V-Moda Vibe II Earbuds Marry Style With Technology

OK, so they might not sense when you take them out, but V-Moda's Vibe II earbuds are a little bit earphone, a little bit microphone and a little bit nice jewelry.

The nifty part is that you can switch between calls and your music with an easy click of a button.

The cords are reinforced with Kevlar; the plugs plated with 24-karat gold. At $119, they're not the cheapest earbuds on the market, but they're not the most expensive, either. The plug has a flexible design that lets you twist it 45 degrees, no problem, and is designed to give the listener the "sense of a live music experience." It even comes with eight sets of silicone fittings (four black, four clear) to make it conform to your ear, no matter how big or small, as well as detachable ear hooks.

The specs:

• Frequency Response: 12 Hz – 22 kHz
• Speaker Driver: 8mm V-MASQUE dynamic technology, neodymium rare earth magnet
• Cables: Kevlar reinforced 32” plug to y-connector, 13.5” even-length earphone cables
• Plug: 24k gold-plated, 3.5 mm (1/8”) stereo plug
• Weight: 22g
• Warranty: One year V-MODA premier warranty

The manufacturer says that whether you're using them as a phone headset or music earphones, the BLISS (Bass Level Isolating Soft Silicone) technology in the earbuds reduces outside noise - "premium noise-canceling technology for award-winning sound," as they put it. (The brand did get honors for innovation at the 2009 CES.) And as the name indicates, the bass is accentuated, allowing for deep bass sounds to come through clearly. (Especially helpful if James Earl Jones should call.)

V-Moda's other selling point is that they're made by an audiophile brand back by DJs who do their own custom mixes. Think "Owner of a Lonely Heart" by Yes can't be remixed into a great dance tune? Think again.

The headphone's mic and call/music button control are compatible with all iPhone models (1G, 3G, 3GS), iPod nano (4th gen), iPod touch (2nd gen), iPod classic (120GB), MacBook, MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac Pro (2009 models), as well as with VOIP, Skype, iChat and other audio recording applications. The audio is compatible with all iPhone models (1G, 3G, 3GS), iPod, BlackBerry Smartphones, MP3 players, CD players, DVD players and computers.

CNet did a full review of the earbuds here.