The Vibe Duo
But then after some questionable practices of GE Moneybank with my PayPal Plus credit card I decided I really didn't want to lose anymore money to them and wanted to dump the card. That left me with a bunch of PayPal reward points that needed to be cashed in pronto. (I guess I should note that I am a big fan PayPal and that my only gripe with them ever is their judgment of who to work their credit card through.) Most of the things I currently needed I couldn't find quickly at places that took PayPal. V-Moda did, so I thought I'd give the phones a try for free.
I didn't like them at first (maybe that was just prejudism of the hype) but they grew on me. The buds are so small, they're hard to get in and out of your ears. This was a pain at first, but it also makes them among the few buds I've ever tried that actually stay in my ears. Another problem is that the buds have no friction-absorbing tube on the earpiece that covers the cloth cord. This makes them harder to insert and remove, plus it causes a lot of conductive noise when the cords rub against clothes. The have to be worn especially lose to avoid this. Another complaint is that the tubular switch design makes finding the answer switch harder than the buds that come with the iPhone. Enough complaining. That's really all small stuff compared to what really matters.
The sound? Admittedly it's decent. If I had to be extremely picky over a pair of hundred dollar buds, I would say that the extreme high end is crisp, but a touch distorted. The bass is solid and the range seems un-colored which is normally a problem in lower-priced earbuds. They don't claim to be noise canceling, but rather "noise isolating". Whatever, they do a decent job of removing outside noise. I can no longer hear people begging me for change on the street.
These are the first buds I have ever had that have an all-metal construction. I think this keeps them from absorbing vibrations like plastic buds and helps them transfer the bossy bass response. While I am convinced the cord will eventually short, it looks like the buds will last a long time and even stand up to a good stepping-on.
The fit is the best I've had in a pair of buds. I really can't tell they're in, despite the fact that they weigh more. They really can be worn for hours. They come with 6 sets of earpads: 3 in 2 different colors. You also get a cheap, but useful case. For the fashion conscious the Duo comes in three colors, including Nero which matches the iPhone colors perfectly.
Bottom line: If you need buds with a mic there are currently two options, the Duo and the buds that come with your iPhone. The pricetag is expensive, but don't let the fashion talk scare you away if you want something better than the static quo. I'd give them a 4 out to 5 for sound (quality skewed partly by the expectation for the cost.) I'd give them 5 for fit. Apple Store customers give them a 3 overall
UPDATE: Ultimate Ears Super.fi 4vi
V-Moda Vibe Duo Headset
