[ljokerl]

IMO all three of the Soundmagic IEMs have quite good build quality. The PL30 has had reported issues with the bass knob but if you don't fiddle with it constantly you should be okay. I've had mine for over a year and they've got hundreds of hours of use, including many hours at the gym, and they still work good as new (though they don't look so fresh anymore). The PL50 is built similarly and the PL21 has an aluminum shell. If you don't toss them around they should last well over 3 months.

If you're not a basshead but you're still worried about spending $50 on the PL50 I honestly suggest getting the PL30.

 

[NatedZA]

Thanks for the help, so they should sound more impressive or a reasonable upgrade from the zune premium earbuds which I think cost around $30?

 

[ljokerl]

I've only owned the Zune Premium Earphones V.2 and they were actually pretty good. I still preferred the PL30 for better balance and detail as well as a wider soundstage, but I wouldn't call them a huge upgrade. Not sure how the regular (non-V.2) Zune Premium Buds compare.

 

[NatedZA]

Appreciate the helpfully info. So it looks as though I will be ordering the pl50s and will report back on my findings..

 

[Zucharn]

I'm kind of disappointed with these, they're comfortable as anything, but the durability wasn't up to par apparently. I had mine for about a month, loved them, but the right one spontaneously stopped working. No strain on the cable or anything. Does anyone know mp4nation's warranty policy?

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zucharn /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm kind of disappointed with these, they're comfortable as anything, but the durability wasn't up to par apparently. I had mine for about a month, loved them, but the right one spontaneously stopped working. No strain on the cable or anything. Does anyone know mp4nation's warranty policy?

For warranty claim, I think you need to fill out a support ticket on MP4Nation website first.

 

[tman1]

Quote:

I'm kind of disappointed with these, they're comfortable as anything, but the durability wasn't up to par apparently. I had mine for about a month, loved them, but the right one spontaneously stopped working. No strain on the cable or anything. Does anyone know mp4nation's warranty policy?

Same thing happened to me today. I've had them since November '09. Today when I put them on the right earpiece had stopped working. Nothing unusual had happened since yesterday. I always slid the the sheath on the cable up to the earpiece when putting them in my pocket to try to prevent this. Disappointing, since I love the sound of these.
 
I send in a claim ticket on MP4 Nation. Does anyone know if that Sound Magic rep still posts on this board?
 
How do the MEE M6 sound compared to these? They look pretty durable, with the same over-the-ear style that I like, to eliminate cord noise.

 

[ljokerl]

Quote:

I send in a claim ticket on MP4 Nation. Does anyone know if that Sound Magic rep still posts on this board?
 
How do the MEE M6 sound compared to these? They look pretty durable, with the same over-the-ear style that I like, to eliminate cord noise.

Mp4nation's support is probably your best bet. Michael Lin (koalkoal) is the Soundmagic rep on Head-Fi but I don't know if he checks his PMs nowadays. 
 
As for the M6 vs the PL50, they have very different sound signatures. The PL50 is quite balanced, with comparatively tame bass and treble and that silky-smooth midrange that lacks no emphasis. The M6 has plenty of bass that is decently controlled and quite a bit of treble sparkle. The Meelecs are more aggressive and more exciting but not nearly as nuanced and refined. But they are quite durable and Meelec's warranty support is easy to obtain, at least in the US.

 

[jant71]

On thew topic of Soundmagic, isn't it about time for something new from them? Maybe another affordable dual armature like the DBA-02 that is is the $150 price bracket.

 

[ClieOS]

From what I know about SoundMAGIC (2nd hand info anyway), they are not particularly interested in the higher end market.

 

[cgg123321]

Ugh.. My left earbud no longer works unless i push the cable a certain way.. it also slides back and forth a few millimeters.
 
I've heard of the original batch falling apart, but now i want to open mine to try to glue the cable in place - does anyone have any idea how I should go about opening this?
 
Thanks

 

[ClieOS]

You need to solder the wire, not glue - and that's assuming the wire breaks at the old solder join. If the wire break inside the cable, then you need to replace the whole cable.

 

[cgg123321]

something is loose inside from looking at the pictures, but I don't know for sure till I open it up
 
 
That's the first step atleast.
 
edit: whoa 10 seconds after posting this reply I tried to open it with a cellphone housing tool and it worked

 

[phantomasko]

Owner for a couple years now. Very happy with them for the price.
For the time I've had them so far, they keep surprising me with something - even lower extension of bass, more detail (when I switched sources).
What I'm glad they haven't surprised me with so far is any physical problems with them. Pretty rigid these little things. Been using them with tips supplied with a-Jays, which they left me with after RMA, as the stock tips aren't really good. Will see how much longer they will hold up for before I have to replace them. Will most likely have to invest more money when that happens, as I can't stress enough how good of a deal these were for how much I used them with appreciation and comfort.

 

[chailee80]

  Owner for a couple years now. Very happy with them for the price.
For the time I've had them so far, they keep surprising me with something - even lower extension of bass, more detail (when I switched sources).
What I'm glad they haven't surprised me with so far is any physical problems with them. Pretty rigid these little things. Been using them with tips supplied with a-Jays, which they left me with after RMA, as the stock tips aren't really good. Will see how much longer they will hold up for before I have to replace them. Will most likely have to invest more money when that happens, as I can't stress enough how good of a deal these were for how much I used them with appreciation and comfort.

Thats good to hear! I've had them a couple of months and while i have no doubts about the cable i've often wondered how the plastic housing around the drivers would hold up over time.
Yeh i found the stock tips to be of such low quality none of them were useable so I ended up using the tips from my old sony mdr-ex100's. What surprises me is i find myself reaching for these over my much more expensive Shure SE846s when i head out. The pleasant, relaxed sound, great fit and comfort makes them fantastic for when im out walking and commuting. Plus they're so cheap i'm never worried about possibly losing or damaging them. The only negative thing i can say about them is how the cable is constantly curling up and wont stay straight but its only a minor issue and i can live with it. I'm hoping Soundmagic updates them like they have with the E10s and adds an inline remote, that would make them pretty much perfect imo.