Page 3 - Subjective Audio Analysis
Reviewing audio devices require extensively trained ears and lots of experience. Even for audiophiles, it may prove challenging at times to obtain an accurate evaluation of a product without a thoroughly familiar product to use as a simultaneous reference. While I am not going to even try to claim that I am the only trustworthy or best reviewer for sound, it is fact that most computer review sites have editors who are insufficiently trained in reviewing audio equipment. Give them practically anything and all you will read about goes along the line of "good bass, nice midrange, awesome treble, really clear sound, 10/10". While there are many knowledgeable audio reviewers at various respected online media outlets, they are by far the minority.
As I have mentioned in my past audio reviews, there are really no true objective measurements for speaker sound quality. As the reviewer, however, I will put it through a series of subjective tests to try to come up with the most objective rating possible. Yes, it sounds like a paradox haha. For all tests, I used an Apple iPhone X. This is a state-of-the-art device at press time that requires no introduction and will reduce its potential to be a limiting factor in our auditioning.
After over 50 hours of break-in time -- well above typically required period -- we put the V-MODA BassFit Wireless to the tests. All tracks are high bitrate AAC or LAME encoded MP3s.
I was pleasantly surprised the first time I put on the V-MODA BassFit Wireless. As I have said in the introduction, anything with the word "bass" in its name is usually not a good sign. From my experience, these are usually low quality products that blasts the crap out of the low frequency range and ignore all other audio characteristics. To some people, this may be desirable, but I think there is a lot more to good sound than simply bass. Here is the good news: The BassFit Wireless is worthy of the V-MODA brand. Let me tell you why.
To start off, the BassFit Wireless is actually not that heavy on the bass. While bassheads may be tempted to stop reading immediately, stay with me for a moment longer. The V-MODA BassFit Wireless is punchy with a moderate V-shape, so if you like bass, you will get it. The low frequency output remained consistent for a deep, solid, smooth, and round response from my experience; the slight enhancement brings out a defined character that is well-articulated for those who are looking.
On the other side of the moderate V-shape, we have treble that is also slightly boosted for a small bright overtone in the overall sound signature. I found the treble to be technically excellent, but it does not carry a lot of energy or sparkle. By technically excellent, I mean it is sharp and immediate. When listening to percussion instruments, the tracks were reproduced faithfully for a tight, clean, clear, and crisp output. It would have been nice if cymbals were a bit wetter, but overall, its neutral sounding, slightly amplified treble is comfortable to listen to.
This, then, brings us to the midrange. Overall, I found it to carry neutral warmth and saturation with medium bandwidth. I could hear a slight reduction in thickness, but otherwise, it was natural and clear. The midrange was not particular outstanding, nor was there anything much to be critical of.
One of the biggest criticisms I have had with the Forza Metallo, another pair of $130 earphones from the company, was its relatively narrow soundstaging as a result of its 5.8mm drivers. The BassFit Wireless features 10mm drivers, which should theoretically produce a much wider soundstage. Unfortunately, it did not deliver. The soundstage was still narrow with little width and depth. You can still perceive the dimensions to a limited extent, but there just is not a whole lot. I know V-MODA knows how to make in-ear monitors with a wide soundstage; it is unfortunate the BassFit Wireless was not built upon their expertise.
Closing off with the auxiliary auditioning results, the imaging of the V-MODA BassFit Wireless was realistic; staying mostly faithful to the original production or recording. The layers were produced with a great amount of detail. The resolution was good across the range, as it picked up most things in a quality encoded track. In complicated and messy situations, these earphones managed to retain small details well. Deriving from this, the frequency separation was decent. Detail was well reproduced thanks to its clear and defined output. The entire spectrum was a smooth gradient with no immediately apparent banding effects, making it sound cohesive. The sound was clean across the range; generally speaking, you will not be disappointed in these areas with the BassFit Wireless.
The V-MODA BassFit Wireless are closed in-ear monitors and comes with four different sized sleeves for maximum compatibility. The earphones had a good fit in my ears, but sound isolation was only average. The microphone also worked well for calls on the go. However, the V-MODA BassFit Wireless suffers from a problem common to all products in this category: Background hissing noise when turned on. You probably will not be able to hear it when you are on the train or the bus, but you will definitely be able to pick it up it in quieter locations. In terms of lag, I did not notice any significant delay; audio appeared to be properly synchronized to videos I was watching on my iPhone X.
The company estimates the battery to last around 11 hours on a single charge. From my tests, I found this estimate to be way off. I repeated the test three times and played music until the earphones turned off by itself. They only lasted 5 hours at 50% volume and 5.5 hours at 40% volume. The rated wireless range is about 10 meters, and from my tests, this is actually a good estimate. I can walk a couple rooms over in my house and still maintain a consistent connection. During normal usage on the train or bus, I have never experienced any wireless inconsistency issues paired to my Apple iPhone X.
Overall, I am quite pleased with the audio performance of the V-MODA BassFit Wireless. It performed admirably in the majority of the rated categories; falling short only when it came to soundstaging and battery life.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware
3. Subjective Audio Analysis
4. Conclusion
