Introduction
In this review the Soundmagic PL 30 will be reviewed and compared to the Sony XB20EX. Both are around the 30 dollar mark.
Specs (according to Soundmagic)
Frequency range | 20~22000 Hz |
DC Resistance | 12±10% Ohm |
Sensitivity | 100±3 dB at 1 KHz/mW |
Cable length | 1.2 M |
Connection
| 3.5 mm |
Weight
| 10 g |
Initial Impressions
My initial impression of these earphones are the relative smallness of the earphones compared to the pictures of it. They are the size of a quarter. The package shows the tips and they seem very nice.
Sound Quality
The Sound Quality is great the mids are great the highs are clear and defined and the bass provides a nice satisfying punch to it.
Highs:
8.5/10 The highs are clearly defined but are bit quiet and are overpowered by the mids.
Mids:
9/10 The mids are wonderful they are so clear and are very nice to listen to but can be overpowering at times.
Lows:
7.5/10 The lows are unimpressive compared to the other sound quality they are almost non existant and too soft.
Bass:
8.5/10 The Bass is very nice it compares nicely to other earphones such as the Sennheiser CX300 II and other over 70 priced IEMs. The bass rumbles nicely without being too muddy and the punch is nice. The feature of the bass knob with clear bass and deep bass is more of a gimmick and does not change the music much. The quantity and quality of bass is just right.
Soundstage:
The soundstage is excellent on
Sound Quality Comparison with Sony XB20EX
Highs
The Soundmagic PL30s win this round as the Sonys are more recessed in the highs
Mids
The Soundmagics also win here as the mids are also soft and recessed in the Sonys
Lows
In this department the Sonys win as the Lows are much clearer and defined while the Soundmagic is virtually non existant and muddy
Bass
The Soundmagic win here although the Sonys have more quantity the Soundmagic has a bit less quantity but great quality
Soundstage:
The Soundmagic definitely won here with a very wide soundstage and i was able to hear almost every instrument clearly whereas the Sony had a small compact soundstage.
Test Songs
DJ Tiesto Squeeze It: The bass is great the rumble is so nice and its nice and punchy the jumps are nice and the highs sound really good
ACDC: Highway to Hell: The soundstage on this song is really superb you can hear every song in clear detail and the guitar sounds fabulous.
Adele Rolling in The Deep: The mids sound very good and detailed and defined and the highs sound very nice though a little recessed
Conclusion
The Soundmagic PL30s are a great earphone for new audiophiles who are looking for cheap yet good earphones. They also have great soundstage that can compare to popular earphones like Sennheiser CX300 IIs for less than half the price. The build is decent though after using it for 6 months of semi intense usage the left ear suddenly stopped making noise ): I would recommend this for anyone with a tight budget