V-moda produces beautiful Earbud replacements for iPods and other portable music players. These two designs are probably for two different kinds of listeners. If you are a candidate for either – they may be the perfect stocking or Menorah stuffers for this holiday season. Read on for my thoughts. ABOUT V-MODA
V-MODA is the music lifestyle brand based in Hollywood, California. It designs and markets innovative products that fuse high-fashion and high-function, while paying homage to a rock-and-roll and house music lifestyle. The Modaphone Hearwear Collection is part of the V-MODA collection of music-inspired products, apparel, and DJ compilations unveiled in 2006.
Founder Val Kolton, together with designer Joseph Bucknall, leads the innovation and creative nucleus responsible for transforming their music lifestyle vision into an inspired reality. More information about V-MODA and its progressive products can be found at www.V-MODA.com
One of the nice features about these two lines of V-MODA earphones is the color choices. While color options do exist among other developers, V-MODA has eight options for color in the Bass Freq line and three in the Remix line. Each also has brightly colored cables – a nice fashion touch. Most users should be able to match their MP3 color.
Replacement earphones can be about fashion – but first and foremost – they are about sound. So, let’s put these two models through the rigors of my testing and see how they do.
First up: V-MODA Remix.
Design:
The Remix is more of a ‘stock’ iPod earbud design. The only thing it has in common with the stock buds, however, is the shape. These Earbuds sit in the ear but don’t go inside the ear canal. So, if you had things pushed inside your ears – these might work for you.
The Remix feel like they weigh three times as much as the stock Apple buds – they feel incredibly solid and durable. The cables are colored like the buds and are a very nice plastic coated braided looking cable. They look and feel very sturdy.
Comfort:
This is always a very subjective thing. I have never been able to get the stock Apple buds to stay comfortably in my oddly shaped ears. They just fall out too often. I had a little better luck with the Remix design – but not much.
As always, I had my kids and other visitors try them on for comfort and sound quality (which we will get to in a minute) and those who liked the
‘ear bud’ fit absolutely loved the Remix design for comfort. They were found to be more comfortable for extended listening than the hard plastic design of the Apple buds.
Sound Quality:
This is always the make or break issue for Earphones. I am happy to report that the Remix sound amazing for a $50.00 set of Ear buds. They sounded as good as many earphones I have tested that were double the price.
Bass was present, but certainly not overpowering. I wouldn’t even say that the bass was strong – but it was certainly there. Where the Remix really shined was with vocals and instruments. Highs were pronounced, but not ‘tinny.’ Mid frequencies – instrumentals and vocals were wonderfully clear and crisp. My music consistently sounded good through the Remix Earphones.
Overall Conclusions:
The V-MODA Remix offer great sound for a great price. Comfort is a subjective thing – but if you like the feel of ear buds (like the Apple buds) then you will most likely love the V-MODA Remix. The color options and sturdy build quality are just more selling points.
Final Grade: B+
Pros: Great sound, great value, nice build quality and colors.
Cons: Uncomfortable for some
Next up: V-MODA Bass Freq
Design:
The Bass Freq headphones are more of an in-ear design. You don’t have to ‘cram’ them deep into your ear canals like some and you don’t have to wind the wires behind your ears like others. They are a simple in-ear design that gently goes into the ear canal.
The benefits of in-ear designs have been noted many times before; improved sound isolation, greater efficiency and more direct-delivered sound to your ears. The Bass Freq have a very small footprint – so they do not really stick out far like other in-ear designs.
The Bass Freq come in eight different colors which makes it very easy to match the color of your non-white or black MP3 player.
Comfort:
I found the Bass Freq design to be more comfortable than the Remix – but, again – this is very subjective. I like the sound isolation but I really like the fact that these Earphones stayed in and didn’t fall out.
Extended listening was quite comfortable with the Bass Freq design. They don’t sit so far down the ear canal that you get that strange feeling
that can only be described as ‘disorientating’ with other deep in ear designs.
Sound Quality:
These little babies produce the kind of bass that makes one say ‘how the heck did they do that?’ The over all sound quality was great – amazing for a $50.00 set of Earphones. Bass was deep – not just boomy – but clean and deep. Every note of the bass drum can be heard and felt with these earphones.
Vocals were not as pronounced as with the Remix – but they sounded very good. I also found that the highs were not totally overpowered by the bass as can frequently happen with other ‘bass heavy’ earphones. They simply add the deep bass that most factory earphones can’t put into their earphones.
Over all Conclusions:
For my tastes, I preferred the Bass Freq over the Remix. That being said, many who listened to the two side by side felt the Remix was more balanced and they liked the cleaner vocals and instrumentals. I found the Bass Freq to be very comfortable for long listening sessions. The Bass was tremendous and the over all character of the music was natural but very full – especially in the lower end.
Final Grade: A–
Pros: Comfortable design, lots of color options, amazing bass, a bargain at $50.00
Cons: Highs not as pronounced as the Remix
Final thoughts:
You cannot go wrong with either of these Earphones. For $50.00 you could get yourself one of each and be very happy. They deliver different types of sound and they emphasize different ends of the audio spectrum. If you like the feel of ear buds – like the stock Apple buds – go with the Remix. If you don’t mind earphones that sit inside your ear canal and you like deep bass – go with the Bass Freq.
Both can be found at: www.vmoda.com and on most On line audio sites for $49.99
Written by Gary