Figure 1: The Vibe ear plugs.

The drivers consist of V-MASQUE dynamic technology, 9mm neodymium rare-earth magnets with a very fine grain mesh covering the speaker holes. The included silicone ear fittings attach to the end of the ear buds by locking into a ring notched into the barrel (Figure 2). This keeps the ends from sliding off without a fair amount of effort, and they never did come loose unless I wanted them to.

Figure 2: Close up of the speaker grill.

THE ACCESSORIZED YOU

Included in the package (Figure 3) is a Modawrap (a cable manager), six white silicone ear fittings (small, medium, and large), and two black fittings (small). I found the Modawrap to be somewhat useful, but stored the headphones in a zippered pouch the majority of the time.

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Figure 3: Multiple silicone fittings and a modawrap are included.

Also found in the box was a strange gold bag (Figure 4). I assume that it was included to store the headphones in, but I have to tell you that it seemed very cheaply made, and I wouldn’t be likely to be seen with it. Thank goodness its quality doesn’t reflect on the rest of the hardware.

Figure 4: The gold V-MODA bag.

Last, but not least, a VIP password card is included (Figure 5). This is supposed to allow access to special offers, previews, podcasts and charts, but as of the time of this review, it only looks like a mailing list (and one from which I have yet to receive any mail from).

Figure 5: Each headset includes access to the V-MODA VIP area.

STICK IT IN YOUR EAR

So often, in my experience, wearing earbud style headphones can be such a mixed bag of comfort. I have extremely sensitive skin, and my ears are no exception. But with the Vibe Modaphones, I never did have any issues with irritation. I used the smallest of the white ear fittings which allowed the headphones to stay firmly in my ear without any undue pressure or installation problems (Figure 6 & 7). The 13.5 inches of cable from y-connector to ear bud was more than enough length, and I could easily keep my Creative Vision:M in my front pocket with plenty of cable to spare. Even at the gym, I never had the headphones come disconnected from my head.

Figure 6: Headphones on and in my ears.

Figure 7: Side shot of the earbuds in place.

Those with very small ear canals, such as my wife (Figure 8), may find that even the smallest size ear fitting may be almost too large. While I was able to not only fit the silicone into my ear canal and even slide the bud into my ‘ear socket’ (after which I could lay my head on a pillow and not feel any discomfort from the headphones), my wife was only able to get the end to fit, and the end protruded out noticeably. Because the Vibe Modaphones are metal, if you let them get cold, you are going to be in for a shock when you pop them into your ears, and with this recent rash of cold weather, I have found that one needs to warm them up a tad before installing.

Figure 8: A closer look how the earphones fit.

On to the most important aspect, the sound quality. V-MODA is careful to point out that A) these will sound better over time (they do), and B) these are tuned not to be studio monitors, but are sculpted to a very specific curve. You can read more about their sound philosophy here. I found the results of this modeling to be far superior to any OEM headphone and even better than the Shure earbuds I own. Compared against my Sony MDR-7506 or JBL Professional studio monitors, they showed their flaws, mainly in the bass, which sounded a little muddled. Especially when you stretched down into the sub-bass range, Björk’s "Hyper-Ballad" being a prime example, the sound was there, but you couldn’t hear each peak and trough of the waveform warbling in your skull. Otherwise, the sound was warm and pleasant. Using BLISS (bass level isolating soft silicone), the fittings do a good job of isolating the sound without making it feel like your head is in a box, giving a nice open air feel.

PURCHASING

You can purchase V-MODA’s Vibe Modaphones here for $101 USD or from Amazon.com for as little as $85 USD.

PROS

• Great sound reproduction
• Very stylish
• Fit is tight yet comfortable

CONS

• Metal finish can be cold
• No flexibility on jack end
• Jack end difficult to remove
• Bass can be a little muddled

OVERALL
IMPRESSION

Since these headphones have been specifically designed for a certain sound model, and that sound model is pleasing enough to my ears, we can’t really knock them too many points for not producing as true of tones as you would hear from a set of studio monitors. These are the best sounding, and certainly most comfortable sub-$100 earbuds I’ve used, even with the minor issues. In a world of sub-average white-cabled earplugs, do your ears a favor and give them a nice upgrade. Taking all things into account, we give V-MODA’s Vibe Modaphones the following score: