How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-22 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• SoundMAGIC E11 — biggest strength: A refined, balanced sound from redesigned 10mm dynamic drivers, wrapped in a full aluminium housing with a silver-plated copper cable.
• SoundMAGIC E11 — biggest trade-off: It's a fixed-cable, single-driver design with no microphone, so there's no cable swapping and no headset calls.
• BASN Metalen 4 — biggest strength: Four hybrid drivers per earbud (2 balanced armature + 2 dynamic) with two detachable MMCX cables and a deep accessory kit built for musicians.
• BASN Metalen 4 — biggest trade-off: It's a heavier, more involved setup with a lower 16-ohm impedance, so it's fussier to drive and more gear to manage.
• Pick SoundMAGIC E11 if you want simple, comfortable, plug-and-go earbuds for music on a phone or laptop.
• Pick BASN Metalen 4 if you're a singer, drummer or bassist who wants a monitor set with replaceable cables and pro-grade fit options.
The E11 is built around one idea done well: a clean, balanced sound in a small aluminium shell. SoundMAGIC redesigned the 10mm dynamic drivers here to deliver an extended, transparent top end with warm, textured bass underneath. The frequency range runs 15Hz to 22KHz, which is wide enough to keep both sub-bass rumble and cymbal detail present. With 42-ohm impedance and 112dB sensitivity, it's an easy, forgiving load for the headphone jack on a phone, laptop or portable player.
The physical design is the other half of the story. The housing is completely aluminium, cut in a high-precision process and finished with hand painting, so it stays lightweight (12g total) while feeling solid rather than plasticky. The cable is silver-plated copper, chosen to keep signal loss low, and it's tangle-free in day-to-day handling. The 60-degree angled gold-plated 3.5mm jack is a small detail that matters if your phone or laptop has a recessed port.
Comfort is where the E11 quietly earns its place. The angled sound tubes and soft silicone tips seal the ear canal, which gives strong passive noise isolation — useful on a bus, in a shared office or on a flight — and the seal is what lets you hear the full sonic spectrum rather than a thin, leaky version of it.
Who should buy it: Anyone who wants one dependable pair of wired earbuds for music, podcasts and video on a 3.5mm device, and who values an aluminium build and a secure in-ear fit over extra hardware.
Who should skip it: If you need a microphone for calls, or you want to swap cables later, the E11 isn't the right shape of product — it's a no-mic, fixed-cable design. And if you're chasing a stage-monitor tool with swappable connectors, look at the BASN instead.
The Metalen 4 is a different category of product entirely. Each earbud packs four hybrid drivers — two balanced armature and two dynamic — and BASN's own description points to a wide sound stage, low distortion and enhanced bass response. The hybrid approach is the point: balanced armatures tend to bring definition and fine detail, while dynamic drivers move air for bass weight. Put them together and you get a monitor that's meant to show you more of the mix rather than smooth it over.
The numbers back up the "pro tool" positioning. Impedance is 16 ohm and sensitivity is 108dB, with a frequency range of 16Hz to 25KHz. That low impedance means it will get loud easily, but it also means it's more sensitive to the output quality of whatever you plug it into — a phone jack will drive it, but a dedicated player or audio interface is where this kind of IEM tends to make more sense.
Then there's the kit, which is unusually complete. You get two detachable MMCX cables at 4.9ft: one upgraded OFC silver-plated cable, and one fibre cable with an inline volume control and mic. The MMCX detachable design means you can replace or upgrade the cable instead of retiring the whole earphone when a cable fails — a real advantage for anyone who's had a cable die mid-tour or mid-semester. The shells use CNC metal craft with electroplating, which BASN says improves corrosion resistance and resists surface wear.
The accessories list reads like a working musician's checklist: S, M and L tips plus memory foams, a T-shirt clip, velcro strips, a cleaning brush, a 1/4-inch adaptor and a carrying case — plus a 12-month warranty. That 1/4-inch adaptor is the tell: this is designed to plug into a mixer, amp or interface, not just a phone.
Who should skip it: If you want to grab one pair of earbuds and go, the Metalen 4 is more product than you need — more cables, more parts, more to keep track of. And with no Bluetooth (it's a wired-only design), it's not for wireless convenience either.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for plug-and-go simplicity → SoundMAGIC E11. One cable, no mic, no setup decisions.
• Best for musicians and monitoring → BASN Metalen 4. Four hybrid drivers per side and a 1/4-inch adaptor for real gear.
• Best for cable longevity → BASN Metalen 4. Detachable MMCX cables mean a failed cable is a swap, not a replacement purchase.
• Best for lightweight comfort on the move → SoundMAGIC E11. A 12g aluminium build with angled tubes and a secure, isolated seal.
• Best for calls and inline control → BASN Metalen 4. One of its two cables carries an inline volume control and mic.
• Best for balanced, easy-to-drive sound → SoundMAGIC E11. 42-ohm impedance and 112dB sensitivity play nicely with ordinary phone and laptop jacks.
• Best for detail and bass extension together → BASN Metalen 4. The 2BA+2DD hybrid layout is explicitly aimed at definition plus enhanced low-end.
• Best for a complete out-of-the-box kit → BASN Metalen 4. Multiple tips, memory foams, clip, brush, adaptor and case are all included.
For most people reading this, I'd buy the SoundMAGIC E11. In my opinion it's the better everyday earphone: lightweight aluminium, a balanced 10mm dynamic sound, strong passive isolation and a cable that won't tangle in your pocket. It does one job simply and well.
I'd only steer you to the BASN Metalen 4 if you actually play, record or monitor. Its four-driver hybrid setup, detachable MMCX cables and full accessory kit are genuinely useful for that work — and genuinely unnecessary if you just want to listen on the train. Buy for your use case, not for the spec sheet.
Not universally — it depends on the job. The Metalen 4 has more drivers (four hybrid per earbud) and detachable cables, which suits monitoring and studio work. The E11 is simpler, lighter and easier to drive from a normal phone jack. Different tools, different buyers.
No. The E11 is a no-microphone wired earbud with a fixed silver-plated copper cable, so it's for listening rather than calls. If you need an inline mic, the BASN Metalen 4 includes one on its fibre cable.
Yes — it terminates in a standard 3.5mm jack, so any device with that port works. Just note its 16-ohm impedance means it's very easy to drive, so it will reveal the quality (or noise floor) of whatever you plug it into.
Both use an in-ear seal, but they fit differently. The E11 is very light at 12g with angled sound tubes and soft silicone tips. The Metalen 4 is a heavier metal-shell IEM with over-ear cable routing and multiple tip sizes plus memory foam, which many musicians prefer for a locked-in fit. Try the tip options on whichever you choose.
Both sit in the budget-to-mid wired earphone space, but prices move around, so I'd check the current price on Amazon before deciding — the button on this page will show you the live figure.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.