AFUL MAGICONE: It's A Kind Of Magic
“Music is the shorthand of emotion.”
~~Leo Tolstoy, Russian writer and author of War & Peace and Anna Karenina.
AFUL ACOUSTICS is one of the new audio companies that was able to achieve monumental success since the release of their highly popular models like Performer 5 and Performer 8 in a short period. To be honest, I'm not particularly impressed with the Performer 5 but the Performer 8 was a total refinement and a huge improvement of what the previous model lacked, So it was another moment that first impression last as irrelevant as AFUL is striving for further improvement of their products.
This is my third product review from them and this time, they take another direction regarding this set. This is AFUL MagicOne, AFUL's latest creation that really differentiates with its predecessors. This time, it is a single BA (balanced armature) driver configuration in which AFUL claimed that it is their proprietary design and spending a lot of time and effort just developed it. Aside from their self-development of their own BA driver, they also implemented some interesting technologies in which I will share more information later on.
The balanced armature driver that was implemented here is a full-range type that is capable of encompassing all parts of the audio frequency spectrum, from low frequencies to ultra-high frequencies. AFUL did some modifications on this driver by replacing some of the materials on its internal structure with newer type of materials like Dupont high performance polymers instead of older PET on its surround ring for its diaphragm inside for improvement of its acoustic property to have a more cohesive and accurate response to improve extensions of some frequencies, transients and decays without any interferences and out of phase issues in a long run.
Aside from its vaunted BA driver, it was supported with newly-developed SE-Math Technology that was supported with RCL Network along with an acoustic structure design inside which supposedly improves the performance of the BA driver with proper modulation as it targets a specific frequency response curve to have a clearer and coherent sound while retaining its smoothness and naturalness on its sound output.
Another interesting innovation that AFUL able to achieve was the implementation of its unique design of its acoustic tube along with vent hole on the rear area of its cavity base in which AFUL named it as Nautilus Acoustic Maze Technology that according to them, it adds more rumble, slam and depth in which most single-BA sets struggle to exhibit it but MagicOne able to deliver it. The Nautilus Acoustic Maze Technology was inspired by a structural design and quite compact Nautilus Hi-fi Speaker by Bowers and Wilkins in which I actually saw one before in person.
The driver along with other proprietary internal components were encapsulated in a transparent shell structure made of high quality medical-grade acrylic resin and it was moulded via 3D-printing. Its UIEM-style shell contours will give the best possible fitting just like its predecessors which are also known to have some ergonomic shell designs in the IEM market. Like all AFUL models, it still uses a proven 0.78.mm 2-pin connector which is more stable in connection and easy to do some cable swapping.
As I mentioned, AFUL MagicOne shells really fit well into my lugholes and I find it very comfortable without any issues for long listening sessions. The passive noise isolation of this set is quite impressive as it is able to block some unwanted external noises from the outside surroundings.
The stock cable of AFUL MagicOne is of a high quality that it is well-built and its 4-core Litz high purity oxygen-free copper and oxygen-free silver-plated copper wirings that were tightly braided and on its end, it has a 3.5mm SE termination plug. This cable will deliver a low distortion and interference while maintaining a smooth signal transmission.
The product packaging of AFUL MagicOne is rather minimalist and utilitarian as it was able to provide basic inclusions for the IEM's usage.
These are the following contents included in AFUL MagicOne packaging box.
■ Pair of AFUL MagicOne IEMs
■ Stock cable
■ Three (3) pairs of narrow-bored ear tips in different standard sizes.
■ Three (3) pairs of white-coloured balanced bore ear tips in different standard sizes.
■ Circular metal storage case
■ Paperwork like instruction manual and warranty card.
The AFUL MagicOne can be powered by devices with decent power output but you need to increase its amplitude level a bit just to give that optimum requirement to properly power scaling. If it was properly driven, you will hear a full range vivid sound that this set is able to produce.
The tonal aspect of this set is that it has a balanced-neutral sound profile in which all parts of its frequency range are a tad linear in presentation while maintaining a well-balanced and controlling some peaks and dips on its frequency spectrum.
(Graph was provided by [USER=516219]@baskingshark[/USER] , credits to him and his effort.)
LOWS/BASS:
The bass quality of this one is rather interesting on how it delivers. For a single BA driver, it managed to produce a sufficient punch, fast and precise bass though it still doesn't have a dynamic and slam of a dynamic driver but at least, it maintains a clean bass response.
There's an ample presence of sub bass as I was able to perceive those reverberations and rumble coming from certain instruments like synthesisers, low tone bass guitars, drum machines and octabasses. Mid-bass is reasonably well-textured as it gives a good note density on certain instruments like bass guitars, bass kick drum and cellos. A generous amount of note weight on mid-bass will also give a good volume and depth on bass-baritone vocals. Bass guitars have a substantial roar as they sound broad with a good amount of raspiness, while cellos have sonorous, full and dark sound. The bass kick drums have those resonant and gloomy sound which are rather unusual for a single BA driver that was able to reveal it. Bass-baritone vocals have enough depth and darker tone as it manages to give that guttural and dense sound.
MIDRANGE:
This is probably the strongest asset of the AFUL MagicOne as it is quite neutral, clean and transparent while maintaining a well-balanced texture that both male and female vocals will be equally benefited while it gives a more natural yet coherent tone in all types of instruments.
On male vocals, baritones in any types whether it is lyric, kavalier baritone, verdi or dramatic ones have a lush, rich and enough warmth on their voice quality. Tenors are quite excellent on this set as they sound full, brassy and dazzling with a good amount of energy. The countertenors have rather pleasant vocal qualities as they sound graceful, tender and agile as they are able to execute their distinctive falsetto voices on this set.
In regards to female vocals, contraltos have rich, husky and lush vocals while mezzo-sopranos have smooth, velvety and glowing sound characteristics in which the MagicOne is able to project them justifiably with their natural and correct timbre. Sopranos sounds pretty good on this one as they sound silky, creamy and dazzling in dramatic and soubrette sopranos able to show their vocal flexible and power but on coloratura sopranos, while having a good timbre, I also notice that it sound less energetic but still manage deliver an articulate and clean voice.
Instruments in any type sound almost accurate on its tonal colour and quite natural as it has proper balance and even texture on its note weight. Strings like guitars, violins and harps, they sound well-balanced but it might be lacking of brightness and lingering sound to others but that's one of the characteristics of balanced-neutral tuning. Guitars have a very fundamental and balanced sound as it harmoniously flows well with other instruments as if it doesn't overwhelm. Violins have that introspective and pure sound from them while harps have a cascading and full sounding as I enjoy on every pluck. Regarding brass instruments, trumpets have a substantial and brilliant sound while horns have a resounding and velvety sound although it somehow lacks intensity, and then on trombones, they have solid and "dramatic" sound as I heard it on orchestras or ska tracks. Woodwinds like flutes, piccolos, clarinets and saxophones, I feel that they might not airy enough in some tracks but their timbre are still impeccable as flutes have graceful and ethereal sound, piccolos have graceful and clear sound as I listened to some repertoire from Strauss, Mozart and Handel. Clarinets have that gentle and caressing sound as it shows in an evocative and expressive way in any musical structure especially on classical music, while saxophones have similar characteristics with clarinets albeit it has added penetrating sound. About percussion instruments, snares have precise and clear sound, tom-toms have a warm and resonant sound, field drums have that majestic sound and kettledrums have deep and velvety sound. Pianos sound pretty well-balanced on its every tone and precise no matter what note registers it played.
HIGHS/TREBLE:
The treble response of AFUL MagicOne is definitely smooth, balanced and inoffensive with an ample brightness just to give an enough expressiveness on some vocals and a good definition on its percussive and rhythmic instruments attack. On the presence part of this particular frequency, it has good clarity and is well-balanced so that it doesn't sound harsh or too transparent that might sound a bit detachable on the sound spectrum. I can assure that there's not a hint of sibilance on this set.
Cymbals have a lustrous and resonant sound while hi-hats have a buzzing and shortened soughing sound that is quite close to how they sound in live performances. Celestas have an ethereal and sweet sound with just a hint of glistening. Glockenspiels have a bell-like sound in which sometimes I consider it lustrous. On the brilliance part, to my surprise, given that I have tested some sets with single BAs, this one is fairly a moderately airy extension and has a good sparkle on it.
SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING AND OTHER TECHNICALITIES:
For a single BA set, its overall sound/speaker staging is pretty well proportionate and moderately spacious on how I perceived within my aural sphere, it has a natural width on its lateral span, good height reach and fairly immersive depth between front to rear.
On its imaging aspect, it somehow projects a concave-like stereo presentation as I was able locate the exact position of instruments and vocals along with good separation and layering of dynamic and frequency tones that a mere single BA set is able to achieve.
Coherency of its single BA driver is very impressive on how it performs as it has fast transient response while maintaining a proper decay along with a clear sound output.
Resolution capability is quite good in my opinion for a single BA driver given on how it shows a good macro-dynamics as it shows a solid note on notation attacks and bite and a decently sharp definition on retrieving some nuances and details from an audio track.
PEER COMPARISONS:
AUDIOSENSE DT100
■ This set is also like MagicOne has a single BA albeit it uses a custom Knowles full range BA which is specifically made for AUDIOSENSE. The shell chassis is also made of resin but this is a bit more solid and it uses a rather unusual interlocking connector which is a MMCX but somehow it is quite stable and durable enough.
■ In regards to tonality, DT100 sounds fairly neutral as I classify it as a warmish-neutral sound profile. It has a punchy bass, a textured and a tad warmer midrange as it might give a rich and lush vocals, it also has some instances that skewed up some of its timbre and tonality on some female vocals. treble response seems to be on the smoother side although it has a tad sparse of treble air.
■ DT100 is more easy to drive than MagicOne in that it only needs a decent volume level to drive it properly. On technical aspects, while it has moderately spacious sound/speakers, they are a bit disproportionate on its dimensions on how I perceived it though it presented me a more 3D-like presentation on stereo imaging. Layering is a bit less refined compared to the MagicOne.
ETYMOTIC ER4XR (Demo)
■ This is a single BA model from ETYMOTIC that was released around the mid-2010s. Like almost ETYs prior to ETY EVO, it has a slim bullet form profile and the usual triple flange ear tips which is a bit problematic in my lugholes that I have a colloquial term of it as "ear dildos'' as they insert too deep that I can't wear them for a long listening sessions. Also, this set is almost 3 times more pricey than the AFUL MagicOne.
■ Like all ETY models, this one is following with its usual tuning, a DF (Diffuse Field) curve although it was modified especially in the bass region to give more slam. Compared to MagicOne, it has more punch due to its more emphasis on midbass, a tad warmer and richer midrange, then a dark and a dull treble response. To be frank, it actually aligned with one of my preferred tuning curves which is a midcentric but its most cynical performance outweighs the positive aspects of this set.
■ They have a similar power scaling with the MagicOne as they need more amplitude level just to amplify them at optimal requirement. On technical performance, this set performs poorly in my list, congested and close sound/speaker stage, linear stereo imaging, poor separation and layering.
To sum up my review on AFUL MagicOne, this is truly astounding to me as I have some reservation and a bit of a cynical view on how a single BA set will perform on the limitation of its physical aspect. But once again, AFUL did pull up a game-changing card with better implementation of new technologies in portable audio components that was researched extensively and did undergo some trial and error just to deliver working and a more refined product.
For balanced and neutral sound adherents, this set will definitely work for them and it will satisfy their preferred sonic profile as I do.
AFUL MagicOne is exclusively available at HIFIGO, You can checkout the unaffiliated link below:
HIFIGO OFFICIAL: https://hifigo.com/products/aful-magicone
AMAZON US:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CM5NCGCD/aful+majicone
AMAZON JP:
https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0CM5SVX5Y/aful+majicone
ALIEXPRESS:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006184207746.html
Please check my reviews of other AFUL products:
SPECIFICATION:
MODEL: AFUL MAGICONE
IMPEDANCE: 38Ω
SENSITIVITY: 103dB
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 5Hz – 35KHz
CABLE LENGTH: 1.2m
PIN TYPE: 2-PIN CONNECTOR (0.78mm)
PLUG TYPE: 3.5mm
DRIVER UNIT(S): (1) BALANCED ARMATURE DRIVER
PROS:
△ High quality acrylic resin shell chassis.
△ Like all AFUL sets, this one offers an excellent fitting and isolation due to its ergonomic design of its UIEM-style shell structure.
△ High quality stock cable.
△ Sturdy circular IEM storage.
△ Balanced-neutral sound profile that almost all frequency parts are equally presented and pretty much doesn't overwhelm on each other.
△ Sufficiently punchy and precise bass for a single BA set.
△ Neutral and immaculate midrange while maintaining a well-balanced texture on its note weight.
△ Practically quite versatile on all vocal types, either male or female ones.
△ Almost natural sounding on its timbre and tonality.
△ Smooth and even treble response with decent amount of air and presence of sparkle.
△ Not a hint of sibilance or harshness.
△ Fairly competent on its overall technical performance for a single BA set.
CONS:
▽ Don't expect a slamming and good depth definition on its bass response that you heard from a good quality dynamic driver.
▽ For those audio enthusiasts who are looking for a more coloured sounding, just simply cross out this set in your choices.
▽ A bit less energetic and bright sound in female vocals and certain instruments like strings and woodwinds.
▽ Wishing for more expansive sound/speaker stage. (Just my nitpicking)
▽ Driving it just to have an optimum listening level needs a bit more volume output or just simply switch it to a higher gain mode of your device if it has that option.
Some Tracks Tested: ( * = 16-bit FLAC, ** = 24-bit FLAC, *'* = MQA, '*' = DSD, *'= .WAV)
Alison Krauss -When You Say Nothing At All *
Jade Wiedlin - Blue Kiss**
Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks **
Mountain - Mississippi Queen *
Queen - Killer Queen **
Guns N' Roses - Patience *'*
Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven '*'
Sergio Mendes- Never Gonna Let You Go '*'
Pearl Jam - Daughter **
Roselia - Hidamari Rhodonite *
Assassin - Fight (To Stop The Tyranny)*
Celtic Frost- Visual Aggression *
New Order - Blue Monday *
The Corrs- What Can I do (unplugged version) *
Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child *
The Madness- Buggy Trousers *
Metallica - Motorbreath **
Mariah Carey- Always Be My Baby *
Destiny's Child - Say My Name *
Malice Mizer- Au Revoir *
Mozart - Lacrimosa *
New York Philharmonic Orchestra - Dvorak- Symphony 9 " From the New World." *
Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold (Sting cover)*
Michael Jackson - Give In To Me *
Exciter - Violence and Force *
Diana Krall - Stop This World **
Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat *'*
The Sisters of Mercy – Lucretia My Reflection**
Suzanne Vega – Luka **
Lauren Christy – Steep *
Ottoman Mehter - Hucum Marsi *
Diana Damrau - Mozart: Die Zauberflöte*
Type O Negative - Black No.1 *
Felix Ayo - Vivaldi: Presto **
Three Tenors - Nessum Dorma *
Mercyful Fate - Witches' Dance *
P.S.
I am not affiliated to AFUL ACOUSTICS nor receive monetary incentives and financial gains as they provide me a review unit for an exchange of factual and sincere feedback from yours truly.
Once again, I would like to send my gratitude to LVY YAN of HIFIGO for providing this review unit. I truly appreciate her generosity and trust towards me and other reviewers.
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