Review: RHA (Reid and Heath Acoustics) MA-350 Earphones.

Being a self-proclaimed audio junkie, I pretty much jump at any chance to review new headphones. While many of the low to mid-range audio gear you find on the market is really just from the one or two manufacturers and then rebranded elsewhere, I enjoy the hunt for audio nirvana. As with many things in life, a simple price tag is a loose (and I admit, not exactly true) form of comparison between competing products. In headphones, once you start getting into the upper mid-range, price becomes a better indicator of overall performance. Of course, it’s not hard to assume that a $30 pair of ear buds are simply not as sonically sound as a $600 pair. All that said, I’ve yet to hear a sub $80 pair of ear buds that I could actually stand to listen to for more than 2-3 songs. So when UK based Reid and Heath Acoustics (RHA) pinged me to check out their MA-350 earbuds, I glanced at the price to get a basic idea of what I was going to be dealing with and eagerly accepted.

Do the MA-350′s win the title of first “affordable” ear buds to please my ears? Continue on…

The Specs

  • Drivers: 10mm nylar
  • Frequency Range: 16Hz-22,000Hz
  • Impedance: 16ohms
  • Rated/Max Power: 3/10mW
  • Sensitivity: 103 dB
  • Gold-plated 3.5mm connector and 1.2m fabric braided cable.

Design

Before jumping into sound qualities, I’ll first take a look at the slick design RHA gave the MA-350s. Right off the bat, it’s clear that design was an important part of the creation process as the 350s are crafted from solid aluminum and house 10mm drivers. The overall shape/design of the 350s are said to better transmit sound from driver, through the air and to the ear thanks to the aerophonic design.

In terms of weight, never once did I find the 350s to be too heavy or burdensome, whether it be sitting at the desk mashing away on the keyboard or out on the open road going for a brisk run. Speaking of active usage, I’d say the 350s do a pretty awesome job of staying put. Over the course of a 45-minute run I only had to slightly adjust a bud 4 times. (If you run and wear non-clingy ear buds you know that this is not very much at all.)

While design is definitely a nice aspect to focus on and marvel at, ultimately one must weigh sound quality more heavily, as it is after all, the real reason someone buys headphones.

Sound Quality

Some may discount my immediate quick judgement of a product’s performance based on price alone. But quite honestly, it’s a legitimate way to rate gadget, at least on a basic level. That said, some common sense also comes in to play as well. If you’ve used a product from a particular brand that tends to over price products, your judgement based on price will obviously adjust for the inflated price. So where do the RHA MA-350s stand?

Awesome. Since I’ve been exposed to many different types of headphones and ear buds spanning from ~$19.99 all the way up to the ~$800+ point, I know the spread of price ranges, sound characteristics of each range, etc. And let me tell you, at ~$50 USD, the RHA MA-350s are damn good.

Because RHA went with a 10mm driver as opposed to armatures, bass response is deeper, throatier, and just more beefy than it would if an armature were used, especially at this price point. The mid-range is also more present, giving the 350s a warmer tone overall. Finally, the high-end frequencies are more often than easily heard and separated/defined more than any other sub-$80 pair of earbuds I’ve heard. Though if I had to pick a weak spot, I’d also focus on the high-end. Even though separation is great (and really, separation between instruments at all frequencies is pretty great), roll off in the upper ranges where cymbals and such live can be heard. Compared to my in-house Audeo PFE 232s, cymbals that seem to resonate and shimmer into the background appear more abrupt and a tad harsh on the RHA 350s. Of course, the PFE 232s retail for $599 and the RHA 350s for ~$50 — not too shabby at all.

In Linkin Park’s “My December”, the underlying bass line that runs throughout the song is always one of my staple tracks to test out bass response as it is clean, simple and deep. The 350s had no trouble hitting all of the right frequencies while also giving each not plenty of weight without sounding overly bassy like your typical “bass boosting” headphones do.

In busier/faster songs like In Flames’ “Deliver Us”, the cymbal issue highlighted earlier is again apparent, especially in the chorus where where the crash/ride is barely perceptible and hidden behind the lead guitar. Once the solos breaks through, however, the cymbals once again pop out.

I’ve already focused a lot about the mid and higher frequencies so far, but one area that the MA-350s (and headphones based on drivers instead of armatures) really shine, again especially at this price point, is the low end. Bass is incredibly clean yet powerful. For example, in Rusko’s “Raver’s Special”, the bass line is probably the deepest and cleanest I’ve heard south of $100. I’d even say it rivals many sub-$100 full-size cans to boot.

Switching speeds, in Regina Spektor’s “Fidelity”, vocals are strong and clear. Thanks to the 350s warmer sound signature, Spektor’s voice sounds more lifelike and real, and not so “digital” as more analytical headphones do. The simple bass line moving through the background doesn’t over shadow Spektor’s vocals too much either. (It does get a tad boomy in spots, though.)

One thing I’d like to touch on is that of sensitivity. Higher end ear buds/headphones tend to take more power to drive, and are therefor less suited for mobile use as they are laptops/desktops or at the very least, the use of a headphone amp. The MA-350s are the complete opposite of “hard” to drive. In fact, even though I’ve tested more sensitive and less restrictive earphones, the MA-350′s at least sound the most efficient to my ears. On my Macbook Pro I can only turn of the volume to the 3rd bar (indicated by overall system volume and with iTunes volume on max) before it begins to get too loud. On my iPhone, the volume crosses the same threshold at roughly the 25-30% mark. Clearly, these are perfect for mobile and lower power devices.

Fit & Comfort Level

While audio quality is the most important aspect of any pair of headphones/earphones, fit and comfort is easily #2. In fact, if the fit isn’t just right it can end up affecting sound quality, and turn a $400 pair of headphones into a something that sounds more like a $20 pair.

In my eyes, the most comfortable pair of earphones to date are Klipsch’s X10 earphones. They’re thin, super lightweight and small; their sizes allows themto stay in place no matter what you’re doing. In that context, I find the RHA a bit of a mixed bag. They’re not uncomfortable to wear for long periods, though, they’re nothing to write home about either.

What I found more disappointing, though, was the ear tips — those littler rubber buds that go on the edges of earphones. Again, Klipsch has something magical with their earphone tips which in turn makes their X10s in particular so comfortable to wear. RHA, however, needs to go back to the drawing board. Out of all three sizes of ear tips for the MA-350s, none of them fit perfectly and required quite a bit of inserting, removing and reinserting to get a good seal. As someone who has tried dozens of different types of earphones (and ear tips), I can resolutely say that RHA needs to use an ear tip that is softer and more playable. The ones that ship with the MA-350s are simply too stiff.

Conclusion

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t initially expecting too much from the RHA MA-350s, much less to be wowed. Generally speaking, headphones that tend to focus on design generally do so to overshadow their less than stellar audio quality. Headphone manufacturers who spend all their money on high dollar celebrity endorsements do it all the time – slap a famous rapper’s name on a product and hope people don’t notice the atrocious audio quality.

While the MA-350s won’t compare to the higher-end gear many of you are likely using, what RHA did for $50 is pretty awesome and certainly worthy of applause. They’ve 1) made me a believer again in that good sounding ear buds can be found under $100 and 2) created a truly awesome pair of ear buds that are a steal at ~$50. The only major downfall is that getting the perfect fit/seal takes a bit of work thanks to the lack luster ear tips.

If you’re on the fence about which pair of earbuds to get in the < $100 price range, make the RHA MA-350s one of your first stops.