A value-packed studio reference headphone offering

Soncie-Meory, a company better known for some excellent value for money in-ear monitors, has entered the headphone market with the G50, a $55 studio reference headphone aimed at offering similar exceptional value for money. Following a trend set by other IEM-focused companies like Moondrop, FiiO, and Kiwi Ears, the Soncie-Meory G50 brings a strong contender to the affordable studio headphone market.

g50-marketing.jpg

Note: I would like to thank Shenzhenaudio for providing the Soncie-Meory G50 headphone for the purposes of this review.

The Soncie-Meory G50 is currently available for $54.99 on Shenzhenaudio,
here is a non-affiliated link to their product page. There are also some extra options available on this page, with a mic cable and a separate options for an extra “Hifi” cable.

So, after spending a couple of weeks with the Soncie-Meory G50, comparing both with some similar priced closed backs but also some of my more expensive studio reference closed backs, I’ve come to appreciate its strengths and understand some of its weaknesses.

So, let’s dive into the details firstly what you get in the box.

Unboxing Experience

The Soncie-Meory G50 arrives in a compact yet stylish box: box.jpg

On the back you get lots of good details: backbox.jpg

Opening the box you get everything very securely packaged:
opening-box.jpg

The plastic protection on the headphone seems a little cheap and probably not necessary: protective-cover.jpg

Removing the headphone from the cardboard protection and taking everything out of the box and : box-contents1.jpg

For a headphone at this price, I wasn’t expecting to get a second earpad: alt-earpads.jpg

and a very decent cable: cable.jpg

Inside the box, you’ll find: boxcontents.jpg

• The G50 headphones • Two sets of earpads • A 1.5m cable with a 3.5mm jack and a 6.35mm adapter • A soft carrying pouch for portability

The inclusion of two earpad options and a high-quality cable is impressive at this price point, making the G50 stand out in this budget segment.

Design, Build Quality, and Comfort

The Soncie-Meory G50 design is going for that studio professional look with a lightweight yet sturdy build.

But while there is a lot to like about the G50 there are some areas where the build quality and comfort is not quiet at the level of a typical Sony or Audio Technica Studio Reference headphone.

Build Quality

The G50’s construction combines durable plastics and metal reinforcements in the headband for added robustness. But the earcups do not swivel which is a shame as that would have made it more comfortable.

But the extension mechanism is very sturdy: headband-extension.jpg

I really liked the cable and the secure mechanism to connect it to the headphone: connector-lock.jpg

Comfort

While the G50 is reasonable comfortable for my large head there are a couple of areas where it is slightly let down. The headband is padded with soft foam but doesn’t feel as well padded or soft as some other competitors: headband-padding.jpg

And while having the option of 2 earpads at this price is probably unheard off, I got mixed results with comfort.

The stock “square” ones were a little small for my ears: square-earpads.jpg

But while the rounder one fitted did me perfectly: round-earpads.jpg

Alternative Earpads

But the real good news here that you can easily swap earpads. I tried a few, but I loved the G50 with some Angled Sheepskin ear pads I bought on aliexpress: angled-pleather-earpads.jpg

These pads provide better comfort for me with a great seal and improved the soung signature, though they did cost $20 on aliexpress during a recent sale.

Here are the 2 stock earpads with the angled pleather ones: earpads.jpg

Note: The 50mm Driver on the G50 looks good at this price point: 50mm driver.jpg

Sound Quality

The Soncie-Meory G50 offers a slightly V-shaped tuning, with elevated bass and treble that make it enjoyable for casual listening while still retaining enough detail for studio use.

Bass

The bass response is punchy and extends well into the sub-bass region. Tracks like “Royals” by Lorde showcase the G50’s ability to deliver a clean and impactful low-end without bleeding into the mids. The bass is controlled and well-textured, making it suitable for most genres.

Midrange

The midrange is slightly recessed due to the V-shaped tuning, but vocals and instruments still come through clearly. Tracks like “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi highlight the G50’s ability to reproduce vocals with warmth and clarity, though the emphasis on bass and treble can overshadow finer midrange details.

Treble

The treble is crisp and energetic, with a slight emphasis around 8kHz that adds sparkle to cymbals and strings. While this can make the headphone feel bright and detailed, it may also cause some fatigue during extended listening sessions. I found reducing the treble by -2dB at 8kHz through EQ makes the sound more balanced and less fatiguing though the measurements suggested around 6khz so your mileage may vary.

Soundstage and Imaging

For a closed-back headphone, the G50 offers a surprisingly spacious soundstage, with good separation between instruments. Imaging is precise, allowing for accurate placement of sounds in the stereo field. Tracks like “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen sound immersive and engaging.

Specifications and Measurements

Specification Details
Type Over-ear monitoring headphones (closed-back)
Driver Unit 50mm dynamic driver unit
Unit Model HDS-50MT
Rated Power 400mW (IEC)
Maximum Power 1500mW (IEC)
Impedance 32Ω at 1kHz ± 15%
Sensitivity 98 ± 3 dB/Vrms @ 1kHz
Frequency Response 10Hz - 35kHz
Cable ~1.5m oxygen-free copper, detachable
Weight ~295g (excluding cable)

With an impedance of 32 Ω and a sensitivity of 98 dB/mW, the G50 is easy to drive and pairs well with portable devices, DAC/amps, or even standard headphone outputs on laptops and smartphones.

Measurements

Note: The following measurements were taken with my KB501X soft ear Pinna and a 711 clone coupler. They are available on my measurement database here.

Frequency Response

Let’s start with the default stock “square” earpads: graph-fr.jpg

These show a good mostly balanced frequency response, with a little bit too much mid-bass, and some uneven treble which is to be expected as this price point.

Since the Soncie-Meory G50 comes with 2 earpads I measured both, especially as I liked the round earpads better from a comfort perspective:

fr-stock-earpads.jpg The round earpads provide a little bit more bass so a great options for people who like more bass.

As I mentioned earlier, I really liked the comfort of the Angled Sheepskin Earpads I had bought on Aliexpress so I measured these also: graph-earpads-compared.jpg

They do remove a little of that mid-bass and even tame the treble a little. Overall for a cheap closed back with these earpads you get a pretty good frequency response but one you might still want to tweak with some EQ.

Distortion

Distortion levels are commendably low, even at higher volumes: L Soncie G50 Round Distortion.jpg

Also as a percentage the distortion is very low less than 2%: L Soncie G50 Round Distortion Percentage.jpg

EQ Recommendation

Given the mostly smooth response generating some wide Q filters makes this an mostly easy headphone to EQ: graph-eq.jpg

Preamp: -2.4 dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 226 Hz Gain -3.2 dB Q 0.800
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 1000 Hz Gain 2.7 dB Q 0.700
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 5628 Hz Gain -5.3 dB Q 3.600

Comparisons

Comparing the G50 with some other closed backs for an idea of the different sizes of these headphones: closed-backs.jpg

Here are the earpads (though I am using the Angled Sheepskin in this photo ) closedback-earpads.jpg

Compared to the Kiwi Ears Division

Since, I recently reviewed the Kiwi Ears Division and since it a very similarly priced headphone, I thought it would be an interesting comparison. But the G50 is a much better headphone with more neutral sound signature, better driver, better cable and good accessories in the box, but I do think the Kiwi Ears Division has slightly better comfort.

Comparing the frequency responses you can see the G50 is much better as the Division goes for a more V-Shaped sound signature: fr-compared-division.jpeg

Compared to the Sony MDR-M1

This is definitely an unfair comparison as the MDR-M1 costs 5 times the G50, but the MDR-M1 is much more comfortable and better built with more options for customisations. While the Sound signature of the G50 holds it own against the MDR-M1: fr-compared-mdrm1.jpg

I have highlighted 2 areas where the G50 would need some EQ tweaks, the mid-bass is a bit bloated compared to the MDR-M1 and there is that treble peak I mentioned earlier.

with sony-jm11.jpg

Compared to the FiiO FT1

Again this is an unfair comparison though in this case the FT1 is just 3 times the cost of the G50 and isn’t really targeting a studio reference sound. Fr-compared-to-ft1.jpeg

Again those 2 areas I mentioned in the previous comparison are the weak points in the G50.

Overall, I think the Soncie-Meory G50 does very well in these comparisons for the price of nice steak you get a decent sounding headphone with great accessories and one that can be easily customised.

Rating

I’ve given the Soncie-Meory G50 a pragmatic 5-star rating. Its combination of great sound, exceptional accessories, and unbeatable value makes it a fantastic option for those exploring studio headphones on a budget.

For better, comfort I would suggest some pad swapping, like I did with the angled sheepskin earpads but otherwise this is a very decent headphone for the price.

Conclusion

The Soncie-Meory G50 is an impressive first headphone from a company better known for its IEMs. At just $50, it delivers a fun and enjoyable listening experience with a slightly V-shaped sound signature, along with excellent build quality and thoughtful accessories. While a bit of EQ can make the sound more neutral, the G50 is a standout option for anyone looking for a budget-friendly studio reference headphone. It’s a headphone that punches well above its price point and deserves a place on your shortlist if you are looking for an ultra budget closed back.