But then also with the new pair the casing came loose, at both sides this time.. so I felt pretty disappointment.. of course it can happen once, but not thrice. READ NEXT: The best budget headphones and cheap earphones you can buy SoundMagic E11 vs E11C vs E11D: What you need to know

Inevitably, you'll get a more sophisticated delivery from costlier earphones – more detail, more rounded bass, a slightly better balance – but for the money, these buds sound really, really good. SoundMAGIC E11C earbuds review: The alternativesThe SoundMagic E10BT sound is very similar to that of the other E10 earphones, even though it has a 13.5mm dynamic driver rather than the 10mm one used in SoundMagic’s wired pairs.

The metal casing of the E10 is sturdy and well made. With an almost perfect fit the bass is impressive, hard and precise. In this price range that could hardly be better."

These stylish earphones sound as good as sets that cost twice as much

Regardless, the SoundMagic E10C continue in this vein. However, I do quite like the use of metal earpieces. While they won’t stop the cable connection from deteriorating if not looked after, they’re far more likely to survive being trodden on than a cheap plastic earpiece. Despite those redesigned drivers, the sound isn't noticeably different to previous SoundMAGIC earphones, but that's not a bad thing; listening to some classic Oasis, we found the performance to be taut and energetic. The treble could be a little forthright in places, but not to the detriment of the bass, which was rich and precise. With a sensitivity rating of 112dB, the E11Cs also offer plenty of volume, which, on life-affirming tunes such as those on Definitely Maybe, is absolutely essential. The SoundMagic E10BT also come with a carry case, and a charge cable that you can plug into your laptop’s USB port or a phone charger. One of the main benefits of using a separate battery is that these earphones last far longer off a charge than most at the price. Budget wireless headphones tend to last six-eight hours, but these carry on for 10-12 hours, depending on volume at which you are listening.

The midrange is pushed forward of neutral. Bass does not bleed into the midrange, leaving you with a nice and clean vocal. Distortion guitars have nice forward bite (nowhere as good as the GR07 or FXT90 but good in their own right). Pianos sound very good and are placed forward in the mix. We get sent a lot of fairly expensive headphones to review, but while expensive earphones are often excellent, not everyone who’s fed up with the free set that came with their MP3 player or smartphone wants to spend most of their monthly disposable income on an upgrade. In fact there are many quality alternatives for much less than this, of which the Soundmagic E10 earphones are a great example.

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For listening enjoyment, though, I really can’t think of any scenario where you shouldn’t buy the Soundmagic E10. Maybe if you’re from the past, and don’t feel comfortable buying it from an online retailer. Or maybe if you’re the kind of person who simply detests quality sound.