V-Moda Remix M-Class: My Review

[Interpol]

As one of the 20 winners in the iLounge V-Moda Remix M-Class headphone giveaway, I thought I'd give a short review of these earbuds. They arrived from V-Moda about 5 days ago, so I've a chance to use them and listen to various types of music.

Background: I own the following headphones (with relative costs):
Sony EX-71 ($50)
Sony V600 ($100)
Koss PortaPro ($20)
Koss KSC-50 ($20)
Shure E2c ($99)
Shure E3c ($179)
Shure E4c ($299)
Apple OEM iPod earbuds (free w/ iPod)

The phones I use most frequently with the iPod are the Shure E4c's, with or without a headphone amplifier connected thru the iPod line-out on a PocketDock USB + Line Out adapter. As a result, I listened to the V-Modas using both the headphone out as well as thru the line-out + amp.

Packaging: The headphones come in a plastic blisterpack with cardboard backing. The package includes the headphones, a set of 6 foam earbud covers, and a "Modawrap" cable manager that appears to be made out of a firm silicone or rubber.

Finish: Very nice. I requested and received the "blue steel" color phones. The buds themselves are constructed of shiny blue aluminum alloy with the V-Moda logo and "R" or "L" painted on them. The cord is the same color as the earbuds and has a braided texture with a clear insulating cover, terminating in a blue aluminum headphone jack. All in all, very classy.

Fit: I always have some difficulty with earbuds falling out of my ears at inopportune moments, which is why I prefer IEMs. This issue was no different with the V-Modas, although I found they fit better with the foam sleeves covering the earbuds. Nothing special here.

Bass: Impressive but slightly overwhelms the midrange. However, the low end is punchy and doesn't sound 'muddy'. Not bad for an inexpensive headphone.

Midrange: Slightly soft. Vocals sound slightly attenuated, probably because the low end frequencies appear to be emphasized.

Highs: This is where I had a problem. With these headphones, you can almost clearly HEAR the high-end frequency rolloff. High frequency sounds like cymbals and high-hat sound rather soft. There's a good possibility that as these phones break-in the high-end sound quality will improve.

When listening thru the line-out and a Shellbrook Super Mini Moy amp, the issues I mentioned above are slightly improved but are still there.

Conclusion: It's not really fair to compare these to a set of $300 Shure E4c's. Overall, not bad at all for a $50 pair of headphones, and definitely better in both looks and sound quality than the OEM Apple buds. These are a decent replacement for the Apple buds and would work nicely as a stylish pair of knock-around headphones for everyday use, especially if IEMs aren't your thing. I'm definitely going to use these V-Modas when I don't want to hassle with getting a good seal with IEMs, or if I need to hear external noises while listening to the iPod.

Would I buy them? Yes - for $50, I'd say they're a very good deal for what you get, quality-wise. Thanks to V-Moda and iLounge for their giveaway contest.

[iceman_dl6]

Thanks for the review! I will definitely order a pair!

[Sinwerm]

Very well written review , thank you. One question , out of the list of earphones you currently have do you find any benefit from the line out and the headphone amp ? enough to warrant the cost. I may be in the market for a very similar set-up as yours and am curious. Again , really informative and non-biased review , good work.

[Interpol]

Originally posted by Sinwerm
Very well written review , thank you. One question , out of the list of earphones you currently have do you find any benefit from the line out and the headphone amp ? enough to warrant the cost. I may be in the market for a very similar set-up as yours and am curious. Again , really informative and non-biased review , good work.
Good question. Yes, there is actually a noticeable difference when using the line out + external amp compared to the headphone jack. However, the difference is not as significant with the 5G iPod compared to the older 4G models, so obviously Apple did make some changes to the 5G iPod's internal op-amp circuitry that improved the sound quality somewhat compared the the 4Gs and earlier. If you haven't tried the line out + amp, definitely give it a shot because the results might surprise you.

If you want to try out an inexpensive headphone amp, just do a search on eBay for "cmoy amplifier" and you will get a good listing of homebrewed amps with high quality electronic components that sound pretty good for $50-$60 or less. Or, if you want something a little more professional, check out www.electric-avenues.com and order a Pocket Amp 2 v2. I have one of these gems and the sound is fantastic. The guy who builds them (Gary Ali) is extremely friendly and backs up all of his work with a lifetime guarantee.

[Sinwerm]

Thank you , I won't highjack the fine review any further , I have heard about gary , sounds good (no pun intended. :)

[jc126fda]

thanks for the good review. i won a pair on the contest and and i'm waiting for them to get here.

[palermo22]

Originally posted by Interpol
As one of the 20 winners in the iLounge V-Moda Remix M-Class headphone giveaway, I thought I'd give a short review of these earbuds. They arrived from V-Moda about 5 days ago, so I've a chance to use them and listen to various types of music.

Background: I own the following headphones (with relative costs):
Sony EX-71 ($50)
Sony V600 ($100)
Koss PortaPro ($20)
Koss KSC-50 ($20)
Shure E2c ($99)
Shure E3c ($179)
Shure E4c ($299)
Apple OEM iPod earbuds (free w/ iPod)

The phones I use most frequently with the iPod are the Shure E4c's,

Since you sound very knowledgeable with IEMs and, particularly with Shure's - can you give me a fair assessment for the 2c, 3c and 4c - what the principal difference between them is and if you feel the price difference between them is justified.

Thanks

[Interpol]

Originally posted by palermo22
Since you sound very knowledgeable with IEMs and, particularly with Shure's - can you give me a fair assessment for the 2c, 3c and 4c - what the principal difference between them is and if you feel the price difference between them is justified.

Thanks
I really can't state what the "principal difference" is between the E2, E3, and E4, as all 3 of these IEMs are constructed differently and have different drivers. In brief, the E2 is Shure's most inexpensive consumer IEM, the E3 is a step up in sound quality and accuracy, and the E4 is a step up from the E3 in the same categories, as well as construction (the E4's earpieces have some metal parts while the E3 is plastic).

In terms of price, I'd say the E2's price is reasonable. They are a quality IEM with decent sound, with a little emphasis on bass. Personally I think the price increase ($100) from the E2 to the E3 is a little high for what you get, but the step-up from the E3 to the E4 is well justified. In addition, Shure's history and no-questions-asked 2 year warranty is among the best in the business.

To be quite honest, you need to try each IEM out and decide for yourself whether or not you like the sound coming from each one. Some may prefer the softer, more bass-heavy sound from the E2 than from the more accurate sounding E4, and vice versa.