SoundMAGIC ES18 In-Ear Headphones (IEM) Review

After having broken my SoundMAGIC PL11 IEM’s(In-Ear Monitors), I was looking for a replacement. The previous PL11 had served me well (around 2 years) and I was pretty impressed with the sound quality it provided, especially for its price. Hence, I started looking into Sound Magic's offerings around the Rs. 1000 mark while also considering the alternatives.

After some digging around the earphones which received the highest ratings and recommendations across websites and forums, which were easily available in India and fell under Rs. 1000 were –

1. SoundMAGIC PL11
2. SoundMAGIC PL21
3. SoundMAGIC ES18
4. Panasonic HJE-120E
5. Philips SHE3570 / SHE3580 / SHE3590
6. Sony MDR-EX220LP
7. Creative EP-630

This is a review of the SoundMAGIC ES18. Reviews on others will be posted shortly!

INTRODUCTION

SoundMAGIC did a great job with their earphones. They’ve won them quite a few awards and recommendations from Audiophiles. ES18 is a cost cutting version of their E series IEMs such as the E10, E30, etc.

ES 18 in fact, is the little brother to the E10 and shares the same 10mm sound driver! However, does it sound that good?

The SoundMAGIC ES18 makes a bold statement about making great sound affordable. Thanks to its upgraded 10mm Neodymium drivers and careful sound chamber tuning, the ES18 has a dynamic and refined sound signature that compares favourably to headphones many times its cost. The ES18 exhibits excellent accuracy and strong bass performance, delivering a deliciously full bodied listening experience.

The ES18 is well made with a bonded plastic housing, extended flexible strain relief, and tangle-free cord terminated with a right angle gold plated 3.5mm jack. It is available in three exciting colors of red, green, and orange.

SPECIFICATIONS

Transducers: Dynamic 10mm Neodymium Driver

Frequency range: 15Hz～22KHz

DC resistance: 16Ω (±10%)

Sensitivity: 100dB/mW @ 1KHz (±2dB)

Cable length: 1.2m (3.5ft)

Connector: 3.5mm gold plated plug

Weight: 11g

PACKAGING

The earphones come with a synthetic leather storage pouch and three pairs of silicone ear tips in small, medium and large sizes. The box it comes in looks nice and the earphones are efficiently packed.

BUILD QUALITY

Cheap Wires! Yes, that is the first thought that comes to mind as soon as you touch the wires. It almost made me weary what sound such earphones could deliver. The housing is made of cheap plastic. There is absolutely nothing special about the build quality – even the colour combination I got (black and orange) looks a little gaudy.

SOUND QUALITY

Out of the box, they sounded good to my ears. People claimed they delivered HI-FI sound. Well, they are right to a certain extent. After a burn-in period of around 60 hours, I noticed some improvement in the sound quality. It became warmer and better balanced. The soundstage though not very broad, is one of the best in this price range!

The sound delivered is well balanced. The earphones have a pretty flat frequency response and on changing the equalizer the effect is noticed instantly.

Treble – a bit bright or rather sparkling, bordering on the border line of being a little harsh – but luckily, not being there.

Bass – Good. Not too much, not too less either. Its punchy and does not overpower the vocals and other instruments.

Mids – Great! This is where the ES18 really shines!

Highs – This is one weak area, but not that bad to hamper the overall experience.

They sound better on the E52 and laptop than Galaxy S2  but that’s owing to the pitiful Yamaha audio chip on the S2! However, on the Nokia E52 and the laptop it sounds equally good!!

CONCLUSION

For Rs. 560 (street price), these are one awesome set of IEM’s! They are quite comfortable, sound awesome (for the price) – beating earphones almost twice, may be thrice more expensive than it. It beats my old PL11 in terms of the sound quality by a small margin.

The build quality is one compromise SoundMAGIC had to make in order keep costs low.

For me, Sound Quality is what takes priority over Build Quality so it fits the bill perfectly.

Ultimately, with these IEM’s you get more that your money’s worth!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Test Devices

Laptop, Nokia E52 & Samsung Galaxy SII – I9100

P.S – I’ve also ordered Panasonic SHE1360 earphones so that I don’t break these while I’m in bed listening to music before I sleep. I’ll post a review soon.

Also, I’ll be reviewing the Panasonic RJE-120E, Philips SHE3590 and Sony MDR-EX220LP earphones as soon as I get my hands on them. They’re in transit ;) Let’s say, I was on an earphones buying spree..

Stay Tuned!