Customer Reviews
good sound, poor build 
2008-07-11
I got a set of these as a Christmas gift and the sound quality blew me away. The silicon earbuds do a great job of getting rid of noise, even in NYC traffic. Bass is very loud and clear for standard music, maybe not for the real thumpy stuff, but great for me.
But...I generally listen to a full size mp3 player which is in my backpack. I must have left a bit of wire hanging out and the zipper cut into the wire. No problem, sez I, I'll just open it up and reattach the wires. Well, they're basically 3 loose wires with no insulation that I can see, perhaps some lacquer, but that gets cut into when you try to strip them. So at $80, one cable cut and they're useless.
Meanwhile, I've been using $15 sony earbuds for years, never a problem with the wire cutting so easily.
Great Earbuds 
2008-07-08
I would highly reccommend these headphones. They are extremely comfortable
look great and the sound is clear.
Without doubt, best BOOM for your ear-bud headphone buying buck! 2008-07-06
I've had these bad boys for quite a while, so I can say without reservation, these are the best headphones available in this price range, and perhaps at ANY price point. I've tried some low-end Shures, but not only were they harder to use (the cord goes up and AROUND your ear?), but they didn't have anywhere NEAR the bass response of the V-MODAs. And for my cash, that's where it's at, the bass. Perhaps the higher-end, near $300 stuff is more exacting in sound reproduction, but I have pretty good ears and the V-MODAs are just excellent, and as I said, these 'phones have no peer in the area of bass response. With the right tunes, the bass will feel like it's practically BOOMING out of your head! But it DOES NOT come at the price of thin mid-range or highs. Really, if your source material is of even average quality, these 'phones will deliver by every measure.
My only wish-fors would be the same for any similar product. Sound isolation could be better, as I travel on increasingly noisy buses, but that might only come at the cost of more invasive buds, and after the Shures, I'll have none of that. The ones I tried didn't have the famous triple-flanged sleeves, but even once you got the hang of inserting them AND got used to the feel of them sliding ever deeper into your ear, fit remained a problem. I could never get them to snug in the same way twice, and the only way to really keep outside noise outside is to have a tight AND consistent fit. The V-MODAs don't go in near as far, but they fit very snugly and do so every time. With the excellent bass response, cranking up some movin' tunes tends to knock out the outside world well enough!
I'd also like them to be more durable, but I don't know if ANY ear-bud 'phones will be sturdy enough for me. I'm REAL hard on these things (apparently; I don't know anyone else who uses this style of 'phones, so I can only go by my experience), so nothing I've used in the past 5 years or so have lasted more than six months. I'm being REAL careful with my current set, using the included case and cord wrap to keep them safe and untangled, and so far, so good.
[And as an aside, I wish someone who makes good mid- to high-end earbud headphones like these would just copy the wind-up style hard plastic case that Sony uses for their low-end 'phones. Maybe it doesn't match up to some preconceived notion of quality to use such a case, but it made life SO much easier!]
Though I wouldn't go back to using the 'buds from Sony, I did like their "neck-chain" style, where the cord going to the right bud was longer than the one to the left, so that when temporarily not in use, you could hang the 'phones around the back of your neck. Not a deal-breaker, just a nice handy thing that I'd like to have with the V-MODAs. Also, it's REAL hard to distinguish the left and right buds from one another. The "L" and "R" are printed on them, but right next to the earphone sleeve, thus obscured by the outer portion of the sleeve. My easy solution: they come with pairs of both semi-translucent white and black sleeves, of three sizes each, so I put a white sleeve on the left 'bud and a black one on the right. So simple and ingenious, I keep wondering what took me so long to figure it out!
Even with the above minor caveats, I can't see using any other 'phones so long as V-MODA stays in business. They have no peer in sound quality, they're feather-light, and as an added bonus, they look great! I favor the "gun-metal black" color, and even that has a near-jewelry look to it, so if you're something of an aesthete, there's another bonus! Give 'em a shot. I highly doubt you'll be sorry!
simply the the best 2008-07-02
I purchased these earphones for my trip to Vegas & I wanted to cancel out the loud engine noise on the plane. Those white earphones you get were not cutting it. There are amazing product I used them on the plane they were perfect they cut out the engine noise & produced a solid bass sound. I actually had to lower the volume on the ipod!! I love them!!
Perfect fit and a good treble to boot! 
2008-06-17
The original iPhone earbuds were bothersome for me - not sufficiently sound-isolating to be used as the *only* buds while traveling in the air, and not comfortable enough otherwise. Also, they did not remain in place, and were not meant for use while walking etc.
I purchased these from a local store (which shall remain unidentified) since they had a ten-off coupon for it. First impressions were good - the in-ear buds fit well, sound quality is good and what's more, I did a back-to-back comparison with the original buds - the Vibe produces a better treble any day! Coupled with the sound-isolation provided by the snug fit, these are worth serious consideration. In comparison, the Bose ones at 99 reportedly are not well suited and have heavier bass.
Overall, I am happy. The one gripe? The carrying case is actually not leather - it is pleather,synthetic leather or bi-cast leather (yep, man-made). So, is it a case of false advertising? Quibble .. not a gripe!:-)
ftoo ragile 
2008-07-22
The voice from right-hand earbud becomes much lower than the other 1 month after I got it.
Quality and Customer Service Issues 2008-07-21
I purchased these in January of 2008 (I'm writing this review on 7/21/08). The headphones for the most part worked, noticed I said worked, fine, but since I use them a lot and they are in and out of my cargo shorts pockets they need to address a very important durability issues. The wire just above where you plug them into your iphone must have broke as only one ear piece works unless you jiggle it and then don't move. I was going to call them, but they don't have a phone number on their website or at least I couldn't find it (that should have been my first clue), so I had to email them only to get a automated reply that they'll contact me. Overall they are very good, but quality and customer service are my most important criteria when choosing products, so I think V-Moda has some work to do here.
If you use your iphone headphones a lot I suggest you save up or spend another $70.00 + and get the Etymotic's HF2's. They have some of the best reviews (they have a phone number) and as an example of impeccible service I had a pair of ER-6i's (white) that had issues and when I called Customer Service they said they changed their end to right angle as they had problems and if I'd mind black instead (which I wanted anyway). Boom less than two days later I had them. IMPORTANT NOTE: These headphones where past the 1 year warranty NOW THAT'S SERVICE!!!
The long and short of it is if you're looking for high quality headphones or iphone headphone/mic combos look no further than Etymotics. You won't be disappointed.
Etymotic Research HF2 Hands-Free Earphones / Headset (iPhone Compatible)
Some easy solutions to reviewer complaints 2008-07-21
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.
Sounds Good, Poor Quality 
2008-07-14
I initially bought these headphones soon after their initial release, before all the fancy colors after first having the cheaper V-Moda Bass Freqs. I broke the Bass Freqs about 9 months after i bought them, but it was my own fault as i accedentally pulled on the wire on a rowing machine while wearing them...stupid me. I really enjoyed the quality of sound of them, and most people said these were superior sound to them...not just bass but midrange and treble...and they were built from metal so they were more durable...i would believe. (When i pulled on the wire the plastic head casing broke in half and ripped some small wires out, not easy DYI repairing :( ). So i bought these through amazon and was impressed with the sound they produced. The bass was not as present as the aptly named bass freq, but the midrange and treble was not even comparable. I was pleased with my 30 dollar extra spent. (Both sets block out the sound more than you can imagine. My colleagues got mad at me not hearing them.) However, after about 6 months of use, the left headphone stopped working! Well it is EXTREMELY faint. I cannot stand listening to music with only one side so i began looking for new headphones immediately. Because i was pleased with the quality of the sound i decided to include these in my search for new headphones. Thinking it was going to be an easy v-moda vibe buy again i came to amazon, shocked to see the number of reviews 3stars and under. after reading the reviews i noticed many other people have had this same problem and i decided it wasnt a coincidence that a lot of people were losing sound in the left ear, so i shied away from them and decided to look else where. Unfortunately i could no longer go down to the $50 bass freqs because i both enjoyed the improved sound and they were made by a company with a huge design flaw in a higher grade product. I've decided to buy the Westone UM1's because of their great reviews everywhere.
Great sound, but.... 2008-07-14
As the other reviews state, these earbuds sound great, however, I've found that they are not very durable. Within two weeks of enjoying them, I began to notice the cable near the 3.5 mm jack beginning to fray. Two weeks after that, sound in the right earbud was gone, never to return. I've just purchased the Shure EC2-n earbuds, hoping they last longer.
