SoundMagic E10M In-Ear Headphones

[Musikman]

Recently, I acquired a new job that left me working in a very quiet cubicle all day. Not a lot of interaction and the quiet environment were the perfect combination for being able to listen to music. Thus I began the search for new pair of headphones to fill this silence. Initially, I tried using my Apple EarPods that had served me well for casual listening but I quickly found that they grew uncomfortable during long term use and that the sound quality was just not up to snuff. I then attempted a day with my Audiotechnica ATH-M50's which returned slightly better comfort and vastly improved sound quality but still weren't providing me with the unobtrusive experience that I was looking for. With a little searching and some help from you guys, I ended up on deciding to go with the E10M's from SoundMagic and I certainly haven't been disappointed.

 

The E10M's are a variant of the wildly acclaimed E10's from SoundMagic with the primary (and only) difference being the inclusion of inline audio controls. I decided to go with the Red/Black color scheme but they are available on Amazon in a variety of color combinations. 

 

My first impression was a good one. The packaging was simply and included many unexpected and yet thoughtful accessories. I am particularly fond of the stiff foam that the headphones themselves were wrapped in as it was thick and firm while still offering excellent protection. 

 

 

The most surprising accessory was this very nice carrying case. It's made of high quality soft touch finish over a semi-rigid frame that does an excellent job of protecting the headphones should you throw them in a bag or your pocket. 

 

Inside the case, there are two small pockets for putting things like adapters and different ear tips.

 

 

The next accessory was a small clip that would allow you to secure the cable to your shirt or jacket and keep the cable tucked in and out of the way.

 

 

Also included is an adapter that takes the single 1/8 inch line of the headphones and converts it in to dedicated mic and headphones lines that work with the inline mic. 

 

 

The final accessory is a series of various styled and sized ear tips. More on those later.

 

As for the build quality, I would rank them as solid. They don't feel like they could last through hell and highwater but they also don't feel like absolute cheap garbage (cough cough skullcandy cough cough). The cord is not braided and does give some slight feedback when it gets bumped around but that is only noticeable in quiet parts of music or when you don't have anything playing. The inline controls work but I found it difficult to distinguish between each of the three buttons. I haven't had the chance to try out the inline mic but I can only assume that it would be decent for phone conversations or skype calls. 

 

Now for the topic you've probably been waiting for; sound quality. With the stock ear tips (sized appropriately) they sound pretty decent though I found the sound lacked a bit of depth and punch. Other reviews had noticed the same effect and recommended getting foam ear tips to combat this so when I ordered mine, I also got a set of Comply T-400 Foam Ear Tips. After being unimpressed by the stock ear tips, I switched them out for the T-400's and HOLY BALLS. The difference in depth and clarity was astonishing and the sudden presence of a punchy yet controlled bass was wonderful. I also found the the foam tips provided a better seal from outside sound and were comfortable for long term wearing (I work 9-10 hours a day with them in and no discomfort what so ever). 

 

In conclusion, these are some great budget headphones that provide surprisingly good sound quality when paired with the right ear tips and I would highly recommend them (and the T-400's) to anyone looking for a good quality solution that doesn't cost as much as a pair of IE-80's (Not everyone can afford the lambo and IE-80's Linus),

 

 

Link to the full Imgur album with more pictures: http://imgur.com/a/w2IRe

 

[jakkuh_t]

Nice review,  

[ShadowCaptain]

These are pretty much the best headphones for the cost

 

What HiFi gave them best heaphone award for like 2 years in a row

[CartertheCOCguy]

Just bought them with comply tips, gunna do a review and comparison with the JVC XX