SoundMagic E80D review

The world moves very quickly these days. Our younger readers will scarcely believe it, but there was a time when not everyone in the world carried an Apple or Samsung smartphone in their pocket. In those hazy bygone days, Netflix used to send you actual DVDs, Manchester United weren’t a bottom-half football club, and practically every pair of headphones was connected using the humble wire. How times have changed.

While wireless earbuds and their over-ear counterparts have come to dominate the ever-expanding headphone market, wires have refused to go away entirely. SoundMagic is one of a few companies committed to still flying the flag for Team Wired, though its latest pair of in-ear headphones – the E80D – are nothing if not up with the times. Using a direct USB-C connector in place of the more traditional 3.5mm, the E80D are built to slot straight into almost any modern smartphone (such as the iPhone 16, Sony Xperia 10 VI and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra), computer or audio device. For budget-conscious wired wearers who refuse to be left completely in the Dark Ages, they’re a tantalising prospect.

Price

With the E80D retailing at £39 / $44 / AU$66, you won’t find many cheaper in-ear headphones from reputable or established brands. One of their main alternatives comes from SoundMagic’s own stable in the shape of the Award-winning E11C which, at the time of writing, cost around £40 / $45 / AU$60. Those extremely talented alternatives have been around for a few years now and, more importantly, use a traditional 3.5mm connection rather than USB-C.

Build & design

The E80D are a pair of SoundMagic headphones through and through, and that’s a good thing. The brand behind the E11C hasn’t strayed too far from its winning formula with its latest set of in-ears, and while that USB-C connector is the stand-out novelty, handling our test sample’s cable, earpieces and in-line remote tells us that we’re on reassuringly familiar ground.

It’s good ground to be on. While a pair of budget buds at this level could have been as tactile and durable as the cheap tat you might get for free on a tour of a middling art gallery, there’s sufficient robustness and quality here to make us feel, if not overawed, then relatively pleased. The earpieces themselves are constructed using a smooth and solid aluminium housing, while the “precision” cable hints at some long-lasting durability as we bend and pull it to test its credentials. That cable comes with a three-button in-line remote for controlling playback volume, playing or pausing tracks and accepting incoming calls, the latter of which is facilitated by the E80D’s built-in microphone.

The E80D come equipped with three pairs of bowl-shaped silicone eartips available in small, medium and large sizes, as well as a set of medium-sized double-flange silicone buds which grant a little added security if you want a slightly more anchored fit. We spend most of our listening time with the standard silicone ear tips due to their pleasing blend of comfort and fit, and while some may judge the tip material to be a little hard at the front edge and lacking the pliability of costlier alternatives, we generally experienced little discomfort or insecurity during listening sessions over an hour in length.

Call quality

As you might expect, the SoundMagic E80D don’t exactly go big on features – there are no noise cancelling or spatial capabilities to be found – but their in-line microphone does allow for hands-free voice calling. That’s a handy boon, even if the performance of the budget headphones doesn’t exactly blow us away: voices come across as somewhat rounded off, muffled and a little lacking in personality or expression, while external sounds from nearby traffic, for instance, can often intrude on your conversation. You’ll still be able to have a comprehensible dialogue using the E80D, but maybe switch to your phone’s built-in microphone if you want a more polished performance.

Sound

Equipped with a set of dynamic 10mm neodymium drivers and capable of handling hi-res audio files up to 24-bit/96kHz, the E80D seek to deliver “premium sound quality” without a massive outlay, promising a performance that balances “strong bass, soaring highs, and clear mids”. That’s a lot of promise for something at this low price.

We use a variety of sources to perform our testing, plugging that USB-C connector into any amenable slot, from a standard iPhone 15 to a Samsung Galaxy S22+, as well as a variety of compatible laptops. Wherever the SoundMagic buds go and whatever they play, we recognise the same clarity and cohesion that is so evident with the brand’s Award-winning E11C counterparts – tracks have a sense of sparkle about them as the E11C’s clean, balanced approach allows separate musical strands to shine across a pleasingly neat soundfield.

The amount of information the SoundMagic in-ears are capable of retrieving is striking given their modest price. Vital timbres are uncovered keenly and clearly, granting the crunching guitar on Alice In Chains’ Lesson Learned enough bite to put a salivating Rottweiler in the shade, whereas the birth and decay of each haunting piano keystroke on Radiohead’s Codex are tracked with near-forensic insight. Perhaps what impresses us most is the body and substance the E80D provide – not content with mere sketches, they endeavour to fill in your tunes’ all-important shades and hues.

Do note that you’ll have to move higher up the price ladder if you want headphones with a greater knack for dynamics. While the E80D’s rendition of Radiohead’s Codex is unquestionably enjoyable and evidences much of what they do so well, it also hints at the headphones’ relative limitations. Capturing the subtle decay of each keystroke is no mean feat, but we’d prefer to see more dynamic differentiation between every touch of the keys. The SoundMagic are slightly flattened dynamically, and while we’re not expecting Everest peaks and Mariana Trench troughs for this kind of money, more premium wired alternatives will grant you a keener feeling of differentiation between each note to more readily bring out the track’s emotive character.

The E80D are certainly rhythmically capable, even if costlier alternatives will again eclipse their capabilities. A perfect pair of performers will grip onto the carefree spark of Sabrina Carpenter’s Espresso while expressing the tune’s bouncy, playful sense of sway – the E80D manage to get the core feeling of the track, but they could do with a touch more propulsive snap to push the peppy tune along at a full canter. The E80D can “move it up, down, left and right”, even if they could do with a little more of the track’s titular caffeinated beverage to put more pep in their step. Still, it’s an admirable effort from a likeable pair of budget in-ears that still communicates the spirit of Carpenter’s signature bop.

Perhaps the E80D’s greatest trump card, aside from their clean, detailed sound, is their sense of finesse, providing a musical picture that lives and breathes rather than lying flat and lifeless. Pearl Jam’s Wreckage opens with an appropriately lean, textured acoustic guitar that’s soon joined by deep, forceful drum kicks and tinkling piano motifs floating in the upper reaches, all before Eddie Vedder’s distinguished pipes take centre stage and rising supporting vocals soar above. This is an attempt at genuine sonic curation, and it gives a great song a far more tangible sense of structure.

Verdict

SoundMagic E80D’s USB-C connection offers undeniable convenience for most modern smartphone users, but it’s their strong sonic performance that gives them their true value. With capabilities belying their cost, these wired in-ears are far better than their modest outlay would suggest.

First reviewed: February 2025

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 4
• Comfort 3

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