Verdict
A mixed result from SoundMagic ’s first attempt at ANC over - ears with parts both honorable ( stamp battery life , comfort , and wireless carrying into action ) and underwhelming ( disturbance - cancelling ) . And though the P60BT ’s sound quality is enjoyable , it ’s complicated by its ANC tuning and deficiency of bass depth .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
There has n’t been much news from SoundMagic late , but the last production I reviewed from the brand was anexcellent dyad of on - ears . So I ’m hoping its first pair of ANC over - ears – the P60BT – glean like results .
Recently the budget headphone marketplace has been inundate with noise - scrub over - ears , and it ’s not just smaller marque like SoundMagic looking to make hay , with Sony tapping into this market too with itsWH - CH720N.
The field is strong but given SoundMagic ’s expertise in this surface area you would n’t wager against it on delivering a timbre couplet of headphones .
Design
Aesthetically , the SoundMagic P60BT ANC are n’t earpiece that garner much care . The all black colourway is decidedly unflashy , and the construction of the underframe is plastic – but it ’s only when I bend the headband that I hear any creaking . That ’s acceptable enough for me .
Compared to a Monoprice Dual Driver earphone I was prove at the same time , the P60BT ’s frame matte up lighter ( 311 g ) but the clamping force was n’t as tight . That had a knock - on effect on its passive noise - isolating ability – how it block sound through the design itself – as the seal between my caput and the earpads was looser .
The top side is that comfort is good . The P60BT gently pressures against the head , the rubberise headband and the easygoing earpads provide subdued points of striking . Though a small squirm of the head and the SoundMagic switching a small . They do n’t feel glue to my head .
The invention is collapsible for folding and can be stow by in themassivecarry face . The type takes up too much place , though it follow with a handle for extend .
There ’s only one push on the ripe earcup , and that covers both king and noise - cancelling mode . The rest of the ascendance are on the skin senses pad and rule playback with taps and swipe for volume ( up and down ) , track skipping ( side to side ) and representative aid ( three tap ) , all of which are very responsive when call upon .
The strange aspect of the mite pad is the weird sound effect that come with any action . It ’s the sort of upshot you ’d have heard in a side - scrolling action plot whenever your character died .
Otherwise , there ’s a USB - degree Celsius input for charge , a 3.5 millimetre jackfruit for pumped hearing and the left earpad surface is the NFC identification zona .
Features
Connect the SoundMagic P60BT to your mobile machine of choice and you ’ll have access to any one of SBC , AAC , aptX andaptX - HDstreaming codecs . The latter two are only available to Android user , and aptX - HD allows forHi - Res Audiostreams – though in the less elaborate lossy rather than lossless material body .
The wireless link has been excellent throughout testing , with nary a tinge of a dropout even walking through fussy thoroughfares such as Waterloo and Victoria stations .
Call quality is solid – fine in still areas and while in busier areas it does let outside sounds in but not to the detriment of voice pickup and clarity . The default volume for calls is low-spirited , however , and needs turn up , while there were times when I could hear myself with a slight delay .
The battery life is long . With a Spotify play list playing at around 50 % of the headphones ’ volume , the SoundMagic P60BT only go down by 10 % in six hours . That was with noise - cancelling off , but nevertheless , that ’s retentive assault and battery life .
The P60BT ’s haphazardness - cancelling is not as strong though . It never rises above decent ; the intercrossed ANC system struggles when stressed by loud noise . Its execution is flap by the Monoprice Dual Driver earphone , which are half the terms .
Part of its struggle is the lack of tight clamping force I bring up in the ‘ design ’ section but also its focus on eradicate scummy frequencies , leaving the wearer queer to other mellow oftenness sounds . It can nullify ambient , environmental fathom easily enough , but on the London Underground it really sputter to call off out tunnel stochasticity , breathe an peculiar bleeping noise when haphazardness got very flash .
All the jut you hear on public transport are press out , but the more persistent sounds remain . They ’re quieter , it ’s true , but they ’re a part of your daily soundtrack ; so it ’s a unspoiled matter the SoundMagic P60BT ’s bulk is incline loud enough that they can be covered up . One other note about the ANC is that the headphones power up in ‘ Normal ’ ( or peaceful ) mode . ANC must be manually tack on , which could be irritating for the oblivious type out there .
There ’s an Ambient sound mode and its integration is fine , expanding the scope of what ’s around you , unmortgaged enough to pick up the small details but still a little noisy . Switching to this fashion alters the quality of euphony somewhat – the ANC musical mode is clearer and more defined , but that ’s no surprise .
Sound Quality
There ’s also a slight difference in whole step between ‘ Normal ’ modal value and ‘ Noise - cancelling ’ . The latter is more industrious and crisper , and that influences the midrange ( which is pushed fore ) and upper frequencies ( which are brighter ) .
disregardless of modal value , P60BT ’s bass part performance has outlet . Listening to the Eurythmics ’ Sweet Dreams , it lacks a drive force to the basso , and it ’s the same for TNGHT ’s Higher Ground or Katy B ’s Katy on a Mission . The SoundMagic is minor in describing low oftenness , so if you ’re after more punch and expression , or listen to a lot of Dance / Electronic medicine , you ’d be better served elsewhere .
The midrange has a sparse , be given tone to its rescue with ANC on , less natural - sounding than in its Normal mode . Phil Collins ’ vocal in You Ca n’t Hurry Love miss a little free weight , as does Nina Persson ’s in The Cardigan ’s Lovefool – the P60BT drop dead for a trim , crisp performance in ANC and it mostly fend off sound sibilant , though representative do n’t always dribble the same arcdegree of manifestation or heartiness as they do in Normal mode , sounding a little flatter .
Nevertheless , on a panoptic scale the P60BT entertain . No Doubt ’s Do n’t Speak is given an entertaining rendition , with good degree of detail , sharpness , and clarity provided to the track ’s percussion , cello , and guitars . It ’s with track like this where the brittleness of the headphone ’ ANC tuning can work in its favour , picking out a sharper sensation of detail in the guitar plucks and cymbal clangoring . DOE and dynamism are well convey too – I ’d be surprised if you listened to this track and did n’t start tapping your toe .
Head further up the frequency range and the P60BT ’s handgrip on triplex bank note is best described as sharp . I ’d wager some may find the performance fag , and there is a momentary raunch that come forth time - to - time with ANC on . Normal mode is more natural - voice , though even in its ANC mode I enjoyed the detail and clarity the P60BT excavate out from Vanessa Carlton ’s A Thousand Miles or Shuggie Otis ’ Strawberry Letter 23 .
There ’s a brightness , mutation , and energy to the treble that ’s a step up from the likewise pricedSoundcore Space One , and it fertilize into the SoundMagic ’s greater sense of energy , period , and excitement .
This is by no means a flawless budget listen , but when the parts come together , the SoundMagic P60BT ’s audio performance is more adept than other affordable headphone .
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Should you buy it?
The SoundMagic P60BT presents detailed , up-and-coming phone for the money , though the ANC tuning does focus and flatten in direction that some may care , and others may not .
The P60BT ’s bass public presentation is ok , but bass intemperate raceway expose its deficiency of depth . If you enjoy large bass , best calculate elsewhere .
Final Thoughts
The SoundMagic P60BT is the definition of a mixed pocketbook . The earphone can sound very upright at times , and though the dissonance - cancelling can focalise and flatten out that audio when affiance , I would still say it ’s better than other similarly priced efforts . Battery life and the wireless carrying out are very good , though I ’m left more conservative about the interference - cancelling , which is n’t the strongest , as well as the lack of bass profundity .
The the likes of of the Sony WH - CH720N and the Soundcore Space One have upend and altered anticipation in the low-cost ANC market place , and even the1More Sonoflowwith its similar specs is cheap than these headphones .
For the £ 129.99 RRP , file the SoundMagic P60BT under not quite good enough to earn a whole - hearted countenance from me , but if you find them close to £ 100 , they ’re worth a punt .
Trusted Score
How we test
We prove every set of headphones we brush up thoroughly over an extended period of time . We use diligence standard tests to compare features properly . We ’ll always separate you what we find . We never , ever , take money to review a product .
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FAQs
you may pelt in SBC , AAC , and aptX - HD , as well as aptX Low Latency , which is designed to meliorate sync between sound and video .
