[rajeevrn]

Summary

 
Pros: Soundstage, Beautiful Highs, Deep Bass
 
Cons: Neutral mids(not necessary a bad thing)
 
Read to know more!

 

Introduction

 
The Soundmagic HP100 sitting on top of the Matrix M-Stage Amp HPA-2(with USB DAC)

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

I took these pics on an Ipod touch with very shaky hands so ignore the quality please!

 
 
I had promised to review my Soundmagic HP100s (though I don’t quite remember whom I promised that ). To hell with my memory! I have learnt a lot here at Head fi and would like to give something back to Headfi as well. Now they have had enough of time for burn in and should now be sounding their best. They were very good out of the box as well.
 
The Soundmagic HP100s are great over ears and if you can afford the inevitable stares they would be great for the commute as well. There is a lot to love about this headphone when paired with an amp that has tame treble with a pronounced low end. I used the Matrix M-Stage HPA-2 and was very happy. I even plugged into an Onkyo TX SR804 receiver and was very, very happy.
 
 A receiver is an alternative to amps that people don’t consider and sometimes they work really well. To begin with there are so many things that you could change about the music (a proper EQ for one) and different sound modes.  And once you get used to it, it just seems more rewarding. But headphone amps have their own advantages, portability and the ability to directly connect to your PC(most of them) being an advantage. Some headphone dac+amps are indeed better than recievers they are intended for that purpose, listening to the music you like on the headphones you like and they can be cheaper.
 
Back to what I wanted to tell you about, the Soundmagic HP 100. Lets begin with the Packaging and Design. 
 

Packaging and Design

 
I could always write home something about the packaging I got the Soundmagic HP 100 in, but the design, certainly no. But yes, it’s a design you will never forget and not in a good way. The earcups  are big, big enough to cover your ears and with did I say 53 mm drivers I did! I received an airplane adaptor and a regular 6.3 mm adaptor for plugging into receivers and most amps.
 
A pleasant surprise is the VIP card that I got with the box. This is a good addition from Soundmagic. Its says:"This card is only for yourself". So in keeping with my pledge to Soundmagic I havent posted any pics of the VIP Card. 
 
Oh and of course, something about the case! The case is excellent, but you would have to fold them up in a certain way to slide the headphones back in. Not a real problem but you have got to remember!
 
 
   
 
The case itself (mine’s now a few months old so yours will be looking brand new).
 

 
It’s a beauty to look at (apart from the mesh design on the ear cups!)
 

 
It’s also got calibration on the metallic band that connect the earcups and runs to the headband.
 

Build and Comfort

 
The build is very good and shouldn’t break if treated with care. I know a couple of things that can go wrong otherwise. You could wear the leather pads out with sweat, You could break the earcups off at the part where it connects(the hinges). But that’s because of the build.
 

 

 
It can fold in a dozen ways.
 
 

The connectors that allow the phones flip back and forth
 
It’s just pure magic how you can save so much space with such big headphones. Even at where it connects it is pretty sturdy and the headphone as such is well built.
 
In other words build should be no cause for concern(unless you actually sit on it by accident) or you break it on purpose just to let everyone know that a very good pair of headphones and a VIP card mean nothing to you (sorry Headfi and Soundmagic!)
The leather pads are supremely comfortable, though I can see some of you might prefer velour. These are good as they are. They do feel hot on the ears after a while but like I said if you don’t have real sweaty years, both you and the pads are going to be happy. Even if you do, get it for what I am going to talk abut next, Sound Quality. 
 

Sound Quality

 
There is not a pic in this section. Towards the end I ran out of ideas. Anyways it is also a section where my ideas or notions are uncalled for ! . Also I havent put down the tracks I used.
 
The Soundmagic HP100 is forgiving of low quality music and poor recordings. This is despite the fact that it mostly presents things as they are. With high quality recordings it shines.
 
There is a bit of treble but all is well and good, highs are clear and sparkly, without being harsh. But if you have recordings that are already bright, you will notice it quite clearly. Synthesizers and guitars sound really good. Guitars however, have a metallic tinge though hard to notice…so they may be good for electric guitar solos as well. Thinking Joe Satriani and Santana.
 
Though it really doesn’t make much sense of speaking about soundstage on headphones, its soundstage, if you can really pick it out is big and its quite airy. Never feels congested.
 
I find reasonable amount of clarity, but the openness never the same as an open headphone. If you want a more open sound with the same closed form, I would suggest the Soundmagic HP150.
 
I think also that it’s very linear, it doesn’t lay emphasis on any particular part of the spectrum, so there is little chance of anything being drowned out, particularly vocals in many songs.
 
The vocals can sound a bit thin sometimes esp. out of an ipod, but out of a receiver or a high end dac+amp combo, it has great body. They also sound quite natural, nothing that should detract you from the music. So amping definitely helps.
 
Speed is very good. Never sounds slow, he dynamics, particularly with regard to volume is not as good, it is average. goes with the beat…excellent pacing. There is also an overall good cohesiveness to the flow(may be a function of the DAC/Amp as well).
 
Every headphone has a slightly less eventful section(s), so what is it for the Soundmagic HP100? Many would argue that it is bass, no I think the low end is ok. It does have deep bass, just not too much of it. You can also feel the rumble on the earcups (this must be great for gaming). So what is it then? I think it is the midrange. I would say it is fairly neutral. It is not laidback however.
 
Is it a perfect headphone?  No and now you know why, but at this price I don’t know of any other that does music and even gaming to a certain extent better. And as Shakespeare put it: All’s well that ends well! Both highs and lows are very good. Highs are very good.
 
This is a recommended buy, studio monitors that are fun to listen to and can be powered by just about anything.