VENI-VIDI-VICI! V-MODA's new IEMs - Zn (formerly Alto) + FORZA - Crowdsourcing, Reviews, Discussions Thread!
Oct 10, 2014 at 4:29 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 407

valkolton

Sponsor: V-MODA
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Friends, forums, countrymen... lend me your ears.  
 
It has been almost exactly 4 years since we released a new in-ear headphone.  Why?  
 
I - Time - timeless products take time. ____ wasn't built in a day.  We aim for perfection and settle only between excellent and perfect.
II - Innovation - We didn't want to release something until we can truly push the bar further in the industry (and that is VERY hard to do as IEMs have become commodity-like)
III - On/Over Ear Projects - truthfully our "M-class" audio and project team was laser focused on finishing our VAMP VERZA, XS, M-100 and other hi-fi projects
IV - CopyCats - we don't want to be ripped off (look how many Vibe clones there are)
V - ABCP - we love love love, I mean LOVE metal.  Did I mention we love metal and hate circles?  ABCP - Anything But Circles & Plastic!
VI - Comfort - wearing and tuning too many in-ears began to hurt my ears physically!
VII - XS the size of XS meant we didn't need to save space, it truly became a portable wonder with its small folding size and comfort
VIII - CanJam!
 
Let the Crowdsourcing commence!
 
Right now, I am in my hotel room in Denver near Rocky Mountain Audio Festival/CANJAM.  I am about to go to Canjam and let people listen and test-drive a few new in-ears. However, like the car industry masks their future designs, the industrial design that you may see may be fake or changed.    
 
Here are the first two items you can give us feedback on:
 
I Package
II  Name
 
 

 
Oct 10, 2014 at 6:07 PM Post #5 of 407
Forza & rectangle IMHO. The hexagonal design looks like a toy.
 
Oct 10, 2014 at 6:13 PM Post #6 of 407
If they are classical music-friendly, then Alto with the rectangle package. If the in-ears are tuned more for pop and hip hop then Forza and hexagon. Forza reminds me of the video game, though. Either way, day one purchase for me. I trust V-Moda.
 
Oct 10, 2014 at 6:18 PM Post #7 of 407
I really like the name "Alto". Nothing wrong with "Forza", it just doesn't resonate with me personally. I like them both, though.

On both packages, in this image, I do not like the handle at the top. It looks like the cheap, thin plastic that transparency screens are made of but I could be wrong. Also, the roundness contrasts the edginess of the entire rest of the box. But if the round loop can be pushed to be flush with the box, that is okay, I guess.
IMO, it'd be cool if it was made of thin black ribbon. Either cloth or plastic. The kind that the stick on bows for gift boxes are made out of.
The strap also does not follow the design language of the previous model's boxes, but I never liked those anyway.

The "A" is "Forza" is not the same "A" as in "Alto". I'm not sure if this was intentional, or how "Forza" would look with the other "A", but I just noticed it.

The transparent window on the "Alto" box. Ugh. I understand that you are trying to be edgy, and I like that. But the angle on the bottom left of the transparency window makes no sense. It might be the angle of the render, but to me it looks very unblanaced. I feel that the shape would look best as a rectangle with a triangle attached to the bottom of it. But in the render, it seems that the left edge of the rectangle is shorter than it's right edge, and it looks chaotic. As I've said many times, it might just be the render angle. But it looks more random to me than purposeful. Again, I like the window, just the angle seems a bit off to me.

The orange triangle on the bottom right of each box looks awesome. However, I'd appreciate more uniformity across the two packaging designs. The indentation on the Forza looks sweet, I'd like to see it on the Alto. Functionally, this is impossible due to the slide out, but if you make the indented orange piece part of what slides out, and not part of the outer sleeve, this will work, and potentially remove the need for the fabric pull tab, which could cut costs. I'm just throwing ideas around. Take it or leave it. My idea might functionally be terrible.

One more thing. Again in regards to the loops up top. The height of each is probably the same, but the widths are vastly different. This makes the loop up top on the Forza look much more round than on the Alto. Uniformity.
 
Oct 10, 2014 at 6:44 PM Post #10 of 407
I absolutely love the rectangular box. Both names sound good to me, but I really like the styling of the "A" in "Alto." I'd love to get these if they're stylish like the rest of V-Moda's headphones and have a neutral sound.
 
Oct 10, 2014 at 6:47 PM Post #11 of 407
Forza and rectangular box. Just gives off that sleek, racecar-like feel (because Forza Motorsport
tongue.gif
).
 
Oct 10, 2014 at 6:50 PM Post #12 of 407
  forza , hexagon :blush:

 
+1, agree with Mo!  Forza+hex looks original and will definitely stand out from the crowd!
 
But as we all know, packaging can only take you so far... Looking forward to see and to hear the actual in-ear V-gems!!! 
biggrin.gif
  Oh, and it would be great if you guys come up with some cool hard case for these in-ears, accessories are always important!!!
 
Oct 10, 2014 at 8:07 PM Post #14 of 407
And the first reaction on the sound was the audoiphiliac Steve Guttenberg from CNET:

"f_____ amazing"

Nice! Should be more details soon, stay tuned!
 

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