[MICHAELSD]

For all the talk about codecs, I still believe these would be the best wireless in-ears on the market if they supported AAC but even without it they look like a fantastic product. Sound, comfort, and ergonomics look great. The traplock design is unique and possibly even innovative.

My main complaint with the BeatsX is cable noise from the cable rubbing against clothing and my neck while running, so if the traplock design fixes that then V-MODA have something truly special here.

I've become really passionate about headphones and wireless headphones in particular so I have something in the pipeline launching in the next few weeks that I sincerely hope some of my favorite headphone manufacturers like V-MODA will get on board with.

 

[shove13]

For all the talk about codecs, I still believe these would be the best wireless in-ears on the market if they supported AAC but even without it they look like a fantastic product. Sound, comfort, and ergonomics look great. The traplock design is unique and possibly even innovative.

My main complaint with the BeatsX is cable noise from the cable rubbing against clothing and my neck while running, so if the traplock design fixes that then V-MODA have something truly special here.

I've become really passionate about headphones and wireless headphones in particular so I have something in the pipeline launching in the next few weeks that I sincerely hope some of my favorite headphone manufacturers like V-MODA will get on board with.

I agree with you. I own the matte white CF2W's, that supposedly do not have the AAC codec, and they are the best wireless headphones I've heard.
Im also wondering if this is why the CEO Val has not come out and said if these new products have it AAC or not. He wanted people to try them out for themselves. If he came right out and said they were not supported AAC, that might scare people away from even trying. He's the CEO for a reason, he's smart, and does (and doesn't) do things for a reason.....Idk, just my thoughts. I could be completely wrong, lol

 

[iamkornholio]

Ok, i just received mine, so have some initial thoughts. Ergo-wise, these things are very impressive. Easily found ear buds/wings that worked great. Overall, very light yet are able to stay in place moving around the house. The buds themselves are quite small...to the point they are almost difficult to handle with big hands.
I've only been able to listen for a few minutes, but very impressed. Initially, I was disappointed in lack of bass...but then i turned up the volume. Wow...makes a world of difference. It is hard to believe that these little things can produce such great sound.

 

[Thesonofkrypton]

Any chance anyone has the Sennheiser Momentum wireless earphones and can compare with the FW?

 

[sparhawk67]

I've had these for about a week. I was coming from the Jaybird X3s.

I am going back to the X3s, and I'm sending these back to V-Moda.

The sound on these is amazing, but the ergonomics are not. First, I cannot get them to fit. The problem is the fins, which I rely on heavily with my X3s. The fins cannot be adjusted laterally around the ear buds, they are locked into place because they are a cap on the ear buds. I have to twist the finds on my X3s to get just the right fit, and I cannot do that here with the Metallos. I concede, however, that my ears are weird. I always have problems getting a good fit in my right ear with IEMs. It has something to do with my ear canal size or shape.

But there are other issues. The neck bar ("traplock" technology) is a problem. These are being marketed as sports IEMs, but they do not work well in weight lifting. The neck bar is sensitive to my chin / head tilt. If I tilt my head up too far, the neck bar falls off down my back, and pulls the ear buds out of my ear and I lose the fit that I worked on for a while when I put them on. I find that my chin tilts up in some activities, like pull ups. Perhaps that is bad form, but nevertheless it happens and it is annoying. Also, forget about doing lifts that require you to be flat on your back, like bench presses. The neck bar falls off and pulls the earbuds out.

Also, the wires from the neck bar to the ear buds are too long. Oddly, this is one of the reasons I bought them. My X3s tend to drift toward the side with the battery unit / controller and it pulls on my left ear. I saw that the wires on the Forza Metallos were long enough that this wouldn't happen (plus, the neck bar, in optimal conditions, stays in place on your neck and keeps perfect wire balance between the two buds). However, the wires are just too long here. When I am eating with them on, the wires get in front of my mouth when I am hunched over eating (probably terrible posture). Very annoying. Also, the wires are so long and thin that they easily get tangled up.

Finally, I generally do not like the neck bar design. I've never had bluetooth IEMs that have a neck bar. I don't like it at all. I can't easily throw them in my pocket, and they don't compress down as much as my X3s because of the bar. These might be the best neck bar wireless IEMs on the market, but I have decided I don't like the neck bar design at all.

On the positive, the sound is fantastic out of the box, noticeably better than the X3s. (However, I can get the X3s to sound almost as good using the My Sound app.) Also, the battery life seems wonderful. I did not test them to failure, but I listened for hours and never got the "low battery" signal. One more thing: I love that the power button turns the headphones on and off immediately. It seems like a small thing, but I HATE that I have to hold my X3s' power button down for a few seconds to get it to shut off. Computers and the internet have made me a very impatient person. I hate waiting for even a few seconds. The Metallo's power button is instantaneous.

 

[SpiderNhan]

I've had these for about a week. I was coming from the Jaybird X3s.

I am going back to the X3s, and I'm sending these back to V-Moda.

The sound on these is amazing, but the ergonomics are not. First, I cannot get them to fit. The problem is the fins, which I rely on heavily with my X3s. The fins cannot be adjusted laterally around the ear buds, they are locked into place because they are a cap on the ear buds. I have to twist the finds on my X3s to get just the right fit, and I cannot do that here with the Metallos. I concede, however, that my ears are weird. I always have problems getting a good fit in my right ear with IEMs. It has something to do with my ear canal size or shape.

But there are other issues. The neck bar ("traplock" technology) is a problem. These are being marketed as sports IEMs, but they do not work well in weight lifting. The neck bar is sensitive to my chin / head tilt. If I tilt my head up too far, the neck bar falls off down my back, and pulls the ear buds out of my ear and I lose the fit that I worked on for a while when I put them on. I find that my chin tilts up in some activities, like pull ups. Perhaps that is bad form, but nevertheless it happens and it is annoying. Also, forget about doing lifts that require you to be flat on your back, like bench presses. The neck bar falls off and pulls the earbuds out.

Also, the wires from the neck bar to the ear buds are too long. Oddly, this is one of the reasons I bought them. My X3s tend to drift toward the side with the battery unit / controller and it pulls on my left ear. I saw that the wires on the Forza Metallos were long enough that this wouldn't happen (plus, the neck bar, in optimal conditions, stays in place on your neck and keeps perfect wire balance between the two buds). However, the wires are just too long here. When I am eating with them on, the wires get in front of my mouth when I am hunched over eating (probably terrible posture). Very annoying. Also, the wires are so long and thin that they easily get tangled up.

Finally, I generally do not like the neck bar design. I've never had bluetooth IEMs that have a neck bar. I don't like it at all. I can't easily throw them in my pocket, and they don't compress down as much as my X3s because of the bar. These might be the best neck bar wireless IEMs on the market, but I have decided I don't like the neck bar design at all.

On the positive, the sound is fantastic out of the box, noticeably better than the X3s. (However, I can get the X3s to sound almost as good using the My Sound app.) Also, the battery life seems wonderful. I did not test them to failure, but I listened for hours and never got the "low battery" signal. One more thing: I love that the power button turns the headphones on and off immediately. It seems like a small thing, but I HATE that I have to hold my X3s' power button down for a few seconds to get it to shut off. Computers and the internet have made me a very impatient person. I hate waiting for even a few seconds. The Metallo's power button is instantaneous.

Thanks for the review. My workouts consists of calisthenics and martial arts and the traplock design doesn't seem the most stable for certain movements. The search continues.

 

[iamkornholio]

I've had these for about a week. I was coming from the Jaybird X3s.

I am going back to the X3s, and I'm sending these back to V-Moda.

The sound on these is amazing, but the ergonomics are not. First, I cannot get them to fit. The problem is the fins, which I rely on heavily with my X3s. The fins cannot be adjusted laterally around the ear buds, they are locked into place because they are a cap on the ear buds. I have to twist the finds on my X3s to get just the right fit, and I cannot do that here with the Metallos. I concede, however, that my ears are weird. I always have problems getting a good fit in my right ear with IEMs. It has something to do with my ear canal size or shape.

But there are other issues. The neck bar ("traplock" technology) is a problem. These are being marketed as sports IEMs, but they do not work well in weight lifting. The neck bar is sensitive to my chin / head tilt. If I tilt my head up too far, the neck bar falls off down my back, and pulls the ear buds out of my ear and I lose the fit that I worked on for a while when I put them on. I find that my chin tilts up in some activities, like pull ups. Perhaps that is bad form, but nevertheless it happens and it is annoying. Also, forget about doing lifts that require you to be flat on your back, like bench presses. The neck bar falls off and pulls the earbuds out.

Also, the wires from the neck bar to the ear buds are too long. Oddly, this is one of the reasons I bought them. My X3s tend to drift toward the side with the battery unit / controller and it pulls on my left ear. I saw that the wires on the Forza Metallos were long enough that this wouldn't happen (plus, the neck bar, in optimal conditions, stays in place on your neck and keeps perfect wire balance between the two buds). However, the wires are just too long here. When I am eating with them on, the wires get in front of my mouth when I am hunched over eating (probably terrible posture). Very annoying. Also, the wires are so long and thin that they easily get tangled up.

Finally, I generally do not like the neck bar design. I've never had bluetooth IEMs that have a neck bar. I don't like it at all. I can't easily throw them in my pocket, and they don't compress down as much as my X3s because of the bar. These might be the best neck bar wireless IEMs on the market, but I have decided I don't like the neck bar design at all.

On the positive, the sound is fantastic out of the box, noticeably better than the X3s. (However, I can get the X3s to sound almost as good using the My Sound app.) Also, the battery life seems wonderful. I did not test them to failure, but I listened for hours and never got the "low battery" signal. One more thing: I love that the power button turns the headphones on and off immediately. It seems like a small thing, but I HATE that I have to hold my X3s' power button down for a few seconds to get it to shut off. Computers and the internet have made me a very impatient person. I hate waiting for even a few seconds. The Metallo's power button is instantaneous.

I returned the X3's for the very reason you returned the Metallo Wireless--I couldn't get a comfortable fit. From what I recall, I wasn't impressed with their sound either. I've not had any issues with them falling off--neck bending has caused me no issues. But granted, I've not tried them while laying on my back--I could see how they would slip off.

 

[Thesonofkrypton]

I've had these for about a week. I was coming from the Jaybird X3s.

I am going back to the X3s, and I'm sending these back to V-Moda.

The sound on these is amazing, but the ergonomics are not. First, I cannot get them to fit. The problem is the fins, which I rely on heavily with my X3s. The fins cannot be adjusted laterally around the ear buds, they are locked into place because they are a cap on the ear buds. I have to twist the finds on my X3s to get just the right fit, and I cannot do that here with the Metallos. I concede, however, that my ears are weird. I always have problems getting a good fit in my right ear with IEMs. It has something to do with my ear canal size or shape.

But there are other issues. The neck bar ("traplock" technology) is a problem. These are being marketed as sports IEMs, but they do not work well in weight lifting. The neck bar is sensitive to my chin / head tilt. If I tilt my head up too far, the neck bar falls off down my back, and pulls the ear buds out of my ear and I lose the fit that I worked on for a while when I put them on. I find that my chin tilts up in some activities, like pull ups. Perhaps that is bad form, but nevertheless it happens and it is annoying. Also, forget about doing lifts that require you to be flat on your back, like bench presses. The neck bar falls off and pulls the earbuds out.

Also, the wires from the neck bar to the ear buds are too long. Oddly, this is one of the reasons I bought them. My X3s tend to drift toward the side with the battery unit / controller and it pulls on my left ear. I saw that the wires on the Forza Metallos were long enough that this wouldn't happen (plus, the neck bar, in optimal conditions, stays in place on your neck and keeps perfect wire balance between the two buds). However, the wires are just too long here. When I am eating with them on, the wires get in front of my mouth when I am hunched over eating (probably terrible posture). Very annoying. Also, the wires are so long and thin that they easily get tangled up.

Finally, I generally do not like the neck bar design. I've never had bluetooth IEMs that have a neck bar. I don't like it at all. I can't easily throw them in my pocket, and they don't compress down as much as my X3s because of the bar. These might be the best neck bar wireless IEMs on the market, but I have decided I don't like the neck bar design at all.

On the positive, the sound is fantastic out of the box, noticeably better than the X3s. (However, I can get the X3s to sound almost as good using the My Sound app.) Also, the battery life seems wonderful. I did not test them to failure, but I listened for hours and never got the "low battery" signal. One more thing: I love that the power button turns the headphones on and off immediately. It seems like a small thing, but I HATE that I have to hold my X3s' power button down for a few seconds to get it to shut off. Computers and the internet have made me a very impatient person. I hate waiting for even a few seconds. The Metallo's power button is instantaneous.

Thanks very much for your insights. I was looking to buy them so I can use them while weight training/Calisthenics also and it seems like that bar design would be annoying. I'll probably get them when they are available from Amazon, just to hear them, but most likely I will get the X3s back in that case, as they fit well, and I was able move freely with them whatever movement/position I was in.

 

[shove13]

Is it me, or is anyone else having an issue with the volume not being loud enough?
I mean, they're loud, but I can easily listen with the volume at max, and catch myself trying to raise it in noisy environments, like a noisy gym, which these are supposed to be a sport earbud also

 

[shove13]

Thanks for the review. My workouts consists of calisthenics and martial arts and the traplock design doesn't seem the most stable for certain movements. The search continues.

Have you tried the Anker soundbuds nb 10? The sound is surprisingly good for the price ($40) I have them, and there's no chance of these falling out. I use them when I mountain bike, and jog, and they don't move

 

[PDevil]

I returned the X3's for the very reason you returned the Metallo Wireless--I couldn't get a comfortable fit.

That's one of the reasons why I returned the X3's. They hurt my ears after a while. Their wireless connectivity was also complete garbage. They stuttered over 15 times within a 3 minute period, that is inexcusable in today's world especially when I have a pair of truly wireless earbuds from Sol-Republic that can hold a signal better than the X3's.

 

[SpiderNhan]

Have you tried the Anker soundbuds nb 10? The sound is surprisingly good for the price ($40) I have them, and there's no chance of these falling out. I use them when I mountain bike, and jog, and they don't move

Those don't look very glasses friendly. I've been using the 1More EB100, which has a PowerBeats aesthetic, and they are good at not falling off, but the ear hooks still get bothersome especially when I'm walking and they clack against the arms of my glasses. I'd much prefer in an in-ear only solution although these 1Mores do 80% of the job.

 

[sparhawk67]

That's one of the reasons why I returned the X3's. They hurt my ears after a while. Their wireless connectivity was also complete garbage. They stuttered over 15 times within a 3 minute period, that is inexcusable in today's world especially when I have a pair of truly wireless earbuds from Sol-Republic that can hold a signal better than the X3's.

I should add to my review that in my experience, the wireless range was worse on the V-Modas when compared to my X3s. I did a comparison where my phone was placed in the exact same location, and my X3s did not cut out while my V-modas stuttered incessantly.

 

[SpiderNhan]

I have a theory that the Forza Metallo Wireless is an updated version of the Sony SBH80. I listened to the SBH80 yesterday at B&H Photo and it has a surprisingly similar signature to the wired Forza. I didn't have them side-by-side to compare, but for $80 I think I just found the poor man's FMW.

5.8mm micro-driver
Dual microphone
apt-X/Bluetooth version not specified
Sweat & Waterproof
10+ hour battery
Charges in 1.5 hours
22.5 grams

5.8mm micro-driver
Dual microphone
apt-X/Bluetooth 3.0
Sweat & Waterproof
6 hour battery life
Charges in <2 hours
24.7 grams

 

[SpiderNhan]

The SBH80 will be arriving tomorrow. Review and comparison to Forza will follow.