V-moda Vibe Duo review

Noise-isolating headphones designed to fit the iPhone Tested at £70.00

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

These stylish earphones look impressive but for sonic skills, look elsewhere

Pros

  • +

    Stylish

  • +

    superb build quality

  • +

    Apple iPhone compatible

Cons

  • -

    Ill-defined sound, hazy presentation, muddy low frequencies

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

If our reviews were based purely on style and build quality, we'd have no hesitation giving the Vibe Duo our five-star blessing. These noise-isolating headphones look the business. Even the cable is covered in fabric.

Hands-free iPhone

The Duos come with three sets of soft silicone fittings so you can get the perfect in-ear fit. The earphones have also been designed to fit the iPhone's recessed 3.5mm jack. Not only that; they also have a built-in mic, so you can operate the iPhone hands-free.

Unfortunately, our gushing praise comes to an abrupt halt when it comes to sound quality. Presentation is cloudy and there's a lack of clarity throughout the sonic spectrum. Vocals and low frequencies in Kanye West's The Way I Am are starved of spaciousness and transparency.

There are cheaper, in-ear headphones that deliver superior performance across the board.

What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

Read more about how we test