SoundMAGIC HP100 Premium Over-the-Ear Folding Headphones (Black)

Read all the reviews here on headfi and you'll get a very accurate idea of what you'll hear.

I have been buying portable earphones since the early 90s, mostly Sony and their $100 models.In the past several years I've gathered Klipsch S4(great budget gear) then the V moda M80 for my first headphone and its great in a warm smooth way with plenty of great bass for my taste, and because it was on sale the Klipsch X5 which opened my eyes with the astonishing detail it relayed, and this made me want an over ear that was somewhere between the M80 and the X5. I wanted detail but also deep bass and something neither had, soundstage!

Like many, I was looking around the $200 level and the real contenders were the AKG K550, Beyer 770LE and Quart 8.35D oh and these of course. There just wasn't much written about the 8.35 and there were issues with comfort and soundstage so that was scratched. the Beyer was sounding appealing but it has scooped mids and harsher highs scratch. The AKGs have got real good reviews but that would depend if your head was huge because they are big and the bass, which isn't strong in the first place , disappaers without a good seal. I chose the Soundmagic after reading almost no negative feedback except one guy in Portugal that says they have a upper bass suck out, so I went for it.

These are much more neutral than warm like my M80s which was what I wanted because while warmth is smooth and all I wanted to hear more fine detail and these deliver without being harsh at all. They are actually quite smooth considering their sound. The soundstage is huge compared to anything I've owned. Having everything seperated only aids in being able to detect finer sounds and layers. I read allot about how the M80s have "polite" treble and I can understand that description but frankly they need more sparkle and with the HP100 you get that. I can clearly hear the splash and crash of cymbals whereas before they were buried behind the warmth. The mids are neither forward or recessed and are crisp and sharp and not at all interfered with bass. The bass is awesome. Listenig to a song that isn't bassy and you get the impression they wouldnt be bassy because these are a bit on the clinical side, but the moment bass enters it is there in great proportion and again in a very detailed manner. You can here exactly how the bass sounds rather than just a oomph. Somehow these manage to deliver very deep bass that makes electronic music fun, literally vibrating the cups on your head!

Bottom line is I am very happy. I think its difficult to pull off cans that have this kind of detail yet still can have incredible rumble. This is what I wanted and I am very pleased. Oh and the build seems solid with plenty of comfort and adjustments. They feel solid and the pivots aren't wimpy. The looks are neither here nor there for me as I buy them for sound, besides my M80s will be my portables. I'd put these against any headphone of this class.

We are all different, and thus we all like different things.  But there are likely only so many possible combinations in the world. So if you happen to be like me and like sleek, low profile, comfy, feature filled, well deigned, well made, amazing sounding shiny bits… Then maybe these will also be your new favorite cans? 

Lets start with the physical, as eventually you will have to admit this is where all love starts. Attraction. The box, like any first date is somewhat interesting, but really gives away nothing but a graph of presumable truths supported by a couple of obvious lies. Moving past the exterior is where the interest lies, inside the box.  Inside I found a great little low profile hard case reminiscent to (or the same as) the Vmoda case. How could it be the same? Well you may not have heard of Soundmagic, but you certainly have heard Soundmagic, they have been producing headphones for the big companies (even Byer!) for donkeys, In the shadows and without a word…Until now!

Unzipping the case to reveal a familiar red lining I find the cans rested around a centrally located pouch on the inner case, my breath bated, heart a mess. I went into this expecting mid priced Chinese takeout and a movie. Before even hearing these things I’m thinking of taking them home? For good?!? I shook the thought and got realistic; this is a review not a purchase.  Picking up the cans I notice there is no attached cable, but a simple and unobvious jack input and locking mechanism.  I gripped them in one hand to open the pouch to get the cable out and noticed immediately the finishes were for real… If they ever make cars solely out of plastic, this is the kind I hope they use. And someone please tell my wife I want my coffin lined with this memory foam! In the pouch I found one of those silicon style cables, with a neat little termination and its curly, but light- not what I was expecting again.  Also inside can be found a nifty airplane adapter, gold jack adapter, and cool caribeena.

Before I plugged it into the C421 and iphone I was using, I inspected a little further, unable to hide my grin.  These cans are portable, they are compact, and come with a case. But they are also sleek, low profile (the cups that hold those huge stonking drivers are somehow so narrow they almost disappear on the head!), and flexible! They do that DJ foldy thingy where they twist and flip and contort smoothly and comfortably, eventually spooning the headband in a tiny bundle of cool- presumably a useless mating dance, but never the less a big turn on. That’s not all… they have a trick Im not overly familiar with, they are double jointed? This classy, hot, little contortionist can pivot att the headband joins to angle the cups for any head- possibly even alien. And where’s the cable in all this? I don’t know? It certainly doesn’t hang out of the top of the cup and try to slip under the rug unnoticed as it were with most other cans. Its absent. Hidden somewhere in that aluminum and plastic I cant stop touching, then polishing, then touching (it hold fingerprints for ransom). Even hidden in the aluminum arms that only show when extended, hidden still impossibly inside that vastly rotating join? Amazing.

I popped them on coyly. So light, so comfortable, so slim lined, it felt sinful.  There are adjustments every which way, and all incremental and firm. Not firm on your head at all, these are effortless, but the mechanics are firm. Each adjustment stays as you left it. More impressive still those aluminum ride height adjustments have an etched scale of numbers along them. I found myself toying with the cable while they were on my head, like a girl with something wicked on her mind, I knew I had to take this to the next level.

Cable>C421 OP2227 [no boost]>Iphone 4s>Trentemoller rework with Thom York>eargasm.

Im no cheap or easy date, which sounds presumptuous after the aforementioned audio quickie, but I must say I was far more than my usual brand of impressed. I paused not a third into the very first track, pulled my wallet and paid Billy (Noisy Motel). These were mine.

Rock, jazz, electronica, hop hop, female vocalists of all sorts and eras, male crooners, 50’s radio jingles, Russian klezmer, death metal, The Beatles remasters…It doesn’t just handle them all, it renews them all! The name, which at first seemed a little less than cool, now seems completely accurate! A descriptive of the product or more precisely what it actually achieves.

The signature glows in every respect, the perfect EQ for every genre you throw at it. As if theres a tiny man in there somewhere watching which track your about to select and then quickly adjusting the EQ to suit. The more I listened, the more the ridiculous idea of the tiny EQ man become plausible. So much so I found myself desperately trying to trick him.

Ludacris. How can something with SO MUCH BASS for electronica (destroys any Beyer on the market), behave itself so well with other genres? How can every other aspect of the sound spectrum be so even-tempered and full? A perfect example is going from say any high quality bass heavy track you have, the biggest, the baddest you got, then switching over to The Bicycle Race by Queen… Odd I know, but if the constant kick drum in this track still sounds like an actual organic kick drum via bassy cans- you’ve got a miracle! This is seriously a new benchmark for headphones everywhere, in any price point.

If you like that BIG bottom bass in the Beyer DT770 or DT990, but don’t apreciate the scooped mids. If you prefer an even and relatively “flat” (such a subjective term) sound signature but want a little more texture, detail, and bottom end in the mix. If you like “fun” headphones, but want something better- much much better. If you just crave an improved more modern and forward thinking sound in general. If you want all of the above in a sleek package that’s well made, beautifully finished, feature filled, uber comforatable, and comes with accessories and a free case…Your asking a bit much of any headphone on the market. Any headphone other than the Soundmagic HP100- my favorite cans, by a country mile in a hovercraft piloted by Swedish models in fluro body paint smoking cigars.

Not trying them would be the worst move you ever made. Not buying them after you’ve auditioned the hell out of them would annoy you the next day- and every day after that. Trying them and then acting all cool like you didn’t like them, would make you look like a wanker to everyone else whos experienced them.  Don’t deny yourself happiness, don’t go against the grain on this one, resistance is futile.

SoundMAGIC HP100 review

I would like to thank tony at soundmagic for asking me to review their First full size circumaural headphone, and I must say they have done a very good job.

I will try and write as honest a review as possible, and any opinions expressed are my own and others may not agree.

These have had 100 hours of burn in, as suggested by soundmagic, and differences were noticed, so do not judge them straight out of the box.

Gear Used:

IPod Classic 7G 160gb (rockboxed) > HP100

IPod Classic 7G 160gb (rockboxed) > Fiio L3 > JDS Labs C421 (AD8620) > HP100

Specs:

Transducer: Dynamic 53mm

Frequency response: 10hz-30khz

Impedance: 32Ω

Sensitivity: 95db at 1Khz/mw

Max input power: 100mw

Cable length: 1.2m (4m extended)

Weight: 288g

Price: $200

Packaging, Accessories, Build Quality and Comfort:

Packaging is quite attractive, with a simple white box with a picture of the HP100 on the front, a frequency graph and some info on one side, and various positions you can use the headphones in (folding, one ear etc…) on the other side. On the back it has the specifications and some more info.

Accessories are very good, a nice hard case, for transportation with a clip to clip it onto your bag, a flight adapter, a 3.5mm to 6.3mm screw on adapter and a cleaning cloth. Overall a very nice package, not missing anything, I do love the hard case.

Build quality seems very sturdy, the headband is very flexible and is covered in pleather, the cups are plastic but the shiny plates are all metal. The extender arms are reinforced with metal and the single sided cable is detachable via a 3.5mm lock in plug (so no aftermarket cables I’m afraid). The cable is coiled but not particularly bulky or heavy and perfect size for portability, the strain relief on both jacks are very good and made of flexible rubber, the cable is medium in thickness. The pads are pleather and very soft, and also replaceable, I want to try some Beyerdynamic DT770 velour pads one day.

(One thing that bothers me is that the metal cup plates are like the backs of iPods, easily scratched, I mean very easily. I keep them in their case and baby them but they still have some minor scratches)

Comfort is amazing, so many companies get it wrong and make uncomfortable headphones, these are fairly heavy but well padded, the headband has very soft padding and the pleather ear pads are super soft too, but soft in a comfy way and not compressed so you feel the plastic way. These rival the Beyerdynamic DT770 in the comfort department. My ears only get sweaty after long listening sessions

The isolation isn’t great but good enough for walking about with, but I don’t think these were made to be particularly portable.

The whole headphone kind of reminds me of the DT770 in style, with the circular cups and pads, and general shape. These can fold inward neatly (like the audio technica ATH-M50 and Shure SRHXXX), and the cups can rotate 90 degress to the back so you can use them on one ear, dj style. All hinges are metal and sturdy.

Sound:

Heres the part you’ve all been waiting for:

Lows:

Not bass monsters, so bass heads need not apply, but the bass they do have has very good puch when needed and extends low with great control and detail. The bass is full bodied but not extremely fast in recovery, I think the full body of the bass helps as like this they don’t sound cold or thin and give an overall great body to the sound. I find the amount of bass perfect, if slightly above neutral. They handle EDM and Dubstep very well in my opinion and the bass does not bleed into the mids.

Mids:

I find the mids on these very transparent in the way that on some tracks the mids sound slightly behind, but not exactly recessed, but on others the mids are perfectly balanced between the lows and highs. The mids are detailed but never harsh and they don’t throw detail in your face. The mids are very smooth with only the slightest hint of sibilance (mainly on bad recordings). They portray vocals very naturally but electric guitars do lose some power.

Highs:

Great is a good word to describe the highs, never harsh or bright, with the right amount of presence (a little bit more forward wouldn’t hurt though). Details in the highs are easy to pick out and they extend very well with a good amount of sparkle. The decay and shimmer is perfect for my liking. Every tap and crash of cymbals can be heard with great detail and never become splashy.

Soundstage, Imaging and Instrument Separation:

The soundstage is one of this cans strong points, it reminds me of the DT770 with great width, depth and height.

Imaging is also done very well but not quite as good as my Shure SRH440.

Instrument separation is good, there is enough space between the lows, mids and highs, but these don’t have an airy presentation so the space between the instruments isn’t that big.

Conclusion

I think soundmagic have done a marvelous job with their first full sized closed cans. There are a lot of options in the sub $200 zone and these do a great job at fitting in. I think depending on your preference there are better options, but for a great all rounder that you can throw anything at and it will sound great, then these are very good. They are easy to listen to and have no real weak points, with a smooth no fatiguing sound with amazing comfort you cannot go wrong.

They are balanced, but not neutral with a sense of warmth and thickness to the sound, but they just sound very natural playing whatever genre you like. I cannot hear any major dips or peaks in the frequency response.

I must say I can’t think of a better option for music, gaming, movies or TV, they out do the DT770 in my opinion.

Amping

These really do benefit from amping, as i find them to sound flat and boring just driven from my iPod, adding an amp brings out the bass, and widens the soundstage and just brings out the best in them. Also they are not very sensitive so you will have to crank up the volume of you portable source to get decent listening volumes.

I hope you enjoyed this review, any comments are welcome with tips to make my reviews better

Tracks Used:

Skrillex – First Of The Year (Equinox) (320kbps MP3)

Paramore – Franklin (320kbps MP3)

Diana Krall – The Girl In The Other Room (FLAC)

Deolinda – Passou Por Mim E Sorriu (live) (ALAC)

Suicide Silence – Unanswered (FLAC)

Massive Attack – Angel (ALAC)

Eat Static – Dzhopa Dream (ALAC)

The XX – Crystalised (FLAC)

Funeral For A Friend – Bend Your Arms To Look Like Wings (ALAC)

Mumford & Sons – Little Lion Man (FLAC)

The Scene Aesthetic – Humans (259kbps MP3)

A Hero A Fake – Swallowed By The Sea (254kbps MP3)

Vivaldi – The Four Seasons, Spring Allegro (ALAC)

Johnny Craig – Children Of Divorce (161kbps MP3)

Deadmau5 + Kaskade – I Remember (Caspa Remix) (320kbps MP3)

Black Uhuru – Utterance (ALAC)

We Are The In Crowd – Never Be What You Want (226kbps MP3)

Silverstein – Discovering The Waterfront (320kbps MP3)

Concept Of Thought – Our Thought (FLAC)

Nirvana – Something In The Way (Unplugged) (ALAC)

Oscar Stewart