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 45degrees, no problem, and is designed to give the listener the "sense ofa live music experience." It even comes with eight sets of siliconefittings (four black, four clear) to make it conform to your ear, nomatter 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

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

V-Moda's other selling point is that they're made by anaudiophile 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 dancetune? Think again.

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

CNet did a full review of the earbuds here.