The fitness fanatics earphones of choice?
It’s not long since I reviewed the SoundMAGIC E10′s, I must be doing something right as I’ve now been sent the similarly named (and priced) E30′s to give them the once over.
Although the names may be similar, the products themselves are quite different. Both have the same high levels of build quality, but where the E10′s featured a solid looking aluminium housing, the earbuds on these E30′s are distinctly plastic.
That’s not to say that they’re cheap, as plastics go they feel quite high quality, and SoundMAGIC have gone to the trouble of including some intricate design work which wouldn’t look out of place in TRON: Legacy.
The 3.5mm connector and earbud separator are both made of aluminium, the same as the E10′s, which should help them stand up to some abuse without failing. You also get a nifty lapelle clip to make sure your earbuds aren’t yanked out while running.
The other difference from the E10′s is the inclusion of some rather nifty over-ear mounts that give you the option to either wear the E30′s normally, or (with the mounts attached) securely mount them to your ear.
After taking these out for a run it’s clear that theirs a definite improvement in using the mounts; the earbuds stayed completely secure during a half hour run, whilst remaining comfortable at the same time.
As well as the mounts you also get a selection of different rubber tips in different sizes, I counted 7 different sizes in all, including one set of “ribbed” noise cancelling buds which gave the same sound output but did a better job of sound isolating than the standard tips.
There should be a set of tips for everyone, and it shouldn’t take you more than a few minutes to find the set that suits your ears the best.
When it comes to sound quality, The E30′s should be perfectly adequate for all but the most picky of casual users. Bass levels are good, while not overpowering the rest of the sound. Mid to high sounds are also well produced, though they lack the definition of some other earphones in the same price range.
I was pleased to see that sound quality is pretty consistent no matter what volume you choose to listen at. Even at very low levels complex sounds are re-produced well which is good for your hearing, if nothing else.
Overall, the SoundMAGIC E30′s are a worthwhile set of headphones in the £30-40 price range. If you enjoy an active lifestyle then they should definitely make your shortlist, the included over-ear mounts make them some of the most comfortable wired earphones that I’ve used while running. At the same time, the broad range of rubber tips supplied mean that the E30′s should be comfortable for couch potatoes as well.