V-Moda Forza Metallo Wireless in-Ear Headphones - Gunmetal Black

Hi Folks- I don’t care what anyone says, $200 is a lot to spend for a wireless headset, so I was determined to get everything I wanted out of my purchase. I spent time looking at reviews and videos, and narrowed my search to 3 finalists. My priorities in this selection are 1. Sound Quality. 2. Connectivity. 3. Wearability. 4. Build Quality. 5. Battery Life. My finalists were: Sony WF1000X/BM1, RHA MA650, and the V-ModaForza Metallo. I have previous experience with V-Moda since I currently use a pair of their M-100 head phones and really like the sound profile and build quality of these. In fact, they are IMHO the best bang for the buck in headphones that I’ve heard, and the closed back design and Abrams Tank build quality make them perfect for road warriors. And for those who don’t already know. The ‘V’ in V-Moda is the shape of the sound profile where low and high frequencies are accentuated above the mids making a ‘V’... but I digress- Sonys: Cool idea, but not quite ready for prime time. I enjoyed the sound quality (especially the bass boost option on the Sony app), but volume was seriously lacking and the right ear piece cut out repeatedly during music listening. If your priority is taking calls, and music is something you listen to while stationary with your source taped to your forehead, maybe these will do. I like the compact design, the lack of a cord around my neck and the slick aluminum charging case, but these are not for music listeners or high activity. I think battery technology is the limiting factor here, and they just don’t have the power for reception or volume. RMA: Cool design, great build quality complete with military grade cord, stainless steel ear pieces and lovely British packaging. They remind me of that classic Rolls Royce, replete with Corinthian leather, sterling silver switchery, and maple wood trimming that has been finely buffed with fore$kin of llama, and sits in your driveway at the Hamptons because it won’t start (which is why, btw, Rolls now uses BMW engines). But back to the RMAs- classically British, and fundamentally dysfunctional. If you are going to design an activity device and claim it is for working out, don’t force me to loop the cord around my ear because the earpieces are too heavy. Furthermore, the batteries in the ends of the wire base beat a tempo against your collarbone while running... never mind the black eyes you get while jumping hurdles, if you’re into that. The sound is not to my liking either, but that’s subjective. I’m an incurable bass head, and I’m a sucker for that V profile we discussed earlier, especially when engaged in the type of activities typically done with this type of listening device. The RMAs are mid range and treble focused, and bass is repressed. Maybe it’s the stainless steel housing... V-Moda. High-speed, low drag. They are unimpressive to look at. The ear pieces are tiny. There are no emblazoned logos, fancy cables, or shiny bits. And the packaging is just plain silly. But THEY WORK. And the bass is awesome. Structurally, they disappear during use. By that I mean, the battery module is at the back, encased in plastic, and tucks into your collar if you happen to be jumping hurdles in an oxford. The earpieces fit into your ear, not on, above or around them. They are easily put in and taken out of your ears (ie pop out the right one while taking a call and then return it to continue on with the music listening experience). No Looping! Volume is not mind blowing on these either, but the sound isolation from the ear piece fit makes them much better than the other two sets. Battery life is 10 hours vs 12 for the RMAs and 2 for the Sonys (per charge). The V-Moda connects effortlessly to your device (I use an iPhone and a Sony WM), and phone calls are clear and uninterrupted. In fact, you get a nice massage from the vibrating battery module on the back of your neck when a call comes in. It’s ok if you call yourself, nobody will know... In summary, the clear pick for me is the V-Moda Forza Metallo. This is a good example (with the exception of the packaging) of function over form, and a listening experience that I can live with day to day while commuting, exercising, and writing reviews. Cheers, eh!

These might be great headphones! Too bad I'll never know, because upon opening and powering on, they decided to hit max volume immediately and stay there! The overall build quality seems extremely uneven. Parts of them, like the ear pieces themselves, feel solid and decent, but the plastic on the controls and the battery casing feels clacky and cheap. The cover of the USB port is very flimsy, although the connector that keeps the cover on is decent. The port itself did not appear to fit the included cable well, and the cable does not fully insert into the port, which may cause user error damage. But the worst part was that the connection between the battery, controls, and headphones seemed unstable to the point that flexing the cable during normal use, like putting the headphones on, seemed to cause the volume to change uncontrollably. I tried several times to see if I was doing something wrong, but no, simply putting them around my neck was enough to cause the volume to shoot up to max about 75% of the time, and taking them off was the same. The sound quality at max was satisfactory, but who listens to their music at max all the time? Unbelievable. I'll be returning these immediately.

I have a pretty old (maybe 10 years) pair of standard Bose headphones. I was extremely happy with the sound quality, but they are suffering wear and tear, with a bit of wire exposed near the earpiece, and given the availability of wireless around-the-neck options that can also be used for phone calls, I figured it was time to get myself an upgrade. Sadly, in spite of hunting for a product with decent reviews, this turned out to NOT be what I was looking for. Operation was easy enough to pick up on, and they seemed to hold a decent charge. Even sound quality was decent, although it didn't measure up to Bose. The bass was very low (though that may be correctable via software), and I discovered a feature in my Bose headphones I took for granted: the open-back design that not only allows for SOME outside noise to enter (which is to say, the kind of important "noise" that lets you know if you're about to get run over by a car), and also prevents that surprisingly distracting reverberation that comes from talking while your ears are 100% plugged; even just walking outside on concrete my own footsteps thumped in my ears, with better bass than the music, I might add. Also the "LockTight" neckband (or whatever the proprietary nickname was for it) repeatedly tried to slide down my back during both walking and biking. That said, I guess I've never returned anything I bought on Amazon because I don't recall the return process being so *painless*. Not only was I able to print a free return label, walk one block to a nearby Chase bank that had a convenient UPS drop-box, but before I could even get to THAT point in the process I was notified that my refund had already been issued, effectively *trusting* that I would actually return the item. Now granted, it would take a few days to actually appear back on my card, and if they didn't actually receive the item they could still re-charge me, but I was still pretty impressed by them making things more convenient for me. Given that I opted for free shipping to an Amazon Locker location (also very handy, as I'm sick of UPS leaving packages for people to steal off my apartment doorstep). Now I don't know how much of these good parts are the doing of Amazon or the actual seller, but I'm glad it wasn't a hassle, at any rate. All things considered, I expected more from a product that costs as much as this does. For what I actually got, I would think I should have paid maybe half the current price, so if you can find this on sale for 50% off (probably won't), then go for it, especially if you plan to use it while laying in a hammock, unconcerned with unwanted noise from outside sources or bodily activity. But for me, it looks like I'll be shopping around again, and probably going back to Bose.

These are by far the best sounding “Bluetooth” ear buds or headphones that I have tried to date and I have tried a lot of everything out there including Bose, Beats, 66Audio, Sony, Sennheiser, Bang & Olufsen, etc. I have always benchmarked everything I bought against my Etymotic Research ER4S (MicroPro Precision Matched Balanced Armature Driver) In-Ear Earphones. These ER4S’ are considered the noise-eliminating standard for all things audio, but like all great headphones they are tethered with a cable. I, like others, have been searching for the “holy grail” Bluetooth equivalent. I normally use my ER4S with a Cowon P1 DAP/DAC or with my Supreme FX HiFi DAC, but I have recently found the need to be less anchored. I have pre-ordered a Sony NW-ZX300 w/Bluetooth but don’t have it yet, so this review is based off my Samsung Note 5 using PowerAmp software. I will update this after I get the Sony DAP/DAC. After pairing with my Note 5 (very easy) I started my headphone test play list. This simple list of 6 songs can, in my opinion, give headphones a good work out. All files are in lossless (FLAC) formats. My test list is as follows: • Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” cover by Nonpoint (very wide range of effects and nuances) • Tool’s “46 and 2” cover by the super talented kids with the O’Keefe Music Foundation (Check them out!) • Blue Man Group’s “Synaeshetic” and “TV Song” (A great percussions and sound stage test) • The Philadelphia Orchestra – Eugene Ormandy - Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony #5 – Finale Andant Maeestoso” - 1988 RCA Victrola (Direct Digital) (Very powerful, but @1:05 into the music someone accidently tapped their music stand with a bow and most headphones do not reproduce that artifact) • And finally, Tina Turner’s “Better be Good to Me” (check this one out on a spectrum analyzer, it is easily one of the busiest songs out there with great details) At first, I thought that I had an EQ preset still on from testing a lesser set of headphones, but was pleasantly surprised that it was already set to “Flat”. I was blown away by the sound. It was much better than my much more expensive Sony MDR-1000X and Bose QC35 full size headphones. The sound is clear and almost precise, while the drivers recover almost instantaneously providing excellent separation. The sound stage is wide and deep. Overall impression – close to the ER4S, but not quite there yet. Pros Sound is superb – plenty of bass, great mids and clear highs (see my disclaimer below) Comfort is good Controls are easy Fit is good Multi-Point is advertised (will update when my new DAP comes in) Background noise isolation is ok Battery life is average for this style. Max Volume – plenty, even at “flat” EQ Cons Bluetooth range is less than I would like, but I do have the 66Audio Pro with an advertised 100’ range. (I get 60’) Not really a con, but other reviewers have pointed out that there is too much slack or a lack of stability keeping the buds in place, but I have found a workaround by looping the cord up over my ears front to back. About me – I’m a 59 year old military gulf war veteran and current IT engineer who loves to listen to music. In fact, I believe music helped me keep my sanity. After long missions, there wasn’t anything better for me than winding down to good music. Disclaimer: wars are very loud and as such I have lost all hearing above 12KHz. I like just about all kinds of music except for acid metal (though I do like Rammstien - go figure). But, in the end, I’m am a rock n’ roller at heart. I have an affinity for Distrurbed and Tool (including Device and APC respectively), Pink Floyd and Queen, and of course, all the old school long haired rock bands from the 80’s and 90’s. LOL

I have bought a series of Bluetooth headphones looking for the perfect pair. This Forza metallo are great and I would recommend them to everyone as long as they understand a couple of kaveats. First, the wire is simply too long. I believe this is so that they can be wrapped around the ear, but I am not sure. Second, when you get a call the headphone vibrates very agressively and does not pulse. It is one long consistent vibrate which is very obnoxious. Other than that, the comfort is fantastic, the sound is as good as anyone could expect for Bluetooth, and the battery usually lasts 2-3 days for me.

Disappointing.... I expected better from V-Moda whose Audio Quality I've purchased and re-purchased over the past 7-8 years now. Purchased the white one which was originally all white during the initial hours of charging and usage. Then a noticeable, unremovable dark circular spot appeared on the neck component next to the V-Moda insignia, along with same darkening (a deep charcoal color) of the flimsy plastic USB charging enclosure below the same logo --- a part (flap) that promptly became rough-edged and would no longer close after unplugging its charging cable. These spontaneous discolorations make the back of my neck appear dirty, and the USB enclosure snags onto hair and clothing. I've owned the early V-Moda Earphones, returned/exchanged 2 pair almost monthly at Costco (thanks to their return policy). A few later models exhibited the same problem: left channel failed. Interestingly enough, same failure as my formerly beloved V-Moda Zn earphones --almost $200 and just a few months of pleasure. Thus far, however, my V-Moda BT Crossfade headphones are holding up well minus the death of the included flat flex charging cable. Build quality definitely has been upgraded over the years. Then there's the possibility (???) that I happened to receive some lemons. Apparently, this is NOT an Audio Review because V-Moda's audio quality alone rates 5 stars from this classical pianist and eclectic music-addict audiophile.... and yet one can't really enjoy the audio whilst the materials fall apart, huh?p

I purposely waited a bit before reviewing so I could actually gauge how good these are. Besides one or two design flaws I love these head phones. First and foremost I have the Google Pixel XL as my phone. When I first picked these up the audio was pretty good. They got loud enough to where you could drown out some of the background noise but not completely. The bass isn't overwhelming but noticeable. With the different sets of silicone tips, which are color coded so you can tell which are pairs, I found a set that fit great in my ears. The base of the ear buds are made of stainless steel so they feel like they can endure some wear and tear. The battery states that these have a battery time of 10 hours. The only thing I know is they last a while and I find myself recharging them every couple of days between work and running errands. Also with quick charge it doesn't take them long to get back to full battery so even if they run out of power it won't be for long. And if you just set them to charge when you sleep you have to worry about that much. Now for the only two things I didn't like. One, the cables on each side leading up to the ear buds are a little long. If they ever make a second version of these headphones they should shorten these, depending on the position of your face the cables can push out in front of your peripherals. Not sure if that bothers many people but I don't like it personally. The second is the back bar that rests on your neck. I'm sure this is to house the battery and extra components for the audio but having them grouped up like that can make it easy for it to slide back off of your neck if you were to say, look up at something really high in the sky or lean back. That's about it for the downsides The bluetooth earbuds I had before this were the BeatsX and they were riddled with connection issues and audio quality issues which sort of makes sense since they were built for iPhones in mind first and use a different audio codec. These come with the standard bluetooth audio codec but also have the Qualcomm aptX built in for phones that support that codec for HD audio streaming. This didn't make much difference since the Pixel phones didn't have that codec...until Android Oreo (8.0). After updating my phone the audio on these headphones is fantastic! Probably one of the best bluetooth sets I've owned/tried. The base levels of music are much higher now and at better quality, no drops in signal what so ever. All in all I'm very happy with my purchase and because of it, I'll probably be looking at V-Moda for my future headphone purchases

The box looked pretty cool, but was ultimately a bit confusing as to how to open. In the box, one ear bud had a wing attached to it; the other did not. That made it seem as though Amazon was shipping me a returned product, but I realized there were cut outs in the foam for that configuration. The instructions did not explain that. Anyway, once I opened the box and charged the device, it paired fairly easily to my iPhone Xs. The sound quality was low and the volume was very low. I tried to raise the volume with the ear buds, but the up volume button did nothing. I raised the volume from my phone, and while I could hear it was not at a comfortable volume. The down volume button on the device did work. I looked for customer service contact information from the materials enclosed. Those instructions in the box said not to contact the retailer but to contact them directly and included an email address. I there did not contact Amazon but sent an email with all the necessary information: the serial number, what wasn't working, when and where I purchased the device and my contact info. The next day I got an email telling me to fill out a form on line with the same information that had been in my email. I did so. Their system then generated a PDF that the instructions told me to print and send back with the device. The problem was that the PDF, on my phone, did not appear complete (part was cut off) and there was no apparent way to email myself the PDF to print. Their system also did not give me free shipping, although the warranty said return shipping is included. I called the 800 number. The gentleman was very nice. He told me I could simply include the requested information on a piece of paper and did not need to print their PDF. I had to ask him about return shipping and he said that once I emailed him proof of purchase, he'd send free shipping details. I did so and he did so. The return label he sent was for UPS ground. That's annoying because I'd received the device via Amazon Prime. Today is March 6. Let's see how long this takes....

Je les adore. Confort, qualité de son, design et facilité d'utilisation et de prise en main. Qualité des appels et conversation. Seul petit bémol, c'est qu'ils ne s'aimante pas. Du coup, je les ai perdus 2 fois, sans doute en enlevant mon écharpe.

Cercavo delle cuffie bluetooth all'altezza delle OneMore e Shure con cavo che già avevo. Il prezzo è in linea con la qualità, davvero alta: suono nitido, perfettamente bilanciato con bassi non prevalenti e focus su medi e alti. Chiarimento: i bassi ci sono e si sentono, semplicemente non sono la parte prevalente delle canzoni ed è un bene visto il profilo spostato sui bassi di quasi tutte le cuffie bluetooth. Qualità costruttiva altrettanto buona, unica pecca i comandi che non sono particolarmente comodi in inverno quando si indossano Giacchetti e/o sciarpe. In sintesi, un ottimo sostituto delle Shure via cavo, con la comodità del bluetooth.

Sources: iPhone7-plus, iPod Touch, iPad Pro Mini, Macbook 12-inch. I love technology. Hardly a year (scratch that, month) goes by without a new milestone reached or barrier breached. Well, this isn't Earth-shattering, but when I finally find an IEM (ear-canal earphone) that sounds as good as the Sennheiser IE800 I had, but costs a fraction of what it did - that's reason enough for celebration. Note that reviews of this V-MODA Forza Metallo Wireless (ForzaMW from here on) IEM will vary a lot in how the reviewers perceive them, and I already know the deal - eartips, eartips, eartips. V-MODA supplies 8 pairs, and I decided on the next-to-largest set, the orange (underneath the white exterior) set. The bass is strong and tight - not the easiest thing to find in a good headphone or earphone. While treble varies a lot among IEM users because of the vagaries of ear canals, the bass you hear should be very much the same as what I hear, if you get the proper eartip fit. Final word on the bass (read more in the music samples below): The ForzaMW bass does not seem to have the overall power of the V-MODA Wireless2 bass, at least with the eartips I selected, and while I've heard IEM's that approach that level of bass, they don't do it cleanly unless they use multiple drivers (more on that below). That said, if there are any doubts about the ForzaMW's ability to play deep bass convincingly with a clean weighty impact, have a listen to the track by Hecq that I listed below - it will dispel all doubt. Midrange: I make EQ test curves as I go when doing a review, and I didn't change anything for the ForzaMW, in other words, uncolored and crystal clear. Treble: All of the in-ears (IEM's) I've reviewed have sounded slightly bright to me, and the ForzaMW sounds like the best of those, examples being the Dita Answer/Truth, Final Audio FI-BA-SS, RHA T20i, Sennheiser IE800, and V-MODA's Forza Metallo wired edition. My best guess is that the ForzaMW will sound right to most users, with the correct treble balance, and even though this is a Bluetooth IEM, the sound quality with the Qualcomm aptX codec is as good as it gets. I don't want to get into anything controversial here, but it's worth mentioning that multi-driver IEM's generally sound different from single-driver types. The rule, based on what I hear, is the multi-driver IEM's sound "bigger", probably due to phase anomalies between the various drivers in those earphones. Single driver IEM's sound "purer", with no acoustic interference from other drivers, and even if they don't sound as "big", the soundstage is still likely to be spectacular if they're tuned correctly. This ForzaMW sounds just right. Another area of possible controversy is whether or how much a Bluetooth codec (in the ForzaMW's electronics) would reduce the resolution compared to a wired earphone such as the Forza Metallo original wired version. In my opinion this wireless version is superior because 1) The tuning is better, and correct tuning (for accurate tonality) outweighs a minor reduction in absolute resolution, and 2) The Bluetooth codec here is Qualcomm aptX - the latest and best hi-fi codec. If you listen to very well recorded and refined music in a very quiet relaxed situation, you can hear a difference between a wired connection and the aptX Bluetooth connection, if you're a critical listener, audiophile, etc. If your music isn't that level of quality, if you're listening in a non-ideal setting (noisy, not relaxed, etc.), or if you don't have experience in detecting those kinds of differences, then the point is moot. When I need critically perfect sound, I use a wired headphone, but that's only for at-home listening. Isolation with the ForzaMW is good, but not a high isolation. That is, good enough for most outdoor use, but it may or may not be enough for the bus or the tube, depending on the ear-canal seal you get. Leakage is so low that even when playing the ForzaMW in a very quiet office or library at audiophile volume levels, people sitting next to you won't hear anything, unless they press right up to your ears. The ForzaMW is extremely light - less than one ounce total, and the wires going to the earpieces are thin, but V-MODA says these are very strong and they have strain-reliefs, so not a worry thing. This is my first Bluetooth IEM, so the configuration is all new to me. Basically, the very small strip containing the electronics goes behind the neck, the thicker cables going down to the control boxes sit on the sides of the neck, and then the thinner wires go from the control boxes to the earpieces. Remember that the entire weight is less than an ounce. Standard issue with the ForzaMW are 8 sets of eartips in 4 sizes, 3 sets of in-ear stabilizers ("Sport Fins") in 3 sizes, a cloth bag, some small O-rings that work with the optional 3D-printed customization earpiece caps, and the usual literature and warranty. I've had quite a bit of experience with earphone users on audio forums who purchased cloned or fake (fugazi) earphones, and it rarely has a good outcome. Be sure to get the genuine Forza Metallo Wireless. In previous reviews I've included music examples with comments about how the headphones sound with each track. My suggestion is instead of reading each one as an absolute unto itself, you could compare my notes here to other reviews and see how the ForzaMW compares to other headphones with each track. Note that the ForzaMW was evaluated above and below without tone controls or equalization. Above & Beyond - We're All We Need (feat. Zoe Johnston): A very nice tight but impactful bass with crystal clear vocals - the ForzaMW plays this with great ambiance. Anamanaguchi - Planet: A complex mix of percussion sounds and hummed vocals. The bells and other high-frequency percussion are highly detailed, the bass line has a moderate impact, and the bass detail is surprisingly good. Armin van Buuren - J'ai Envie de Toi (Orig Mix feat Gaia): Decent bass impacts, breathy vocals, lots of fun noise - the ForzaMW makes this sound real. Avicii - Feeling Good: Classic female vocal in movie-theme style - the ForzaMW brings this to life like few other earphones I've heard. Carl Kennedy-Tommy Trash ft Rosie Henshaw - Blackwater (Original Master): Nice strong tight bass impacts, female vocal, rendered delectably by the ForzaMW. Crystal Castles - Wrath of God: Atmospheric tune with vocal sound effects and strong bass line, plus some interesting treble percussion sounds. The ForzaMW brings these unique sounds to life. Digitalism - Pogo: A driving beat with a detailed bass synth and great vocals ("There's something in the air...") - the ForzaMW makes this very enjoyable. Dino Lenny-Lino Di Meglio - We Will Make It: Atmospheric tune with mixed vocals and a good beat - the female vocal is a special treat with the ForzaMW. DJ Shadow - Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt: High-pitched tones and strong deep piano chords with a hummed female vocal - ultra-cool with the ForzaMW. Fairmont - Poble Sec: Awesome detailed bass impacts with some nifty pingy guitar/synth effects. I discovered this tune at the time I purchased my 3rd M100 - the ForzaMW renders this perfectly. Giuseppe Ottaviani - Lost for Words (On Air Mix feat Amba Shepherd): Strong bass impacts behind a female voice - a large-scale sweeping sonic image reminiscent of epic adventures in an exotic land. The ForzaMW is playing on a whole new level here. Hecq - Enceladus (With Skyence): Prodigious deep bass and clean at that. This tune's melody is more abstract than most of the others here, but the ForzaMW makes it a real adventure. Katy B - Crying For No Reason (Tom Shorterz Remix): Oh myyyyy, I love Katy B. The vocal mix here is awesome and the bass is solid. This is the ForzaMW at its best. Ladytron - Destroy Everything You Touch: I first heard this in The September Issue film and soundtrack, as the backdrop for the opening catwalk (watch Andre grinning at 1:51 - all you need to know) - the ForzaMW plays this amazing tune perfectly. Lee and Malinda - Truth Will Set You Free (V-Moda Mix): Lee Kalt is the master, this is the masterpiece. The drum (or tom-tom) hits here have a very realistic skin-tone, the female vocal is seamlessly integrated into the driving beat, and the synth effects also blend well - the ForzaMW just owns this. Markus Schulz - Mainstage: The granddaddy of bass is in this track, and the ForzaMW plays it smooth and clean.

Pretty good product, with great sound quality. Very clear and distinct sound and even in high volume does not change or distorts. Although its supposed to be biased towards bass I still find it balanced. Supports Apt-x codec and works best with Android phones. But unfortunately does not support AAC so with iOS sound quality will not be as good as Android.

After months of online research to find the best pairing of a wireless headphone set for my new Pixel xl2, I finally decided on this, the V-Moda Forza Metallo Wireless. I am glad that I did. The set itself is well packaged, easy to set up and easier to install on my phone. It is fast to charge, so comfortable to wear, simple to operate, holds a charge like no other and the sound is second to none! I was expecting nothing less from V-Moda and I am not disappointed. The price point from Amazon.ca was crazy... less in Canadian dollars than the USD price direct from V-Moda.... and free shipping too. It was out of stock when I ordered it so had to wait a few weeks but the wait was well worth it. Get it while you can. I have tried others but based on comfort, sound and technical specs, the V-Moda Forza Metallo Wireless cannot be beat.