Degauss Labs Vice English Review

The new Degauss Labs VICE is the new and only bluetooth in-ear headphone of the Swedish company. Bluetooth in-ear earphones are as popular as never before since the iPhone 7 release  and now a really great alternative to cable-bound in-ear headphones. You will find out what our thoughts about the Degauss Labs Vice are in this test report.

99,00 € or 79,00 € at
Degauss Labs

Scope of delivery

As usual with Degauss Labs, a lot of accessories are included with the VICE. It comes with:

• 4 pairs Silcon earplugs
• 3 pairs of Comply foam earplugs 4
• pairs of ear-wings
• storage bag
• cable clip
• USB charging cable

Build quality

The housing itself is made of aluminum on which a rubber attachment sits, this rubbers function is to ensure a better comfort on the ears. The cable is covered with a fabric mantel which makes a valuable impression and protects the cable from cable noise. The VICE is certified with IPX4 water resistence and thus protected against splashes, so the in-ear headphone can also be used for sporty activities.

Design and comfort

The Degauss Labs VICE is one of the most comfortable in-ear headphones in the Bluetooth range we have tested so far. He wears very pleasantly in the ear and dosen’t fall from the ear. The front part of the rubber body ensures a very soft wearing feel. With just 18 grams, the new headphone weighs almost nothing, which has a very good effect on the comfort.

The included Comply-Tips, which are very rarely included with Bluetooth in-ear headphones, can improve the wearing comfort even further. The housing itself is one of the smaller variants in the Bluetooth range, so even people with smaller ears shouldn’t have a comfort problem with these.

Bluetooth and remote

The VICE is available in the variations with 120mA (Degauss VICE Bluetooth Earphones VARTA 120mA) and with a 100 mA battery for about 20 euros less. We had the 120mA version in the test, which lasts at maximum volume to almost 7 hours of play time, which is quite a good result. The Bluetooth connection can be set up quickly, since you only have to press the middle button on the remote control for a longer period of time and then you can connect to it. The connection was always stable in the test under normal conditions and even managed to pass through a wall without disconnections. At maximum volume, the VICE can play deafeningly loud and often an average volume adjustment is enough.
Unfortunately you hear a very loud beep when you press the volume key. This can be quite annoying as it is way too lound and Degauss Labs should update the tone here.

Sound

When playing the VICE for the first time, it was noticeable that the bass and the treble are particularly emphasized and the in-ear headphones have a very open soundstage and a very good resolution. The soundstage is the largest we have heard so far in a bluetooth in-ear headphones. Even the twice as expensive B & O PLAY BeoPlay H5 can not keep up with the large soundstage and good imaging of the VICE.

Bass

The bass is very impressive and has its emphasis particularly in the lower regions and also the midbass is emphasized. Since it is a bluetooth in-ear headphone, which is mainly intended for mobile usage, an emphasis on the bass makes quite a lot of sense. The kickbass is very well done, but does isn’t too overpowering. Especially electric music and similar genres make the VICE very fun to listen to thanks to the superb bass.

Mids

The mids at first sound a little thin, which improved after a few hours of playing time and burn in. In direct comparison with the Teufel Move BT the Vice looses here, because with Move BT the mids are clearer and more present. Especially with male voices the VICE sometimes has minor problems in some songs. Nevertheless, the VICE does not have to hide and offers an acceptable presence of the midrange that sounds clean and well defined.

Heights

The heights are not overemphasized, but have a pleasant character throughout. Nevertheless, the VICE is an in-ear headphone which is clearly designed for fun and makes no efforts to be neutral-analytical. There are no sibilant noises and the VICE also masters s-tons very well, without to exceed.

The VICE isolate very well from outside noise too.

Conclusion Degauss Labs VICE

99,00 € or 79,00 € at
Degauss Labs

The Degauss Labs VICE is a very solid in-ear headphone for the go and due to the IPX4 water-resistance certification it is also usable during sport. It has a very fun tuning with a full bass and appealing highs. The VICE has small weaknesses in the mids but makes up to with one of the best soundstages of all bluetooth headphones. It comes with a lot of accessories and has a robust build quality.