SoundMAGIC HP200 Premium Full Size Open-Back Folding Headphones (Black)

I collect headphones and now own 30 pair priced from $20.00 to $500.00. I have owned a lot more than the 30 I have kept. I keep the one's that are unique in styling(but still sound good), perform exceptionally for their price or just plain blow your mind with their sound. With that said these cans are definitely keepers. Construction These are very well built units that surpass other headphones in this price range. Comfort Unmatched in comfort. These cans are among the most comfortable I own. Sound For sound I would say they compare most closely to AKG Q 701's and Grado 225i headphones. The bass is deep and balanced not muddy and boomy. Bass is a little more represented than the AKG ' S and similar to the Grado's maybe going a little deeper. Mid's are very clear accurate. High's are perfectly nuanced with out a hint of shrillness or fatigue. Overall a very well balanced sound. The sound stage is immense larger than the Grado's or AKG's providing a true 3D sound. . Every instrument can be identified in good recordings along with their placement. The only nit pick would be the sound stage is so huge they lack some centering. I can truly say I never heard of this brand before and after some research decided to give them a listen. I must say I am so glad I did I now would not want to be without them. When ever I want to sit and do critical listening to music they are one of four headphones I reach for. In fact I liked them so much I purchased a set of their HP 150 closed back and P21 portable headphones. Both of which are world class in their performance in their category. I was skeptical about a company with such a strange name and whether it could compete with the established brands. The name is strange but it truly describes the sound they make, it's magic.

I live outside the US, on February 2015 I purchased the HP150, based on some good reviews on-line, that pair sounded great, and even when lack on lower-end (they not designed for bass heads, but still lack in that end), overall they just sound clear and detailed. Fast forward to a vacation trip made to the States in March of the same year, I was excited on getting the HP200 based on my previous experience and because I wanted open air headphone. I made my purchased before my arrival, as I only a couple days in my stay. But for some reason, the package was delayed and received a day before my return, so never had the time to test the HP200. The problem with the unit I received, is that the left side sound quieter than the right!! Not sure by how many decibels as I do not have any equipment to test this, but I tried different sources and had friends listen to them, and all times came to the same conclusion. I have purchased numerous headphones over time, some cheaper some more expensive, but this was the first time something like this happened to me. This headphone was not on the cheap side ($200 at the time of purchase), and coming from a company that prides itself with their “meticulous manufacturing process, all products must be tested at least three times”, I just can’t understand were the quality control actually was when my unit was manufactured. I did not return them to Amazon because the shipping expenses were insanely close to the cost of the headphones themselves. Maybe I got a lemon, as the HP150’s still sound fine, and while I could partially compensate the volume differences with the balance controls, in the end, I still end up with a low quality expensive headphone, hoping this is not a an early sing of a driver going bad. Now they still sit in my closet in mint condition with a couple of uses, as a reminder to never purchase a SoundMAGIC product again. To a friend, I would definitely advise them to look elsewhere, for the price there are many alternatives for open headphones (Audio-Technica, Sennheiser, etc). But if still you are wanting to buy these headphone as part of an export sale, just check the return cost beforehand. I wish you do not have such a bad experience as I did.

I got these as a "budget" audiophile headset for my friend who is blind. Unfortunately they didn't stand the test of time, after 8 or less month's of daily use 8+ hr's a day one of the ear pads came off. The sound signature was mind blowing though

First review I've ever posted on Amazon: Allright, this is the first item that I've ever reviewed on any website. The reason? I really think this is one of the best deals in the audiophile world. Gonna keep it short and simple: Build: Nice, comparable to the HD600 in sturdyness, feels far more solid than the HD598. Not as good as Beyer DT990 Performance: Great, amazingly detailed mids and highs, nice quick bass (run out of a Schiit Asgard 2+Modi). Could use a bit more space in the vocals, the intimacy of the sound can be a bit overwhelming sometimes and muddle the soundstage. A little picky sometimes, can have a bit of sizzle. Cons: Provided cord is short, and a replacement would need to fit into the proprietary locking mechanism. Also, while the build is sturdy, it looks a bit "cheap" on close inspection due to the mostly plastic finish. Overall: I think these cans are quite comparable to the HD650 in terms of warm-ish signature and detail. However, I prefer the bass here to any Sennheiser headphones that I have tried. I'll be looking to see if I can replace the cord and earpads somehow (maybe to the Shure Alcantara) and update this review. Until then, these still stand as a viable alternative to any pair of headphones in the DT880/990 HD600/650 AKG 701/702 class.

i own the soundmagic hp100 which i love. i was eager to try the soundmagic open back hp200. online reviews put the inproved sound stage, and deeper bass as reasons to buy it. i think i got a lemon. 1. initially no bass from the right can. 2. after 30+ burn in, it improved dramatically, but still was mediocre compared to the hp100. plus there was a huge power difference between this and my soundmagic hp100. on my fiio x5, i would set the volume to 80 on the hp200 to get average sound levels. on the hp100, a volume of 80 would be almost painfully loud. yet, both cans are rated at the same power efficiency. had to return it. i might try another pair in the future, but am disappointed by this pair of headphones. it's likely just a QC issue.

The sound is good but I prefer the closed sounded of the hp100. The hp 100 sound more detailed.

Great sound, very efficient and open clear sound with plenty of bass. Why 2 stars? because after about 6 months they are about unusable, probably dead soon. They use a proprietary cable locking system, and the cable is just disintegrating. Now, I just have a hook next to my bomputer chair I hang them on, the cable all strung permanent through my cable management, with the last like 4' as slack. I'm not travelling with these, just sitting in a chair and hanging them on a hook next to it. I've put braided cable wrap over the cable to try to keep it from more falling apart, and am now heat shrinking adhesive heat shrink tubing on it at the ends to try to shore them up since the um cable cover stuff apparently can't handle being bent. In the pic I've included it looks like it got chewed up or something. It didn't, that's just from taking off a hook a foot away from my head and putting on my head. The maker has zero warranty support, tell you to get support from your seller, who also won't support it. And there's no place to get another cable. I'd recommend looking at another manufacturer.

These headphones are fantastic. Very detailed sound, excellent balance. I use these headphones for most anything, but they are particularly nice for doing listening analysis of contemporary classical music where there are so many soft dynamics and rich timbres in that style that it is very important to be able to discern incredibly slight shifts. These headphones absolutely slay on that front. You are getting quality like the Sennheiser 600 or 650 but for a fraction of the price, so I can't recommend these enough. I would advise picking up an amp of some kind because it will help with the sound quality if you are playing from not super hi-fi audio tracks (like streams, mp3, etc.) One slight complaint, the little emblem has come somewhat loose in one ear and can make some noise now, but this is a very minor qualm.

Un casque aux qualites indéniables (largeur de scène, détail) mais pas extraordinaire comparé a un sennheiser hd598. Les basses sont clairement faibles (meme comparé au hd598)

Item degraded and sticky upon arrival

This is the true HD650 competitor that almost no one knows about. I'll go as far as to say that this headphone kills it when it comes to overall fidelity and SQ. Extremely dynamic, punchy and engaging sound with excellent top end. The Bass is especially taught and deep with great sub-bass presence. Overall I'll rate it above the HD650 in terms of sound. Buy this blindly; if you get to.

SoundMAGIC HP200 Open Back Headphones Well packaged but easy to unpack, this over-ear, open backed headphone is contained within a large, hard, shell looking storage/ carry case. Very protective, but will take up a lot of room in your travel bag. In any event the ear pieces are very flexible and fold and move around with ease, sometimes too much ease as they can flop around unnecessarily as you are holding them. The pads are a very comfortable artificial leather material similar to the HP100. The similarities with the HP 100, however, end here as the HP200 ear pieces are all metal grills and feel very robust and not prone to fingermarks, as with the HP100. The straight cord has a proprietary fit, which could be a nuisance if it breaks, but, mercifully, it is not a heavy coil, like on the HP100, though it's on the short side, at 1.2M. I burned them in for about 120 hours, but there was little change after 60 hours. I can best summarise the sound as quite bright and very well imaged, with a very well extended, minimally rolled off treble, clear, forward mids, and a strong, well defined bass, though, in common with many open backed headphones, with no more than a modest sub-bass. The sound stage is only moderately wide, and not deep. As you would expect with an open back design, there is little sound isolation in either direction. The forward sound benefits vocals and instrumental music which are vivid and exciting-these are not headphones for sleeping to; rather, they are more likely to have you on the edge of your seat in excitement. The vocal tremulo at 0.24' in Alison Krauss' 'When You Say Nothing At All' is spine-tingling, and in the loud passages of Björk's 'So Broken', a challenge to any headphone, the HP200 retains control and clarity, without excessive thinning of the voice. Danielle de Niese's Handel Arias sound equally impressive, with every breath and sob clearly captured. Where there is sibilance on the recording it was picked up, but it never became obtrusive or annoying. Male vocals are equally well produced-from Fischer-Dieskau to Patrick Wolf, immediacy and clarity prevail. Even complex, heavy mixes from Nick Cave and Rammstein are readily separated into their auditory components, giving the impression of a front row seat at a live performance. Intimate Jazz sounds very good as well. Plenty atmosphere is generated, with a sense of a natural acoustic around the performers, whether it be a large stage or a nightclub. Similarly, well recorded, complex choral singing is very well reproduced, with the different vocal lines readily distinguished. Chamber music also sounds impressive, with plenty space around each instrument-no difficulty differentiating the two violins and viola in string quartets with the HP200! Piano is more variable: the lower notes benefit from the well defined bass, but the upper registers can become unrealistically hard and uncomfortable. Getting the volume/equaliser balance can be tricky, particularly where there is a simultaneous mix of high and low notes-the percussive opening of Prokofiev's Seventh Piano Sonata is a case in point. There is no denying, however, that where there is a predominance of rich low chords, such as the ethereal opening bars of the Second Movement of Schubert's 'Wanderer Fantasy', and the opening of his G Major Sonata, the sonorities are nothing short of breathtaking. High notes of violins can also become over bright and edgy at anything above moderate volume. For instance, I had to equalise the treble on Nicola Bendetti's 'The Silver Violin' and Perlman's Bach Sonatas and Partitas for non-fatiguing listening. Several other solo violin discs were fine though. As expected, larger scale orchestral works sound good where there is not too much treble energy and where a very large sound-stage is not required. They are unforgiving of poor recordings though- as an example, Solti's Mahler 8, which was perfectly balanced on the original LP, has, to my ears, been rather harshly remastered, and this is picked up by the HP200 with it's accurate reproduction, and tendency to a bright sound signature. The HP200 has a relatively low impedance of 20 Ohms, and works very well with my Sansa ClipZip mp3 player, producing good volume, at a 75% setting. The easily adjustable, well padded headband is as comfortable as the ear pads on my average sized head, over my slightly larger than average ears. The HP200 looks, feels and sounds a quality headphone. It may not suit very deep bass lovers or treble sensitive ears but it has many positive attributes and, compared with the competition in the price range, is well up to the mark. KIT: Marantz CD6004, Cambridge Audio CD640Cv2, DAC3, Isomagic S700, Sansa ClipZip, Bravo Tube Ampv3, Fiio E5,11,12&17.

Cheap plastic, breaks easily