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.
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.
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.
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.
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 –
- SoundMAGIC PL11
- SoundMAGIC PL21
- SoundMAGIC ES18
- Panasonic HJE-120E
- Philips SHE3570 / SHE3580 / SHE3590
- Sony MDR-EX220LP
- 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!!
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!
From where I can buy these earphones at cheapest rates??
ReplyDeleteHere-
Deletehttp://www.maniacstore.com/SoundMagic-ES-18-Red-Black-Headphones-Price-In-India.html
grt review..waiting for more happy go lucky...
ReplyDeleteGreat job, my friend !! :-D
ReplyDeleteWay to go manP..!!!
ReplyDeleteNice work Man...Din't think we could dig so deep before buying an earphone.! Plus amazing product shots !! Thumbs up :)
ReplyDeleteI need the review of Sony Ex220LP... Please make it fast.... I,m looking forward to buy it...
ReplyDeleteThanx bro...
ReplyDeleteu saved my effort....though i m confused.
But ultimately u seems to convince me to go for it
thanx once again...'
'would rep once i get it !!!
which colour combination looks more cooler?
ReplyDeleteIt is rather subjective. I know some friends who find the red and black colour combination cooler than my orange & black one. I think otherwise. The green & black version doesn't seem to be too popular though.
ReplyDeleteGreat review !
ReplyDelete