BETA
This is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by clicking here

More From Forbes

Edit Story

These Earphones From V-Moda Are The Perfect Exercise Partner For The Gym

Following
This article is more than 5 years old.

V-Moda

What qualities should you look for in a pair of earphones that you’re going to mainly use when working out at the gym? Firstly, wireless is always a good idea in order to avoid getting wires caught up in the cross trainer and suffering a nasty injury.

Secondly, you need a pretty big sound with plenty of bass so the music you’re listening to can be heard over the cacophony of all those treadmills and exercise bikes. Thirdly, you'll want a pair of earphones that will fit firmly in your ears and stay put, no matter how punishing your workout. Fourthly, if you’re exercising properly you’ll definitely be sweating, so having a pair of earphones that can resist moisture is a given. Finally, the earphones have to look as cool and streamlined as your honed reflection in the gym mirror.

Well, it just so happens that V-Moda’s latest pair of Bluetooth wireless earphones ticks all those essential boxes and a few more. The V-Moda BassFit earphones have been designed specifically with gym bunnies in mind. Their styling is sleek and angular, with some orange decals on the earpieces and orange buttons on the inline remote control. They're available in black and white finishes and there are even magnets built into each earpiece, so you can simply stick the left and right earpieces together while you wipe the sweat from your forehead.

Perhaps the best bit about the V-Moda BassFit earphones is the array of fittings supplied with them in order to ensure the earpieces don’t wiggle loose when you’re exercising. TriFit One is the name that V-Moda gives to the detachable ActiveFlex ear hooks supplied with the BassFit. These hooks wrap around the outside of the ear and tuck neatly behind so that the earpieces stay securely in place without falling out while running or strenuous exercise. The hooks are made of flexible material that can be adjusted to fit ears of all sizes. Something called TriFit Two uses sport ear fins that are fitted to the inner cartilage of the ear, allowing for a snug fit that helps stabilize the earpieces. The soft material of the ear fins mimics skin for comfort and to stop chaffing when taking the earphones in and out. Small, medium and large sizes of ear fins are supplied to ensure the best fit. Finally, TriFit Three describes the option of attaching both the ActiveFlex ear hooks and the sport ear fin attachments at the same time, to provide maximum support and stability.

V-Moda

When it comes to serving up a big and bold sound to compete with the noise of all those exercise machines, the V-Moda BassFit earphones use large 10mm dynamic drivers to create the sound. The earpieces use eartips made from something V-Moda calls BLISS 3.0 (Bass Level Isolating Soft Silicone). These eartips are supplied with four different sizes in order to help you get a snug fit in the ear canal to keep out external noises. Selecting the correct size of eartip boosts the bass response while also reducing annoying sound leakage that might upset your fellow athletes.

Left and right earpieces are connected by a short piece of flat tangle-resistant cable that can be shortened using a small wire clip. The cable incorporates a three-button inline remote, which also houses the rechargeable battery and microphone. A single charge of the battery can provide up to 11 hours of continuous listening time. If you’re in a hurry you can plug the earphones into a charger for just 15 minutes and it’ll be enough to provide two and a half hours of playing time. The controls on the remote work with any Bluetooth smartphone and include volume buttons and controls for skipping tracks, pausing the music, repeating tracks, as well as taking and rejecting phone calls or even summoning up Siri or Google Assistant.

V-Moda

The V-Moda BassFit earphones are sprayed with a special nano-coating that, according to V-Moda, makes them fully sweat and weather resistant. V-Moda also claims that the BassFit have survived Military Grade (MIL-STD-810G) testing standards, and have passed a battery of other punishing tests to make sure they can withstand the punishing environment of a gym or sporting activity.

Pairing the V-Moda BassFit earphones to a smartphone via Bluetooth is a simple procedure, and you only have to do it once for any device you’re using. Both aptX and AAC codecs are supported, which means that owners of Android and iOS devices can enjoy high-quality wireless music. For phone calls, the BassFit, like all Bluetooth headsets, relies on the basic SBC codec for transmitting voice, and the quality of calls is pretty decent. You can connect up to two devices to the earphones at the same time. And why would you want to do that? Well, you may be listening to music from an iPad or laptop while getting your calls from a smartphone. This multipoint Bluetooth pairing is a nice feature to have.

Sound-wise, these are very competent earphones and suit virtually all genres of music. As the name suggests, the bass is fulsome but there’s also plenty of detail in the treble range. The midrange is good but perhaps not quite as forward as some earphones that are Hi-Res certified. However, that’s not a criticism because these earphones serve a different purpose. They’re designed to deliver optimum performance in a noisy gym, where you’re unlikely to be focusing on sonic purity. What these earphones provide is a robust and musical performance, alongside a high level of noise isolation that makes them perfect in any noisy environment. The superb silicone eartips, along with the ear hooks and ear fins, ensure that the BassFit stay firmly in the ear without being uncomfortable.

Verdict: Initially, the idea of a premium pair of earphones aimed at gym users or exercisers seemed a bit niche to me. However, when you consider that, according to Statista, some 60.87 million people in 2017 had a gym membership; and as a large number of them listen to music, via earphones, while exercising, V-Moda is really on to something. The V-Moda BassFit earphones tick all the right boxes and, despite costing quite a bit more than the average pair of earphones, they’re ideally suited for anyone who takes both their fitness and their music seriously.

Prices: $130, €129,99 £119,99

More info: https://www.v-moda.com/us/en/products/bassfit-wireless

Specifications:

  • Speaker driver: 10mm
  • Impedance: 14Ω
  • Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20,000Hz
  • Headphone Sensitivity: 100dB @ 1kHz 1mW
  • Microphone Sensitivity: -42dB @ 1kHz
  • Battery: Lithium-Ion rechargeable with 11 hours of continuous playback
  • Bluetooth Range: 10m (30ft)
  • Bluetooth Audio Codecs: Qualcomm aptX, AAC, SBC
  • Weight: 17g
  • Colors: Black and White
  • Accessories supplied: 8 x BLISS 3.0 Fittings in XS, S, M and L sizes, 3 x pairs of ActiveFlex Sport Fins in S, M and L sizes, 1 x pair of ear hooks, 1 x cable length manager, 1 x carrying pouch, 1 x Micro USB charging cable (USB-A to USB Micro-B)

V-Moda