Soundmagic Pl30 In-ear Headphones

These and the PL50 are terrible quality buds, I went through both of them in less than 8 months. Both times they failed they left me in an awkward position where I really needed earbuds for working. Thus I would rate these as highly undesirable as I prize reliability and quality most. 
 
I would not waste your time with these..

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)
 
 
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

Packaging:
Packaging is nice... great for display. Opening the flap in the front shows the frequency of these IEMs, but not representative of what you would hear. I think the package should make a good gift for your loved ones.
 
Content:
7 pairs of tips... amazing at the price I bought it... 37SGD (about 31USD). A pair of earhooks, which are very useful for keeping the IEMs at the back of the ear. Hard case which really protects the IEMs from damage. The shirt clip attached to the IEM also prevents microphonics.
 
Design:
Really a small IEM, not like the exceedingly large Altec Lansing UHP336. The design is not the conventional straight barrel I usually see, but the over the ear design which I find it to be quite comfortable. the red and blue strain reliefs make it easy to identify left and right. The curves of the strain reliefs make it easy to wear the IEMs in the dark. To be honest, my only gripe is the bass knobs, which I feel will get loose with use.
 
Comfort:
It is the first time I wore an over-the-ear IEM. At first I am not used to wearing it, but after a while it became more comfortable. Sometimes I don't even feel it inside my ear. It also seldom fall out of the ear.
 
Isolation:
I use bi-flanges provided to obtain a better seal and block out greater outside noise. Isolation is not very great, but should be sufficient most of the time.
 
Sound:
Sound is just great for the price. Very different from the mainstream offerings, which usually has very (I mean very) heavy bass and recessed mids and highs.
 
Bass is tight and punchy, not boomy like mainstream sets. The bass they brought out is just sufficient. The knob at the side of the IEM adjusts the bass, with one being the clear bass setting and one being the deep bass setting. Adjusting to the deep bass setting makes the sound slightly warmer, which is the way I liked it.
 
If I were to say what is the best thing about the sound of the PL-30, I would say it is the mids. The mids are slightly forward, giving more prominence to the vocals. I like how the way the vocals are put out. The voices are warm (especially on deep bass setting) and full-bodied.
 
Treble is not sibilant or anything, lacking sparkle. It feel it is more laid back. The treble does not sound harsh at all.
 
Soundstage is just, wide. I like the soundstage, it does not make you feel like the song is playing in your head. It is more headphone like, but closer. The soundstage is also quite airy as well. I think it has one of the best soundstage for an IEM below 100SGD
 
Conclusion:
A great IEM for the price. Good amount of accessories, great egronomics and great sound and soundstage to match. I would say those who like a more balanced sound should look at this. People who like a neutral sound that is slightly warm can take a look at this too.