[PineappleCake]

Have to agree with Fidelity here. So the VB's give off a bit of microphonics, especially when plugged into a DAP without playing anything, but this mostly goes away.

And the VB's have more of a thumping bass than even any headphones I've heard recently (including HD 25-II's, though I admit these aren't the most bass heavy phones).

They might not be perfect, it's strange you can't find anything you like about them. Even if you can't find anything audio wise you like about them, at least agree the housing for the earbud is pretty solid. I've even stepped on mine a few times with no troubles =P

 

[Eric_C]

The VB are not crap. Also no way are they less brassy than the S4, as OP seems to imply.

 

[sid12345678910]

go atrio fan boys yea
 
lol anyways i tied the vbs here in hk and enjoyed them alot
 
i can agree the microphics are pretty bad but when i go over the ear the its gone same as my atrios fot you fit issue did you use compy or the rubber ones, i always had problams with rubber tips
 
the sound was good for the price its no gunna be amzing, if i was you i would have gotten the JVC fxt90 good deep bass with a very nice midrange and a slighty bossted treble
 
just my 2 cents
 
(BTW i am an atrio fan boy)

 

[oooh]

Sorry to bump this thread but I just came across it and the OP's comments wer epretty annoying. I feel I need to put another positive perspective to it.
 
These headphones are the best things to date that I've owned. A couple of minor mods and these are amazing canalphones.
 
Firstly, yes the stock tips are sh1t. I found they kept falling off and I lost them and yes, they're thin and flimsy. My solution was to get a pair of Westone olive tips. They really shouldn't fit as the diameter is waaay too small but with some effort they stretch on. Once they're on, they aren't coming off easily and fit is infinitely better in-ear. Aesthetically I also think they look better as a set.
 
Secondly, remove the screw from the back altogether. No, you say, too much bass! Well yes and no. If you're using an ipod shuffle then it might be too bassy for some, but if you have eq, simply dial the bass down slightly and the headphone transforms. Without a back screw the soundstage opens up enormously, everything is clearer and more enjoyable to listen to. It's like having an open-back headphone as a canalphone...
 
I've had them for a year now and with the above, have been fantastic. They re-act well to all music - classical right through acoustic and down to dubstep via heavy rock. The highs are a little recessed but opening the backs up seems to help this a bit. The aluminium cases are really solid, the jack is strong. 
 
I agree with some of the complaints - yes the microphonics are pretty bad (cable always needs to be clipped) and the cable is pretty thin. Not much you can do about that, you get what you pay for in some ways.
 
Others that have listened to my headphones with the mods above have been blown away. The guy in the store that sold the Westone tips to me wanted to hear them after they were fitted and he was really quite suprised.
 
I won't buy another pair of canalphones.

 

[rock&rollfrenchfries]

trying the backs off now. still sound like crap imo. the mid bass gets stronger but in a weird loose out of control way. im using some olives from my able planet dual drivers which are the same size tube but more olive shaped and seal better in the ears.

i cant stand these. ive had them for a week and they've been collecting dust. shrill, harsh, awful messed up sounding with awesome layered impactful sub bass (i will give them that). but even the mid bass is crap so you might find a small handful of super deep bass songs that are actually fully appreciable on these. but still the rest of the music just does not sound right. it just doesn't

i've also tried the 3 dot backs with gorilla glue dripped into the tiny port (it soaked the filter and stopped there). i think they sound the most controlled this way or just taped over the back.

but still perhaps the single worst 89 dollars i've ever spent. these are seriously just terrible.

OP is spot on. bad joke. the changeable filter ports are some gimmicky crap. you might find one screw that sounds better than the other 2 and that will make them sound better. but they still sound like absolute dooky.

they actually remind me of ink'd buds that ive heard. im not even joking. they sound similar to ink'd buds. smokin buds sound better than these. certainly your average sonys sound worlds better.

the sub bass is not worth it. for the price of these you can surely buy 3-5 different sets to try that are all superior in every aspect except maybe that sub bass.

listening to them now. ive tried all the screws and no screw and sealed screw mod. they're so harsh it's not even remotely acceptable. im going to leave these burning for weeks on end and i wont miss them a bit. i will chime back in on this thread if i feel it did something.

ok sorry to dig up an old thread just to complain but i did buy them after all. im just helping spread awareness.

 

[djvkool]

I love my Hippo VB, and I am not even a basshead...
 
just my 5c

 

[osbertc0ol]

sorry for bump the threads again
 
for me, Hippo VB is one of the best IEM i've ever bought..
i bought vb when the vb just came out, 2years ago maybe and first batch ..
 
i really hated it when it just out from the box, than i burn until 250hrs
when in process of burning, i just try when it reach 50 and 100hrs (i like to count how many hours i burn ), at 50 sucks at 100 still sucks BUT already made a bunch of improvements so i decided to wait !
 
at 250 OMG this is awesome !!!
that is what i feel about this IEM
 
okay, the microphonics is pretty bad but still okay considering for the price and sound !
i personally like the 2 dots and 1 or 3 dots (the least bass)
 
 
right now im using SE215(blue) and phonak 112

 

[instabeats]

i would just like to to the OP that you are most likely either def or some kind of dumb, these are some of the best quality sound in-ears i have ever used.
i have also used klipsch s4i's, denon ahc560rbk, SL49 and shure se315cl
and IMO the hippo have a better quality sound than all of these, yes the cable is a bit cheap and flimsy but the only problem i ever had with it was it getting tangled if i left it in my pocket.
also i put these earphones through the wash (face palm) and when they came out i was able to use them instantly and they worked fine.
anyone looking for a bang for buck set of ear phones the hippo's are your best choice by far unless you want to spend over 300 dollars you wont be finding a better ear phone

[size=1.231em]  [/size]

 

[doradhorror]

I purchased a pair of Hippo VBs a year ago straight from Jaben. Build quality was absolute garbage. Literally the drivers loosened within the first week, first creating uneven sound levels, then no sound at all unless I wiggled the cable around. The build quality gets 0/10 in my books, but the sound quality had the best sub-bass I had heard from in ears. I had the chance to warranty these but I know they're just going to break again. Don't buy them, invest in a higher quality product.