SoundMAGIC HP151 Headphones Review
SoundMAGIC have been able to conjure a headphone proposition with the HP151s that is aimed toward both the gamer, with an included bonus cable that has inbuilt microphone, and music listeners.
Design
We’ve been repeatedly impressed by the build quality of SoundMAGIC products over the years and these HP151 headphones deserve to be credited in this area too. The ear-cup padding is soft and feels roomy around the ears. The headband could do with a tad more padding, as we noticed them leaving an impression after 2-3hrs of listening, which isn’t so much the case with their higher end releases such as the SoundMAGIC HP1000 or Vento P55 headphones. The hinges and adjustability of cups is agile, but possibly a little more plasticky than the above mentioned models. Regardless of this, as caseless headphones they’ve been able to withstand life inside a busy backpack just fine.
Performance
Firstly to touch on the input audio performance (the microphone); it can be summed up in one word, okay. Onto the output, and the bass is the symbolic element of the sound design here. It’s rough and ready, a bit exaggerated but sober when the mid-higher ranges are all competing to be heard in a track such as ‘Big Boy’ by Payday featuring a thumpingly energetic chorus. Stereo performance is great and there is indeed a soundstage but it’s nowhere near as impressive as the SoundMAGIC HP1000 headphones. Here it’s more restrained but blatant in the separation of track elements.
Sibilance is an obvious issue with the SoundMAGIC HP151 headphones. Lighter vocals and instrumentals can almost sound like they are distorting at the worst end and in general it’s just unpleasant when listening to artists such as Madelline and Wet Leg. Even when adjusting EQ settings to try and contain the sibilance, we have been unsuccessful. Surprisingly the maximum volume levels these headphones can reach will feed the hungriest of eardrum destroying appetites. More so, they just wade into the highest levels without any distortion, which is really odd considering the sibilance sensitivity within the high ranges.
Verdict
SoundMAGIC HP151 headphones can be an enjoyable listen that thrills the ears with rich bass and tonal fluidity, but sibilance is a signifiant weakness in the sensitivity of the driver arrangement and is a constant presence in all listening, making for an unfortunate distraction from successive strengths in this price range of over-ear headphones.
