Sound and aesthetics typically haven’t always fused together in an effective way. Meaning the nicer-looking headphones or earbuds, like the iPod earbuds (admit it, they look alright) can sound terrible while a more simplistic set of headphones (like the Able Planet NC200 set of headphones we’d looked at not too long ago) can produce great sound. Never judge a set of headphones by its looks.

Note: In this review, I use the term ‘headphones’ and ‘earbuds’ interchangeably. I apologize in advance if this causes any confusion, and if it does just substitute the word ‘headphones’ for ‘earbuds’ (or ‘headset’, now that I think about it). Enjoy!

Usually, I don’t bring my Able Planet SG500 set of headphones on a regular day — because I know that:

1. I won’t need its performance.
2. It’s better off I don’t isolate the music, because I like to be aware of my surroundings.
3. I’m scared to look like a doofus and don’t want to get mugged.

Okay, so you might be thinking I’ve got some self-image issues to work out (that’s a whole other discussion) — either way, I’m trying to say that headphones haven’t always looked too hot. It’s not that they shouldn’t — because I think that no matter what happens, in the end, aesthetics do matter. Why have Macbooks sold so well? And iPods? And iPhones? Sure, they’ve got novelty and character — but it’s the streamlined look and feel that Apple’s got mastered. It’s not just Apple, either — a while ago, we looked at the Das Keyboard which nearly knocked my socks off with its performance — but also its flashiness.

Ideally, I’d have a set of headphones that were inconspicuous (yet looked good), but still played good music. I’m no audiophile, but I like to think I can tell the difference between iPod headphones and a live orchestra. So when the opportunity came up for me to have a look at the V-Moda Vibe II set of headphones, I jumped on it. I’d heard great things about the first set of V-Moda Vibe headphones, so I was only expecting more.

A bundle of accessories is included with the V-Moda Vibe II headphones.

Design

It’s freaking beautiful. I know it sounds cliche — but nothing else comes to mind. It’s just…beautiful. I think that the V-Moda Vibe II set of headphones is…really flashy. Seriously, I could see a celebrity or a model wearing the set of headphones.

I received the ‘Nero’ version of the Vibe II, and I approve. Its chrome touches match the black very well, giving it a more ‘sophisticated’ look in comparison to other sets of earbuds.

I was really impressed by the ‘versatility’ of the Vibe II earbuds — originally, since they were designed as a really, really fancy headset for the iPhone (and Blackberries), I would have assumed that the mic would be a pain in the ass and doubly as annoying if one didn’t have an iPhone to use it with. I can’t say that I like it, but it’s really not that noticeable. It blends in well with the rest of the Vibe II, and is positioned perfectly for me to speak into without using my hands to lift it up, like I see so many people having to do awkwardly with their Sony Ericsson headsets (hypothetically, since I don’t have a phone compatible with it).

The other piece of the Vibe II that I was initially a bit iffy about would be the call answering button. I thought it was weird how V-Moda decided to separate the mic from the ‘answer’ button, but it actually turned out to be quite a good idea — it’s very inconspicuous and doubles as a piece to secure the earbuds — adding to the build quality.

The Vibe II seems to be very sturdy, and it comes with a great case to shield it from travel damage. The case is made of leather, and again, really contributes to the ‘sophisticated’ and ‘fashionable’ feel of the Vibe II earbuds. I’m actually also a really big fan on the case, because it’s just..sweet, haha. I’ve wanted a case that could contain my earbuds/headphones safely for a long time, and I could never find one, which makes this one all the more enjoyable.

V-Moda was considerate enough to include both white-coloured earbud slips (they go over the actual speakers) and black ones — 4 different pairs of each colour, accomodating 99% of mankind’s ear sizes. I found that the default set fit into my ears pretty well, so I didn’t bother changing it. Taking them off (for cleaning — because they do go deep in the ear) was a bit of a pain, because they seemed really fragile and I didn’t want to cause any damage, but they turned out fine (for now). Putting them back over the speakers went a lot more smoothly.

The V-Moda Vibe IIs also introduced two very interesting features to me — the first being its threaded wiring, which makes it more durable in comparison to typical rubber wiring.

The second would have to be the interesting headphone connector design — I haven’t seen anything like it before, but it really makes sense and functions well. It’s a great balance between the pure 90-degree headphone connector (like the JVC Gumy headphones, which I thought was awkwardly fitting and also a bit susceptible to wear and tear), and the straight-up plug-in headphone connectors (like the iPod headphone connector, which would be very susceptible to wear and tear).

Sound Isolation

The V-Moda Vibe II uses a more passive form of sound isolation — because they go in-ear, they don’t need an active filtering system like LYNX Audio to cancel out noise. I did find this to be equally as effective though, because I couldn’t hear people standing eight feet from me carry a conversation (their voices became barely distinguishable when they were four feet from me) while I was listening to music on my Dell Inspiron 6400 at 1% of Windows Vista volume in Windows Media Player.

I was initially a bit skeptical about how well these in-ear headphones would feel; I always had the notion that in-ear headphones felt a lot more intrusive and disturbing, and would fall out a lot. Although they did fall out quite a bit (sporting clips included to solve that problem), the ‘proper’ way to put the Vibe II earbuds would ensure that they stayed in your ear. I never really got around to using that method, because I grew tired of trying to learn how and I personally thought those sport clips looked really cheezy (plus I couldn’t put them on very well…my hand eye co-ordination isn’t the greatest).

I had trouble hearing a lot of things that were going on around me, which got to a tipping point when I couldn’t hear a telephone on my desk (of course, I’m kind of easily swept away by music). But in all honesty, the background noises were masked very well by the V-Moda Vibe II in-ear headphones — for better, or for worse.

Sound Quality

I’m going to say straight up — they were good, but they weren’t really that outstanding. Don’t get me wrong — the sound was rich and there weren’t many tinny or weak spots, but I just expected more from the V-Moda Vibe IIs. Then again, sound testing is very subjective — and I’m not always the most accurate judge (hey, I’m just a man).

Again, same ol’ test playlist:

• Back in Black by AC/DC (for the guitar intro)
• Devil’s got a New Disguise by Aerosmith (electric guitar performance)
• Good Life by Kanye West featuring T-Pain (bass)
• Janie’s got a Gun by Aerosmith (vocals)
• Live & Let Die by Guns N’ Roses (instruments)
• Live Your Life by T.I. featuring Rihanna (bass)
• Sweet Child O’ Mine by Guns N’ Roses (guitar solo)
• This Love by Maroon 5 (vocals and instruments)
• Whatever You Like by T.I. (synthesizer and bass)

For one thing, I expected punchier bass. The bass was already quite strong on the V-Moda Vibe II set of headphones, but it just lacked the punchiness that would have made it perfect.

Songs with midrange and treble were reproduced quite well with the V-moda Vibe IIs. In fact, the midrange really stood out for me — acoustic/electric guitars sounded very clear. I think that the snare drums weren’t very distinct though, but that could’ve been a file/encoding issue.

What’s the Verdict?

In comparison to the Able Planet NC200 set of headphones I took a look at earlier this year, I would say that the V-Moda Vibe IIs can stand their ground. They’re a lot more portable, fashionable, and produce comparable sound quality — which says a lot. However, the V-Moda Vibe II set of headphones were not as comfortable, and personally I felt that the the NC200s produced a punchier bass, which I really look for in headphones (I feel that it’s overlooked sometimes).

And although I love its fancy designs, personally, I feel that if you don’t care about aesthetics as much and you want better sound quality, you’d be better off with another set of headphones (Able Planet NC200?).

The first dance I ever went to: the DJ was spinning, the strobes were flashing (dear God, my eyes!), and the bass was bumping.  Ever since then, I’d been searching for a set of headphones that sounded great (I like punchy bass, reminiscent of dances), cost less than an arm and a leg, isolated sound, and would last me more than a couple of months.  I didn’t want any in-ear buds — I guess I’m a bit paranoid of the effects they have (plus my ears aren’t exactly the cleanest in the world, har har).  I guess I’m also a bit old-fashioned — my idea was that nothing could beat around the ear headphones.

So Able Planet took a chance on me and sent me a set of NC200 noise-cancelling headphones. I’d never reviewed headphones before for two reasons:

1. Couldn’t get my hands on a pair, and I didn’t have time to shop around.
2. Alright, I had some doubt — reviewing headphones seemed difficult.

Design/Build Quality

First off, I’m a huge fan of the leather padding Able Planet decided to dress this baby with.  I’ve used crappy airplane around the ear headphones before, and they’ve always clipped my hair (ouch — no lie).  The padding gives my short hair a comfortable feel, and they also rest well on the back of my neck whenever I’m taking a break.  The leather padding around the speakers also leave my ears alone — unlike other reviews I’ve read with around the ear headphones and questionable comfort, my ears were left un-irritated.  I’m a happy camper in terms of comfortability.

The main issue I had with around the ear headphones was their size — how can anyone fit ‘em in their bag (let alone their pocket) without looking like an idiot?  Able Planet also took this in mind with the NC200′s, making them foldable.  I mean seriously, foldable.  Not only can you fold the headphones in half, you can also bend the speakers into the groove of the headband, making them a quarter of their size and manageable to fit into your bag (I took ‘em a bunch of places already).  The only problem I have is the time it takes to fold up — then again, I had a slight annoyance with how long it took me to unlock my locker’s lock before, and now I can go to the gym and unlock it in an easy three seconds.

My only beef is with the cord.  It looks a bit disturbing to the design when it protrudes straight out of the left speaker of the NC200′s like that.  Also, the cord is too normal — it’s not retractable, doesn’t have a specific place to wind/wrap up, I have to wrap it around like a normal set of headphones.  Yeah, I know that the NC200′s aren’t waaay high-class headphones — but I feel that there should’ve been something done with the cord.  Even just a simple magnetized design would’ve been great, just so that they aren’t a mess when I pull ‘em back out of the included slingbag (in retrospect, a good addition).

Oh yeah, and the Able Planet text on the side got mixed reactions when I brought it to now-famous Tech Design class — some thought the text was too “ordinary” (I personally found it pretty classy, but I guess it could be more unique).  But we all agreed the logo was beautiful (especially cause of its shininess).

Lastly, the battery compartment is excellently hidden.  I mean, excellently.  I didn’t even know that there was a battery compartment — it was an embarrassing mistake, actually:  I brought it into class, and my friends asked me why it kept dying when I tried turning it on.  Turns out the included battery died (probably drained in the cold when shipping, it’s understandable), and I didn’t activate LINX audio this whole time.  Holy crap.

Sound Quality

Test Playlist:

• Back in Black by AC/DC (for the guitar intro)
• Devil’s got a New Disguise by Aerosmith (electric guitar performance)
• Good Life by Kanye West featuring T-Pain (bass)
• Janie’s got a Gun by Aerosmith (vocals)
• Live & Let Die by Guns N’ Roses (instruments)
• Live Your Life by T.I. featuring Rihanna (bass)
• Sweet Child O’ Mine by Guns N’ Roses (guitar solo)
• This Love by Maroon 5 (vocals and instruments)
• Whatever You Like by T.I. (synthesizer and bass)

All files were ripped from CD’s by Exact Audio Copy to try to get as close to lossless quality as possible (yet I wanted compressed MP3 formats for a more “realistic” size — not everyone in this world is an audiophile, I do realize).  The majority of the files were encoded at 320kbps with the exception of Live & Let Die at 224kbps, and Janie’s Got a Gun at 256 kbps.  To be perfectly honest, it was my first time fooling around with LAME — and although tiresome (I hadn’t an idea what I was doing before this review), it was rewarding.

I found it difficult to judge sound quality — because of its subjectiveness.  I employed the help of my second cousin (I’ve actually only got three), and borrowed a set of AKG Studio-Monitor k240′s.  “Typical” studio headphones.  Which I assumed were at least of “standard” quality.

The AKG Studio k240 trumped the Able Planet NC200 in terms of treble and midrange — the instruments and vocals seemed much more free on the Studio k240, whereas the NC200 seemed a bit “muffled”.  The NC200 did perform well when challenged with songs with bass, as it sounded “punchier” (as my cousin says, there’s always a difference between “punchy” and “volume”).  But I still felt a bit let down by the NC200 set of headphones — it had at least two or three years ahead of the Studio k240, so I couldn’t see why it didn’t outperform it.

And then I figured out how to turn LINX on.  Yeah, I’m a dumbass.

Wow, such a clean carpet!

But damn, I couldn’t have imagined such a difference — again, using the LAME-encoded MP3 files:

• All of a sudden, bass was more than acceptable — it was suddenly much more “punchy”, as my cousin from APHNetworks.com would describe it in his subjective sound tests (I know, I’m still a trainee).  Good Life, Live your Life (coincidence, I swear), and Whatever you Like all of a sudden sounded much more powerful.
• I think the greatest improvement is the sudden “openness” in treble and midrange — vocals all of a sudden went from backseat to driver.  Maroon 5 and Aerosmith sounded beautiful (as they should, of course).
• Volume-wise, it actually sounded “louder” than before — literally.  I could hardly stand listening at half-manual volume (100% on Windows though, to keep the setting as tested before).
• The only down-side? Well, when volume is low, you can hear a slight “hiss” of LINX working.  It can be annoying at low volumes.

Sound Isolation

Couldn’t hear a bloody thing until my cousin started clapping to get my attention (he asked whether I wanted to stay at his place for lunch).  That’s just the beginning — with LINX audio on, I couldn’t hear a person enter my house, even when the security system alerted me a door opened.  I know this sounds really stupid and cheezy, but they’re both true events that I thought illustrated my point very well: the Able Planet NC200 set of headphones makes your music stand out that much more.

But the “hiss” does get annoying.  Because sound gets filtered so well, I usually don’t listen to music that loudly (I’m a firm believer that loud music will permanently damage your ears — call me conservative).  But the “hiss” with LINX audio kind of forces me to bump the music up to the level where I can’t hear it anymore.  But again — to re-iterate, the “hiss” gets drowned out when volume is turned up to probably a 30% line-in level, plus LINX audio enhances the music so much that I would rather hear a bit of hissing with the music recreated well, than without.

To turn on LINX Audio, just shift the switch on the “On” switch.  And if nothing happens, then change the battery — lift the hatch on the right headphone, and switch in a AAA battery (kind of a drag, but it hasn’t died since).

Is that it?

Pretty much.

Can I say it all in one sentence?  The Able Planet NC200 set of headphones does its job well — it cancels sound (when LINX audio is on), produces some mean sound quality (I mean that in a good way), while retaining great looks (with leather and all), and excellent portability (kudos on the folding design); I think that LINX audio produces a bit too much hiss when it’s on — but overall, the Able Planet NC200 set of headphones are a great pair and offer much value for sub-$100.  And they don’t hurt your ears.

Darn, looks like it took me two sentences, har har.  But seriously, if you’re looking for a set of headphones and have $100 to spend, I would pay some serious attention to the Able Planet NC200s. And of course, if you felt that I wrote something wrong, or you thought it was an absolutely horrible review, I would suggest saying so in the comments (I accept compliments too, *blushes*).  It’s my first review on headphones, and I would greatly appreciate some constructive criticism (in all seriousness, now).