You’re looking for a great-sounding pair of Bluetooth over-the-ear headphones with class-leading active noise canceling and a fold-up design for taking on flights but you don’t want to pay a fortune in case they get stolen or mislaid. What’s the answer? Grab yourself a pair of SoundMAGIC’s new P58BT ANC headphones and you’ll have plenty of change left out of $100 which you can spend on music streaming or some in-flight beverages.
SoundMAGIC is a budget headphone and earphone brand that offers amazing value for money. They may not be the best-sounding headphones when compared to models costing $500 or more, but they are a long way from average and for the money, they are hard to beat. These new headphones have been designed from the ground up with a fresh new look and the latest ANC technology, they have a low latency mode for gaming or watching in-flight movies.
To make the P58BT ANC sound great, the designers chose a unique driver design with a frequency response curve that serves up an incredibly rich sound, with lots of body and energy. Built around a large neodymium iron boron magnet, the 40mm diameter drivers have a wide dynamic range and nimble transient response. The diaphragm is made from a blend of lightweight and rigid materials that work well with vocals and draw out the higher frequencies without the kind of distortion that makes listening tiring, especially if you’re on a long flight.
If headphones being used for long listening sessions aren’t comfortable, it doesn’t matter how good they sound. Noise-canceling headphones need to feel good to wear. Fortunately, the P58BT ANC fit comfortably over the ears thanks to their large and oval-shaped earcups. The soft earpads and headband are made from silicone material which not only feels comfortable but also helps with passive isolation, cutting back on the noise that reaches the ANC mics built into the earpieces. It’s like having two layers of noise canceling.
Weighing just 308g, the foldable P58BT ANC somehow feel lighter thanks to the padded headband and the soft ear cushions. There was a slight squeak on the hinges when adjusting the fit, but that would probably disappear with just a little use.
A full charge of the P58BT ANC will yield up to 60 hours of playtime with ANC off. With ANC turned on you can expect around 35 hours, long enough for two return transatlantic flights. Because the battery lasts such a long time with ANC off, it should need charging it less often which means the headphones could potentially have a longer service life than those that need recharging every 20 or 30 hours.
For anyone who uses their headphones for gaming or watching videos, the P58BT ANC include a Gaming Mode. Low-latency technology eliminates the lag that sometimes plague Bluetooth headphones. The low latency ensures that a movie’s soundtrack will always be in sync and the sound effects on a game will always be on cue.
The Bluetooth technology built into the P58BT ANC support the basic SBC codec and the higher-quality AAC used by Apple and is available on most Android phones. There’s no support for the aptX family of codecs or LDAC. So, if that’s a must-have, then you may need to consider a different pair of headphones.
As you’d expect with a pair of Bluetooth headphones, the P58BT ANC have microphones built in for picking up speech when making or taking phone calls. The microphones can also pick up voice commands. There is Qualcomm’s cVc technology included which cuts down on the amount of background noise picked up by the microphones during phone calls and filters it out for a clearer call.
The overall sound of the P58BT ANC is well up to SoundMAGIC’s usual standard. The brand is known for punching well above its weight when it comes to audio quality and these headphones are no exception. There’s bass here in spades but things never get out of control or turn wobbly; it’s all well controlled.
The 40mm drivers do a great job of ensuring the midrange is forward and that’s particularly noticeable with female vocals. I was listening to Shelby Lynne’s album, Just A Little Lovin’ inspired by the singing of Dusty Springfield. On the track “The Look Of Love.” The sound was exquisite with the balance between the vocals, piano, bass, guitar and brush drums just perfect. Finally, the treble was so smooth and restrained, never straying into sibilance or even a hint of distortion.
The controls on the P58BT ANC aren’t the usual buttons used for skipping tracks, pausing music or adjusting volume; instead, SoundMAGIC has used a touch-sensitive pad on the side of each earcup which can respond to swipes and taps. There is a single button for powering the headphones on and for toggling through the ANC modes which are Off, On and Transparent.
The Transparent or Ambient ANC mode lets you hear when someone is talking to you without taking the headphones off. Finally, for Android users there is NFC for fast Bluetooth pairing. And if the battery should run down, you can use the supplied aux cable and plug the headphones into a jack.
Verdict: If you’re looking for a pair of noise-canceling headphones that are foldable and do a good job of filtering out unwanted sound while serving up a solid slice of sound with a well-defined soundstage, the SoundMAGIC P58BT ANC are hard to beat at the price. These headphones offer excellent value for money and they sound stunning for the money. The only thing I’d like to see is a hard, zippered travel case for taking the P58BT ANC on flights. Other than that, there is very little to criticize here. Another great pair of headphones from SoundMAGIC that would make a great Christmas gift.
Pricing & Availability: The SoundMAGIC P58BT ANC headphones are available now in black or silver priced at just $79.99 / £79.99 / €79.99.
Tech Specs:
- ANC: Hybrid active noise cancellation with dual-feed microphones for noise reduction, ambient transparency and Bluetooth modes.
- Drivers: 40mm neodymium drivers.
- CVC noise canceling for voice calls.
- Low-latency gaming mode: Yes.
- Bluetooth: Version 5.3 with Muti-point connectivity.
- Audio codecs: SBC, AAC.
- Transmission range: up to 15m.
- Playtime with ANC: up to 35 hours.
- Playtime without ANC: up to 60 hours.
- Talk time with ANC: up to 45 hours.
- Talk time without ANC: 65 hours
- Driver diameter: 40mm.
- Driver type: Dynamic, Neodymium.
- Driver Sensitivity: 115dB.
- Impedance: 38Ω.
- Mic Sensitivity: 42dB.
- Weight: 305g.
- Battery: 800mAh, Li-ion polymer.
- Accessories: USB-C charging cable, audio cable, storage bag, user manual.
