SoundMAGIC PL11 Review

[ShaunG]

SoundMAGIC PL11 Review

Source: SoundMAGIC PL11 Review at HiFi Headphones Blog

The SoundMAGIC PL11 earphone has just stretched the boundaries of what is expected from an entry level earphone. For less than the price of an Xbox 360 game the SoundMAGIC PL11 offers high end audio detail and clarity, with enough low end power to keep the bass-heads happy.




SoundMAGIC PL11 Earphones

Looking and feeling like earphones made by a big name brand, the SoundMAGIC PL11 is a newcomer that definitely deserves serious consideration.

Sceptical At First

Before seeing the SoundMAGIC range for ourself we were sceptical about the sound quality and even more doubtful about build.

How wrong we were! Similar to the rest of the SoundMAGIC range, the PL11 is very well made and sounds like an earphone with a much higher price tag. With a PL11 in your hand the build quality feels very good and it would be easy to think they are made by Sennheiser or Beyerdynamic.




SoundMAGIC PL11 with included accessories

Built For Every Day Use

Quality of cable and strain relief has obviously been thought through by someone who actually uses earphones. The PL11 is built to a high specification and seems built to last.

Here at HiFi Headphones we have an eye for how well a earphone product is going to last. Well over 90% of faulty returns we get are due to faulty cabling. Judging by the strain relief on the PL11 this is not an earphone we are going to see returned often.

The SoundMAGIC PL11 is fitted with good quality PVC sheathed cabling with a rubberized finish for extra durability. The strain relief where the cable enters the earphone body and at the jack plug is also well thought through, with flexible support where it's needed.

How Do They Sound?

Most importantly, how does the SoundMAGIC PL11 sound? The PL11 sounds superb! When we first received samples from SoundMAGIC I listened to the PL11 on my walk to and from the office over a period of a week.

The sound is immediately appealing as there is plenty of warmth at the bottom end and the trebles are well balanced and clear. This sounds like an earphone costing a lot more.

The immediate comparison that spranf to mind is with the Sennheiser CX300-II. In many ways the SoundMAGIC PL11 and CX300-II sound very similar, with plenty of bass and a clear high end. Also like the CX300-II, the PL11 has a slightly recessed midrange, which helps reduce listening fatigue.

Many headphone manufacturers, including high end HiFi headphone manufacturer Grado, often drop the mid-treble frequency response slightly to provide a better long term listening experience. The reason for this is that the human ear resonates at 2.9Khz, making it particularly sensitive to mid-range sounds. If the headphone is less responsive around this frequency then the ear tires less quickly and you can enjoy your music for longer.




Summary

The SoundMAGIC PL11 is very enjoyable earphone to listen with. Warm bass response and a superb degree of clarity at higher frequencies make the PL11 an earphone to be reckoned with.

Sounding similar in many respects to the highly regarded Sennheiser CX300-II, the PL11 beats the Sennheiser hands down on price.
Good build quality rounds off a well thought out earphone package that we are happy to recommend to our customers.

More Information

For the full range of SoundMAGIC Earphones and many other high quality headphones and earphones please visit the HiFi Headphones store.