V-MODA Forza Metallo Wireless

This IEM is kind of W-shaped EQ to me.

The bass is punchy and clear.
The mids are a bit recessed, just a bit, and still very clear.
The treble is very articulate and clear (very very good).

Yes this IEM is overall well tuned, very musical.

This IEM has great sound quality coming out from its 5.8mm small driver that really surprised me.

I would rate this and Cayin i5 the two items that I bought in 2017 and never regret about. They both sound awesome to my ears.

Apart of the sound, the ergonomics and functionality is excellent. I didn't have the reported issue that bluetooth is unstable with iPhones. They are extremely comfortable (either with or without the v-moda designed sport fins), bluetooth connects fast and smooth with iPhone and Android phones, build quality awesome, battery life is satisfying, weight is light, build is sturdy and does seem like it is water/dust resistant although I didn't test it.

Disclaimer: should you trust my ears?
I'm pretty young for my age but I've experienced more audio than most people. I'm no expert, I'm no critical audiophile, but as a consumer I know enough between good or bad. To see what products I own, feel free to go to my Signature page. I listen mostly with my iPhone 7 Plus on Apple Music.

I'm giving my time for this review because nobody has reviewed these yet and for the quality, they're really underrated as relatively very few websites have reviewed them.

Sound
Let's just jump right into sound. Clarity? Check. Dynamic? Check. Balanced? Check. For the price this is one of the best earphones you can buy. Even better, they're wireless. Yes, they are on par or even beat a lot of wired earphones with higher prices. These are the most balanced V-MODA product there is, even more balanced than a Crossfade II Wireless. The treble is bright and sparkly, yet never harsh nor hurting to the ears. The mids are somewhat warm, very clean, and crystal clear. The bass, wow. I don't mean wow as in big or dominating; it's just very tight and well-defined. The bass is a little above flat, but just where I love it. Never does it overdominate other frequency, nor does it take the fun out of the low frequency. If you're an absolute basshead, maybe look somewhere else; if you're a fan of completely flat sound, maybe find something else; but if you're somewhere in the middle like me, you'll be more than satisfied.

Soundstage and separation are fantastic. The FMW are so detailed I feel like minor instruments are very emphasized like never before even in moderate volume. With other earphones and headphones, I have to either focus or crank up the volume. Not with this one, it's perfect. The maximum volume (on an iPhone) isn't that loud honestly, but I only find myself using half volume as how detailed they are.


Fit
I'll be honest here, first time I had these I didn't like the behind-the-neck titanium traplock. My previous earphones were the Beoplay H5, and they didn't have anything like this stuff, just wire from one earphone to the other. It just was, kinda ugly in my opinion. After a few days or so did I start learning to appreciate them. They've never fallen from me while walking or running. One time I even played tennis with only using them in one ear and it didn't fall either (and I don't even use the activeflex sport fins). Conclusively, the fit is amazing. I'll never lose these earphones. Funny story: my Beoplay H5 fell out of my neck somewhere (because the magnets are really weak too) and I didn't even feel them coming off. Before losing them permanently, they were lost once previously and have fell off more than 5 times.

Anyway, someone had mentioned that when working out laying down, the traplock could fall out and you could find yourself readjusting them. I tried that myself and confirmed that this is indeed a problem, but really, you can't have the best out of both worlds. Some also thinks the wires are too long and make you look goofy but here's my justification: they are that way by design so the microphone can stay right there near your mouth and I also find it really helpful while eating. If you're like me hanging them around the neck all the time, it helps prevent the earphones from touching my food. The looks can be annoying at first in the mirror, but really, nobody around you pays that much attention to it.


Mic and Remote
I've only tested these a few times but so far nobody has complained about my voice. I do know that these have noise-cancelling dual mics so it should be pretty good. The remote, as a tradeoff for the optimal microphone placement, can take a little while for getting used to. However, once you're comfortable with it, it's pretty good. Summoning Siri on my iPhone feels like it takes more than 3 seconds, but I guess this is from the iPhone's end because if I look at the screen, holding the button for 3 seconds actually bring up Siri, but it's not taking any commands yet until another or two seconds later. It's a well-known problem with Siri when connected to Bluetooth devices. But once you get the Siri up and running, voice commands seem to be recognized very clearly. One thing I don't like though, is that the haptic vibration from the traplock can't be turned off. I wish there was a setting to turn it off, because it's pretty audible in silent places like libraries or classrooms. I don't know if other people would actually hear it, but I can hear it pretty clearly (considering it's behind my neck) and if I have to guess, to others maybe it sounds just as loud as if you were typing on a keyboard. Maybe I'm just not used to the sound yet because it sounds like a really fast vibration.


Conclusion
I haven't mentioned the battery life, but with more or less ten hours of battery life, I really got nothing to complain. Once again, about the sound, it is absolutely top notch and there is no need to doubt. I dare to say the FMW sounds as good as a Shure SE846 with an iPhone, if not better. They also sound clearer than my main headphones, Beoplay H7. This guy dalethorn, praised them to be better than Sennheiser IE800 and RHA T20i (https://www.computeraudiophile.com/...metallo-wirelessbluetooth-earphoneiem-review/). The only one of my speakers that gave me the same aural first impression as the FMW is my B&W 800 D3. If you trust CNET's David Carnoy, he gave the FMW a 9/10 for sound. I assure you not all earphones he reviews gets a 9/10. Even the critically acclaimed Focal Sphear only came at an 8/10. Some with his 9/10 rating include the 1More Triple Driver, B&W C5 Series 2, RHA T10i, and Beyerdynamic DX160 IE. Remember, none of them are wireless. If you crave them for just purely no other reason than the sound, really, you can't go wrong with these. Not to mention extras like their battery life, for, convenience, durability and weather-resistance.