Canon Puts Efficiency On Press
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"Rich sound, good bass, bright treble, comfortable" on by hschroed
Pros: Noticeable bass thump, but not overpowering; vibrant high notes; nice wire wrapper; comfortable in ears
Cons: Build of wire not as sturdy-looking as some
Summary: I got the highly-acclaimed Shure E3C's as an upgrade to my iPod Nano earbuds. A mistake: I found little difference in sound; in fact, the Apple earbuds seemed like they had better bass. So I continued the search for earbuds that were more comfortable with better sound. I think I've found them with the v-moda vibe. They come with different sleeves to optimize fit. I don't see much sound isolation like the Shure's, but it reduces ambient noise a little by blocking it. The major difference is the v-moda's have a deep, rich bass without giving a headache, while adding brightness to the treble, just enough to bring out the sounds of such things as tambourines, making them seem more lifelike. I haven't worn these for many hours at a time yet, but so far they seem comfortable. The wires are light enough they don't need to be draped over the ears or anything, but they're thinner than the Shures, which could make them more susceptible to wear. No problems so far. Would recommend them to those who want a full sound experience. I listen to everything from rock to blues to country and jazz, and they all sound great. It comes with a nice flexible wire wrapper to help prevent wire knots, which are easy to get with earbuds.
Note: if you buy these straight from v-moda, they give you a trial period where, if you don't like them, you can return them, free of charge. -
"Great headphones... for a couple of months" on by mumm0007
Pros: Comfortable, good sound quality for the price
Cons: Construction highly prone to breaking after moderate use
Summary: I was very pleased with these earbuds when I received them. Great sound for the price, easy fit, stylish appearance. But they are not a good purchase for an active user.
After less than two months of use the base of the chord started to pull apart causing a short in one ear. I assumed it was a defective pair and had V-moda exchange them.
After 6 weeks with the replacement pair the same thing occurred, and after the next replacement it happened again after 3 months. I presume this is due to the strain caused by regular use when running/exercising.
V-Moda should be commended for replacing each pair, but I have no reason to believe the next pair will fare any better - and the hassle associated with the exchange is certainly not worth it. Find a different brand if you like to use your headphones when exercising (as a point of reference, I never had any issues using standard iPod headphones). -
"tried all the Shures/Etymotics - Vibe Rocks Them" on by mcmatt21
Pros: BIG soundstage for an in-ear, solid bass, great clarity and fit
Cons: Cable is great for portable use, for home use may need extension
Summary: amazing product - I owned the Shure E4C and Westone UM2's at $300 as well as the less expensive Etymotic Er6i and E2cs at around $100-$140. I bought the vibes after hearing feedback at head-fi, and they do not dissapoint they are easier to put on, and are nearly weightless so I can wear them all the time. The soundstage is big compared to the other models i've tried, and the clarity and bass are pretty much the same too to boot. They may accentuate the bass and soundstage a bit more so its not as flat, but the soundstage really is different adds another dimension to the music lacking in the others - it seems to make a more live-like performance to the other models that are cold in comparison (the E4C does have some warmth compared to the Etymotic and E2c, but not the same soundstage as Vibe). I use a pair of full-size headphones that recreate soundstages, but this is the first in ear that could recreate that feeling.
A STEAL at the price compared to the others, and a no-brainer decision. -
"Outstanding!! Great Bass for the people!" on by matthew.holmes
Pros: Great bass definition with crystal mid's and hi's.
Cons: Nothing yet.
Summary: I have a discriminating ear for great definition in the music produced by headphones/ear buds, whathaveyou.
I still have NO problems with these earphones. I am not too sure what the other people are doing with them. The sound quality has not deminished either. I still recommend these.
I plugged these babies in to my Ipod 30G Photo with all tracks ripped from CD audio, put the large silicon inserts on to fit in my big fat ear holes(comes with S, M, L in white and black) and I started out with Crystal Method's Broken Glass. Wow! Followed by BT Godspeed -the bass drop 20 sec. into the track brought on a smile. The melody rift in this song with all of the small detail was produced with a little more bass up front than the other layers but none-the-less was a pleasure to listen to. Next Prodigy Mindfields- you can follow the deep bass rifts. Next up NickelBack Good Times Gone- You can distinguish all the background detail I could not hear before with Sony Fontopia MDR-EX81LP/B that I own. The acoustic guitar sounded rich and clear. Days Of The New, Shelf in The Room- nice clear acoustic with a little heavy on the lower end notes but not over powering.
On the Road- I busted out a 3 mile jog and I sweat like crazy. The buds stayed put. The stock Ipod buds could never last through a whole 3 miles. They would hurt then fall out and so would other buds that did not fit my big ear holes correctly. The "Y" junction in the cord is made of the same material as the buds and is a little weighted. While jogging I noticed the light pat of the "Y" on my chest but not to the point of being a pest. These do seal up my ear holes quite well. Do be careful though, I did not hear an emergency vehicle too well. The almost sweat-soaked buds I pulled from my ear's I noticed that the dome's where dry- nice! And still performing great.
I even sampled some classical: Antonio Vivaldi Concerto 4: L'Inverno/Winter (I'm a sucker for violin)- The strings sounded full and were a little low-end heavy but the mid's and hi's seemed well balanced. The rest of the accompaniment when brought in starting at 34 sec. and then graduates into a full string movement is still a little low-end heavy but not too bad. The solos are clear and discernable.
The last track for my review was Linkin Park's Nobody's Listening- The shaolin inspired pipe-flute was clear and noticed its placement in the track, was in the background as intended. The bass is sharp and balanced. The vocals are clear with the heavily distorted guitar short rift right in place. My other buds would make the heavily distorted guitar short rift sound like the phones them selves were overloaded due to the complex of vocals, bass hit and distortion at one time. These V-Moda Bass buds clearly define each layer as intended by the artist with a slight lean to the bass side of the house.
These will define the bass in any track, so a little tweekage with the EQ made it perfect!
I'm keeping these!
Matt
Jacksonville, Fl
Updated on Mar 8, 2009
Updated on Aug 2, 2009I am not sure what paces other users are putting these phones through but mine still sound great. After a year of wear and tear I have had no sound or structural problems to date.
Updated on Mar 29, 2011After almost 3 years, these buds have earned their keep. They came to a sad end last week when I accidently left them in some workout clothes and washed them. They still work except the left ear is faint and the right sounds like a blown speaker. I have gotten my money's worth out of these ear buds. They have had over 6,000 tracks of music through them and ran/biked with me on over 800 miles since I bought them. I would have never of had any other pair of ear buds hold up this long. The Vibe has been very reliable for me and had never experienced any issues with them during their almost three year life. I will be buying a new pair of V-Moda Vibe very soon. These are quality ear buds. I still highly recommend these to any audiophile! -
"Perfection, Great materials used .. No plastic :)" on by gravesg
Pros: it has a perfect balence of mid-range bass and treble. on alot of other headphones the bass alot of times washes out the treble and mid-range. however the guy at v-moda overcame this problem.
Cons: the only thing i can really say is its a little tricky to get in at first .. after that its smooth sailing
Summary: im astounded, at first they didn't sound great but good. after the break in period of about 10 hours It balenced out SOOO well i was amazed.. the boys, and girls at v-moda realy tested their product before it hit the market.
besides being the best pair of headphones i ever owned, these are by far the most stylish as well. ... i get compliments all the time.
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