had promised to review my Soundmagic HP100s (though I don’t quite remember whom I promised that ). To hell with my memory! I have learnt a lot here at Head fi and would like to give something back to Headfi as well. Now they have had enough of time for burn in and should now be sounding their best. They were very good out of the box as well.
 
The Soundmagic HP100s are great over ears and if you can afford the inevitable stares they would be great for the commute as well. There is a lot to love about this headphone when paired with an amp that has tame treble with a pronounced low end. I used the Matrix M-Stage HPA-2 and was very happy. I even plugged into an Onkyo TX SR804 receiver and was very, very happy.
 
 A receiver is an alternative to amps that people don’t consider and sometimes they work really well. To begin with there are so many things that you could change about the music (a proper EQ for one) and different sound modes.  And once you get used to it, it just seems more rewarding. But headphone amps have their own advantages, portability and the ability to directly connect to your PC(most of them) being an advantage. Some headphone dac+amps are indeed better than recievers they are intended for that purpose, listening to the music you like on the headphones you like and they can be cheaper.
 
Back to what I wanted to tell you about, the Soundmagic HP 100.
 
Read the complete review here:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/745263/soundmagic-hp100-review#post_11105185

The review below is for the E10M but the E10 is exactly identical, bar the extra mic. So lets begin.
 
Packaging:
 
 
 
 
Mine came in a nice little box with plenty of tips. I tried swapping out the stock ones with each one of them. There’s also an adaptor that allows you to connect the earphones to a laptop or desktop with separate ports for head phone and mic. Theres an extra clip as well, just in case you smash the one that came with it. I don’t see how but anyways, nice addition there, Soundmagic!
 
 
 
Design and Build:
 
 
 
The design positively screams for your attention. All of Soundmagic’s products are like this. Some in a good way. This is in a good way! Thank heavens!
 
 
 
The build is a little suspect, but Oh yeah at this price point no one can really complain. IEMs that cost much more are sometimes not this well built. The wires are reasonably thick and most importantly, the mic on my E10M is placed at the right height and it is easy to pick it up and start a conversation. I would have liked to see a longer cable but hey at this price point…no complaints.
 
 
 
Isolation:
 
 
 
These buds isolate but not too well. They don’t cut out all the external noise though and you could hear a little of the outside. As long as it’s not my neighbor’s dog out there barking away at the newly painted wall(possibly because it didn’t like it), I don’t mind!
 
 
 
Sound Quality:
 
 
 
Now to the nitty gritty. Very quickly to it.
 
 
 
Treble: I am listening to it again as I write this. It started out very bright, almost an irritable brightness to be very honest but after a few hours of burn in, that has been replaced by a very sweet treble. The cymbals, bells and chimes are so beautiful, it is to be heard to be believed. It is not sibilant anymore.
 
 
 
Mids: They are not upfront, but they seem quite forward to me. Anything more and perhaps it could get uncomfortable. They were uncomfortable to start with, but not anymore but they have slowly recessed over time though not by much. Be well prepared for a thrashing on some tracks from Metallica! The instruments have some character!
 
 
 
Bass: Bass is quite good, but maybe a little bit more of an impact, a better resolution, texture and of course quantity would have been desired by bassheads, but on some dance tracks I must say they do give the music a good pounding, but yes this does depend on the track.
 
Airiness: These are quite airy, have an open characteristic to the sound.
 
 
 
Pace and timing: It is almost up there with the best. Though it can skip a beat or tow, I never knew my S&M album from Metallica had so much speed. Now how exactly did they manage that with the orchestra moving slowly in the background. Must have been quite a distraction. That’s why Metallica is a legend. Well I guess this is becoming a distraction. Back to the Soundmagics!
 
 
 
ADVISORY:
 
Changing the tips affects sound quality greatly. It can go from being very balanced with one of them to forwardness in mids and treble, though I am still to find one with pronounced bass. Me , I use the stock buds that came with my fake Apple earphones and find them to be quite good. Keep experimenting with different tips till you find the sound of your liking.
 
 
 
 
Run out to your local store and get them now if you already haven’t. I am by no means an expert but I enjoy them a lot and you should too(if you also listen to my kind of music! Rock, Metal, Instrumental!)
 
 
 
That’s all folks! If this wasn’t the review you were expecting, there are plenty here on head-fi. You could always find a better one . I have chosen not to grade the various aspects as sound quality always should be the most important consideration at this price point or at any for that matter, but that is my opinion. The other aspects could vary in importance, so it is difficult to grade an assess a value for a newbie like me. 
 
 
 
I am still listening and still enjoying the music as you can infer from my writing. Get them now so you can do the same! All the best and hope the Sandman doesnt get to you before the Soundmagics do! And that's not a joke there, you are in for an experience if you get this one, a very energetic one!