Design, workmanship and delivery
Active noise cancellation alone does not make good noise canceling headphones. Rather, what counts is the interplay of active and passive noise suppression.
The Honor Magic Earbuds rely on a conventional design with adaptable ear pieces. Four pairs of silicone ear tips in sizes XS, S, M and L are already included in the scope of delivery. These ensure a flexible sealing of the ear canal and thereby suppress disturbing ambient noise.
Also striking in this model is the long stem that protrudes from the ear. An Honor lettering on the outside shows what exactly you are wearing in your ear. The earbuds and the charging case are made of plastic. The glossy surface feels a bit slippery and is prone to fingerprints and dirt.
A single earbud weighs 5.5 grams. The additional ANC hardware does not affect the size of the earphones. With dimensions of 41.8 x 23.7 x 19.8 mm, the Magic Earbuds are pleasantly compact. There is no IP certification (water resistance)!
The capsule-shaped charging case (80.7 x 35.4 x 29.2 mm) can be conveniently stowed in your pocket or handbag. The top bears Honor lettering. There is an LED charge indicator on the front that shows the charge level in red, yellow and green. On the back there is the USB-C charging socket with the pairing button next to it.
When opened, another LED indicator awaits us. The Magic Earbuds are held magnetically in the charging cradle. The lid of the charging case also holds magnetically.
The processing quality is not objectionable. In addition to the aforementioned Magic Buds, the charging case and the earmolds, the scope of delivery also includes a USB-C charging cable and warranty information.
comfort
The Honor Magic Earbuds are particularly comfortable and safe to wear. Above all, the flexible ear tips, which adapt individually to the wearer, contribute to this. Hours of listening sessions were no problem in the self-test. At no time was an uncomfortable feeling of pressure noticeable.
OPERATION
Users of EMUI 10.0 or Magic UI 3.0 can look forward to a simplified connection process. Open the charging case and the connection request appears on the display.
If you don't own an Honor / Huawei smartphone, you have to go the traditional way. Press the pairing button and add the Magic Earbuds as a new device via the Bluetooth settings of the smartphone.
Once paired, the future connection will be established automatically as soon as the charging case is opened. It is not possible to connect several devices at once.
sound quality
Honor provides almost no information about the built-in drivers. It is only known that every earbud is equipped with a dynamic 10 mm driver.
Depths, mid and highs
In terms of sound, the Honor Magic Earbuds are primarily aimed at mainstream music listeners who prefer a special characteristic in the fundamental range. The earphones convey a dynamic sound image. Music sounds alive and shows a good degree of locatability.
There is a certain substance that extends into the deep bass. However, there is a lack of precision, especially in the low frequency range. Details are lost or blurred in the present mid-range.
The mids are harmonious and melodiously warm, with sufficient detail resolution. (Acoustic) instruments and voices are shown to their best advantage.
The high frequency range is defined, but tends to be a bit sharp. With increasing volume, a tendency to overdraw is noticeable.
Active Noise Canceling (ANC)
Honor did an excellent job of implementing the ANC. The noise suppression is effective and pleasant in intensity. A certain increase in the noise level is audible, but goes down with the music playback.
Low frequencies in particular are effectively filtered. For example, driving noises on the train move far away. High-frequency areas, on the other hand, are filtered little or not at all.
Anyone who moves in traffic should switch off the ANC! The ANC of the Honor Magic Buds conveys a foreclosure effect with a slight feeling of negative pressure, which in turn can impair the perception of the environment.
Bluetooth
The Honor Magic Earbuds use the Bluetooth 5.0 connection standard and support the audio codecs SBC and AAC. Particularly high-resolution and almost latency-free codecs such as aptX or LDAC are not available.
Movies and series can still be watched very well with the Magic Earbuds. There are no delays between picture and sound. The ANC has no impact on latency.
Operation and headset
Touch control
Both earbuds are equipped with touch sensors that respond to double tapping or holding down. By default, both earbuds are assigned a pause and play action. If you want to specify a different action, the Huawei AI-Life app is required. In addition, both earphones can be assigned “pause and play”, “next / previous track”, “activate voice assistant” or “no action” independently of each other.
It is not possible to adjust the volume directly via the earbuds. The ANC is switched on or off when the touch sensors are held down. It can also be set via the app that no action is taken when pressed and held.
The touch sensors reliably detect touches. It is a pity, however, that there is only one touch pattern for the playback control and an app has to be installed to change the action.
Carrier detection
A carrier recognition pauses the music playback as soon as you take the earbuds out of your ear. Automatic resuming of playback when resuming is not supported. It is possible to use only one earphone. The touch control remains active when used individually.
Microphone
Each earphone has 3 microphones (MEMS) built into it. The microphones make the ANC possible and filter background noises during telephone calls. The recording quality of the microphones is clear and understandable, which is why phone calls can be made using the Magic Earbuds. The noise suppression makes the voice appear a bit tinny.
Battery
The battery life is very much dependent on the individual use (volume, ANC, voice). In the test, at medium volume and switched on ANC, it was over after almost 3 hours. If you switch ANC off, the running time is extended by about 30 minutes.
It is all the more gratifying that the earbuds are ready for use again after a short charging time. The Magic Earbuds are fully charged in just 25 minutes. The earphones can be charged up to three times with a fully charged charging case. Then the case has to be connected to the power for about 1 hour. Contactless charging is not supported.
Honor magic earbuds
Compact design
Pleasant wearing comfort
Good (passive) noise isolation
Dynamic sound with a warm character
Effective Active Noise Canceling (ANC)
Charging time of the earphones
No IP certification
Slightly blurred draft
Somewhat sharp heights
App and touch control with few functions
Below average battery life
The Honor Magic earbuds convinced in the test and are good proof that good TWS in-ear headphones with ANC do not always have to cost three digits.
The earbuds convey a pleasantly warm sound that meets daily requirements very well. Mainstream music listeners who prefer pop and rock will get their money's worth. Due to the somewhat spongy draft, the earbuds are less suitable for friends of electronic music. The comfort is good and even after a long listening session the Magic Earbuds are still comfortable in the ear.
The ANC has implemented Honor excellently. Above all, noise in the low frequency range is filtered effectively without affecting the sound quality.
The touch control provides reason for criticism. Unfortunately, only a touch pattern is recognized. Although the user can specify which action the individual earbud should take when touched, an additional app is required for this, which does not provide any greater functional added value overall.
The battery life is somewhat short at around 3 hours. But this is no cause for concern, because the earbuds are fully recharged in just 25 minutes.
sven
21. May 2020 13 to: 37
Thanks for the great test. I bought the earbuds based on your recommendation and I am super satisfied with them. The sound is just as I wanted it to be. The battery life could be a bit better, but I don't listen to three hours of music in a row anyway. So that doesn't bother me so much now. In addition, the Magicbuds load really quickly.
PillPalle
29. May 2020 17 to: 09
Hello, how do the Magicbuds differ from the Freebuds 3i? Have you already been able to test them?
Peter M.
16. August 2020 23 to: 44
A friend has the freebuds, after the test I got the one from Honor. Except for the Huawei lettering, I couldn't see any difference. For me they are completely identical in terms of sound and function, so just get them here.