SoundN00b
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 26, 2013
- Posts
- 2
- Likes
- 10
Hello all,
This is my first attempt at a review as I'm fairly new to the audiophile world. I got the SoundMagic PL-12 mostly as a gym and outdoor IEMs because I got tired of the cheap 10$ Sony ones I bought at a local shop a while back which would make my ears bleed
Here is the link to them at Mp4nation
Price: $14.50
This review is based on approximately 8 hours of break in and the following mods:
1. Removed the grill from the tunnel
2. Inserted a small piece of foam into the tunnel to protect the driver
3. Put on bi-flanges
The idea is from another post on the forums here I believe.
Pre-mod Sound:
I will keep this short since I didn't like the sound prior to the mods very much. Out of the box they sounded very grainy and muffled with non existent bass which I kind of expected from reading around. Breaking them in will remove the grainyness and open them somewhat but they will still lack in the bass department. The highs quite clear overall and present no harshness unlike my previous cheap IEMs although they cut off somewhat short and lack vibrance. They don't extend as much as it should to provide that tingle and precise detail you would want. The mids are quite forward and vocals are very present but still a little muffled. The soundstage has decent width but lacks depth, as for the bass it feels very flat without any thump or texture to it.
The Mods:
The idea here was to open the sound more, increase the sound stage in hopes of more depth, remove some of the mid muffle and increase the bass
Post-mod Sound:
Removing the grill seemed to have the biggest impact on opening the sound, the width is slightly bigger and a small amount of depth is now present in the sound stage. The highs are still where they were, no change there though they seem a little clearer. The mids on the other hand have lost much their original muffleness and now have a great presence. Adding the bi-flanges and foam in the tunnel will give you a small reduction in the width of the sound but an increase in the depth. The foam provides for the newly increased bass although still not heavy there is now a nice textured bump on the low ends which was previously non existent but again they won't go as deep or provide that rumble some other IEMs do. I would say the added bass is enough for a good listening experience if you are not a bass head. (I listen to mostly electronic stuff and it plenty IMO)
Why should you buy it?
Well at their price point after mods I'm not sure you can find anything to beat their sound and built quality, they feel well made and sturdy. They are a really great value and come with tons of accessories (case, flanges, clip). If you need a good sounding pair of IEMs for the gym or to have around which you don't want to worry about losing I highly recommend them.
This is my first attempt at a review as I'm fairly new to the audiophile world. I got the SoundMagic PL-12 mostly as a gym and outdoor IEMs because I got tired of the cheap 10$ Sony ones I bought at a local shop a while back which would make my ears bleed
Here is the link to them at Mp4nation
Price: $14.50
This review is based on approximately 8 hours of break in and the following mods:
1. Removed the grill from the tunnel
2. Inserted a small piece of foam into the tunnel to protect the driver
3. Put on bi-flanges
The idea is from another post on the forums here I believe.
Pre-mod Sound:
I will keep this short since I didn't like the sound prior to the mods very much. Out of the box they sounded very grainy and muffled with non existent bass which I kind of expected from reading around. Breaking them in will remove the grainyness and open them somewhat but they will still lack in the bass department. The highs quite clear overall and present no harshness unlike my previous cheap IEMs although they cut off somewhat short and lack vibrance. They don't extend as much as it should to provide that tingle and precise detail you would want. The mids are quite forward and vocals are very present but still a little muffled. The soundstage has decent width but lacks depth, as for the bass it feels very flat without any thump or texture to it.
The Mods:
The idea here was to open the sound more, increase the sound stage in hopes of more depth, remove some of the mid muffle and increase the bass
Post-mod Sound:
Removing the grill seemed to have the biggest impact on opening the sound, the width is slightly bigger and a small amount of depth is now present in the sound stage. The highs are still where they were, no change there though they seem a little clearer. The mids on the other hand have lost much their original muffleness and now have a great presence. Adding the bi-flanges and foam in the tunnel will give you a small reduction in the width of the sound but an increase in the depth. The foam provides for the newly increased bass although still not heavy there is now a nice textured bump on the low ends which was previously non existent but again they won't go as deep or provide that rumble some other IEMs do. I would say the added bass is enough for a good listening experience if you are not a bass head. (I listen to mostly electronic stuff and it plenty IMO)
Why should you buy it?
Well at their price point after mods I'm not sure you can find anything to beat their sound and built quality, they feel well made and sturdy. They are a really great value and come with tons of accessories (case, flanges, clip). If you need a good sounding pair of IEMs for the gym or to have around which you don't want to worry about losing I highly recommend them.
