There are different earphones available in the market and getting the best quality would mean spending too much for it. But because I am a student with limited budget, I opted to try a couple of earphones for my listening pleasure. The music lover that I am, sound quality is of course, my utmost concern. I would like to maximize every penny of my buck so I make sure I spend my money where I can get the most of it. I have loads of music files from my media player and because I spend most of my time in school researching and finishing paper works, I want a set of headphones which is reliable, affordable and would last me a good year or so.
Two of the most recent earphones that I have tried are Soundmagic PL30 and MEElectronics M9. These two both fit my budget of roughly $25 to $30 which my friends haven’t tried, so I thought I’d gamble and try them myself. Let me break down the features of each, what I liked about them the most and then we can compare.
With the Soundmagic PL30, I would say that I was amazed at the “completeness” of the set in the box. For such a cheap price of $25, I got a wide range of choices to customize the fit of the earphone in my ear. Since this is an in-ear monitor (IEM), you can be assured that the sound goes right in your ear canal, without escape. It is a stereo ear plug type, with 9mm driver unit. It comes with a winder, two set of ear tips sizes for small, medium and large. It came in one pair of foam tips and another of double flange tips. Of course, there’s the warranty card good for one year and the manual to assist you on the basic tutorials.
One interesting feature of the Soundmagic PL30 is the over the ear cord design. However, it does not have microphonics which slightly turned me off. It could be misleading for somebody who wants an over the ear design and was expecting the microphonics feature but will find none. I was looking for this feature because it is easier to keep in one position and the cords would not get in the way of my activities. The cord guide however, made up for my microphonics disappointment. It helped me to have better positioning and ensured the stability of the earphone in whatever position I may be in. It also has a durable clip which keeps the cords close to me, ensuring that it wouldn’t tangle up as I walk or get caught up with what I’m doing.
Sound quality wise, the bass is acceptable but still could be improved on. The mid range is also good but the highs seem weak to me. I guess with the price that I paid; it would not be too bad at all. I mean, I really did not expect too much of it, and I was not totally disappointed, but compared to other earphones that I used from my friends, I would fairly give my Soundmagic a good grade. And as I said a while ago, with everything in the package, it is a complete treat. I don’t have to buy extra tips to fit snugly in my ears because I already have them. That would be a few dollars value if I am going to purchase them separately. Now to help with the quality, it also has the bass knob, to give it a little more pump. The bass is richer and fuller of course but depending on the genre of music that you like, some are better without. While adjusting the knob, I was also quite afraid to twitch it too much, because it seemed fragile without light handling.
I would say that it is quite a comfortable experience to have the Soundmagic PL30. I suggest not putting much expectation to it quality wise, but comfort and support is superb.
As for the other earphone that I purchased, the MEElectronics M9 Hi-Fi Sound Isolating headphones can somehow live up to it “sound isolating” part. Because this is also an IEM, it aims to decrease ambient noise. It may not be thorough, but you can say that It works well somehow. I did not expect too much from it, like the Soundmagic earphones because of the price. I purchased mine for some $25.
For that cheap price, I got 4 sets of eartips comprised of the small, medium, large and double flange. It also comes with a wire organizer, which I love to use and a carrying pouch to travel with. It comes with one year warranty. This is another pair of headphones that has a good set of accessories and add-on’s. You also get to choose whether you like the black or silver color. I personally chose the black color to avoid attracting too much attention and it can blend well with my hair. The silver-plated looking exterior did not really catch my fancy. It looks cheap and although it is, you want it to look presentable nevertheless. So I opted out for the black one. The plastic cable also adds up to the flimsiness that it already has. I was looking for a sleek and presentable design, but the silver one failed me. The black variant has a more sophisticated feel to it, however low-end.
Sound quality is decent and acceptable with a pretty good mid range. It gives the right mix of treble and bass as opposed to the previous MEElectronics earphones. The low-end however can get drowned in the many other elements that are probably overemphasized, but shouldn’t have been.
Overtime, microphonics naturally occurs due to excessive cable movement. This is I guess acceptable for this kind of earphones. As the cable wears out and because I use the IEM extensively for long hours, some parts will get loose as well. The shaft from the earpiece connecting the card eventually wears out and falls off too.
Speaking of extensive use, wearing the MEElctronics M9 would require you to take a break from using it as it hurts to have it in your ear most of the time. It gives me a throbbing pain in my ear after some time, so I thought of switching the ear tips to the smaller size. It reduced discomfort at first, but the pain reoccurs eventually. It is probably because of the material used in the ear tip. Other tips that I have tried does not give me as much discomfort. However, I can get used to it.
Comparing the two IEMs that I have had recently, both are within the budget range that I have allotted so price is pretty fine. As for the sound quality, I would say that the Soundmagic PL30 wins this area. Both really do not have much crisp sounds, but the mid range and bass of Soundmagic is good. For the highs, both of them really do not do well on these. Although the Soundmagic have a bass knob behind every ear piece, it did not seem to help too much. The MEElectronics’ bass can be adjusted in the media player itself.
Aesthetics-wise, I would say that the Soundmagic PL30 looks sturdier against the MEElectronics silver color, but the black one has more sophisticated edge against the Soundmagic. Compared to it, the MEElectronics M9 in black seems to cost more. I would say that this area goes to MEE M9.
Both of the packages have provided enough spare parts and ear tip options. I get to have a travel pouch however, with Soundmagic, which looks pretty fine too. It has a round felt cover with the logo stitched on to it to help me store the earphones while on the go. This also keeps in from tangling for storage. At the same time, there is room for other accessories that come with it. The MEElectronics on the other hand has a somewhat round shape case also good for storage. It has a sleek black finish with the logo printed on top. Package wise, it comes in bolder than Soundmagic, which has a more relaxed feel for the package.
Depending on what your priorities are, you can choose from these two IEM’s. Comfort and Aesthetics goes to MEElectronics black version, while in the quality part, the Soundmagic does it better. Both of these however are within the price range of $20-$25 and fairly did well.
