SoundMagic P23BT wireless headphones boast aptX HD and 60-hour battery for just £50

SoundMagic's P23BT wireless headphones, just £50
(Image credit: SoundMagic)

SoundMagic knows a fair bit about budget headphones priced at that tantalising £50 mark – just look at the repeat What Hi-Fi? Award-winning E11C wired in-ears. In 2020, the audio specialist launched the SoundMagic TWS50, the firm's first true wireless earbuds with the dizzying asking fee of £79, but now, it's time to meet the newest wireless addition, the SoundMagic P23BT headphones – now available, and for just £50. The spec-sheet reads well, too. 

Bluetooth 5.0 (meaning a wireless range of 13 metres) with aptX and aptX HD is onboard, and a quick 10-minute charge should net you five hours of playtime. What's more, the included wired boom mic turns the P23BT into a multi-use headset for gaming or for business calls, too.

SoundMagic P23BT's foldable design

(Image credit: SoundMagic)

SoundMagic P23BT is extra-portable thanks to the folding mechanism in the headband and those leatherette memory foam earpads should gently mould to the ear to create a comfortable wearing experience.

You get on-device touch controls too, with a swipe forward or back on the earcup to skip or repeat tracks, a swipe up or down to control volume, double-taps for play, pause and call-handling, or a triple-tap to access the mic.

On this, the built-in CVC8.0 noise reduction microphone promises clear conversations and easy activation of voice assistants, and SoundMagic claims you'll get continuous playback for a whopping 54-60 hours on a full charge.

The closed-back design promises to minimise background noise, and a 50-day standby time means you shouldn't need to worry about being caught out with an empty battery. 

The SoundMagic P23BT is priced at £49.96 and is available now at SoundMagic (EU), Hifiheadphones (UK) and Amazon (UK). When international pricing is known, we'll update this page, but it's roughly $69, AU$94, or not very much given the features promised... 

MORE: 

Read all our SoundMagic reviews 

See our pick of the best wireless headphones 2021

Now check out the best cheap headphones deals 2021: wireless, noise-cancelling and more

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Becky has been a full-time staff writer at What Hi-Fi? since March 2019. Prior to gaining her MA in Journalism in 2018, she freelanced as an arts critic alongside a 20-year career as a professional dancer and aerialist – any love of dance is of course tethered to a love of music. Becky has previously contributed to Stuff, FourFourTwo, This is Cabaret and The Stage. When not writing, she dances, spins in the air, drinks coffee, watches football or surfs in Cornwall with her other half – a football writer whose talent knows no bounds. 

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