SoundMAGIC E80 Quick Review

SoundMAGIC E80 Quick Review

Thanks to Hifiheadphones for the sample.

Brief:  SoundMAGIC takes it up a notch

Price:  £65 which is about US$100

Specification:  Driver: Dynamic, 10mm, Neodymium, Frequency range: 15Hz – 22kHz, Impedance: 64Ω, Sensitivity: 102dB, Maximum input power: 20mW, Cable: 1.2m, Connector: 3.5mm, angled jack, gold-plated, Weight: 13g

Accessories:  3 pairs dome shaped silicone eartips (S/M/L), 3 pairs flat silicone eartips (S/M/L), 1 pair Double Flange silicone eartips (M), 3 pairs Comply foam tips (S/M/L), Hard carrying case, Cable clip

Build Quality:  They would appear to be great.

Isolation:  Fairly good.  For a dynamic they are relatively sealed, notably more than the GR07 so you could use them for most duties.  Not really Tube or long flight but you know, fine for a bus or normal traffic.  Easily enough to get you run over too of you aren’t looking.

Comfort/Fit:  Rather good.  I did get a bit of venting issues in my left ear, only the left.  Nothing huge and after a min or so it equalised and was fine.  Comfort was fine too.

Aesthetics:  I, well, I’m not loving the red.  Its just so red and expect mountains of bass, you know a bit of a “mainstream” type sound and these are if anything middy.  Dunno the red just wasn’t doing it for me.

Sound:  Lovely.  SoundMAGIC have long been a fav of mine, with their amazing little PL-50’s as one of my all-time fav’s.  These are dynamics but they retain a near magical mid-range.  Not unlike a GR07 that has been sculpted to make the vocals shine.  Not just shine but soar and sweep and vault and bank and just everything you could vocally want.  The bass is pretty great too, mildly polite but deep down its got a bit of grunt and can almost keep up to the mids.  The treble it’s not quite so grand, good but not amazing.  It can be touch lacking from time to time and it hasn’t the same nuance and detail level the GR07 has and if anything edgy tracks it can be abrasive.  However you stick to those mids and woah are they good.  Heavily acoustic stuff are just exactly what the E80 is made for.  Strings, male or female vocals it really doesn’t matter as it does them all with such passion, neither dry or over creamy, such fluidity out of a dynamic.  Mid heads who want something that can move more air than a singly BA can manage should take a good look at these.

Value:  Lovely.  Not quite the generalist that the GR07 is but these are easily on a par with them and have notably superior mids.  One of the most enjoyable midranges of any dynamic drivered IEM’s.

Pro’s:   Mids.  Neatly sculpted bass. Mids, and the mids.

Con’s:  Treble lags a touch.  Maybe too middy for some.