SoundMagic P58BT ANC review: not quite the magic over-ear headphones we hoped for

Equalizer? I barely know ‘er!

The SoundMagic P58BT ANC on a wooden table.
(Image: © Future)

TechRadar Verdict

Sonically, the SoundMagic P58BT ANC tick the technical boxes you’d expect for the price, and the design fits the bill too. However, they were uncomfortable to wear, have no app, confound with really confusing touch controls and offer an audio balance that sadly won't impress fans of the company's inexpensive IEMs. At least the low price and long-lasting battery might win back fans.

Pros

  • +

    Low cost

  • +

    Great battery life

  • +

    Pleasant levels of sonic detail

Cons

  • -

    Uncomfortable fit

  • -

    Confusing touch controls

  • -

    No app support

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SoundMagic P58BT ANC: Two-minute review

Chinese audio company SoundMagic's bid to become a leader in the best budget headphones stakes is a strong one. The audio specialist retains a special place in cash-savvy audiophiles’ hearts, thanks to 2018’s SoundMagic E11C wired earbuds, which paved the way for a range of similarly affordable IEMs. And after launching its first wireless over-ear headphones in 2021 with the SoundMagic P23BT, it’s back with a pricier follow-up.

That’s how we come to the SoundMagic P58BT ANC, cans that are still distinctly affordable, but with a few upgrades over the past models. After testing, though, I’ve got to say that the upgrades don’t make these a better proposition.

It goes without saying that you have to set your expectations at a reasonable level when looking at affordable over-ear headphones (and I say it anyway to make it clear that I did lower my standards). And there is a lot to like here with that in mind, but I had two big issues with the SoundMagic that any potential buyer will have to get over first.

Firstly, I simply didn’t find them comfortable to wear. A relatively small arch means the pads are pushed right into your head, and I had to remove them every time I listened for more than an hour due to the headaches they caused. The P58BT ANC have a 60-hour battery life which is really great (though not best-in-class), but at my rate, that means 60 listening sessions followed by ample pauses.

The other issue, which is decidedly less subjective than the last, is that the SoundMagics don’t have any kind of smartphone app, marking the only audio gadget I can recall testing in recent years that doesn’t have any kind of way to control its features other than on the product itself. 

This means you’re lacking some (arguably-) basic features that most rivals have, namely an equalizer to tweak the audio mix. I desperately wanted to fiddle with the sound of the cans, but was stuck with the default balance which emphases mids over bass or treble frequencies.

If you want to toggle the features the P58BTs do have, you have to use gesture controls over the large pad on each earpiece, or rely on button-pressing patterns for the sole physical button on the left ear cup. In my several-week-long testing period, I found myself completely incapable of memorizing all the various gestures and shortcuts for the modes that I’d usually enable on my smartphone, and I’d imagine all other users (who aren’t in MENSA) will have the same experience.

As I said, you always have to bear in mind the price with low-cost headphones like the SoundMagic P58BT ANC, and the detailed audio and valiant battery life will sway over some users, especially those who may be able to overlook my stated issues. Yes, SoundMagic puts out its headphones at a competitive price point, but there are many other rivals on the market at similar price-points that I found more impressive.

SoundMagic P58BT ANC review: Price and release date

The SoundMagic P58BT ANC held above a wooden table.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Released in August 2024
  • Sell for $90 / £79 / AU$134

The SoundMagic P58BT ANC were announced, and put on sale, at the end of August 2024. That’s a lengthy three-year hiatus since the P23BT. They're also available in a pretty lengthy list of countries around the world on SoundMagic’s website.

At launch, the headphones cost $90 / £79 / AU$134, so they’re pretty affordable if not as bargain-bin as the $55 / £50 (roughly AU$100) P23BTs, and we'd expect a little more as a result.

There are a lot of competitors at that price point, including some on our list of the best cheap headphones, with the top-rated Earfun Wave Pro and the Sony WH-CH520 both slightly cheaper. 

SoundMagic P58BT ANC review: Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Drivers40mm
Active noise cancellationYes
Battery life60 hours
Weight305g
ConnectivityBluetooth 5.3
WaterproofingNA

SoundMagic P58BT ANC review: Features

The SoundMagic P58BT ANC with a gesture control being activated.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Distinct lack of features
  • ANC is welcome if not powerful
  • Total battery life of up to 60 hours

I tend to wax lyrical in headphone review ‘features’ sections, for better or worse, but that won’t be the case for the SoundMagic P58BT ANC. And that's because there isn't a lot to cover.

Let’s start with the titular feature: active noise cancellation, something the P23BT didn’t offer. Here it’s present and accounted for, but nothing to write home about: solid enough to remove overbearing background noises but lacking nuance or power to compete with the greats. As an example, the headphones would cancel out the rumble of a bus I was riding, but not the low chatter of the people on said bus.

Bear in mind that these are over-ear headphones, so there's some natural noise cancellation from the natural fit of the cups, and this certainly helps the ANC.

The SoundMagic P58BT ANC on a wooden table.

(Image credit: Future)

The SoundMagics do compete in terms of battery life, with 60 hours of music in the tank. There are few headphones that last that long, even amongst over-ears, and it’s truly a blessing for people who habitually forget to charge (like me) or suffer from battery anxiety (also me). Some rivals beat the SoundMagic in this department, (see the Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 for an excellent 100-hour option with ANC disabled – albeit a more expensive one) but many top-end cans fall far short of the figure.

And the rest of the feature set is… almost totally barren. You see, SoundMagic doesn’t have an app, so all the features you’d normally find when using one are notably absent. No equalizer, no ambient modes, no way of tracking the P58BT’s battery level if your phone UI doesn’t tell you.

There is actually a low-latency game mode, which does what it says on the tin, and solves an issue that I’ve never faced in all my years of mobile gaming. For the reasons you’ll read about in the design section, I found enabling this more faff than it was worth.

  • Features score: 2.5/5

SoundMagic P58BT ANC review: Design

The SoundMagic P58BT ANC on a wooden table.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Comfortable and light design
  • A few on-cup controls
  • Folds up into carry case but no IP rating

The SoundMagic P58BT tip the scales to the tune of 305g, so they’re not particularly heavy, but there are certainly lighter headphones out there if you’re worried about them being too weighty. 

That wouldn’t be a misplaced fear either, as I found them a little uncomfortable to wear – the silicone ear pads felt very rigid, pressing down on my ears rather than settling onto them, and I had to break up listening sessions as a result. It goes without saying that this is a subjective observation but I do have to mention it, especially given that I’d use some other headphones I’m testing as a reprieve when the SoundMagics got too painful.

They come in two color options: black or silver, and don’t seem to have a waterproofing or IP rating that’s listed on SoundMagic’s website.

You can adjust the cans to quite an extent with an adjustable-length headband and cans that can rotate and fold to quite a dramatic degree. I kept accidentally flipping the cans around 180-degrees and getting confused which side was right or left.

The SoundMagic P58BT ANC's ports.

(Image credit: Future)

The left ear pad is the one with the features: it has a USB-C port for charging, 3.5mm jack (with an audio cable included in the box) and the power button, which needs to be held for a surprisingly long amount of time to turn the P58BT on or off.

Most of the controls, however, come with the gesture controls, and this is my biggest gripe with the SoundMagics. The flat pad on each cup can be swiped in different directions or tapped for loads of different functions: changing volume, skipping tracks and so on.

Frankly, I found the amount of different gestures I needed to memorize overwhelming, which is to say I simply couldn’t remember any of them. If I wanted to pause music or change volume I’d have to rely on my phone; ANC is toggled with the power button instead of the pads and I continually forgot about this until I’d already tried all the swipes and slaps.

There’s also the issue that some controls are directional: swipe up for one command, swipe left for another. This would seem well and good but ‘up’ and ‘left’ can be very different directions depending on the angle you’re holding your head, and I’d often accidentally enact the wrong gesture due to leaning my head too far backward or forward, or at certain angles. 

This gesture control was in place in the SoundMagic P23BT and our reviewer didn’t mind it there, but those headphones didn’t have those (few) extra features over the previous pair that need to be controlled with gestures too.

  • Design score: 3/5

SoundMagic P58BT ANC review: Sound quality

The SoundMagic P58BT ANC on a man's head.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Well-balanced audio
  • Mids bloated just a little
  • Max volume is really, really loud

Tech-wise, the SoundMagic P58BT ANC packs 40mm drivers with support for SBC and AAC. Those are largely in line with other headphones you’ll be considering at this price.

People who’ve used other budget headphones might find the SoundMagic pretty good – music has a lot of detail and clarity, with a broader soundstage than some other similarly-priced gadgets I’ve tested and a commendable lack of peaking at reasonable volumes.

However, at least personally speaking, I wasn’t a fan of the balance of the headphones. The detail of bass and treble is provided at the expense of their energy or power – mid sounds dominate the mix and on certain genres of music, this saps some of the ‘pizazz’.

The SoundMagic P58BT ANC on a wooden table.

(Image credit: Future)

I particularly think that bass-heads will be disappointed as lower-frequency sounds lack power, as though you’re watching a bassist play their instrument when it isn’t plugged in. The genres I enjoyed best with these headphones were acoustic-laden folk, singer-songwriter and bluegrass songs, where thumping bass rhythms aren't as important.

I did enjoy listening to the spoken word on the headphones though, as I found the detail provided by them helped convey small nuances in tone and pitch. Podcast-listeners might find these a decent pick.

Bear in mind that the lack of an equalizer means you’re reliant on the default sound of the P58BT ANC – no bass boosting or rock modes here. Because of this, more so than on other headphones, I'd really recommend trying to source a pair to test before you buy them.

  • Sound quality: 3.5/5

SoundMagic P58BT ANC review: value

The SoundMagic P58BT ANC on a wooden table.

(Image credit: Future)

It’s hard to make a firebrand statement about the cost-value proposition of the SoundMagic P58BT ANC because you’re basically getting what you pay for here.

In terms of audio quality and design, the headphones tick the boxes you’d expect from them, and you see in similarly-priced rivals. 

Dragging the value down a little is the lack of an app, which gives the impression of these being some cheap AliExpress buys, even though SoundMagic is a reputed brand. However I do think the soft carry bag for the phones does tip the scale in the right direction a little.

  • Value: 3.5/5

Should I buy the SoundMagic P58BT ANC?

Swipe to scroll horizontally
AttributesNotesRating
FeaturesFeatures? What features? The great battery life makes up for the middling ANC, lack of an app and missing equaliser.2.5/5
DesignA by-the-numbers design is partly marred by the need for confusing gesture controls.3/5
Sound qualityWhile I didn't love the balance, the sound is at least detailed and crisp.3.5/5
ValueThese are fairly cheap headphones, so it's easy to look past some shortcomings.3.5/5

Buy them if…

You need long-lasting headphones
At 60 hours of lasting time, the SoundMagics certainly beat lots of rivals in the endurance department. If you can't charge your cans regularly, these might make up for that.

You listen to lots of spoken-word audio
Say what you will about the audio mix of the P58BTs, but I found it really complemented podcasts and audio books I listened to.

Don’t buy them if…

You don't get to test them first
Both the fit of the headphones and the sonic tuning will come down to your taste, and I'd strongly advise you to test out the SoundMagics before you spend money on them.

You need heavy-duty ANC
While the ANC and PNC do cut out some sounds around you, the SoundMagic P58BT ANC don't cancel as much noise as other headphones or even earbuds I've used at this price.

SoundMagic P58BT ANC review: Also consider

Swipe to scroll horizontally
SoundMagic P58BT ANCEarfun Wave ProJBL Tune 670NC
Drivers40mm40mm32mm
Active noise cancellationYesYesYes
Battery life60 hours80 hours70 hours
Weight305g268g174g
ConnectivityBluetooth 5.3Bluetooth 5.3Bluetooth 5.3
WaterproofingNANANA

Earfun Wave Pro
Our best-in-class cheap earbuds have great battery life, build quality and sound for the price, and they also undercut the SoundMagic by a noticeable margin. These should be the first (and maybe only?) rivals you check out.

See our full Earfun Wave Pro review

JBL Tune 670NC
While our reviewer didn't love the JBL Tune 670NC's audio chops, it excels in the features department and has a lovely lightweight form.

See our full JBL Tune 670NC review

How I tested the SoundMagic P58BT ANC

The SoundMagic P58BT ANC on a wooden table.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Tested for two weeks
  • Tested at home, in the office, on public transport and on walks

The testing process for the SoundMagic P58BT ANC took place over two weeks, which includes the set-up, review writing and general usage time. This is the usual amount of time I allocate to headphone reviews.

For most of the testing, I used the headphones connected to my Android phone via Bluetooth, but I also connected them to my phone and laptop using the audio cable for some testing too. I mainly tested using Spotify and several streaming services, with some gaming done to test out that mode. Lots of the testing was done in my office, and on various walks, bus rides and train journeys to and from it, but I also used them at home and in other everyday environments.

My history of review-writing at TechRadar spans over five years, and I've been covering tech for even longer. I've tested loads of similarly-priced headphones (including one mentioned in the 'also consider' section), as well as a range of other gadgets. 

I mentioned earlier that I used the SoundMagic alongside another pair of headphones; this was a pricier model and it wouldn't be fair to compare them.

  • First reviewed in September 2024
Tom Bedford
Contributor

Tom Bedford was deputy phones editor on TechRadar until late 2022, having worked his way up from staff writer. Though he specialized in phones and tablets, he also took on other tech like electric scooters, smartwatches, fitness, mobile gaming and more. He is based in London, UK and now works for the entertainment site What To Watch.

He graduated in American Literature and Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Prior to working on TechRadar, he freelanced in tech, gaming and entertainment, and also spent many years working as a mixologist.