In the search of a new (portable) drug (thank you, Huey), I came across the P10 foldable headphone from SoundMAGIC, makers of the ever-hyped PL30 iem. There seemed to be almost next to no information online about these headphones, here or otherwise, but they were $24, shipped, from MP4Nation so I thought... why not?
As Kodai already noted in the SoundMagic P10 quandary thread, these things are pretty dang small. Here are some pics I shot to give you some reference...
Fully extend, on my (relatively small) hand:
Folded up:
Sittin' next to my Fuze:
What you get:
-P10 foldable headphones with 22" cable (straight plug)
-40.5" extension cable (right angle plug)
-Black pouch marked SONY (wtf?)
I was originally going to post this review after about 100+ hours of burn-in, which is my usual wait time for headphones. I kept them plugged into a radio round-the-clock, and would bring them out every once in a while to have a listen. I stopped hearing changes after the first full day of burn-in (25+ hours), so I decided to go ahead and write this up now (at 50+ hours of burn-in).
Well, so what do I think of these?
Let's start with my gripes...
These things are a ROYALPAININMYFREAKINGASS to get fitted correctly. The metal headband has a lot of spring in its clamping action, so the cups want to slide around on my ears when I first put them on, which is just frustrating. Also, the sound can change dramatically with the fit, so I usually have to spend a good 20-30 seconds fiddling with them every time I put them on before I'm happy with both the feel of the fit and the sound of the fit. Once they're ready, however, they do a decent enough job of staying put.
Even though they are closed phones, being that they're supra-aural they don't isolate very well. Better than my Koss KSC75... but that's not saying much. I wouldn't recommend these for the bus, train, subway, walking, etc. Coffee shop or library? Knock yourself out.
They play just fine coming straight out of my Fuze. I usually keep the volume a bit under 50%, so no worries about needing to amp these. Will they sound better amped? Sure, of course... but nothing drastic.
How do they sound, though? That's the question. I'll just do a brief comparison to the KSC75, since many of you probably own a pair (or at least have heard them before):
Over all... I would say that these two phones are mirror images of each other. V-curves turned in opposite directions, if you will. While the KSC75 is heavy on the fat bass and sparkly treble, but with recessed mids, the P10 is midrange-centric, to say the least.
Bass... These don't go very deep, but they sure are punchy. The KSC75 has a bass which can, at times, be decently deep and powerful... but it is pretty muddy and bloated. The P10, on the other hand, delivers what I consider to be a much more natural bass presentation. There's not a whole lot of it, but what there is of it, is relatively tight and controlled. Bassheads need not apply.
Midrange... If you like midrange, these are the budget portables for you. There even seems to be a peak in the upper midrange. Not quite high enough to be bright, but not the least colored phones I've heard. However, I like this presentation, and it suits me just fine. This highlights such instruments as saxophone, guitar, piano, tom drums, snare, etc., and vocals are very prominent. The KSC75 falls pretty far behind in the midrange.
Treble... Much more natural than the KSC75, in my opinion. Just as much information, but less "sparkly" and fake sounding. Pretty well extended, with just a slight emphasis spread fairly evenly across the treble (or maybe this is just a by-product of the leaner bass presentation). Think DT-880 sound signature, but with the peak in the upper midrange instead of the (lower) treble.
Tone... Tonally, I'm surprised how accurate these are! Instruments actually sound like what they're supposed to sound like! (what a novel concept...) Mind you, they're far from perfect, but much better than I had expected for under $25.
Head/Sound-stage... Pretty good, actually; pretty good. A good deal better than the KSC75, which seems to have an in-your-face Grado quality at times. The P10 is more laid-back, while giving a good step or two forward to main instruments and vocals.
So, overall, I'm genuinely pleased with these headphones. They're wonderful for working at my desk, or taking with me to the library. Not so great for commuting, however. Minus the OH SO FRUSTRATING fit issues... these are definitely keepers.
As Kodai already noted in the SoundMagic P10 quandary thread, these things are pretty dang small. Here are some pics I shot to give you some reference...
Fully extend, on my (relatively small) hand:
Folded up:
Sittin' next to my Fuze:
What you get:
-P10 foldable headphones with 22" cable (straight plug)
-40.5" extension cable (right angle plug)
-Black pouch marked SONY (wtf?)
I was originally going to post this review after about 100+ hours of burn-in, which is my usual wait time for headphones. I kept them plugged into a radio round-the-clock, and would bring them out every once in a while to have a listen. I stopped hearing changes after the first full day of burn-in (25+ hours), so I decided to go ahead and write this up now (at 50+ hours of burn-in).
Well, so what do I think of these?
Let's start with my gripes...
These things are a ROYALPAININMYFREAKINGASS to get fitted correctly. The metal headband has a lot of spring in its clamping action, so the cups want to slide around on my ears when I first put them on, which is just frustrating. Also, the sound can change dramatically with the fit, so I usually have to spend a good 20-30 seconds fiddling with them every time I put them on before I'm happy with both the feel of the fit and the sound of the fit. Once they're ready, however, they do a decent enough job of staying put.
Even though they are closed phones, being that they're supra-aural they don't isolate very well. Better than my Koss KSC75... but that's not saying much. I wouldn't recommend these for the bus, train, subway, walking, etc. Coffee shop or library? Knock yourself out.
They play just fine coming straight out of my Fuze. I usually keep the volume a bit under 50%, so no worries about needing to amp these. Will they sound better amped? Sure, of course... but nothing drastic.
How do they sound, though? That's the question. I'll just do a brief comparison to the KSC75, since many of you probably own a pair (or at least have heard them before):
Over all... I would say that these two phones are mirror images of each other. V-curves turned in opposite directions, if you will. While the KSC75 is heavy on the fat bass and sparkly treble, but with recessed mids, the P10 is midrange-centric, to say the least.
Bass... These don't go very deep, but they sure are punchy. The KSC75 has a bass which can, at times, be decently deep and powerful... but it is pretty muddy and bloated. The P10, on the other hand, delivers what I consider to be a much more natural bass presentation. There's not a whole lot of it, but what there is of it, is relatively tight and controlled. Bassheads need not apply.
Midrange... If you like midrange, these are the budget portables for you. There even seems to be a peak in the upper midrange. Not quite high enough to be bright, but not the least colored phones I've heard. However, I like this presentation, and it suits me just fine. This highlights such instruments as saxophone, guitar, piano, tom drums, snare, etc., and vocals are very prominent. The KSC75 falls pretty far behind in the midrange.
Treble... Much more natural than the KSC75, in my opinion. Just as much information, but less "sparkly" and fake sounding. Pretty well extended, with just a slight emphasis spread fairly evenly across the treble (or maybe this is just a by-product of the leaner bass presentation). Think DT-880 sound signature, but with the peak in the upper midrange instead of the (lower) treble.
Tone... Tonally, I'm surprised how accurate these are! Instruments actually sound like what they're supposed to sound like! (what a novel concept...) Mind you, they're far from perfect, but much better than I had expected for under $25.
Head/Sound-stage... Pretty good, actually; pretty good. A good deal better than the KSC75, which seems to have an in-your-face Grado quality at times. The P10 is more laid-back, while giving a good step or two forward to main instruments and vocals.
So, overall, I'm genuinely pleased with these headphones. They're wonderful for working at my desk, or taking with me to the library. Not so great for commuting, however. Minus the OH SO FRUSTRATING fit issues... these are definitely keepers.
