The HP100 is SoundMAGIC's first full-sized headphone. If you haven't heard of SoundMAGIC before it's probably because you haven't looked at in-ear monitors (IEMs) lately. There they've been very successful at bringing high sound quality down to reasonable prices. So can they bring that same genius to larger headphones? They didn't pull any punches with size here either - A 53mm dynamic driver in a closed-back headphone with good isolation. Let's see how these things sounds...
SOUND
The HP100s isolate well, so well it introduces a touch of claustrophobia at times, but I was pleasantly surprised by how little. The sound is very smooth, with crispy clean, sparkly high frequencies that aren't overly bright. What emphasis the upper mid-range and treble have mostly adds good detail retrieval and doesn't bring much harshness. The bass is really deep and kicks very well considering the signature. It's powerful and smooth, extremely enjoyable, but not overpowering. Although I have just said great things about the low and the high frequencies I don't feel that they are being pushed. This is not a typical 'v-shaped' response, the mid-tones don't feel recessed at all (this sound is great for female vocals). The key here really is the bass. The terms 'fast' and 'smooth' don't usually go together, but that's exactly the magic you get here (no pun intended). There is no bloat or flabbiness to the lower frequencies so perhaps extreme bass-heads may not agree with me saying this is powerful. I still feel like this is a fair statement, but of course it's all relative. The soundstage is pretty impressive, especially considering the rather above average isolation, but it prefers the boldness of Electronic rather than the subtleties of Classical.
So rather than going for a 'warm' signature at the expense of some detail and sparkle (which is so common these days), SoundMAGIC have pushed for neutrality and spent time taming those pesky upper ranges. This is a very admirable move, especially considering this is their first full-sized headphone, but I have no problem with either approach to be honest. Actually I normally feel a need to own at least two pairs of headphones, one that excel with a 'warm' sound and another that excel with a 'neutral' sound. A while ago if I were forced to choose a single pair for genre versatility I probably would have picked something warm, smooth and delicate, to get a bit of punchy bass - sacrificing speed for power. After experiencing the Beyerdynamic DT880 I've started leaning towards a more neutral sound that's less dark, but I'd rather not give up too much bass. This leads me nicely to the HP100, because amplification so nicely pushes it either side of the neutral fence and that seems like something quite special.
Given the SoundMAGIC's lively and resolving nature I keep expecting a very lean bass, but it's capable of very surprising levels of power and slam from the low frequencies. Depending on amplification they felt more impressive than some of the more 'monsterously' bass happy headphones (like the Denon AH-D7000). Now I'm not saying that the sheer impact of the HP100 is harder, but it does form a more pleasing experience at times. Now these two headphones are very different, so it's not really fair to put them side by side, but what I am saying is this bass can impress immensely for the price if driven well. Let's move on to some more reasonable comparisons for now, before I dig myself into a hole...
COMPARISONS
AKG K550: The bass of the HP100 has a lot more energy and punch compared to the K550, or at least it's much easier to find given the finicky placement and weak clamp of the K550. The general sound of these two headphones feels similar in the detail retrieval and and isolation department. If you read my review of the K550 you'll know that I didn't quite get on with the fit or the sound, in fact these two aspects seemed intrinsically linked. My main problem with the K550 was a lack of bass presence and harsh high frequencies when trying to find that presence. The isolation was good, but only if you physically held them in place - it had a weak clamping force which ruined the isolation and the bass along with it. This gave the sound a claustrophobia that was chaotic and made compensation frustrating to impossible.
All of these issues are nearly non-existant with the HP100. The bass of the HP100 feels much stronger at the best of times, it's deeper, kicks harder and it doesn't effect the mid tones at all. Highs sparkle well too but don't have nearly the harshness of the K550 I think the HP100 is actually a much better fit for reference sound than the K550.
All of these issues are nearly non-existant with the HP100. The bass of the HP100 feels much stronger at the best of times, it's deeper, kicks harder and it doesn't effect the mid tones at all. Highs sparkle well too but don't have nearly the harshness of the K550 I think the HP100 is actually a much better fit for reference sound than the K550.
Beyerdynamic DT880: The general signature of the HP100 reminds me quite a lot of the very well balanced DT880 (beautiful mid-tones and highs). With a similar upper midrange / treble sparkle and great detail (although not quite as crisp as the DT880). The HP100's superb isolation can't manage the amazing air of the DT880, but the bass is infinitely better and the soundstage isn't bad either. The HP100 presents instruments with great realism and solidity that's getting towards the levels of the DT880.
On brighter tracks, with the volumes pushed up high (and especially with neutral amplification) people sensitive to high frequency glare could be put off the HP100's sparkle. This can be fixed with EQ, warmer amplification or just lowering the volume a bit, but I still think it's less of an issue than with the DT880 (even the 600 Ohm version). I don't dislike the DT880's high frequencies, it's just worth noting that listeners looking for a warm or dark (laid back) presentation will probably find fault with the HP100's relative brightness.
V-Moda M-100: I am not going to give away too much here as this review is up next. I have only had the M-100 for about a week now. Before they arrived I had hoped that the sound signature would be similar to the HP100, but it's not. The M-100 is a lot darker and with coloured bass. The isolation of the M-100 is actually pretty close to the HP100 but they do leak a bit more. The M-100 is a bit easier to drive but so far I am needing to EQ the bass down to enjoyable levels and that's not something that I needed to do with the M-80.
On brighter tracks, with the volumes pushed up high (and especially with neutral amplification) people sensitive to high frequency glare could be put off the HP100's sparkle. This can be fixed with EQ, warmer amplification or just lowering the volume a bit, but I still think it's less of an issue than with the DT880 (even the 600 Ohm version). I don't dislike the DT880's high frequencies, it's just worth noting that listeners looking for a warm or dark (laid back) presentation will probably find fault with the HP100's relative brightness.
V-Moda M-100: I am not going to give away too much here as this review is up next. I have only had the M-100 for about a week now. Before they arrived I had hoped that the sound signature would be similar to the HP100, but it's not. The M-100 is a lot darker and with coloured bass. The isolation of the M-100 is actually pretty close to the HP100 but they do leak a bit more. The M-100 is a bit easier to drive but so far I am needing to EQ the bass down to enjoyable levels and that's not something that I needed to do with the M-80.
AMPLIFICATION
The HP100 are a little bit harder to drive than most portable headphones (if you can call them portable) that I've had (Sennhesier HD25-1, Grado SR-80, V-Moda M-80). Driving them from the Samsung Galaxy S, Galaxy Note II and Google Nexus 7 provided a slightly warmer sound which I liked. A bit void of the finer details but very respectable. I gave the HP100's to the wife to try out with Note II (all 3 had similar volume levels) and she immediately max'd out the volume (although that was just about enough for her), whereas I was happy at around 80%. The iPhone 4 was a little bit better, keeping the wife happy at around 90%, me at about 70%. So bare in mind that individual likes and different portable sources will change a little to a lot, but hopefully this illustrates that the HP100 does OK with portables.
The HP100 are a little bit harder to drive than most portable headphones (if you can call them portable) that I've had (Sennhesier HD25-1, Grado SR-80, V-Moda M-80). Driving them from the Samsung Galaxy S, Galaxy Note II and Google Nexus 7 provided a slightly warmer sound which I liked. A bit void of the finer details but very respectable. I gave the HP100's to the wife to try out with Note II (all 3 had similar volume levels) and she immediately max'd out the volume (although that was just about enough for her), whereas I was happy at around 80%. The iPhone 4 was a little bit better, keeping the wife happy at around 90%, me at about 70%. So bare in mind that individual likes and different portable sources will change a little to a lot, but hopefully this illustrates that the HP100 does OK with portables.
One of my favourite aspects of this sound is that it can so nicely and easily be pushed for personal preference. EQ could go some way to moulding this for some people but I prefer playing with amplification (and DACs) to get this effect. I'm a bit of a bass head at heart so I got most enjoyment out of the HP100's when pairing them with slightly warmer amplification. The Arcam rPAC (£150) made a great source which also doubled up on the smoothness - fantastic! Then I discovered the Fostex HP-A3 (£300), which is actually more neutral but does such nice things to the bass while adding hugely to the soundstage.
All USB powered DAC/amps were perfectly capable of driving the HP100's in regards to volume. Mains powered options were not required but of course work fine also. The Yulong U100 is a little too lacking in bass for me with the HP100, the Yulong D100 mkII is a little better but both of these amps are pretty neutral, thus suiting more bass heavy headphones. The stepped volume dials of both Yulong machines caused issues for me getting the right levels, even though the HP100 is dealing with higher than average ranges. I guess that I'm getting used to a fine granularity of volume from things like the Arcam rPAC, smooth dials like the Fostex HP-A3 or just good stepped dials like the HP-A8. Anyway, no really bad issues here. It has been more enjoyable than usual trying out different amplifiers with the HP100's to manipulate the signature for my preference. This won't be easy for everyone, and that's why I'm trying extra hard to describe how to push this sound. I'm not suggesting that you will have to, mind you, these headphones are not fussy, more just fun to play with.
MUSIC
Here are some individual music tracks and how I felt the HP100 coped with them. Most of these are from Spotify this time, although a couple were lossless when played through the PC. The CD quality tracks were played through JRiver's MC17 player, using WASAPI event style to output to different DAC/amps via USB.
- Vivaldi: "Concerto For Oboe And Strings In A Minor: Allegro" - The strings are fast and forward through most of this track. It's a great test for the high frequencies, which are clear, smooth and detailed although the greatness is diminished somewhat by a congested feeling from the isolation. With a boldness and great texture it's the oboe that steals the show here and because it's not so directional it doesn't have the same claustrophobic feeling as the supporting instruments.
- Massive Attack (Mezzanine): "Angel" - There is a very deep and enjoyable rumble to this track that I love with some of the more bass heavy headphones and this effect is on top form with the HP100's too. The drums have an uncanny weight and a smoothness to the kick, this is rather unusual for headphones with a neutral signature to pull off.
- Escala: "Palladio" - This song starts with some powerfully deep strings, but is soon mixed with very strong violins. Both ends of the frequency scale are dealt with such attention that I sometimes feel I'm listening to a pronounced 'v-shape' response, but this is indeed a very well balanced pesentation.
- L7 (Bricks Are Heavy): "Shitlist" - The HP100s give this attitude ridden punk track a nice energy. Female vocals are nice and clear, as much as they ever will be here I think :P.
- The Prodigy (Invaders Must Die): "Warrior's Dance" - There is a great speed and dynamic soundstage on display here that make this dance track excel at what it's meant for. Often darker sounding headphones loose this energy even if they have the bass thump to pull off an impression, which is not exactly lacking in the HP100's either.
- Marilyn Manson (Born Villain): "No Reflection" - The vocals here really come alive with this smooth power. I really like heavier tracks with these headphones because of the speed and clarity. Powered by a nice warm amplifier and it takes care of almost any lust for power in the performance too.
- Middle Class Rut (No Name No Color): "New Low" - Energetic pop tracks don't do badly with this signature either, some might feel them too bright and this track can be if you like your sounds to punch with high volumes, but I don't think many genres suffer from this balance of power and poise.
COMFORT
I found these headphones to be very comfortable! They don't feel very heavy, although this is mostly down to a good distribution of weight and being large and plastic. A decently padded headband helps here too. The clamping force is nearly perfect, perhaps a little on the strong side for some sensitive types, but nothing too annoying and should loosen a bit over time. The pleather ear cups are super soft, but none of this will touch your ears because there is plenty of space around the edges. The only thing that is likely to touch your ears is the material covering the driver itself due to a lack of depth space. This is unlikely to cause discomfort for at least a couple of hours, if at all. Wearing glasses with these headphones has not caused any comfort issues to me at all, but you might loose a tiny bit of isolation (although this can be tweaked easily and driver position is not fussy). The only headphones that I found more comfortable than the HP100 are the Beyerdynmaic DT range and the Denon AH-Dx000 range but it's very close!
DESIGN & BUILD
It might say made in China but this one is designed and built in-house so there is nothing negative about that at all. The aesthetics of these headphones is not going to win any awards, but they don't look horrible either. Construction wise they're heavy on the plastics, but they feel pretty tough. The shiny plates on the cups, with the weird cross-hatching pattern certainly won't put them in anyone's stylish or cool category. I'm willing to forgive any shortcomings on style and see these headphones as a triumph of form over function.
The included accessories are shown below. Most of it is pretty standard these days although there is a couple of things that I'd like to draw attention to. Firstly the cloth, so SoundMAGIC know that these things are fingerprint magnets. I guess they really wanted that shiny plastic look, oh well it's nice that they give you a cloth, you've got to give them points for that. The case is very interesting, I had to do a double take when I saw it, as it's taking more than a few pages out of the V-Moda M-80's handbook. Matt black, hard case with raised pattern texture and red interior. I would say the shape is similar, but they're headphones, of course they're a similar shape. I am very impressed by the size here. This is not much bigger than the V-Moda M-80 case, whereas the HP100's themselves are infinitely bigger than the M-80. I even managed to fit the Fiio E17 inside the HP100's case with the cable!
Since the HP100s have a single sided cable and no other external cables, the signal for the right driver has to go through 4 joints on each ear cup as well as the extendible headband in between. This is the same system that Audio Technica use on the ATH-M50, but the HP100 is even more articulating in each joint so I feared for the reliability. Most headphones tend to leave the signal to a loose external cable, tucked under the headband (especially with this level of flexibility). I assumed that SoundMAGIC must know what they are doing so didn't think much more about it, but then I read the first customer review on Amazon.co.uk and oh dear! A 2-star review on the first comment due to signal loss of the right earcup. I hope this is a rare occurrence, but on the up side these headphones do come with a 2 year guarantee - so SoundMAGIC certainly seem confident that this will not happen very often.
FINAL WORDS
A couple of insignificant, non sound related, gripes aside (I'm English - love to complain) the HP100 is a spectacular first headphone from SoundMAGIC. It boasts a nice case, great isolation, superb detail retrieval, sublime comfort, stunning bass (powerful and smooth, yet uncoloured) and beautifully sparkling upper ranges without overt harshness.
Most genres thrive under the conditions given by the HP100 except perhaps ones with a delicate soundstage. It excels with speed, power and vocals. A carefully chosen amp or a bit of EQ will do wonderful things to fine-tune your sound but you probably won't need it. This is my favourite sound under £200 and easily the best sound that I have found for good isolation, period. These were a loan unit but I have now bought them!
Most genres thrive under the conditions given by the HP100 except perhaps ones with a delicate soundstage. It excels with speed, power and vocals. A carefully chosen amp or a bit of EQ will do wonderful things to fine-tune your sound but you probably won't need it. This is my favourite sound under £200 and easily the best sound that I have found for good isolation, period. These were a loan unit but I have now bought them!
TEST EQUIPMENT
Samsung Galaxy S, Samsung Galaxy Note II, Google Nexus 7, iPhone 4, Dell Vostro laptop, Fiio E17, Arcam rPAC, Yulong U100, Yulong D100 mkII, Fostex HP-P1, Fostex HP-A3, Fostex HP-A8c
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