The world moves very quickly these days. Our younger readers will scarcely believe it, but there was a time when not everyone in the world carried an Apple or Samsung smartphone in their pocket. In those hazy bygone days, Netflix used to send you actual DVDs, Manchester United weren’t a bottom-half football club, and practically every pair of headphones was connected using the humble wire. How times have changed.
While wireless earbuds and their over-ear counterparts have come to dominate the ever-expanding headphone market, wires have refused to go away entirely. SoundMagic is one of a few companies committed to still flying the flag for Team Wired, though its latest pair of in-ear headphones – the E80D – are nothing if not up with the times. Using a direct USB-C connector in place of the more traditional 3.5mm, the E80D are built to slot straight into almost any modern smartphone (such as the iPhone 16, Sony Xperia 10 VI and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra), computer or audio device. For budget-conscious wired wearers who refuse to be left completely in the Dark Ages, they’re a tantalising prospect.
