The successor to the original E10 – the SoundMAGIC E10S has a lot to live up to. Packing more features and accessories, find out what we think in our SoundMAGIC E10S review.
SoundMAGIC have become well known thanks to the success of the E10. The E10S that we’re looking at here is its updated relative – while on the surface they look very similar, significant changes have been made behind the scenes.
Feature Packed
Anyone that has previously seen a set of SoundMAGIC E10 earphones will look at the E10S and recognise them instantly – even the packaging looks incredibly similar. The box design is clean, well presented, business like and simple. Only when you start to look at the earphones inside can you start to notice the differences.
The earpieces are made from solid metal, are very strong & have a bit of weight to them – they look the same as the original E10. The cable is also the same silicone coated twisted type which provides good strength and tangle resistance. Its only when you look further down the cable that the visual differences start to make themselves known.
The SoundMAGIC E10S has a microphone and control button which is a great addition. Then further down at the cable split, there is an additional switch so you can set what type of connection/handset you want to use. Strangely for us, we had to use the opposite switch position to the one suggested. If the switch is set incorrectly, a message appeared on the Android handset stating that the headphones were incompatible – flick the switch the other way & all is fine and dandy. The 3.5mm gold plated jack plug has also changed – its a strong, sideways angled affair that protrudes significantly less than its predecessor. Heading back up the cable again, there is also a small optional cable clip. This slides up/down the separated cable beneath your chin so that you can adjust the point at which the cable splits and to an extent, where the microphone is positioned next to you mouth.
Also in the box you get a nice storage case and several sets of silicone eartips:
– 1x double seal
– 3x narrow sound port (small, medium & large)
– 3x wide sound port (small, medium & large)
Out of the included silicone eartips – we preferred the ones with the wider inner diameter. The type with the narrower port changed the tuning quite dramatically making them sound more forced & the bass becomes boomy/unnatural.
One very nice addition, especially for PC users, is the inclusion of a splitter cable that allows you to plug the SoundMAGIC E10S into separate 3.5mm microphone and headphones sockets simultaneously – perfect for laptops & PC gamers.
Huge Soundscape
As mentioned above, we preferred the silicone eartips with the wider inner diameter – our comments are based on how they sound.
The wider opening of the eartips allows the SoundMAGIC E10S earphones to sound natural and gives them a great dynamic quality. The bass is big, warm and deep – still managing to sound natural. The mid range has plenty of punch and snap that provides lots of detail. The top end is open and has no nasty traits at all. In short, the sound is big, detailed and precise – we like it a lot.
You can play with the EQ a little – drop a little at 400Hz then add a little at 6kHz and 16kHz and the sound really opens up nicely. While they sound very good without EQ, a little touch does give them a subtle lift.
We have also done a direct comparison with these and the original E10 – the E10S sound more direct, balanced and controlled than the original.
It is also worth noting that using these with a set of foam Comply T-400 tips really brings the best out in them – the sound becomes more focused and there’s a subtle change in the upper mid range that really makes the sound more refined.
SoundMAGIC E10S Review Conclusion
It seems that they have come up with the goods again and have managed to improve on the original. The SoundMAGIC E10S are a great set of in ear headphones that pack a great punch, are very well made, have great features and included accessories. While testing these during the review process we have really warmed to the E10S and have become quite seriously impressed. The price does put them in competition with a lot of other great earphones – but they hold their own with head held high and offer features that many of the others don’t (case, microphone/button, cross platform switch, adapter cable). The sound quality that they produce is outstanding & that alone makes them worth the money.
The SoundMAGIC E10S is a step up from the original and they make a serious upgrade for any music lover, smartphone user or avid gamer.
If you want to get the best possible sound from the E10S – a set of Comply T-400 foam tips makes them sound even better & is a must for anyone serious about their music.
Pros:
- Big detailed sound
- Tough build quality
- Sleek design
- Great accessories
Cons:
- ...none
Review Summary:
Sound - Big, warm and detailed...music as it should be heard
Design - Clean, sleek styling in a cohesive package
Quality - Very high build quality and tough materials used throughout
Value - Worth every penny
Model | Manufacturer | RRP (£) | Available Colours | Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|
E10S | SoundMAGIC | 39.99 | 4.5 |
Hi,
I emailed sound magic who told her there is no difference at all between the sound of the E10 and E10s.
I proved them again on this, but they repeated there is no difference to the sound/drivers at all.
Strange..
Hi – there is a difference in the sound, I tested them side by side. The drivers could well be the same, but the enclosures are a bit different – that alone could influence the sound enough to make them different.