The Honor Magic Earbuds have a surprisingly developed function set contemplating their low value. They’re succesful sufficient to fulfill most informal music and podcast listener’s wants, however their quick battery life and middling audio high quality imply even reasonably severe music followers shall be higher off paying slightly extra for a competing set.
Execs
- Comfy match
- First rate mic high quality
- Compact design
- ANC
Cons
- No IP score
- Common audio high quality
- Beneath common battery life
Key Specs
- Evaluate Value: £99.99
- Dimensions: 41.8 x 23.7 x 19.8mm (per earbud),
- 80.7 x 35.4 x 29.2 mm (charging case)
- Weight: 5.4g (per earbud), 51g (charging case)
- Bluetooth 5.0
- ANC
- 10mm drivers
The Honor Magic Earbuds are the most recent in an extended line of Apple Airpods rivals to stem from an Android telephone maker.
Just like the Galaxy Buds Plus earlier than them, they undercut their fruity competitors on value, whereas providing a near-identical options set.
On paper this makes the Honor Magic Earbuds an incredible worth different to the Airpods, providing consumers the same type issue and ANC (energetic noise cancellation) for an ultra-low value of £99.99.
Should you’re an off-the-cuff listener they’re greater than succesful, however quick battery life and middling audio high quality cease them being a sensible choice for even reasonably severe music followers.
Associated: Greatest true wi-fi earbuds
Honor Magic Earbuds design – Eye-catching and practical, however with a number of key omissions
The Honor Magic Earbuds have the same design to the Apple Airpods Professional. They function in-ear suggestions, related to an extended stem foremost physique which homes contact controls and twin mics.
Outdoors of the aquamarine colouring, for those who took the Honor branding off, you’d battle to inform the Magic Earbuds aside from the Airpods from a distance when out of their pebble-shaped case.
The buds tick a lot of the proper packing containers for performance, although there are a number of odd omissions. The case’s 81 x 35 x 29 mm dimensions are suitably pocket-sized, and the addition of ANC on a sub-£100 pair of wi-fi earbuds is a uncommon bonus.
The silicon suggestions included within the field make it fast and straightforward to get a strong, snug match and seal, although the shortage of wingtips shall be a difficulty for those who’re a runner. The earbuds’ superlight 5.4g weight makes them way more snug to put on than sure competing units, just like the Amps Air Plus.
The contact controls and onboard mics work pretty properly, particularly in comparison with various the competing sub-£100 true wi-fi units I’ve examined. You’ll be able to skip songs and play/pause audio by double-tapping the buds. An extended press activates the ANC on and off, so you possibly can put on them out and about on the road and nonetheless pay attention to your environment.
With on a regular basis use the controls are correct and I had no difficulty utilizing them. The one time they went slightly haywire was after I tried to make use of them whereas working with sweaty arms, or within the rain. This is a matter with almost all of the buds I check with capacitive controls, nonetheless.
The buds’ dual-mic setup additionally ensured incoming name high quality was nice. Utilizing them to take and make calls whereas working from house with a tumble dryer within the midst of a full spin cycle, the individual on the opposite finish of the road may nonetheless hear what I used to be saying with minimal fuss.
The one downsides are that the Magic Earbuds don’t carry any formal IP certification for water and sweat-proofing. That is possible a cost-saving measure as you need to pay for certification, nevertheless it does hamper the buds’ enchantment to the health market. I’d advocate common runners or gym-goers pay slightly further and get a set with an honest IP score with clip or wingtips, just like the Jaybird Vista, in consequence.
Battery life can even be a difficulty for those who use their earphones rather a lot. Honor quotes the buds as providing round three hours listening off a single cost with ANC on and three.5 hours with it off. A couple of years in the past this is able to have been wonderful, however the quoted life is slightly low by in the present day’s requirements. Draining the battery utterly I discovered the cost case can absolutely high the buds up between four-to-five occasions earlier than dying.
This once more means they provide barely much less listening time than costlier units, such because the stellar Clear Ally Plus. Given the disparity in value that is considerably forgivable, although.
Honor Magic Earbuds sound high quality – Distinctly common audio
The larger difficulty is sound high quality. Being blunt, you’re by no means going to get industry-leading audio from a £100 pair of wi-fi earbuds, and the Honor Magic Earbuds aren’t the worst I’ve examined however they’re distinctly common.
Straightforward genres like rock and pop sound okay. Mid-heavy vocals sound suitably distinct and having sufficient energy to get your foot tapping. Max volumes are additionally fairly good and the buds supply sufficient dynamism for post-rock crescendos and punk breakdowns to have some influence.
However, as is the case on almost all of the sub-£100 units I check, the low finish is uniformly underpowered. Blues tracks’ strolling bass traces don’t rumble fairly proper and growling industrial music lacks menace due to poor bass extension.
At excessive volumes sibilance may creep in giving attacking guitars an disagreeable acidic high quality – although this difficulty is definitely fastened by turning the volumes down.
The included ANC is nearly highly effective sufficient to deal with background workplace noise, although I didn’t get an opportunity to check it in additional intense conditions, just like the morning commute because of the ongoing lockdown.
I didn’t get an opportunity to check wi-fi connection stability in busy sign areas, like King’s Cross and Waterloo station for a similar motive, however I’m but to endure any severe dropouts utilizing them whereas working round London, which is a constructive signal.
Do you have to purchase the Honor Magic Earbuds?
The Honor Magic Earbuds don’t do a lot to distinguish themselves from the ocean of comparable units available on the market. However, their snug match, pocket pleasant design and strong mic high quality make them a superbly acceptable wi-fi earbuds for informal listeners on a strict funds.
The dearth of IP score and wingtips imply gym-goers shall be higher off wanting elsewhere. Distinctly common audio high quality additionally makes them a poor possibility for even reasonably severe music followers, who shall be higher off spending slightly extra and choosing up a extra completed set, just like the Clear Audio Ally Plus.
