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SoundMAGIC HP100/HP150 Review and Impressions Thread
Jan 21, 2013 at 9:09 AM Post #46 of 1,386
thank you for your impression. it would be nice, if you can give details about soundstage and imaging, specially compared to a900x and k167. thank you.
 
edit: oh, and it would be nice to see how they look worn.
 
Jan 21, 2013 at 9:49 AM Post #47 of 1,386
Soundstage-wise, the HP100s are quite good actually. Especially for a closed headphone with decent isolation.  They image very well.  I can easily tell where sounds are coming from.  
 
The K167 has an OK soundstage to my ears.  It does feel smaller, although they seem to image pretty well but not as well as the HP100s.  
 
I have used the HP100s and K167s for some PC gaming (Planetside 2) and while the K167s are OK, the HP100s are definitely my go-to closed cans for gaming ATM.  
 
I will do comparisons with the A900x's later.
 
Jan 26, 2013 at 5:21 AM Post #48 of 1,386
Quote:
draven5494 said:
I really don't know why these aren't getting more attention.  They sound fantastic!
 
I compared the HP100s to my K167s, and the HP100s easily outperform the AKGs to my ears.  The HP100s are more refined, the highs are clearer and vocals stand out more.  The K167s bothered me with what I can only describe as hollow, recessed vocals/mids.  The bass on the HP100s is pretty much perfect IMO.  I love feeling the bass more as opposed to hearing it.  The sub bass of the HP100s is truly subterranean in it's depth.  It's like feeling distant thunder.  It digs very deep.  Now, the K167's bass goes deep as well, but it is a bit overpowering to my ears and can be a little boomy at times.  It's definitely not as tight as the HP100's bass.
 
Let's put it this way.  The HP100s sound so good, that I am using them as a closed alternative to my HD800s!  Now, I'm not saying they perform as well as the HD800s but I actually did swap back and forth between the two to compare them.  The HD800s are quite a bit more refined, and can keep up with complex songs even when things get busy.  The HP100s do a very good job of this as well, they just can't quite match the layering, separation and overall refinement of the HD800s.  Of course, this is a $200 vs $1500 battle.  
 
I am going to be comparing them to my A900x's later today... something tells me the HP100s aren't going anywhere.
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Thanks for the thoughts Draven5494! It sounds like you have been enjoying the HP100 as much as me. I have been trying to recommend them to anyone looking for a closed headphone in this price range and I hope that my full review did them justice - http://noblehifi.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/soundmagic-hp100-review.html
 
Sorry sofastreamer, but I don't have any pictures of them being worn and my HP100's are not here at the moment (being borrowed by my Dad). I have just got the HP200 and I'm really loving them too! They're the same shape of the HP100 so I will try to get you a picture of those worn for you later.
 
My Dad had the AKG Q701 for the last year or so and now I have swapped them out for the HP100. I'm looking forward to hearing his impressions between the two. 
 
Jan 26, 2013 at 6:25 AM Post #50 of 1,386
I'm also hearing amazing things about these! So much so I ordered a set blind. I'm also keen to try the open and metal version, the hp200, for only a small amount more. How are these so cheap??? The build quality, memory foam, lined hard case, two cords, etc etc alone should indicate a higher price, it's awesome. These and the fa-011 (and possibly the hp200 too) are as good as mine when they arrive in Australia in the coming week(s).
 
Jan 26, 2013 at 9:16 AM Post #51 of 1,386
quadpatch said:
Thanks for the thoughts Draven5494! It sounds like you have been enjoying the HP100 as much as me. I have been trying to recommend them to anyone looking for a closed headphone in this price range and I hope that my full review did them justice - http://noblehifi.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/soundmagic-hp100-review.html

Sorry sofastreamer, but I don't have any pictures of them being worn and my HP100's are not here at the moment (being borrowed by my Dad). I have just got the HP200 and I'm really loving them too! They're the same shape of the HP100 so I will try to get you a picture of those worn for you later.

My Dad had the AKG Q701 for the last year or so and now I have swapped them out for the HP100. I'm looking forward to hearing his impressions between the two. 
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Great review! I'm glad I'm not the only one singing the praises of the HP100s. I am very interested in trying out the HP200s as well.

I would be interested to hear your opinions of the HP200 compared to the HP100 when you have a chance to do a side-by-side.
 
Jan 28, 2013 at 1:29 AM Post #54 of 1,386
These really look interesting, a lot like the V-Moda M-100s but I'm wondering about the durability for long term usage. I doubt that they have anything resembling the toughness the M-100's have, but I don't plan on punting any headphones across a football field.
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Just plan on using them around on the go. So, does the Manufacturer FR chart seem accurate? If so, these look really good, and $100 less. . .unless I want more bass.
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Jan 28, 2013 at 4:12 AM Post #55 of 1,386
Hey AzureBeat, I assume you're talking about the HP100? Since you're looking for a headphone to use outside. Sorry for the confusion, but the pic I posted of the HP200 is an open back.

The HP100 sound is far superior to the M-100 imo and yes, the FR seems accurate. Unless the idea of bass making your ears bleed sounds sexy of course :p
 
Jan 28, 2013 at 10:17 AM Post #56 of 1,386
Just another quick comparison I did over the weekend - I compared the HP100s to the A900x headphones.  
 
First off, just comparing aesthetics, I do like the look of the A900x headphones more than the HP100s.  That's not to say the HP100s are ugly, they aren't.  I just wish they did away with the glossy ear cups.  The A900xs have a nice look and feel to them.  Build-quality could go either way.  I think the A900x's are well built.  They feel sturdy.  The HP100s also feel well-built. 
 
Now, comfort is where the two headphones are very different.  I think the HP100s are very comfortable, and this comes from a guy who normally can't stand leather pads.  Somehow the HP100s just disappear on my head and I forget they are there.  To me, they are even more comfortable than my HD800s.  Yep.  The HD800s are comfortable, but after wearing them a while, I start feeling pressure from the headband and even the ear pads.  The HP100s don't do this.  Comparing the HP100s to the A900x's - the HP100s easily take the comfort crown.  The A900x's use the ATH Wing system and this just doesn't work form me.  It feels like the headphone is about to fall off at any time.  I don't like it.  
 
Sound-wise, I will just get right to it and say that I prefer the HP100's presentation over the A900x's presentation.  The A900x has a warmer signature than the HP100s.  I feel that the HP100s retrieve more detail and present it in a more neutral way.  I love how the HP100s give me all of that detail in the highs and mids and still manage to produce such deep sub bass that doesn't overpower anything.  The A900x's did impress me though, they are nicely detailed with full mids and nice bass.  If I had never heard the HP100s, I might have just kept the A900x's and would have been happy.  However, when comparing the two, I just couldn't shake the impression that the A900x's came off as a little boomy and less refined than the HP100s.  I also liked the soundstage on the HP100s more than the A900x's.  I am still impressed with the HP100s ability to produce a very nice soundstage with great imaging.  
 
I am still very impressed with the HP100.  It continues to perform above it's price range and outperform other closed headphones. 
 
Jan 29, 2013 at 9:21 AM Post #58 of 1,386
could anyone of the hp100 owners do a comparison to k701 and/or srh940? i know, it is a bit like comparing apples with oranges. but from the reading it seems, the soundsignature of the soundmagic is close to one of them.
 
Jan 29, 2013 at 3:18 PM Post #60 of 1,386
Quote:
sofastreamer said:
could anyone of the hp100 owners do a comparison to k701 and/or srh940? i know, it is a bit like comparing apples with oranges. but from the reading it seems, the soundsignature of the soundmagic is close to one of them.
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I haven't heard the 940 but from what I've gathered it might be the closer to the SoundMAGIC. I can say that the K701 is quite different because it's very lean in the bass, whereas the HP100 is not. I'm not saying that the HP100 is a bass monster either of course but there difference between the two is substantial. Actually I would say the HP100 bass is pretty close to neutral, which of course is subjective, but I also found it to feel close to the DT880 and HD800, purely where bass presence / body is concerned. I don't often put a lot of stock in the FR charts but all three (HP100, DT880, HD800) look pretty clean on the left. 
 
Oh and I just measured the HP200 (same shape as the HP100) and the cups measure 103-105mm in diameter on the outside.
 
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