SoundMAGIC Earphones with Microphone Green (ES18 Green)

Panasonic RPHJE120S In-Ear Headphone, Silver I have been using these Panasonics for over a year now. For me, they are still the biggest bang for the buck. I thought I lost my last pair so I decided to "splurge" and pay twice the price for these SoundMAGICs as I heard great things. There are reviews that specifically compares my Panasonics to the ES18s where great majority states that ES18s are the clear winner.For me, however, it isn't all that clear. Perhaps from sound quality alone that may be the case but the nominal gains you get in sound quality can be negated by some of the other factors that I considered.I found my set of Panasonics after I received the ES18 which allowed me to conduct a side by side comparison. Some notes about the comparison:- I am not an audiophile but I do appreciate a good set of headphones. Let's just say that I'm willing to pay up to $20 for a good set.- Used the ES18 for a few days before comparing to allow burn in period (~60 hrs).- Same music and videos were used on iPad Mini and iPhone 5. I switched the two earphones back and forth between the two devices to make sure that there wasn't a sound difference from device source. There wasn't. I had one set in one ear and the other set in other ear at the same time (but this actually made it harder to tell the difference between the two).What I found in order of personal importance:Sound quality winner: SoundMAGIC ES18Both delivers good bass for such affordable sets. Online sources say the ES18's bass is superior. I couldn't tell and must call that a draw. The lowest lows from both sets seemed near equal. Both had that headbobbing thump that makes listening to them enjoyable. Where the ES18 wins is the mid's. My slight criticism of the Panasonics is that the mid's do seem a bit flat making the ES18 seem more balanced. I can also hear more detail in the ES18. And because the more balanced approach, voice clarity is better on the ES18 also. At first I thought that the Panasonics had better bass but it's because it seems to "push" the lows (making the lower range louder) but in reality the absolute lows of both sets were fairly, and near equally, deep. Some may prefer the Panasonic's over-emphasis on the low end. So the ES18 has better sound because of the balance, more mid, overall detail and voice clarity. How much more did I enjoy the ES18 in terms of sound quality? In a completely subjective term: a little. Yes, there is a clear difference on HOW they sound but it took me a couple hours of going back and forth to ultimately say I ENJOY the sound of ES18 more.Comfort and design winner: Panasonic RPHJE120This one was absolutely clear to me as soon as I put on the ES18. The Panasonic's "Ergo-fit" design has the offset ear insert and a flat surface to lay in the flat spot next to the ear hole. Not only does the Ergo-fit design make it more comfy, it allows a more secure fit. The ear insert itself on the Panasonics is smaller probably due to the smaller driver size (9mm vs. 10mm). While neither are heavy, you can tell the weight of the ES18 is higher (again, probably due to the larger driver size). Also, the Panasonic's shape doesn't protrude out of the ear as much as the ES18. You could almost side sleep with the Panasonics on.Other design consideration is the discerning between the left and and the right insert. The Panasonic's design is distinct to which ear insert belongs to which side of the ear (due to the flat surface as part of the Ergo-fit design). You'll be able to understand and see from a distance which insert belongs to which ear within seconds of ownership. The ES18, on the other hand, is symmetric in design. There is a tiny little "R" at the cord stem for the right side but it's impossible to see in low lighting. I now go by the "ES18" written on the right insert. The left side does not have a "L" but I know now that the left insert has SoundMAGIC's insignia on that side. The point is, you can tell the left and right on the Panny's easily but you'll have see up close to discern on the ES18.Cord material winner: SoundMAGIC ES18Another no brainer. The Panny's thin cord allows it to get tangled easily. I like the heft that the ES18's cord has that resist tangling. I'm spending anywhere between 10 seconds to a minute untangling or unknotting the Panny's cord everytime I take it out of my gym bag. Haven't done once with ES18. While this may not seem like a big deal, I've had more "Not again!" moments when I took the Panasonics out of my bag than I'd care for.Cost winner: Panasonic RPHJE120At around six bucks, less than half price of the ES18.To say which I like more is tough to answer when you factor in cost and comfort. I give both 5 stars. Yes I do think the ES18 sounds better but I still quite enjoy the Panasonic's sound. What you get for the money on either is extraordinary. Those that appreciate a balanced approach and have a more critical ear should look into the ES18. Those that just want something better than the cruddy stock earbuds that came with your mobile device can't go wrong with the $6 Panasonics.UPDATE 10/1/15:There is an L indicating the left ear piece. I missed that initially. Just proves how hard it is to see the L and R indicators. I placed a little strip of red tape on the right ear piece so I can easily tell the difference.I find myself reaching for the ES18 over the Panasonics when side-by-side as I do enjoy the sound of these more when I want to rock out. The bass has a better impact as you can hear both the sub-bass and mid-bass while the Panny's bass seem blended together. The sound stage is another significant difference where the ES18 sound much more open. The Panny's sound like listening to loud speakers in a small enclosed room compared to these. There's so much debate in the online universe about which value IEMs have the best sound stage presentation (i.e. Brainwavz Delta and now Jive, Xiaomi Pistons, Phillips SHE3590, SoundSoul products, MEE products) but I think these ES18's do a very good job and, generally in the online community, are well regarded. Man, I'm still dizzy from trying to decipher online what is the best value IEM. There's so many out there in the $5-$25 range that's rated well. I guess that's a win for us value consumers. The biggest concensus knock against the ES18 I found online is that the treble is rolled off and lacks the sizzle that some prefer. I'm ok with it as I don't want anything piercing.My biggest personal gripe is that the bass is nonexistent at moderate to low volume so I do prefer the Panny's when I'm in a mellow mood. The Panny's still have a good thump at lower volumes. The ES18's bass presence is hugely dependent on volume and without that presence, it completely lacks depth. I didn't see many complaints about this online so I'm wondering if it's an issue with my set or am I the only one who cares? I'm going to assume the latter as the set works just fine otherwise. And because of the bass-volume dependency, the ES18's lose versatility. I'm one of those that listen to all kinds of music so the lack of versatility is somewhat disappointing. I'm glad to have both in the end. I'll probably use these 4 of 5 times and use the Panny's for the remainder for sit down listening. It's Panny's all the way for working out due to the more comfortable and secure fit.Added note: I'm now a proud owner of the Panasonic TCM125's (down to $9 here on Amazon!), the RPHJE120 equivalent with mic and remote. Gave the 120's to the GF who lost her stock buds. Now I can answer calls during workout without having to pull phone out of pocket. Some say the 125's sound better and some say the 120's sound better (CNET says latter). I went back and forth after burning in the 125's. I cannot tell a difference. To me it's the same darn thing; it's just a matter of paying extra $3 to get the mic/remote.One thing I will say is that both Panny's can get much louder than the ES18. It may be a matter of impedence and/or sensitivity. I think the highest volume for the ES18 will be more than enough for the average listener but not for those that want it super loud.

These are fantastic for the money. I have approximately eight pairs of IEM's and these are unbelievably clean and clear sounding for $12. Actually, better than my Klipsch S3's which were $50 new. If you buy these, just order two pairs because you might as well get an extra pair at these prices. I did and it was definitely worth $24 to have a great pair of IEM's and to have a spare pair in the cupboard for when they need to be replaced.These sound amazing with my samsung galaxy player, samsung q1 and samsung galaxy tab2. Each of those has a seven band equalizer and additional adjustings. Unbelievable full sound out of these.Edit: Well, I've had these for about six months now, and any concerns that they may not last is unfounded. I use these regularly and they still look brand new. The sound is still incredible. The more I compare these to my other iem's, the more i think that these are the only brand I will purchase going forward. I bought three pairs and after six months haven't had to open up a second pair.You should also know that these have the same exact drivers in them that are in the E10's. The difference is in the housing and wire material. But think about this. I can buy three pairs of these for the price of one E10. That means i don't have to be paranoid about them breaking. These are holding up well and SOUND FANTASTIC!! Pity the folks that spend $100+ for inferior sound.Well done, Sound Magic. Well done.Edit:7/10/2013I've had these for about nine or ten months now, and thought I should advise IEM seekers of a few things. As I mentioned, above, I have more than half a dozen IEMs, some of which are the Philips SHE9500, Philips SHE9000, Philips SHE3590, Philips SHE3580, Klipsch S3, Creative EP-630 and a few others. My favorites for a while were the Philips SHE3580's because the lows were infinitely lower (without distortion) than I thought an IEM was capable of. Especially, at the price point of $15. The highs were equally as impressive with a clean sparkle (borderline sibilant). I thoroughly enjoyed them and even purchased several pair so I wouldn't have to deal with frustratingly trying to find them when they get replaced by a newer model (Philips tends to update and change model numbers approximately every 24 months or so). An example would be the SHE3590. Some have stated that the 3590 is the 3580 with a different color selection. I disagree. I can hear the slight increase in bass response in the 3590. I prefer the 3580.Sorry for my digression. My point is that as much as I enjoyed the SHE3580, once I purchased theses SoundMagic ES18's, I realized what was missing in the Philips. It was the mids. The SM's put out such a balanced clean and clear sound. When I did an extensive comparison with multiple genres of music ( Priceless Jazz  (On The Sunny Side Of The Street (Live (1947 Symphony Hall),  Bach: Italian Concerto, Chromatic Fantasy (Italian Concerto in F Major, BWV 971/II),  Colour the Small One (Breathe Me) ),  Dummy  (Roads) and  Images & Words  (Pull Me Under), I found it difficult to listen to the Philips. They weren't bad, just.....incomplete. The difference is unmistakable and hard to ignore. Rather than go into detail about each IEM, suffice it to say that even though I still do comparison's every now and then, ALL other IEMs are sidelined and play second fiddle to these SoundMagic's.You should be aware that I am not one of those souls who is willing to pay $300+ for in-ear monitors, so I suppose you'll have to consider that while weighing my opinion.There is, however, one caveat. Several months ago I opened one of my spare packages of ES18's to compare and see if the burn-in period that so many audiophiles swear by, was of any benefit or even true. The new pair had a more pronounced bass and slightly tapered highs. I have "burned them in" with approximately 75 hours and I notice the newer ones are smoothing out, but still have a slightly more pronounced bass response. It's never overpowering, muddy or distorted. It's still clean, just slightly more punchy. The highs seem to be ever so slightly tapered, also. My older pair seem to have settled into an almost flawless pair. If my older pair are a 10, the newer pair are a 9. I thought I should mention this minor anomaly because while it may be a "burn-in" issue, there is a possibility that it may be a manufacturer quality control issue. Time will tell.At any rate, I'd still eagerly take my new pair over every in-ear monitor set I've tested. That includes sets I was impressed by but did not purchase( HiFiMan RE-0 In-Ear Stereo Headphones  & Bose IE2 Audio Headphones ).I should also tell you that in all my testing I used the  Comply T-400 Isolation Earphone Tips (Platinum, 3 Pairs, Medium)  on each pair so I would have a uniform seal in all testing.The hardware I tested all IEMs on included my  Zune HD 32 GB Video MP3 Player (Platinum) , Samsung 3.6-Inch Galaxy Player (Discontinued by Manufacturer) , Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (10.1-Inch, Wi-Fi) and Samsung Q1 diamond mp3 player.In closing I'd say the bass is full bodied, the mids are warm and the highs are detailed causing no fatigue, even after five or six hours of uninterrupted use.If you can't tell, I really like them. The fact that I paid less than $40 total for 3 pair is astounding.

I wanted an inexpensive pair of IEMs for casual use that sounded decent that I would not worry about damaging or losing. These fit the bill perfectly. Frequencies are well balanced. Bass is neither thin nor bloated or boomy common on so many sets. Highs are sufficiently detailed without being shrill and fatiguing in 15 minutes. Very basic feature-wise but for sound quality for price (<$20) these are great

Sound is clean and has lots of bass.

Genuinely the best pair of earphones I've ever had. I've had countless skull candies, CX150 (I think?) sennheisers, Creative & betron. The sound quality seems to be superior to all and I love the the fact they have a 90 degree jack, something we all know makes them last twice as long before the inevitability of one failing. Dead comfy to wear & the build quality seems brilliant, quite nice too with a bit of colour to them. They're also 1.2m long rather than 1.3 like most which tidies them up a bit when they're sat in/around your shirt. The only two things I'd like are1) for them to be slightly louder, but to be honest that'll just save me some money on hearing aids later in life.2) A 1 piece chord from the jack to the split, rather than the side by side design. At 12.99 however I'm not complaining in the slightest.Currently have Amazon prime too so ordered these at 10pm and they were here by 10am the next day, very impressed.

Received the parcel next day, they were half price. My 2 year old JVC XFX earphones packed up (One speaker went KAPUT) so after some research these came top on of every budget range earphones under £50. Anyway got them in a tidy box and with nice leather pouch also. I am hooked them up with my Sansa Clip 8GB MP3 and when I put them into my ears the sound was amazing. My MP3 plays FLAC (Loseless) and the clarity was instant, you could hear every string, mid and bass instrument ...The XFX were too heavy on bass ..not these the balance is prefect.I will buy another..maybe the E20 range if affordable.My advice.. Just buy them.

Sound is fine but these are not the same 'no tangle' thicker cables as we've had previously from this company. These are just standard cheap in ear headphones