There's no doubt that spending a little on a pair of after market headphones will realise a lot in terms of improved sound quality, and these headphones from v-moda prove that you don't necessarily have to spend big bucks. They won't suit anyone for whom balance and clarity is a priority and there are headphones for not much more that are better for classical and acoustic music.
But for electronic music and dance they knock anything I've heard into a cocked hat for the money. In terms of bass grunt and weight, there's not much that can compete with the high-pressure lows that the Bass Fréqs can reproduce, and this bass is not as overbearing or ill-defined as you might expect.
Given that this is the area most bundled headphones are completely lacking in, and that it's the area that iPods' output tends to be light on, I think v-moda is onto a good thing here. They're not perfect, but they are a very good deal indeed.Read full review
Overall
8/10
By Jonathan Bray
Reviewed 07 November 2007
Updated 01 July 2011