AFUL MagicOne Review – Single BA Magic
After extensive research for over 3 years, AFUL has brought us the all-new MagicOne. They have developed a specially customized full-frequency balanced armature driver with premium materials and a meticulous construction process.
AFUL has also implemented its newly developed technologies including SE-Math Electro-Acoustic Intermodulation, and Nautilus Acoustic Maze. These help the pair to achieve true high-resolution sound performance.
Instead of relying on the BA drivers available in the market, AFUL has designed a customized balanced armature driver for the MagicOne. With the help of this driver unit, the MagicOne achieves a smooth full-frequency response with a flexible and natural timbre and tone.
AFUL has developed a core technology called “SE-Math”, this tech allows better extensions at the high-frequency region by compensating the difference between the driver and the pure sound through RLC electro-acoustic network and complex acoustic structure. It improves the high-frequency response and makes the MagicOne sound clearer and crispier than the initial response.
AFUL has equipped the MagicOne with a uniquely designed rear-cavity structure to enhance the bass response further. This structure includes a specially designed long and ultra-thin acoustic tube, inspired by the design of Nautilus. This complex tube design enables the balanced armature driver to deliver precise, powerful, and accurate lower-end responses.
The pair features a stunning clear white finish, inspired by the beauty of falling snowflakes. The face plates are artistically designed with the theme of “纷雪” (Snowflakes Fall) in Chinese. Additionally, the pair is ergonomically designed for maximum comfort during longer listening sessions.
AFUL MagicOne comes with a high-purity oxygen-free copper and oxygen-free copper silver-plated cable with a 32+37 core wire configuration made using wire cores. Characterizing a Litz type 4 coaxial shielded structure.
Features
- Self-Developed Wide-Frequency Response Balanced Armature Driver Unit.
- Innovative SE-Math Electro-Acoustic Intermodulation Technology.
- Nautilus Acoustic Maze Technology.
- Powerful & Massive Sound Signature.
- High-Purity Hybrid Stock Cable
Specs
- Impedance: 38Ω.
- Sensitivity: 103dB/mW.
- Frequency Response: 5Hz-35kHz.
- Passive Isolation: 26dB.
- Connectors: 2-pin 0.78mm.
- Termination: 3.5mm/4.4mm.
- Cable Length: 1.2m.
- Price: $139.99
I want to thank HiFiGo for providing me with the review sample of the AFUL MagicOne.
What’s in the box
Sound
I used sources such as FiiO KA13 dongle DAC and SMSL DO300EX AKM desktop DAC-AMP for testing the MagicOne and let me tell you it’s not the easiest IEM to drive, you need some power to let it shine.
These IEMs are tuned nearly flat with a slight bass boost and amazing treble extension (for a single BA driver). The single BA driver is quick and super-detailed. The sound is analytical, every single minute detail shines and has an excellent place in a song, textures, and micro textures are very well expressed and feel enhanced.
The speed of the driver is quite relevant for the midrange as well, which, compared to the bass and the treble, is quite pushed forward. This makes MagicOne a great performer for vocal-driven music, Jazz, and other types of music where you’d want a less intrusive bass, along with a leaner and extended treble.
The most impressive here is the level of clarity and detail. The speed of the driver means that you get to hear and be able to analyze every single detail, every single texture, and micro-texture, all the things that are normally smooth are now expressed and distinguishable.
Lows
The unique acoustic cavity design of the MagicOne allows for a powerful and elastic bass response. It maintains the high-density sound quality typically associated with a Balanced Armature (BA) driver.
There’s a good amount of rumble, and the bass is not focused on delivering only the tip of the bass, or only the mid-bass, but rather a full and pleasing presentation. The overall bass note decay is natural.
The bass of MagicOne is quite linear, quite detailed, and quite impressive. With MagicOne, you notice the finer details that it can render in the bass of your favorite songs and the way it conveys certain nuances that otherwise can get subdued. You get a new sensation of speed as well, as MagicOne has one of the quickest sounds around, you feel every little reverberation in the sound.
Mids
The midrange performance of the MagicOne is accurate and realistic, particularly when it comes to vocals. The sound is fuller and carries a slight warmth, enhancing the details and providing a lifelike tone. Detail retrieval, clarity, and overall resolution are amazing. The overall signature feels quite spacious, as well as the stage and the space between the instruments.
The mids are intimate. It is really clean, natural, and smoothly textured. The MagicOne has a natural tone. Vocals and instruments feel just right, with good timbre and body. They are tuned closely to my ideal sound signature. Nothing to complain about here.
Treble
The MagicOne has excellent extension in the treble range, reaching up to 18KHz before gradually rolling off. While the treble may be slightly bright, it is not harsh or fatiguing, creating accurate sound reproduction for various instruments.
The detail level in the treble is very good, and its speed is as quick as the bass and the midrange, and the quantity of the treble is exactly what we’d go for if you’re a metal or rock listener. If you prefer your treble smooth and lean, with a presence, then MagicOne should bring you lots of fun and a pretty good experience.
The treble range follows the bass line, they are a little more pronounced compared to the midrange. The single BA driver does a good job of reproducing detailed, articulate, and clean treble. The resolution and detail level are certainly impressive and the texture is quite amazing.
Technicalities
The Soundstage of MagicOne is not the largest one, nor the widest one, but instead, the instrument separation is what they rely on to be impressive. The soundstage is average in both width and depth, and given the detail they achieve, one’s focus will probably be set more on each bit of detail, rather than focused on the scene as a whole.
MagicOne is so great at being analytical, and the instrument separation helps with that since one can easily tell details and textures apart, one is also able to tell instruments apart, the whole image painted by MagicOne being clear, well separated, clearly positioned, and detailed.
The detail and textures of MagicOne are not to be taken lightly, especially if you’re one to appreciate a truly clean and analytical sound, with extremely good detail and revealing ability, along with a very interesting sonic performance and overall price/performance ratio.
Sum-Up
I got a couple of single BA IEMs in the past and they were all unsatisfactory at least in one frequency range and yes mostly on the bass, or if they had bass they lacked on the treble. The MagicOne on the other hand does cover all the 3 frequencies, thanks to its custom-made full-range BA driver. Adding the spot-on tuning into the mix and you get a great all-rounder IEM. AFUL MagicOne is a single BA magic.