The Package

The V-MODA Vibes ship in a cardboard box with a plastic case around the headphones to protect them. One of the most striking features of the Vibes is the fact that they have an all aluminum shell which makes them look very different compared to most normal plastic IEMs. The Vibes I got for review had the Flashback Chrome color scheme which I have to say looks pretty damn good.


Inside the cardboard box the earphones are placed in a plastic box with all of the usual warnings on the front of the package.


Besides three different sized tips in both black and white/clear the V-MODA Vibes come with a cable manager that lets you alter the length of the cable by wrapping it around a rubber "V". This works quite well and makes it easy to trim away excess cable.

Closer Examination

From the side the Vibes look quite funky with the long tunnel and a bulky main body. The contrast between the chromed housing and the diamond plate like black "belt" makes Vibes look outrageous. I haven't seen any IEMs looking quite as attractive as the Vibes. The Vibes are small even compared to normal IEMs. This means that very little of the earphone is visible once you have inserted them properly into your ear.


When it comes to looks the Vibes are far ahead of the competition. They simply look amazing. The flashback chrome color scheme looks really cool. The fact that their enclosure is made out of aluminum both makes them hard to break and gives them a real exclusive feel compared to normal plastic in-ears. Even though they are really durable they are still so light that you can barely sense their weight when you got them in your hands.

The fact that V-MODA focuses on producing good looking in-ear-monitors is a first. Most in-ears are all about sound and noise attenuation, but the Vibes are different in that sense. At first glance they look really good just sitting there on your desk, but once you place them in your ears almost the entire body of the earphones is more or less covered by your ears.


The cabling on the Vibes is done the proper way with an even length y-split. The split is held together with a small metal casing. The cable itself is of a pretty smart design. The cable is first covered with a woven sock and then it's covered with some form of rubber or silicone coating which makes it quite durable and light weight. The downside to this is that the cable is rather stiff which I presume is because of the sock. Even though the cable is quite stiff the soft coating makes it cope with microphonics a bit better than I expected. For some reason the cable system on the Vibes was more affected by microphonics than the cable on the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3 Studio's. Of course the cable on the Super.fi's is quite a lot thicker and has an even softer coat, but what I think made the difference is the way you insert them. The Ultimate Ears have an arch that goes over your ears and helps to even out the tension on the cord. The Vibes doesn't have that system and therefore the cable is always stretched out all the way up to the ear.


Another interesting feature of the cable is the fact that V-MODA has gone with a very odd mini-jack design. The jack is quite long, without a 90 degree bend, and is made of metal. This looks good, but takes up a lot of space in your pocket. It's clear that V-MODA has opted for looks over function which has hurt the general ease of use a bit.


In comparison to the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 3 Studios the V-MODAs are very small. The V-MODAs are both shorter and have a slimmer body and are generally a much more attractive looking IEM than the rather clumsy Ultimate Ears. The Vibes are mounted in your ear just by inserting them from an angle whereas with the Ultimate Ears you have to wiggle them around a bit to get a good seal. The fact that the V-MODAs are easier to mount makes them a bit easier to use on the move because you don't have to spend a lot of time fiddling around trying to get a good seal.


The traditional layout of the earphones coupled with the aluminum body makes them very hard to break. Even the cord assembly is made to withstand a decent amount of abuse. This is done via a small rubber fitting that helps to protect the cable from daily wear and tear.