Punky
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2007
- Posts
- 110
- Likes
- 10
Hey guys,
So I finally broke my V-Moda Vibes the other day at the gym. It was my own stupid fault - I was jogging and I violently slammed the wire with my hand, which messed up the right side earbud. It was pretty stupid of me, and I should've had my iPod on my belt. So don't take that as a critique of the Vibes durability. I've knocked the crap out of them before, and they've come back strong. But even the best IEMs can only take so much. That was their limit.
That being said, I was never a huge fan of the Vibes. The bass was fat and overwhelming and the isolation wasn't that good. When I got them several years back, they retailed for ~$100. When I went to J&R this weekend, they were going for $40. I think that's a very accurate price for them, given what the market offers these days.
I was initially in the market for some Etymotic MC5s, but the (rather attractive Asian (Hmong I think)) clerk told me that the bass is lacking in the MC5s. Given that I've used the ER6is before, and didn't really like it (though it was shockingly clear), I asked her for a recommendation. She told me to go with the Klipsch S4s for the bass. I'm a sucker for cute girls, and that, along with the 2 week return policy, sold me on them.
I have to say I'm fairly impressed with them. For the money, (~$80) it's got very solid, controlled bass, along with reasonable mids. It's really nice to hear the individual notes on the bass guitar on rock songs. The top of the high range is a bit rolled off, at least compared to the ER6is, but these are a LOT better than my Vibes. I haven't burned them in yet, so I'm curious to see if the highs get a little clearer in the process. That would make these things damn near perfect, especially when you consider the sub-$100 price.
They sit very comfortably in my ears. I'm using the mid-sized gel glider tips that were included. I'm considering ordering some foam tips, and seeing how that might alter the sound. Anyone have any ideas on that, by the way?
The isolation is good, though I haven't really tried them on the subway yet (the NYC subway and NY/NJ PATH Train are the loudest, shittiest places to listen to music EVER, and they're also the way I test isolation on any set of headphones.) but I look forward to that on my commute home.
I may someday pick up some MC5s, as I'm realizing I'm a lot less of a basshead than I used to be. There's part of me that's tempted to swap these for MC5s in the store, see which I like more, and get that one. But that seems like an abuse of the store's return policy.
For anyone who's curious, I've used Shure E210s (hated them), V-Moda Vibes (found them mediocre), Etyomtic ER6is (a little too flat and bassless, though amazingly clear highs), and Sony MDR-7506s (which I use for casual listening,. DJing, and music production - these are still my favorites.)
Anyway, even if I don't swap these out for MC5s, I'll be pretty happy nonetheless.
So I finally broke my V-Moda Vibes the other day at the gym. It was my own stupid fault - I was jogging and I violently slammed the wire with my hand, which messed up the right side earbud. It was pretty stupid of me, and I should've had my iPod on my belt. So don't take that as a critique of the Vibes durability. I've knocked the crap out of them before, and they've come back strong. But even the best IEMs can only take so much. That was their limit.
That being said, I was never a huge fan of the Vibes. The bass was fat and overwhelming and the isolation wasn't that good. When I got them several years back, they retailed for ~$100. When I went to J&R this weekend, they were going for $40. I think that's a very accurate price for them, given what the market offers these days.
I was initially in the market for some Etymotic MC5s, but the (rather attractive Asian (Hmong I think)) clerk told me that the bass is lacking in the MC5s. Given that I've used the ER6is before, and didn't really like it (though it was shockingly clear), I asked her for a recommendation. She told me to go with the Klipsch S4s for the bass. I'm a sucker for cute girls, and that, along with the 2 week return policy, sold me on them.
I have to say I'm fairly impressed with them. For the money, (~$80) it's got very solid, controlled bass, along with reasonable mids. It's really nice to hear the individual notes on the bass guitar on rock songs. The top of the high range is a bit rolled off, at least compared to the ER6is, but these are a LOT better than my Vibes. I haven't burned them in yet, so I'm curious to see if the highs get a little clearer in the process. That would make these things damn near perfect, especially when you consider the sub-$100 price.
They sit very comfortably in my ears. I'm using the mid-sized gel glider tips that were included. I'm considering ordering some foam tips, and seeing how that might alter the sound. Anyone have any ideas on that, by the way?
The isolation is good, though I haven't really tried them on the subway yet (the NYC subway and NY/NJ PATH Train are the loudest, shittiest places to listen to music EVER, and they're also the way I test isolation on any set of headphones.) but I look forward to that on my commute home.
I may someday pick up some MC5s, as I'm realizing I'm a lot less of a basshead than I used to be. There's part of me that's tempted to swap these for MC5s in the store, see which I like more, and get that one. But that seems like an abuse of the store's return policy.
For anyone who's curious, I've used Shure E210s (hated them), V-Moda Vibes (found them mediocre), Etyomtic ER6is (a little too flat and bassless, though amazingly clear highs), and Sony MDR-7506s (which I use for casual listening,. DJing, and music production - these are still my favorites.)
Anyway, even if I don't swap these out for MC5s, I'll be pretty happy nonetheless.
