The Best iPod Earbuds Ever* ~ BitterSweetLife

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

The Best iPod Earbuds Ever*

Last summer I put my original iPod earbuds through an unbelievable testing regimen, subjecting them to constant sweat, frequent splattering by dirt and vegetable matter, and occasional thunderstorms. They did pretty well on the durability count, but by the end of the year, the wear was showing.

It was time to find replacements--and upgrade at the same time. I wanted my new earbuds to do a better job blocking external sound. I also wanted them to not fall out of my ears whenever I cocked my head to one side or made a sudden dance movement. Also, I thought it would be cool to add some additional style to my iPod with earbuds that weren't white...and if I could improve on the vocal range of Apple's original earbuds, that would be great as well.


In short, my demands were high. And when I found a model that fit all of my criteria, I was immediately suspicious. Enter the V-MODA bass freq earbuds. Were they for real? I ran across a pair on eBay, liked the design, and clicked off to read some consumer reviews. I learned that the V-MODA earbuds...
  1. Had won awards (CNET and MacWorld).
  2. Did a good, battery-free job with noise cancellation.
  3. Had adjustable fit.
  4. Were applauded for their bass kick and crisp high notes.
  5. Came in designer colors (red, orange, green, blue, black, silver, pink).
  6. And fell inside my fairly narrow price range.
With considerable excitement, I grabbed a pair of V-MODA bass freq earbuds in "tambarine orange"--not because I am a hippy, but because I could. And now, after three weeks of critical listening with my iPod, I am impressed enough to share my discovery. As promised, the bass rocks--but the middle and high notes come through very nicely. For better or worse, the "tambarine orange" color furthers the illusion that I have a unique sense of style, and the earbuds fit comfortably and don't fall out constantly. The price tag, you ask?

*All this for under $30. Highly recommended.



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13 comments:

Unknown said...

AJ, I've been looking for a reasonable pair of earbuds for a while. Your post encouraged me to run to Amazon for a purchase. I got black, because real men wear black. :) Thanks for the review and recommendation.

Steve

AJ said...

Cool, dude. I was hoping some people would benefit from this post. And "bling bling black" is a very respectable choice...I would have gone that route if I'd been a few years older. ;)

Steve McCoy said...

I just opened my box from Amazon. My first comparison is with my Sony earbuds. Holy cow, whatta difference. "Precise bass levels you can actually feel" (on box) is exactly right. Thanks man!

Steve

AJ said...

YES,, another satisfied customer. They really rock, don't they? Best earbud value out there. :)

AJ said...

Just noticed there's been some price fluctuation on these earbuds...a few days ago they were $25, now they're up to $29 (higher for a couple colors). That was probably a temporary Amazon sale, so just a heads-up.

If anyone else has experience with these guys, good or bad, feel free to chime in.

Mine just did a great job with The Shepherd's Dog, by Iron and Wine, which I've been using as a benchmark because of all the instrumental variety. :)

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Just bought a pair. Thanks for the road test review. Finding a set of buds was surprisingly daunting. Thanks for helping to narrow down the field.

Unknown said...
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AJ said...
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Terrell said...
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Anonymous said...
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AJ said...
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AJ said...

This post has attracted enough traffic that I'm starting to get spam comments...instead of deleting 'em right and left, I'll be moderating comments for awhile.

Who knew that the "best" ipod earbuds were such a hot topic?

 

Culture. Photos. Life's nagging questions. - BitterSweetLife