V-Moda VM-501 Professional Headphones

Almost as soon as I purchased my iPhone, I knew I had a problem. Apple had included their standard earbuds with inline microphone and basic controls. Many people will find these more than sufficient for normal daily use. This is quite evident during any routine morning commute in NYC, where you can see throngs of cubicle dwellers walking around with white cords coming out of their ears. However I found the earbuds uncomfortably loose in my ears. I had to constantly adjust them in my ear, and keep turning the volume up & down because they would move around in my ear. I even gave myself an ear infection because I kept shoving them into my ear canal. So I started shopping for some relief.

Previously I had purchased the HeadBanger EarSubs for my PSP, and loved the size, fit and sound. So started by looking for replacement in-ear buds for the iPhone. Result, there were none available! Because the iPhone has a recessed headphone port, it does not accept standard headphone jacks. There was a headphone adapter available from Belkin, but it was inflexible and added another three inches to the iPhone. Not an elegant solution! Yesterday when I went to the Apple store on 5th Ave, I noticed the Vibe Duo earbuds. They seemed a little pricey but exactly what I needed. So I purchased them along with the Klipsch RoomGroove iPod speaker.

STYLISH & WELL DESIGNED:
The ear buds are very small but still sound astoundingly good. They are black with chrome accents and complement the iPhone, much more so than the included iconic white earbuds. The earpieces have a solid metal construction, yet feel very light and wearable in the ear. The cord is black and has a fabric cover which reduces cord tangle. It also is much easier to untangle than the standard Apple plastic cord. The Vibe Duo is just three inches longer than the Apple earbuds. It has an inline microphone which can be used when answering or making a call on the iPhone. A small carry pouch is also included in the box. This is great for keeping the headphones safe from dirt and drop damage, when not in use. I could even use them with my iPhone in my Speck ToughSkin holster.

EXCELLENT SOUND QUALITY:
The Vibe Duo headphones have V-MASQUE dynamic speaker drivers with 9mm neodymium rare-earth magnets. I don t know what the heck that means, but the sound quality cannot be denied. The specs claim a frequency response of 12 Hz to 22 kHz. I was watching War of the Worlds and I could hear even the faintest sounds when the aliens were creeping around inside the house. Not to mention the loud crisp sound of the alien ray gun blasts turning people into white dust. The depth of the sound-scape is bordering on professional quality, and must be experienced first hand. When listening to Midnight Lady by Cerrone & Outta Control by 50 cent, the bass was deep and the vocals were rich with an excellent range. However when listening to It s a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll by AC/DC, the bagpipes sounded a bit tinny and flat. But it also may be due to my Apple earbud induced ear infection ;-) Sound quality on telephone calls was also very good. When I called my wife, she sounded like she was inside my head (maybe that s not so good). She did however detect a faint echo when I was speaking.

BLISS:
The BLISS system is V-MODA s version of passive noise reduction. The headphones come with 6 pairs of soft silicon rubber inserts in three sizes (Large, Medium & Small). Three are in clear and three in black. The inserts fit snuggly in the ear canal and create an air seal. This minimizes ambient sound from entering the ear. I much rather prefer this type of noise reduction over active systems (ie Bose QC) because it does not need any batteries or draw additional power from the iPhone in order to operate. The inserts also make for a very comfortable and secure fit when worn while exercising.

NO INLINE CONTROLS:
The Apple OEM headphones have an inline mic which also has a built-in button for answering the telephone, pausing the music, and skipping to the next song without removing the iPhone from my pocket. The Vibe Duo does have the inline mic but no inline controls. This means that I have to use the iPhone if I want to skip to the next song, or pause the music or answer the phone. Not a big deal as the iPhone is mostly in my hand or on my belt. Besides this is one less thing to go wrong. Last week, the inline control button on my Apple headset got jammed and it muted the sound completely. There was nothing I could do to un-mute it. I had to snap at the button with my fingernail repeatedly to un-jam it. This was another event that prompted me to get better replacement headphones.

THE BOTTOMLINE:
The Vibe Duo headphones for iPhone & iPod, provide excellent user comfort and superb sound quality, packaged in a very attractive and elegant yet functional design. Once you hear the sound quality, you will not miss the inline control functionality.