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Magaosi K3 Pro In-ear Earphone Review

Introduction –

If you’re a Head-fi frequent, you’ve probably observed the buzz surrounding these earphones. If not, the K3 Pro should still make your shortlist as perhaps one of the most impressive sub $100 earphones on the market. With a gorgeous full-metal construction augmented with a removable cable, the K3 Pro’s make a strong first impression from audio newcomer Magaosi. And behind that lavish facade beats a comprehensive triple hybrid driver setup complete with two proprietary balanced armature drivers mated to a graphene dynamic. And while competition is as fierce as ever, the K3 Pro immediately stands out both internally and externally. Let’s see if the K3 Pro can live up to the hype and realise the promises of their advance internal acoustics.

 

Disclaimer –

I would like to thank Chi Kong Hui from Penonaudio very much for providing me with the K3 Pro for the purpose of review. There is no monetary incentive for a positive article nor do I allow any manufacturers or resellers to edit my writing. Despite receiving the earphones free of cost, I will attempt to be as objective as possible in my evaluation.

 

Accessories –

The packaging of the K3 Pro is quite refined and well-presenting though the print quality and renders don’t flatter the buyer like the Oriveti Basic for instance. Of note, the packaging still states K3 even for the updated K3 Pro model.

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Sliding off the top cover reveals a very nice textured box with metallic embossing denoting the Magaosi brand and model number, again with absence of the updated pro moniker. Inside, the earphones are showcased within foam with a section underneath containing the carrying case.

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The case is very large though excessive padding means internal space is surprisingly limited. It’s another well-presenting but impractical offering that really offers minimal benefit in daily use.

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The case contains the two MMCX cables, one with a remote/mic for smartphone usage and one pure audio cable of higher quality. In addition, Magaosi include 2 pairs of silicone tips in addition to 3 pairs of elongated foams that provide improved isolation for travel. The K3 Pro also has an interesting filter system that provides some basic tune-ability. Two filters are included from factory, a transparent filter and a filter that attenuates high frequencies. It’s definitely one of the best-implemented solutions I have come across, they simply screw into place, locking into place via a small rubber o-ring.

Next Page: Design

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ABOUT AUTHOR

Ryan Soo

Ryan Soo

Avid writer, passionate photographer and sleep-deprived medical student, Ryan has an ongoing desire to bring quality products to the regular reader.

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10 Responses

  1. That’s very unfortunate and sounds like a defect in manufacturing, I always give the nozzles on my review unit a good tug to test durability and my set was rock solid. Definitely contact the seller you bought them from, you should be entitled to a replacement unit

  2. Watch out, these IEMs are built like garbage. Do not be fooled by the supposed “premium” build. Despite careful usage, the sound tube in mine broke clean off on the left side when attempting to change eartips. Turns out it was held there by glue. The IEM was unrepairable afterwards.

  3. Alright Ryan, thanks for the quick reply. Seems like the K3 Pro is more in what I’m looking for and now after much consideration I will get them instead of 1More. Although not sure why but the case and package of 1More triples seemed to attract me more haha

  4. Hi Brandon, thanks for your kind comments! For kpop, the K3 Pro might be a better choice, I think they’re a really good choice for pop and vocal with really nice detailing in the high-frequencies. The 1More is darker and more natural from memory, it really depends how treble sensitive you are but the K3 Pro’s tuning is probably a better bet for your preferred music.

  5. Great review Ryan, out of curiosity you did mention the k3 being the better triple drivers iem compared to 1More. Could you perhaps elaborate on that as I’ve been eyeing 1More for some time now until I stumble upon your review on the k3. For your info I’m an avid kpop listener particularly on female vocals like taeyeon and IU so would like to know which of them play songs from that genre better.

  6. And yeah, I people tend to prefer the black filters but the silver ones while providing a bit more veiled sound are definitely the mote tonally accurate

  7. Props for the more grounded review. I have to admit I was a bit uldisapointed with the k3 pro as reflected in my comments in the hhead-fi thread but I admit it’s not a bad iem per se. Just lacks technicalitu and transparency but for the 80 bucks I paid it’s decent but personally I wouldn’t pay more for it given the competition in that price range, so for me $100+ is a bit of a stretch for it but some people of course will disagree

  8. Thanks Ryan, I’ll wait for your reviews then.
    About oriveti basics, I’m also worried about excessive bass since I find my 1more triples a bit on the warm side. I’m surprised that you picked magaosi k3 over other options (1more triple, gr07). I’m worried about their hot treble actually.

  9. Thanks John, the hype did get a bit blown out at the beginning on these earphones, but they are still a genuinely fine performer. I will have a review of the EN700 Bass out soon, it’s a pretty new model but from early impressions, they sound balanced and natural with especially nice soundstage and treble. The TFZ King is another model I’ve been reviewing, it has the most resolution and detail at this price but sounds very aggressive, like the Pinnacle P1, so it’s not necessarily the best choice depending on preference.

    I would actually pick the K3 Pro since I personally like their tuning, the other earphones also have pretty awkward ergonomics and fixed cables so it’s a combination of sound and design. The Oriveti Basic is another really great model at this price, it has a smoother, more refined sound than any of the Chi-fi earphones combined with the best fit and removable cable though some have found the sub-bass to be excessive. All of them are really nice performers sonically, I suspect a lot of users will decide based on fit as that is where a lot of them are still catching up to Western models.

  10. I’ve been thinking to get this iem from past couple of weeks. All I could really find was hype on headfi for this iem. Thanks for your review as your review really provided pros and cons. You also mentioned EN700 bass which made me curious about them since this is the first time I heard about EN700. Which is your favorite iem in same budget? I already have EX1 and 1more triple and I’m looking to buy another iem.

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