These cuties come all the way from the über cool Hollywood area, so we had high hopes that they would be of superstar quality.

We tried both the regular set of headphones and those developed specifically with the iPhone in mind (although they can be plugged into any normal MP3 player, just with an extra mic feature you won’t use). Both sets come with a variety of interchangeable rubber surrounds that nestle beneath what are actually rather dangerous looking metal earfittings. However, that metallic gleam adds a little bit of bling to your outfit, as V-Moda lives up to its name in the style stakes.

There’s also a wrap included to stop them getting tangled, as well as a smart looking pouch to put them in, but how do they sound?

Sadly, the quality of playback through these beauties was only ever average. That’s down to a little bit too much bass, which overpowers everything else. And even though the headphones only promise ‘noise isolating’, we miss the noise cancelling effects of our regular cans. The selection of ear buds means you should find some that help improve the sound with a better fit, but the rubber option left us with the feeling that your ears popping.

Unfortunately, this is a classic case of style over substance. The Duo Vibe's unusual look might play well with a youth market that wants to stand out from the crowd, but the poor sound quality make these a no-no for anyone seriously into their music.

VERDICT: 4/10