V-Moda Vibe Earbuds Headset iPhone Compatible (Black)

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.

Last week I went to the Digital Life Holiday Shopper show and I was lucky enough to pick up a pair of V-Moda VIBE Duo earbuds for my new iPhone (bought and hacked it last week). Needless to say I was dissapointed in the stock Apple earbuds, but I did like the inline microphone/remote control. My day to day headphones are a set of Grado SR80. So the stock Apple buds were not going to cut it autistically or ergonomically. The Vibe Duo's fit very well in the ear and come with 5 other size ear cushions (white and black. small, medium and large). The do a very good job at sealing out most of the outside world. I used them for my 45 minute train ride and didn't feel any discomfort at the end of the ride. For comparison the Apple earbuds were hurting after 20 minutes of wear. Since the Vibe Duo are made for the iPhone they fit perfectly into the iPhone's recessed headphone jack. The controls on the Vibe Duo also worked perfectly. But, how did they sound? The first thing i though when i put them on was that I had the iPhones EQ on base boost, but I didn't. So I tried a few more songs and I do notice these things put out a LOT of base. I find my Grado's give me a much more accurate sound. But in all fairness my Grado's are not exactly train friendly with their size and lack of sound isolation. If most of your music library is base heavy then you should like the sound of the Vibe Duo.

Overall the headphones are comfortable and function great as a hands free for easy calling via your iPhone. I found the audio quality not what i was used to, but that doesn't mean you won't like them. Like most headphone the best thing to do is to try before you buy and see if you like them. I give them 3.5 of out 5.

I have tried two sets of these and both were the same. The bass is very muddy and the vocals are very inaccurate. The highs suffer due to the extreme bass. Perhaps a dual driver design would have worked much better when producing this much bass. BTW, I love heavy bass - it just has to be clean. The Ultimate Ears Super.fi 4vi are also designed for the iPhone and have a much cleaner sound, but less bass.

These headphones are far better than the standard ones provided by Apple. While not being an audiophile by any means, the sound quality does sound crisper and richer than the standard headphones. Additionally, they are far better at isolating noise than the standard headphones, although it does take time to achieve proper isolation through the included fittings.

Unfortunately, I must agree with the general consensus as to to the quality of these headphones. Unfortunately after three months of regular usage, one of the earbuds stopped working completely necessitating a warranty replacement. Personally, I would rather have a higher quality product without having to deal with warranty replacement.

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.