Low cost IEMs with great sound from SoundMAGIC (E10 and PL30 models)

A week ago, I told you about the headphones manufactured by SoundMAGIC, which fall in the price range up to $ 20 . Raising the bar to $ 40 and consider, by the standards of the company, headphones of the average price range, namely the model E10 and PL30.

* IEM - In-ear monitors (in-ear headphones)

Declared specifications

	SoundMAGIC E10	SoundMAGIC PL30
Electroacoustic transducer	Dynamic, diameter 10 mm, based on neodymium magnet	Dynamic, diameter 9 mm, based on neodymium magnet
frequency range	15 Hz - 22 KHz	20 Hz - 22 KHz
Impedance	16 ± 10% Ohm	12 ohm
Sensitivity	100 ± 2 dB at 1 kHz / mW	100 dB at 1 kHz / mW
Cable	1.2 m (reinforced)	1.2 m
Plug	3.5 mm, straight, gold plated	3.5 mm, "G" -shaped, gold-plated
Body material	Aluminum	Plastic
Weight	11 g	10 g

Packing and packaging

A simple, but at the same time attractive box made of thick white cardboard is de facto standard for SoundMAGIC products. In its upper part there is a transparent window through which we can see the headphones themselves, and in the lower part there is a compartment with accessories, of which there are quite a lot.

All sorts of design options for the case of headphones are shown on the right side.

From the rear are the characteristics of the headphones and a list of accessories that are included. Also worth noting is a sticker with a hologram and a scratch-coated under which is an eighteen-digit verification code. To verify the authenticity of your headphones you need to go to the official website of the company and in the Security check section enter the previously received code.

Complete with headphones SoundMAGIC E10 you will find: a large black bag for transporting headphones, a clip on the cable and an impressive collection of nozzles. The last in the amount of 7 pairs, among which there are two pairs of single-lip silicone nozzles (differences in the size of the sound guide) are large, small and medium-sized, as well as two-petal nozzles for those who want better insulation.

Acquisition SoundMAGIC PL30 no less extensive. In addition to the headphones themselves, the kit also contains a bag of leatherette, a clip for the wire, ear hooks, and two pairs of silicone / foam nozzles in three standard sizes. The latter, by the way, are not so often met in the budget headphones.

More than worthy equipment for the price that the manufacturer asks. Let's add here a stylish package and you can put a solid top five!

Appearance

Let's start with the model E10 . The stylish metal case is one of the characteristic features of these headphones, on which the manufacturer so often focuses our attention. Moreover, it is unique and protected by patent laws! The patent itself and its contents can be seen here .

There are 4 colors for body design. Personally, I liked the most spectacular mixture of black and red.

The sound system and the grid covering it are also metal, by the way, metal is everywhere here. On the other hand is the company logo and headphone model.

It is possible to distinguish the left earpiece from the right one by the marking engraved on the case, or by the color of the cambric, where the right is red and the left is blue.

The length of the wire is 1.2 meters, Y-shaped, additionally reinforced from the inside, which increases its strength. In the cold does not harden (tested at -15 ° C). The branching unit is metallic, as is the plug itself. The latter has a direct form that will be convenient for most owners of modern smartphones / players.

SoundMAGIC PL30 looks no less stylish, even without metal at the base of the case. A feature of this model is the ear fit, because of which the headphones have a non-standard shape with something resembling snails.

There are three color options design, namely: black, white and silver-gray.

The net covering the sound guide is non-removable, so when contaminated it will have to be cleaned. On the reverse side are the low frequency controls. Marking of L and R is absent, headphones can be distinguished solely by the color of the cambric, which is not very convenient.

The wire in this model has a simpler design, its main part is in a rubber sheath, a splitter is made of the same material. Cable length - 1.2 meters, branching symmetrical. Microphone effect is minimal. The plug is L-shaped, gilded.

Wearing comfort

The E10 model has a standard barrel shape, so you shouldn’t expect any particular features in terms of wearing comfort. For comfortable listening to music, first of all, you need to choose the right nozzles. Noise isolation is on the average level and if it is enough for the street or public transport, then these headphones are definitely not suitable for the metro.

A completely different story with the SoundMAGIC PL30 headphones. What the truth is to conceal - these are my first earphones with a ear-muffed way of wearing. After a couple of days of operation, the words “I need them!” Spontaneously burst out. Such a fit, combined with the small dimensions of the headphones themselves, is just pretty darn comfortable for both sports and everyday use. With the latter, unfortunately, did not work out, but about this chapter below. By the way, the insulation of this model in combination with foam nozzles is an order of magnitude higher than that of the E10, but in the subway noise still makes its way.
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A couple of extra chips:

The clip that comes with the headphones, in addition to its standard functions, can act as a tie for the wire, as a result, the headphones are not confused during transportation.
Thanks to its compact size and deep ear landing, the SoundMAGIC PL30 headphones can be comfortably worn under the cap, which is unattainable with the E10 model.

Sound

I used the following equipment to assess sound quality: SanDisk Sansa Clip + MP3 players and Cowon D20, FiiO E10 DAC / amplifier, Jiayu G2 smartphone and lossless recordings. Intentional warming of the headphones was not made, but those and others have 100+ hours of listening to music at a volume above the average.

Looking ahead, I will say that the E10 is far ahead of the PL30 in terms of sound quality, and indeed any other headphones I've heard in this price range. And this is confirmed by many reputable publications specializing in audio equipment. Attack and dynamics are simply exciting. Headphone peculiar detail and clarity over the entire frequency range. There is a bias in the bass, but without prejudice to the overall balance. The scene (or panorama - as you like) is also on the level. In the end - for fans of energetic and exciting music - Must have!

The model PL30 is not so rosy. These headphones also have a bass slope, and reproduce it quite well, but with high frequencies definitely fail! The same with panorama and attack. Energetic compositions with a lot of tools are contraindicated for these headphones. Therefore, for simple compositions, podcasts, films - an excellent choice, given the convenience of wearing. By the way, I almost forgot, for this model, we managed to find the frequency response graph (for the E10 model we could not find it), which confirms my words.

Due to the high sensitivity and low resistance, both instances without problems will play even with a very weak source. Owners of Apple devices will also not stand aside; for them, SoundMAGIC releases a modified version of the E10 headphone model, namely, the E10M with a remote control and microphone.

Results

SoundMAGIC E10 and PL30 are inexpensive in-ear headphones with excellent workmanship and excellent sound in the case of the E10. Model PL30 is perfect for listening to quiet compositions during sports, thanks to a comfortable fit and small size. But the E10 is the perfect way to invest money, for which you will receive a high-quality assembly, excellent design and excellent sound.

Cost of

In Ukraine, headphones can be purchased from the official SoundMAGIC distributor of Era in ear . Model E10 will cost you $ 37 ( Apple Version for devices $ 52), and PL30 is $ 5 cheaper. Where to buy in Russia - I will not tell you, but nobody has yet canceled Ebay or Aliexpress.