[notaris]

SoundMAGIC EH10 Half In-Ear Headphones: Sports companion
 

I don’t remember when I first saw a picture of SoundMAGIC’s EH10 headphones. I do remember though that what struck me before anything else was that EH10 is neither the typical in-ear phones nor what one would call typical headphones; they belong to a rather new and not so common (yet) category called “half in-ear headphones” (more on that later). So, EH10 seemed to be an interesting new idea; add to that SoundMAGIC’s known quality, and you end up with a desire to review the new product.

 

 

The sample of EH10 arrived just recently, and besides SoundMAGIC’s known build quality (in both materials and construction), what really attracted my attention was EH10’s very nice design. It is a perfect example that accounting for “small details” could give an attractive final product, without necessarily having to use expensive materials (metal construction certainly enhances quality, but careful use of plastic could also give nice results).

 

EH10 belongs into a new category of headphones, known as half in-ear headphones: You first adjust the soft earhook over the ear in order to fit your auricle, and then you rotate the earphone into your ear. You have to try this a few times, before you get used to it, but once you do, you realize that EH10 is really lightweight and comfortable. Here, it should be noted that EH10, like any other half in-ear headphones model, is designed to be used in sports activities (from golf, to trekking, biking, you name it), and in that sense headphones’ isolation is not at the level of traditional earphones; engaged in a sport activity and being fully isolated from the environment could be potentially dangerous.

 

As EH10 does not use eartips, the only accessory supplied in the cartoon box is a nice pouch for carrying and protecting the headphones.

 

Notwithstanding the importance of build quality, comfort and design, the real question about EH10, like any other headphones model, is how good do they sound? I still remember the pleasant surprise that I had with models like PL-11, PL-30 and of course PL-50; however, EH10 is a whole new design concept, so does it share the merits of those models for which SoundMAGIC is known for? Well, as soon as I started listening to EH10, the first thing that got through my mind was “this is really good”; in fact, for a moment, I started wondering how much difference there is between EH10 and the Company’s flagship model PL-50 (see below). EH10’s character is typical of SoundMAGIC’s headphones: The sound is pleasantly balanced and quite detailed. Of course there are limitations: The foremost is dynamics; right from the start, you realize that in order to enjoy the usual sound level, you need to turn the volume knob one or two clicks up. Also, as isolation in EH10 cannot be perfect, EH10 is not what you would call “bussy” headphones; not that bass is altogether absent, but it is certainly not the strong point of EH10 like in so many other earphones models. Of course, both of these drawbacks have to do with the way EH10 was designed; as Tony Xu, Managing Director of SoundMAGIC, told me “EH10 is designed for sports; when people are outdoors, they need to be in contact with the environment, otherwise it’s dangerous”. I certainly agree with that, and I shall gladly sacrifice some bass for my personal safety.

 

In order to have a measure of comparison, I compared EH10 to SoundMAGIC’s flagship model PL-50. There is no doubt that although EH10 has a character similar to that of PL-50, the two are not at the same level. PL-50 “tells things like it is” (not perfectly but pretty close), while EH10 does not have this top tonal balance. However, where PL-50 has really the head is in resolution: It excels in midrage and has really extended highs, while EH10 cannot reach that level. Of course, one should bear in mind that PL-50 uses balanced armature drivers, while EH10 dynamic ones; so, the difference in resolution reflect the character as well as the limitation(s) of the drivers used in each pair. None of the two is a “bussy” set, although for different reasons: PL-50 uses balanced armature drivers which are known to have limited bass performance; in EH10, on the other hand, the reason for the limited bass is the non-perfect isolation which is not at the level of traditional earphones; however, bass is adequate in both sets, with PL-50 giving you a more taut bass. 

 

Having said all this, I want to pay justice to EH10 and say that, although it is not at the same level as PL-50, which after all it is to be expected, EH10’s performance is nevertheless very, very good and certainly a whole lot better than the average headphones that you usually try. So, if you are engaged in sports and you are looking for a pair of headphones that are lightweight, comfortable, nice looking, and most of all respect your ears and give you continuous sound pleasure, then EH10 should be in your short list of candidates; if you add to this the, more than attractive, retail price of $38, then EH10 will easily climb to the top of that list. 

 

Specifications
Frequency range: 15~22000 Hz
DC Resistance: 16±10% Ω
Sensitivity: 112±2 dB at 1KHz/mW
Cable length: 1.2 m
Connector: 3.5 mm Golden pin, L plug
Weight: 17.5 g                   

 

[Azathoth]

Nice review, sir! How do they compare SQ-wise to the PL30 that you have (or had)?