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FiiO Audio and SoundMAGIC Earphones
Battle of the BA’s:
SoundMAGIC PL-50 vs. Apple In-Ear Headphone
With these two earphones being possibly the only balanced armature based earphones
around the US$50 range, how do they sound compared to each other, particularly as
BA earphones tend to sound more 'alike' than dynamic earphones?
When compared to one another with the same eartips, the biggest differences are as
follows:
* There is greater amount of detail with the PL-50.
* Imaging is superior in the PL-50.
* In terms of soundstage, their left-to-right soundstages are about the same but
the PL-50 wins out in terms of depth of soundstage.
* There is slightly more bass quantity wise in the PL-50.
* The PL-50 has a slightly more forward sounding signature than the ADDIEM. If I
were to rate it in terms of rows, 10 rows back being the maximum, the PL-50 would
be the 5th row while the ADDIEM is about 6 rows back, so only slightly more forward.
* The PL-50 is far less microphonic than the ADDIEM
* The PL-50 is more balanced sounding than the ADDIEM
* In terms of midrange and treble, the PL-50, due to it's better imaging and detail,
has a better midrange quality wise.
* Treble wise, it's hard to say really and it is really a toss-up between them both.
* Isolation with the PL-50 is much better
The greatest differences between the PL-50 and ADDIEM are in imaging, detail, microphonics
and isolation. The rest mentioned I feel are slight but still noticeable differences.
SoundMAGIC PL-50 vs. Nuforce NE-7M
* In terms of bass, although the NE-7M wins out easily in terms of quantity, the
PL-50's bass in terms of quality is better as it reaches deeper and sounds tighter.
* In terms of detail and imaging, the PL-50 wins handily in this.
* As in the ADDIEM, their left-to-right soundstages are about the same but the PL-50
wins out in terms of depth of soundstage.
* Both have different sound signatures, with the NE-7M having a more warm, 'fun'
sounding sound signature with a slight emphasis on bass while the PL-50 is drier
and 'colder' sounding with an emphasis on mids.
* Genre wise, the NE-7M does bass heavy or bass emphasised genres like rock, metal
and drum n bass better while the PL-50 does soft rock, folk rock and classical better.
* Both are low profile in design, which makes these two choices good choices for
motorcyclists and cyclists alike.
* the PL-50 is significantly better in the midrange in both quantity and quality.
* In the treble, the treble quantity wise between them are about the same but the
PL-50 offers slightly (not much) better quality wise.
* Isolation is about the same
In conclusion, the PL-50 is a superb sounding earphone for the price that has possesses
the best imaging out of any earphone in the sub $100 earphone market (you can quote
me on that), and is great for anyone who listens to 'easy-listening' music, however
it is let down by small but fundamental flaws that might deter the Average Joe consumer.
If SoundMAGIC fix these small flaws, I have little doubt that SoundMAGIC will gain
in popularity. Recommended despite these flaws? Oh definitely.
In Conclusion
+ Imaging is beyond this world for the price
+ Great detail
+ Low profile
+ Fantastic truly tangle-proof cable
- Jekyll and Hyde design flaws that does not help the Average Joe consumer
- Default foam tips are very bad sound quality wise
Final Rating: Recommended +
“Chinesekiwi” (Reviewed in New Zealand)
