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The SoundMAGIC TWS50 is the logical next step in the evolution of the affordable audio brand. With its highly affordable E11C in-ear headphones, the SoundMAGIC has become a sales success and widespread critical acclaim and has made these headphones wireless with E11BT’s equally affordable neck buttons. The company may have parked the ‘E11’ series for now, but don’t doubt it – these are designed to continue the E11’s legacy of delivering highly acceptable sound and build quality at a price that will make some competing manufacturers shudder. This is our SoundMagic TWS50 Review.
SoundMagic TWS50 Review Design
SoundMAGIC has ticked all the boxes with the design of the TWS50 earbuds. First of all, they’re discreet – no one wants their real wireless in-ears to look like they’ve left the gap of the Starship Enterprise – and the TWS50 is small, light, making it easy to achieve a comfortable fit. The choice of small, medium, or large earplugs in the package also helps achieve a satisfying fit. The touch controls on each ear cup are small but simple enough to find and use.
The charging case (containing approximately 24 hours of power, enough to charge the TWS50s four times) is a kind of circular puck, with a rotating lid to reveal either the earplugs or the super-retro digital display showing the remaining power. Neither the case nor the earplugs themselves feel anything special – they’re light (45g for the case, only 4g each for the tops) and made from unapologetically hard, glossy plastic. But both feel sturdy, and their relative lack of lushness is only consistent with their price.
Features
Despite being one of the more unobtrusive true wireless designs, SoundMAGIC has found room for a 6mm neodymium full-range driver in each earbud. The TWS50s also have an IPX7 rating, so getting wet for a short time shouldn’t be a concern – and the re’s a choice of silicone tips in the package, so a pleasant and comfortable fit should be secure.
Wireless connectivity is through Bluetooth 5.0 – which is more than enough to enjoy some high-resolution audio from, for example, TIDAL or Amazon Music HD. Touch controls can be used to answer or reject calls and control playback. If that’s a bit tiring and practical, SoundMAGICs are compatible with all Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa.
SoundMagic TWS50 Review Performance
The TWS50s link quickly and without drama to my Galaxy S10 Plus and, with a TIDAL Masters file from Tame Impala’s Lost In Yesterday streaming, almost everything that makes SoundMAGIC‘s E11 models so much fun to listen to, and so much value, is here. They are a reasonably open, spacious listener, capable of building a stable and well-defined sound image. The presentation is wide enough, and everything in the pleasant crescendo of the song takes up its own space.
The integration of each element is nevertheless useful, and the song has a convincing overall coherence. The less capable in-ear designs can present music as a collection of individual events, but the TWS50’s organize the music well. The bass, though not the most outstanding you’ve ever heard, is deep and structured, with enough detail to reveal even small tonal differences. The opposite end of the frequency range is only rolled away a little, which makes sense if you’re listening to low bit rate streams, but is only a little bit gritty when playing some full-fledged Hi-Res files.
Just as the TWS50s can convincingly combine the individual instrumental elements of a recording, they manage to move smoothly from the top of the frequency range to the bottom. Apart from that slight sweetening of the highest tones, nothing is exaggerated or underplayed. The SoundMAGICs also have no problem with the fiery harmonic dynamics of Anna Meredith’s Nautilus. The difference between the blowing bass sounds and their electronic undercurrents is made clear, and the amount of detail that is extracted means that there is subtlety between all the blusters.
However, the broad dynamics of the same song shows a slight lack of TWS50 headroom – they are unable to make the distance between the ridiculous levels of recording and the short moments of mercy as high as it should be.
Conclusion
Not perfect, but much better than just competent, the TWS50 is precisely what you would hope for from SoundMAGIC. It’s not that the most affordable option on a particular shortlist turns out to be a bit of a bargain, but that’s certainly the case here. They offer a wide, spacious soundstage, with an excellent, well-balanced presentation, along with considerable battery life and a comfortable fit – in short, if you’re looking for some inexpensive AirPod alternatives, the SoundMAGIC TWS50 is worth a look.
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