Based upon the company’s earlier Remix Vocal in-canal earphones, V-Moda’s new Revamp ($120) is a customized version made for fans of the HBO television series True Blood, complete with red-tipped black metal earpieces, a syringe-shaped remote control and microphone housing, and a True Blood branded carrying case. Notably, V-Moda has reduced the number of silicone rubber ear tips down from the prior clear and black sets to only four pairs (XS/S/M/L) of black tips; it still includes sports ear supports and its special Kevlar-cored cabling, which the company is now aggressively touting as superior in durability to its competitors.
Updated August 15, 2011: We’ve now tested the Revamp and found it to be identical in performance to Remix Vocal, the $90 one-button remote version, only with cosmetic differences.
Revamp’s ear housings have more detailed logos on the sides, including Japanese characters, and slightly simpler metal barrels with reduced faceting and less of the second accent color—here, red rather than silver or black. The remote control unit is a little larger than on Vocal’s in a shape that could as easily be called bullet-shaped as syringe-like; the cabling now has a fabric rather than a rubberized plastic jacket.
On both the listening and microphone sides, performance is identical when used with the same rubber ear tips. The premium asking price is thus solely attributable to the differences in branding and other cosmetics.
Our Rating
Company and Price
Company: v-moda
Website: www.v-moda.com
Model: Revamp
Price: $120
Compatible: All iPods, iPhones, iPads
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