SoundMagic E10BT Bluetooth Earphones Hands-on Review

With every manufacturer jumping into the fray, there's a smorgasbord of Bluetooth earphones and headphones to be had. What's odd is that even now there is no objective assessment of what makes earphones good. Popular reviewers can offer their opinion, and this can be at variance with customer reviews. I am one of those customers. It's natural to refer to sources before making any purchase, and this is true in the case of earphones.

The SoundMagic E10BT is what the name says, an E10 with Bluetooth connectivity. As with Pacific Rim manufacturers, the grammar in and accuracy of the information are questionable. The Bluetooth version is 4.0 or 4.1, depending on whether you look at the box or the instruction manual. Some stores and review sites claim that E10BT supports v. 4.2. What is also unclear are the Bluetooth profiles that the E10BT supports. Testing the earphones on YouTube and Amazon Prime Video, the delay in syncing video with audio suggests that absence of Qualcomm's AptX low latency audio transmission algorithm. Therefore, the version probably isn't 4.1. Sometimes the audio cuts off when seeking within a video or when changing videos. This occurred when using a 2017 Apple iPad as well as the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (Android). A battery indicator icon did appear on my Android phone's screen, so this suggests Bluetooth version 4.0 or higher. The voice prompts are the same as the ones employed by cheap Bluetooth speakers and earphones. Remember, you can pair only one device at a time.

The sound produced by the SoundMagic E10BT is not markedly different from the E10C. Of course, this also depends on which ear tips you use and how well they fit in your ear canal. The E10BT sounds just as flat as the E10C or the E10. It's hard to tell if this an upgrade. Other reviewers have praised the wired E10 and E10C for their "warm" sound and "smooth" treble. Indeed, they certainly don't sound harsh, but they do lack punch.

The E10BT is made only in one colour, a matte black. It's hard to tell, but their construction appears to be plasticky. The inline remote is unnecessarily large and looks very different from the polished images and videos published by SoundMagic on YouTube and their website. The micro USB charging port cover is flimsy and care should be taken not to rip it off. Like with the E10C packaging, the E10BT's packaging also displays an invalid webpage to verify the authenticity of your product. When turned on, the remote LED continuously emits an obtrusive blue light - so much so that I may colour the LED window black.

Call quality is especially good for the listener. In fact, listeners reported better call quality than using the microphone on my phone. However, the listener's voice sounded tinny through the earphones like a radio with poor reception. That said, it is possible to have hassle-free conversations on the phone with the E10BT.

Battery life drained from 90% to 30% in about 6 hours.

Byte-Corseca Stereo Bluetooth Headset (DM5710BT )

The Byte Corseca Stereo bluetooth headset is a China-based Damson Group product. The model number is mentioned as DM5710BT whereas the website lists it as the SBT05. It retails for Rs. 1,500 (on Flipkart.com), but it is not widely available. Dell customers usually get this headset free with their laptops.

The cheap plastic construction and small, inferior audio driver units makes the headset quite lightweight. The neck band isn't smooth so it will pinch your neck when you let it hang. It can be folded into a smaller size.

Cheap plastic buttons adorn the right earpiece - 5 in total. There is the centre multifunction key and the surrounding volume up, volume done, next track, and previous track keys. When pressed while the headset is worn, the keys emit a loud mechanical click sound that hurts the ears. The multifunction key acts as the power key, the call key, and the play/stop key. 

This Bluetooth headset supports the bare minimum of HFP, HSP, and A2DP Bluetooth profiles as it is Bluetooth version 2.1+EDR compliant. That means it can be used as a handsfree device with your phone, a headset with your Bluetooth-enabled computer, and as a pair of headphones for audio.

Conclusion:

Rs. 1,500/- for Damson Group's Byte-Corseca DM5710BT Bluetooth headset is too much. The poor sound quality is akin to the sound produced by Rs. 200 earphones. There is no bass and the volume is low. The microphone transmits background noise the other person will not be able to hear you properly. The headset uses, perhaps without paying royalties, the outdated miniUSB and Bluetooth 2.1 standards as opposed to the more common microUSB port and the power-efficient Bluetooth 4.0. Product support is vague and no service centre addresses are given. That said, there is better quality and more features to be had from product offerings in the same price range from popular brands such as Samsung and Nokia. The Byte Corseca BT Headset can be given a miss. It is better suited as a freebie with new Dell laptop purchases.