Just in time for holiday shopping, V-Moda has rolled out a new, reasonably-priced headset and microphone combination for the iPhone, iPod and smartphones.

The V-Moda Faze shares many of the best features of its cousin, V-Moda’s Vibe II which we reviewed earlier on Practical Travel Gear. But since St. Nick may be on a tighter budget this Christmas, the $49.99 price tag makes this an even better deal.

Why buy headphones instead of just using the ones that come in the box with iPods and other MP3 players? Because earbuds like the Faze sound better. Period. And if you’re going to invest in a player or fancy phone, at least make sure to get headphones that will do justice to your music collection and calls.

The Faze headphones deliver a full, crisp sound. The bass is very rich, similar to the sound of the Vibe II. Some listeners thought the Vibe II was a bit heavy on bass, but that’s a matter of preference. The mids and highs are clear and sharp on the Faze.

Three different sizes of silicone sleeves are included to fit all sizes of ears. The earbud design does a good job of blocking outside noises—a plus for travelers, especially when listening to your favorite tunes on airplanes or in cars.

But the Faze does more than make music sound good. It includes a built-in microphone for making calls or voice notes. There’s also a call and music control button to switch between talking on the phone and listening to music.

The button can pause music playback, or skip forward and backward through tracks. You can even use the microphone and an iPod Touch to make phone calls with a wi-fi connection and Skype. It’s almost like turning the Touch into an iPhone.

The earbuds are made to last, constructed of aluminum alloy with Kevlar-reinforced cables. Besides the iPhone and iPod Touch, they can be used with the Palm Pre, Blackberry and other smart phones, other brands of portable music players and computers for music listening and phone calling. An adapter is included to fit the Blackberry’s non-standard audio plug. The headphones also worked well with my HTC Fuze phone.

The Faze is available exclusively at Best Buy. V-Moda guarantees satisfaction by offering a 30-day, no-risk audition period and backs its products with a one-year warranty.

The earbuds are black (Nero) with silver trim, slightly less bling than the Vibe II. But they still offer premium sound and a full set of features.

For the price, smart Santas will find them hard to beat.

Get the V-Moda Faze at Amazon

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