amplification and hold completely on the quality of the DAC, although still performing very well even with portables.

Any other notes? These headphones are great for all types of music, but the more aggressive - the more they really shine. Their speed allows them to work well with quickly played complex sounds.

I bought a pair of these about a month ago via Amazon, and I haven't looked back since. After giving them time to "burn-in" and spending a lot of time playing with the various fittings (I found the middle-sized clear tips to fit the best for my ear) the sound I am getting out of these earbuds is terrific. Everything has already been said - dynamic and clear highs and mids, and decent bass (though not thumping).

The only negative things I can say about them (none of which is enough for me to dock the product from a 5 star rating): First off, the color of the headphones is a greenish-gold, not black, as other people have said. Second, the sound isolation isn't terrific - I have to turn the volume up a bit when I'm not in a quiet environment. Third, the cord near the plug is a bit delicate - I recommend wrapping that portion of the wire with a bit of electrical tape when you get these, because it can start to fray easily.

These earphones sound pretty good. Not quite the Shure E2c's I had previously, but not bad and were more comfortable. My main problem with them is the casing. I purchased mine on March 1st, by May 1st, the casing at the top of the jack hasbroken and you can see the wiring inside. Now I have to send them in for a replacement.

They sound good, but at the end of the day (or at the end of 2 months), they are a waste of money.

I was very skeptical about spending 100$ on earphones, but I couldn't stand the ipod phones any longer. I consider these to be the underdogs, the "Get your money's worth, and more" type of product.

They look amazing, fit really well, and are very, very durable. If you are going from ipod earphones, you WILL be amazed at how much a difference your music will be.

Once broken in, these perform much better. The bass is not overpowering, and the clarity is much better. The overall sound is very warm. People need to break these phones in, as the sound out of the box will not "Wow" you right away.

People who are saying these are overrated are just angry that they spent over 200$ or more on phones that aren't much better then the V-Moda's. This is definitely quality.

Cheesy pouch.

Background: This is my first set of IEMs. Therefore, take my review with a grain of salt.

I recently purchased a Samsung K3, and decided I wanted to upgrade the standard earbuds (not because of the quality of the Samsung, but because I wanted to see what the fuss was all about using upgraded headphones). I did alot of research, and discovered the Vibes have excellent sound. Even the negative reviews all stated the sound was excellent. The majority of these negative reviews were based on quality and craftsmanship. Upon further research, I discovered V-Moda has upgraded the Vibes to fix most of the quality issues. Further I discovered the CEO of V-Moda goes above and beyond to ensure his customers are satisfied. So I decided if they did break, there was no concerned about getting a new pair shipped to me immediately.

Now the review...The earbuds are very comfortable in the ear, and stay put. Besides sound quality, this was my main concern. I wanted a pair of earbuds that would stay in my ears while I workout. My left ear has a problem keeping standard earbuds in place. With the Vibes, they insert easily in the ear, and have a solid comfortable feel. Because they are so light, I don't notice they are in my ear, and I now never worry about them falling out.

When the Vibes arrived, I plugged them into the K3, and instantly became upset with my purchase. The bass was too heavy, and the vocals felt a mile away (very tinny). In my previous research, I read several people talking about a "burn in" time to get the earbuds to reach their sound signature. Apparently this is something that needs to be done with dynamic drivers (which the Vibes are). So I set the K3 on repeat and let it play overnight. The next day, I listened again with complete amazement. The Vibes had done a complete turn around and now sounded incredible. In fact, the more I listen to them the better the sound becomes. The bass in now melow and punchy (not overwhelming). The mids and trebles are now clear, crisp and dynamic in nature.

I had a hard time justifying the price ($80) for a pair of headphones. I couldn't imagine the buds making such a huge difference. To be honest, you will not reach audio euphoria with these, but the sound is exponentially better than standard earphones. The sound is warm and surrounds you. They have an excellent soundstage and provide a great all around sound. Very balanced (it almost reminds me of being at a concert). If anything, it is slighly bass heavy. To me, it is a fun and relaxing sound. I find myself thinking about when I can listen to my MP3 player. That's how cool these things sound.

They look awesome, sound excellent, stay put in my ears without any discomfort. To me, this was worth the price. Included are several sizes of silicon ear tips to match your ear size. NOTE: These earbuds are not designed to be shoved deep into your ear canal. Just enough to create a seal. To me, they only need to go in about half way. Once you have a seal, the bass comes to life. The Vibes are not sound isolating, you can carry on a conversation if you turn the volume off. Some find this a problematic, but to me it is an awesome feature. When playing music, it drowns out any immidiate noise; however, if the phone rings or someone needs your attention, you can mute the MP3 player and converse without pulling the earbuds out each time. Because they go into the ear, some isolation is expected (10 times more than normal earbuds), but not 100% isolation.

I definely recommed these earbuds to anyone looking to upgrade without spending $100+ As always, do your own reseach but I don't believe you'll be disappointed at all with these.

Like others that have reviewed these earphones, I loved them when I first got them and as long as they lasted. After normal use (walking and gym) the wires got a short. V-Moda was very prompt about resolving the problem but the second pair did the same thing. I see they've dropped the price to 60. but even that is too much for something that lasts for three months.

Ive had these ear buds for about 2 monthes now, and just today they decided to break on me. The sound quality of these are outstanding, the fit couldnt be better either. Unfortunatally they arnt put together all that well.

They have an "anti tangle wire", which is supposedly to make it so they dont tangle...but the wire is always twisted and forced in a spiral (might be due to the wire spindle it comes with). When it is "trained" to this certain direction (like it my case), the plasic wire, when bent or turned for use, after time will obviously tear both the outer coating and the thin wires beneath.

This is a DEFECT. The material they used for the plastic rips badly at the output jack with normal use. So this be a warning to you, if you plan on having any kind of movement with the output jack (which you will unless you just like to keep them in the box)...find a different set of earbuds, OR put electrical tape covering some of the jack and wire...I wish i did it...*tear*

Its not rocket science to know that if you bend wire enough it will break, but most coating prevents this. Not in this case with this coating material.

Pros: Sound, Accessories, Style
Cons: Wire material, WILL tear with normal use, cost(got them for $90, but now they are cheaper)

I huge into audio in every way but since I workout a lot more I was getting tired of my Sony ear clip headphones which just started to get in the way. I started looking for new headphones and man was I in for a surprise. I didn't realize headphone technology had advanced so much. I did all kinds of research on all the expensive brands and what not but paying $300 for a set of headphones which I would use to workout with felt like I would be more worried about the headphones than my workout so after about a month of reviewing I decided on these. Now I may not have heard the different kinds of headphones but has soon as I put these on I was amazed. It might be because of my old $30 headphones but these things are incredibly accurate and alive. They stay in the ear real well which my ear clip ones couldn't even do while running. I might be new to the earphone era but not to sound and for a $100 and a free 30-day return policy from V-moda why the hell not. I live in Japan and those 13hr flights to and from the states are always rough but at least I'll have a lot more fun now with these and with another trip coming up in a month I hope it can drown out some plane noise has well. They say once the "burn in" process is complete they will sound even better, man I can't wait. I listen to heavy metal during my workouts, southern rap when I run, also other bands like Primus, Buckethead, Deltron 3030, Alice in Chains, White Zombie, Pantera, Switchblade Symphony, Sade, Tool and they all sound great. The bass is accurate and can vary depending on how far they're in your ears but not to where it's annoying. The only thing I can't vouch for is Country music. Like I said with the 30-day return policy give them a shot.