[revolink24]

I have had a pair (well, multiple pairs) of V-Moda Vibe headphones since July of '07, and I was absolutely in love with the style and sound of them.

My issue is not with the sound quality or the quality of the 'phones. But the issue is that they have now broken three times. The first two times the insulation near the earbud cracked exposing wire. The third time, the wire mesh like thing that covers the driver cavity has come off, and I cannot seem to get it back on as it seems to be damaged.

I love V-Moda Customer Service. I E-mail, they give me a ticket number, I mail, they replace. that simple.

But they broke again. And again.




And my question is, should I sacrifice the superior value of the V-Modas for a pair that is more durable and reliable? Or should I continue sending them in?


Here are alternatives I am considering. Please give your input on these and others.

Etymotic ER6/ER6i (whats the difference? they both say isolator according to cnet)

Shure SE110: I've heard mixed reviews about these. The Freq. Response is still not as good as the vibes, and they're somewhat hideous.

UE SuperFi 3/5 Ultimate Ear's offering. Also ugly, and Ive heard that they have poor workmanship and durability as well.


Please give input.

EDIT: You might also recommend me a decently priced pair of on-ear headphones, but no big cans.


EDIT: now considering Klipsch Custom-1





EDIT: Now I'm only looking at the the Ety ER6-i and Ultimate ears super.fi 3/5pro. Is the UE fi 5 worth it over the three? I've heard it is, but the price is steep. The ER6 may go a little too deep into the canal for my tastes.

 

[HardHeadCase]

Yuin PK-2 unamped, and the PK-1 if you are using an amped rig. They sound great and are built like a tank.

HeadRoom - Right Between Your Ears

 

[Aevum]

you could try the futuresonics or the Denons, but the Etys are the best of the bunch, you could also look in to the senss CX95 and CX500,

the thing is that the non OVC vibes arent exactly good or worth the $100 vmoda asks for them, and the OVC ones are long gone,

 

[revolink24]

Thats my position. They should at least offer to replace them with vibe duos or something.

Well, So its down to Etymotics and Sennheiser. couple questions.

Should I go with ER6 or ER6i? I'm not planning to use them as monitors, just music.

The senns, CX500 is the later model, isn't it? Is that better than CX95?

I've heard bad things about the Shures. What is wrong with them, other than they seem to be intentionally cheap?

I suppose the UE buds aren't out of the question, but man those things are hideous....

at hard head, I'd prefer canalphones.

 

[jsmithepa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by revolink24 /img/forum/go_quote.gif my question is, should I sacrifice the superior value of the V-Modas

A-HA-HA-ha-HA ROFL! Stop man, yer killing me.

Seriously though, I dunn know how ANYBODY can recommend u the ETY (I love ETY) to somebody who likes the Vibes's sound. No functioning brain cell there.

I hear generation 1 Vibes were more durable. If u love the Vibes so much, u may wanna search for a gen1 pair. Or recable that Vibe (no small task).

 

[revolink24]

I got an early vibe. I like the soundstage of the V-Moda, and the metal construction. I find your post to be almost as bad as what we would call a fanboy. The fact is that the $65 that I spent on the Modas was a great value. For that price, I found them a great fit for me. So please, stop wasting your time. Your advice is ignored.

 

[jsmithepa]

Wasn't refering to u but the person who made the recommendation.

Anywhoo Vibes -> ETY, BIG SHOCK. Hope u like 'em.

 

[DKaz]

If you like the fit and feel of the V-Moda's I would suggest the Ultimate Ears Metro.fi 2 $55 shipped:

UE Metro.fi 2

 

[revolink24]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsmithepa /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wasn't refering to u but the person who made the recommendation. Anywhoo Vibes -> ETY, BIG SHOCK. Hope u like 'em.

Was there a point to that post? If so, what was it?

Also, I am more intrested in the super.fi series than the metro.fi. Thank you though. I am leaning towards Ultimate Ears now. I think that the depth into the ear canal of the Ety's would be uncomfortable for me, and the noise isolation may be a little bit too much.

 

[lui_boy]

I actually liked the V-Moda Vibe when I got them in correctly. I love that rich warm in-ear euphoric sound. However, too much of a tight seal gave me bloated bass which covered just about everything in the mid-high frequencies. Too light of a seal didn't give me enough bass at all and felt a little thin. It was too finicky for my liking so I sold it cheap to a friend after a couple RMA's. First, I had problems with the ear piece not glued properly and the next time, the common break at the plug. V-Moda was extremely good about the RMA's and the last RMA sent me the new model which was built with a new sturdier looking plug. However, after a some time with it, the sound was just not the same. I felt it was lacking in something so, I sold it. I guess I'm happy enough for now with the PX100 amped for when I'm at the office and want some big bass. It doesn't have the sparkle in the highs or the detail, which the PK2's do well, but then the PK2's does lack a bit in the bass department. It does have ok bass impact, but none of that deep extending bass which is probably more accurate in it's representation anyway. If isolation is a must, I'm satisfied enough with my iM716 for now, but it has that more accurate, detailed, less bassy sound like the Etymotic would. When I tried out the Shure E500's, I thought they were pretty good, warm, good detail, great bass, though the highs are a bit rolled off which some people just don't like. They might be a little more than you want to spend, though you might get lucky and find one used here for a good price. Sorry, no real recommendations from me, just some observations. I'm still trying to figure out a way to end this portability battle without breaking the bank.

 

[revolink24]

Your observations are appreciated.

 

[revolink24]

*bump*


Im down to the Super.fi 3/5 once again, which is better value, and etymotic er-6i.

 

[revolink24]

bump? still want more input, folks.

 

[deviationer]

damn sorry, you have the worst luck with the vibes. My original pair I got around feb 07, did a warranty replacement on them a couple months ago because the inch or two of the cable coming down from the buds was kinda stiff. Didn't want to risk having them crack before the warranty was up. So far the replacements are great, AND they are the updated version with the better mini-jack plug.

 

[revolink24]

^thanks for the post, it was my deciding factor^

Well, I've decided to return them once again, for now, mostly due to finance. I cannot afford new 'phones so often. If they break again, I probably will get a pair of UE-5s for a little extra cash. Thanks for everyones, responses, I guarantee they have all been considered, except the exception that I already made. Thanks for all of your help.