TL:DR for those who have no time or willingness to read the full review:
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Neutral tuning with no annoying peaks or dips and no particular frequencies over the others | Low-end visceral rumble is not a thing, even though the sub-bass is there and you can hear it playing in a very controlled way and with respectable extension |
| Tight and punchy bass and detailed treble response along with natural mids and no sibilance whatsoever | Bass is tight and punchy but will never have the same weight and depth as on a dynamic driver |
| On-point tone and timbre, which is good news | Soundstage could have been slightly wider and deeper |
| Great build quality | Not the easiest set to drive: having a good source is recommended |
| Super comfortable shells and above average isolation | |
| Excellent stock cable |
INTRODUCTION
AFUL is a strange name for sure, and mostly because it’s not among the most iconic brands in Chi-Fi history.
After the P5 and the P8, the brand is back with the MagicOne, a single BA IEM which is far from being A(W)FUL (sorry, but this joke has been around for a while and I needed to put it in the review).
Disclaimer: the AFUL MagicOne were sent from HiFiGO free of charge so that I could write a honest review. This review represents my personal opinion on the set and it is by no means a promotional or paid content.
At the time of the review, the AFUL MagicOne were on sale for about 139,99$.
AFUL MagicOne with AGPTEK M30B/Benjie S8
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Driver Configuration → 1 x BA
- Sensitivity → 103 dB
- Impedance → 38 Ω
- Frequency Response → 5 Hz – 35 kHz
- Cable → 1,2m OFC silver plated cable with 0.78mm 2-PIN connectors
- Plug Type → straight gold plated 3,5mm jack connector
PACKAGING
AFUL MagicOne’s packaging is simple but it doesn’t look cheap.
It contains:
- The AFUL MagicOne
- 2 sets of different tips in S,M and L size, for a total of 6 pairs of tips
- A convenient hard carry case
- The detachable cable
- User manual
HiFiGO also sent me a pair of Divinus Velvet eartips, since apparently they knew pairing these with the MagicOne could have been a good idea.
DESIGN AND BUILD QUALITY
It’s really hard to find any flaw in the MagicOne’s build quality. The 3D printed resin shells look beautiful and the look-through transparent material is eye-catchy.
Being a BA unit, there’s no dynamic driver inside and no pressure vents as a result.
The nozzle is of average size and the ear-facing side of the shell has a protruding wing which grants a more secure fit. Some will like the latter, some won’t, but I can say that even though I don’t usually like it, the MagicOne are so small that it ends up being very useful and helpful.
CABLE
The stock cable is awesome: it’s solid, well built and flexible, and the pre-made hooks are comfortable. If one would want to be nitpicky, it’s not the most lightweight cable I could ask for, but this isn’t a real issue.
And yes, there’s a chin slider as well, which is mandatory at this price.
COMFORT AND ISOLATION
The MagicOne fit like gloves in my ears, both because of their small shells and because the small protruding wing really helps me in finding a very secure fit. One would think that the fully closed design could lead to driver flex or similar issues, but this is not the case: the MagicOne don’t have any of these problems and they also insulate wonderfully from external noises (AFUL declares 26dB of passive isolation).
This is really one of the most comfortable and easy to fit IEMs I have tried in the last few years, period.
SOUND
GEAR USED FOR THE TEST
- DAC: Topping E30
- AMP: Topping L30
- Mobile phones: Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, Xiaomi Mi A3
- Dongle: Apple Type-C dongle, Truthear SHIO
- Portable DAPs: Benjie S8/AGPTEK M30B
- Other sources: Presonus AudioBox iONE, ElGato Wave XLR
Do they need an amplifier?
The MagicOne are harder to drive than expected, and even though they won’t need a serious desktop amplifier to run well, they at least ask for a good dongle in order to properly shine.
Sound signature
The AFUL MagicOne are a neutrally tuned set with no particular boosts or dips. It’s basically a very balanced set that aims to suit many different genres.
The MagicOne really don’t sound like your average single BA affordable set, and in fact it’s not easy to guess if you do a blind test.
Lows: quality over quantity, definitely. The sub-bass doesn’t rumble and it cannot provide the visceral feeling which only a dynamic driver can be proud of, but it’s “there” in its leanest and controlled form (which is already a victory for a single full range BA).
The bass is very tight, fast, with good attack and speed, and despite the fact that it isn’t a very thick bass, it still provides nice textures and an enjoyable (yet controlled) kick.
Mids: the midrange isn’t recessed, instead it sounds very natural with frontal instruments and good layering capabilities. There isn’t a particular timbre direction and in fact it’s very hard to say if it’s better to listen to guitars, violins, and so on: just choose what you like and most of them will sound fine. Maybe, the upper midrange sounds slightly better due to the fact that the lower midrange usually needs more thickness to be a truly deep experience, but male vocals still sound very good given the kind of tuning.
Highs: the highs are not for treble sensitive people, but overall it’s a very nice and sparkling treble with a lot of details. The extension is not phenomenal, but this is a really great treble tuning that doesn’t become fatiguing thus still retaining the energy that one needs when listening to the sounds that play in that region.
I’m surprised that given all that happens in the lows and mids, this single full range BA still has space for a well done and detailed treble (moreover considering the price range and the overall package).
Soundstage is not out of your head, but everything is at its place and the MagicOne also surprise with a nice imaging and at pinpointing instruments on the stage.
I have also tried to use the MagicOne with the Divinus Velvet tips, but in my case I preferred the stock tips since they make the MagicOne more stable and secure in my ears.
AFUL MagicOne vs Hisenior T2U
The T2U were the predecessors of the more recent T2 Classic from Hisenior, featuring a double Knowles BA setup and a very unique signature.
Being very brief, the MagicOne destroy the T2U in almost every aspect, from fit to sound, from cable quality to the overall build quality.
The low-end is slightly fuller, the bass is less pillowy, the vocals sound more natural and the treble is more detailed and smoother. The T2U are less bright and warmer overall, but the MagicOne sound more open, with better imaging and excitement at the same time.
Everything is better on the MagicOne, and this is another proof that the driver count doesn’t always make a difference.
AFUL MagicOne vs Truthear Hexa
The two are slightly different but at the same time they partially share the target since both go for a more analytical and less V-shaped approach than the competitors.
The Hexa are more focused on the sub-bass, whereas the MagicOne has a slightly more forward bass with tighter kickdrums. The lower midrange is more or less the same, even though the Hexa sound a bit deeper and warmer whereas the upper midrange is more energetic and forward on the MagicOne.
Treble is more sterile and a bit more extended on the Hexa, but the MagicOne are more detailed and resolving than the Hexa. Soundstage is wider and slightly deeper on the Hexa, but the imaging and layering capabilities are superior on the MagicOne.
Build quality and design are very good on both sets but the MagicOne appears like a more refined and premium product and they are also superior in terms of comfort and isolation on average. The stock cable of the Hexa is ages behind MagicOne’s provided cable.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The MagicOne were a surprise, and I mean a true surprise.
If I didn’t know they were single BA IEMs, I would have never guessed the configuration, since at first I thought it was a hybrid set.
The overall sound signature is not thin or lacking in one particular area, and the overall sound reproduced by this set is unique and surprisingly full. Sure, it’s not fair to ask for a very visceral low-end, but I was also hit by a responsive and satisfying bass that I wasn’t expecting to hear.
No hype, but these need to be tried.
Good job AFUL.
You are welcome. My favorite tips would be the Azla SednaEarFitLight eartips in terms of pairing extremely well with the nozzles on the MagicOne. I have a micro drill. I think that I will try to drill a micro hole in the side of each eartip bore near the very end where the bore meats the flange. This should give pressure relief without affecting the sound.