First thing I will say is that the E80 tuning is more up my alley, and because of that it is one of my favorite IEMs I’ve ever heard and scored a five star review. I will also say that your mileage may vary. Both the E50 and E80 comes down to application and preference.
The E80 offers a tuning that is much different than the E50. The E80 is a more midrange forward tuning with bass that has a looser and more sub bass focused approach. Treble is less forward as well. For me, this tuning is right up my alley. I personally prefer this style over the E50. Please, don’t let that deter you from considering the E50 and feel free to ask questions at the bottom of the review if you need clarification on any aspects of either tuning.
The E50 has a tighter bass response, and slightly higher resolution all around. The bass has attack and decay that is tighter than the E80. This comes at the expense of less sub focus and layering. The treble on the E50 is crisper and more airy. This is why I fell some will actually feel that the E50 outperforms the E80.
I find the E80 more musical and engaging because of the forward vocals and extended sub bass layer. The E80 carries more timbre and musicality from what I hear. The E50 is a “sharper” and “tighter” sounding earphone that will appeal to those who prefer V-signatures.
Please take everything I’ve noted into consideration when picking between the two. It really does come down to preference and I totally understand why Soundmagic released both models at the same time, because they cater to both preferences and they both sound great.
A slight edge in accessories goes to the E80 because they offer a few extra pairs of tips. Other than that they are identical in what they offer for extras. Build quality is a draw, as both of them offer similar designs, the same type of cable, jacks, Y-splits, and strain reliefs.