Review of the V-moda Vibe Duo iPhone earphones
(Sorry for the verbose title, I’m learning to write ‘em for Google searchers) A while ago, I posted about the Moda vibe duo ‘phones:
I managed to raise some funds and bought a pair, so this is my review. A bit of background will help in understanding my perspective and wants here. I walk to a shuttle bus (30 min) which then carries me to work (another 30 minutes or so). I’m looking for headphone that will:
- Sound good
- Not fall out of my ears
- Block some, but not all, exterior noise so that I can safely cross streets. At the same time, I want them to reduce external noise enough that I can listen on a noisy bus without endangering my hearing.
- Support the microphone/switch function of the iPhone
The v-moda Vibe Duos are just the ticket. They ship with several sets of different-sized rubber shields, which you can exchange until you get a good fit. Sound is good, not excellent, and more colored than I usually prefer. (I’m a big fan of very flat response, e.g. Grado and Mackie). In this case, the Duos have very heavy bass response. However, if you simply choose the ‘Bass reduction’ EQ setting on your iPhone, they sound quite acceptable. I’ve been happy so far, on the bus/walk and also on a couple of turboprop and jet flights. I like:
- The cloth cable cover has much less microphonic noise than the rubber one on my Etymotics. Nice.
- My iPhone is no longer as obvious with these.
- Good, non-fatiguing sound. I watched an entire movie on a recent flight (MD80 “Long Beach Death Tube“, not the quietest plane out there.) and they worked well. You could hear the soft and loud sections well without excessive volume.
- OK carrying case for tossing into your bag or backpack.
Minor nits:
- The chromed plastic widget where the cable splits is annoyingly flashy. It’s not clear if I can remove it or not, certainly not easily.
- The switch on the microphone is too small, such that its hard to double-click for next track. I prefer the Apple design, where the entire piece is the switch.
- Not as flat of response as more expensive ‘phones.
Overall? Recommended. If you fly a lot, you can skip the microphone (useless en route) and just get the cheap adapter for your usual set of headphones. I think that I may do just that and use my ER4Ps the next time I have a long flight. The Duos represent a more versatile alternative for those times when you want the full iPhone functionality.
