MA350:
The RHAs sing in a natural, unforced manner, and consequently remain an easy listen even through the entirety of a long haul flight.

MA350:
Everything’s relative, of course, but the RHA MA-350 look pretty bulky. Fortunately, the big aluminium enclosures (shaped aerophonically, in the manner of a trumpet’s bell) are lightweight and a comfy fit.
And the MA-350s are a gratifyingly poised listen. The 10mm driver doesn’t place undue emphasis on any particular area of the frequency range, instead delivering an even, balanced sound – dynamism and punch are on the menu, certainly, but not at the expense of detail or subtlety.
The RHAs sing in a natural, unforced manner, and consequently remain an easy listen even through the entirety of a long-haul flight.

Read the full article at www.whathifi.com/review/rha-ma-350

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MA350:
What's impressive is how well the sound sits together. It's a very natural, listenable audio. 

MA350:
RHA only has a single set of in-ear earphones in its range, but don’t assume they’re an afterthought. The distinctive shape – which reminds us a little of a B&O speaker, with its arching aluminum cone – is apparently based upon “the aerophonic design of a trumpet’s bell” while the fabric-braided (non-detachable) cable and gold-plated connectors are carried over from the headphone line.

Read the full article at http://www.slashgear.com/rha-sa-850-sa-500-and-ma-350-review-09170442/ 

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MA350:
The MA-350′s excelled at producing clear treble tones, and offered tight-but-surprisingly-full base.

MA350:
I was recently offered a pair of RHA MA-350 in-ear headphones for review. I brought them with me on a business trip to China, so I had plenty of time on the long flight to try them out and see how they felt after extended wear.

Before I get started, I should mention a few things about myself: I enjoy listening to music, but I’m definitely not an audio expert. When I’m planning on purchasing headphones, my main concerns are comfort, general sound quality, and durability.

The first thing that grabbed my attention about these earphones was that they were made from solid aluminum. My previous name-brand $40 pair of in-ear headphones were made of plastic coated in a thin rubber sheath, so I was impressed right away with RHA’s use of a durable material.

Aside from being more durable than plastic (and having a satisfying “click!” when knocked together), the extra weight wasn’t really noticeable when listening to music. The aluminum construction increased my perceived value of the product, and when I showed the MA-350′s to others, it was the first thing they noticed.

These earphones also feature a braided fabric cord which helps reduce cord tangling. The downside is that the braided cord is thicker and a little less flexible than the normal plastic/rubbery stuff, but that did not affect my usage of the earphones. Again, I appreciated the use of higher quality material in these earphones.

The cord is a standard “Y” format, where both earpieces have equal lengths of cord which forks from the main connector. My previous pair of headphones featured a behind-the-ear style cord which I preferred, but mainly for the fact that the cords were easier to keep out of my way while working.

The only strange decision regarding the construction of these earphones was the way they differentiate between the right and left earphones. A tiny letter is extruded on the rubberized part of the earphones which is pretty hard to see without looking closely.

The MA-350 earphones included three sets of interchangeable earpieces: small, medium, and large.

I’ve listened to music for many hours using the RHA MA-350 earphones, and I’ve found that the sound they produce is extremely clear, crisp, and accurate. I had previously grown accustomed to the bland, muffled sound of typical lower-end headphones, so the MA-350′s presented a stark contrast which, at first, sounded almost unnatural because of its clarity.

For most of my testing, I listened to music that presented a wide variety of audio conditions, such as Deadmau5, Regina Spektor, and the wonderfully eclectic Bastion soundtrack (side note: Bastion is a fantastic game). With these samples, the MA-350′s excelled at producing clear treble tones, and offered tight-but-surprisingly-full bass for their size.

One of the best features of these earphones is that they provide solid noise isolation. The earphones fit snugly in my ear using the default size earpiece, and I could keep my music at a much lower volume than with my previous pair of earphones because of the improved isolation. This might not be a big deal when sitting in a quiet office listening to music, but it’s a lifesaver when sitting on a long international flight.

I wore these earphones in bursts of about 1-2 hours at a time during my flight, mainly listening to music and playing Bastion for iPad. Overall, they were very comfortable, although for long sessions I’d usually prefer to wear over-ear headphones (which RHA also makes).

The MA-350′s in-ear earpieces are very solid, and compared to my previous pair (which were nearly gelatinous), the RHA earphones caused a little more “ear fatigue” than I was used to.

Overall, I’ve been extremely impressed with the RHA MA-350 earphones. I carry them with me at all times in my laptop bag, and I keep them within reach whenever I’m working on my laptop. My expectations for in-ear headphones are typically lower because of the limitations of the form factor, but the MA-350′s definitely stand above earphones I’ve previously used for the same price.

Read the full article at Techerator

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MA350:
If you’re in the market for a pair of low-cost earphones, you owe it to yourself to check out the RHA MA-350′s.

MA350:

I donned a pair of MA-350 earphones for the day and threw everything I could at it.

My first impression was that the “noise isolation” actually worked, despite the fact that there’s no technology behind it. Outside noise is being blocked out by the soft silicone tips, which fit perfectly in my ear. Other earbuds have a tendency to fall out of my ear with even the slightest provocation, so that was a huge selling point for me!

As far as sound quality goes, I found that the MA-350′s sounded really clear and detailed. They produce a decent amount of bass, but I wouldn’t have minded a little extra kick. And if you’re listening to Dubstep, you’ll probably want something else entirely..

The fabric braided cables also tend to pick up some noises when moving around, an issue I’ve experienced with other cables like this. On the flip side, these types of cables tend to last a lot longer, and they don’t get tangled up as easily.

The earphones come with a small carrying case, which was a nice surprise. All in all, there’s quite a bit of bang for your buck here, considering the RHA MA-350′s price point of $39.95.

If you’re in the market for a pair of low-cost earphones, you owe it to yourself to check out the RHA MA-350′s. You won’t be disappointed!

Read the full article at Guys Gab

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MA350:
Sonics are full and lifelike, and the overall package delivers an enjoyable listening experience that is fatigue free, whether you’re out for a half-hour walk or settling in for a cross-country plane ride.

MA350:

I don’t ask for too much out of my earbuds. I don’t even mind when comfort trumps quality when I’m listening to my iPod or HiFiMAN portable device. If I wanted to focus purely on quality, I’d put on a set of on-ear headphones to transport me into musical bliss. But if I’m going for a walk, I’d rather not have anything weighing my head down.

Earbuds are funny though—you would think that manufacturers perhaps think the same way when it comes to comfort. Wrong. Just look at Apple’s iconic white earbuds that come with every iPod. I can’t tell you how many people tell me that they replace those right away, and that includes myself; one long walk wearing those and my ears feel like they’ve been pressed in a waffle iron.

I’ve also tested earbuds whose bulbous design carried so much heft to them that unless I jammed them seemingly into my brain, they would keep falling out of my ear if I was out walking at even a semi-brisk pace. I don’t have too many bigger pet peeves during a walk than having to continually paw at my head making sure my earbuds aren’t about to fall out.

So when British manufacturer RHA sent me its MA-350 earbuds for an evaluation, the first thing that struck me was how utterly comfortable they are. They provide a sort of invisible-like quality, with which you barely notice they are even in your ears though they surely are working effectively.

My wife uses our iPod touch during exercise, so comfort and sturdiness in earbuds are critical. She confirmed my initial response by saying the MA-350s were the most comfortable earbuds she’d ever used, “and you know how picky I am about them.”

In terms of features, RHA says the earphones employ “the aerophonic design of a trumpet’s bell … clean, simple lines and aluminum finish” among its attributes. The aluminum gives the finish just enough oomph to keep the buds in place, and the “soft silicone tips” live up to their billing. I used them for nearly three hours straight on a train ride, and no part of my ear felt bad after the trip.

Speaking of which, RHA also notes the earphones’ noise-isolating design, which was evident during the train ride as well. As soon as I plugged in, the background noise was very muted, and PA announcements and even whistle blows were barely audible. No, not on par with over-ear headphones, but certainly respectably efficient for $40 earbuds.

Don’t let the price on these fool you, either. Performance and build quality are very good. Apart from the aforementioned comfort, I also liked the fabric cable braiding as opposed to the usual plastic wrapping that earbud cords ordinarily employ. The fabric is much easier to untangle, and for my money I would go so far as to call it trickle-down technology from quality speaker-wire manufacturers—think about it, how many high-end speaker cables do you see sheathed in plastic? I’ve been using Clarus cables in my home system, and like other high-performance manufacturers they use fabric among the fine build quality.

In terms of performance, the MA-350s are solid, especially for the price. While listening to them with an iPod touch, I found that they really delivered a nice, neutral, crisp presentation that wasn’t overly boomy like some earbuds or lean like others. Sonics came across at a good compromise, somewhere in the middle, which allowed for plenty of detail on both the low and high frequencies.

Several tracks by Jack Johnson emphasized the MA-350s’ balanced and sharp delivery. Johnson begins many of his songs with a quiet opening passage before some drums and bass kick into the usual acoustic strumming. Each time, the earbuds provided a good amount of thump to make an impact, while not overpowering Johnson’s gentle vocal style. I also felt that acoustic guitar plucking, whether it was Johnson or on albums such as Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks, resonated really well through the MA-350s as you could hear every little thwang of the strings.

The dynamics of the MA-350s I thought were nicely revealed while listening to Genesis’ epic Lamb Lies Down on Broadway on the iPod, despite playback at 128 MP3 (most of my iPod listening is in MP3 at 128 or 320 kbps). RHA lists the frequency range at 16-22,000Hz and the earphones handled the Lamb quite well, with all of its shifts from quiet interludes like “The Lamia” to the heavy growling of “Back in NYC” and more. The swirling energy of this album and all of its deeply textured composition came across superbly, and the rich reproduction of the percussion and keyboards from Phil Collins and Anthony Banks throughout made for a vibrant earful of sound.

Combined with their comfort and their build quality, the MA-350s are an astounding value if you’re looking for a boost in earbuds performance. Sonics are full and lifelike, and the overall package delivers an enjoyable listening experience that is fatigue free, whether you’re out for a half-hour walk or settling in for a cross-country plane ride.

Read the full article at Electronic House Review

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MA350:
 found the MA350s to be very pleasantly balanced. They produced very high highs and respectably low lows. The end result was very satisfying no mater where the song fit on the spectrum

MA350:

I got my hands on a pair of RHA MA350 earphones last week and have spent the last few days putting a pair of what are easily the best sub-$50 earphones and among the best sub-$100 earphones I have ever heard through their paces.

I’ve had the pleasure of listening to quite a few pairs of earphones in my time, all over the price spectrum. For the most part, you get what you pay for – but every once in a while you get a nice surprise like the RHA MA350s. I have spent the past week listening to these earphones and am happy to say that they have exceeded my expectations.

For the song list, I stuck to the same lineup as we used to test out the very capable Braven 650 Wireless Bluetooth speaker. I also spent some time testing out the RHA MA350s on FLAC. They excelled at every turn. They outperform a lot of earphones in the $50-100 price range, which is exceptional for a pair that only costs $40.

Before we get started, we need to talk expectations. The levels of performance that you expect to see in a pair of $50 earphones differs markedly to that which you would expect to see in a pair of $300 headphones. When you start paying a lot of money for headphones, the differences between the models in terms of quality are a matter of degrees. In the $50-100 space though, things can vary quite widely.

With cheaper earphones things tend to be either bass- or treble-heavy. I found the MA350s to be very pleasantly balanced. They produced very high highs, and respectably low lows. The end result was very satisfying no matter where the song fit on the spectrum. In fact, they performed so well that I found myself looking for tracks that did a better job of testing out their limitations – when Tori Amos and Maynard James Keenan’s Muhammed My Friend didn’t stretch the treble, I turned to Sarah Brightman’s Time to Say Goodbye. At the opposite end of the spectrum, I found myself listening to random dubstep tracks then exploring the complicated electronic and percussive soundscapes of Prodigy’s live performances – at volume. The MA3350s excelled at every turn and the louder things got, the better they became.

FLAC and other lossless codecs did not prove to be an issue. Sound quality with lossless tracks was noticeably crisper.

The RHA MA350s are well designed and comfortable to wear, even for extended periods of time. The casing of the earphones is aircraft-grade aluminum, the cord is braided, they have a mic (but no controls), and a little circular bit of plastic that you can use to keep the buds together when they are not in use. They are fairly tangle resistant, not as much as earphones with ribbon cables, but good enough.

They sat comfortably in my ears and did a very good job at blocking out virtually all of the ambient sounds in my home.

The RHA MA350s offer outstanding performance for what they cost. My earphones of choice had been a pair of aging $120 Sony in-ear earphones – these were considerably better and cost a third of the price.

At times the level of definition proved to be something of a curse. With high bitrate MP3s there was no problem, but at lower bitrates things there was a slight but audible hiss. The level to which this was noticeable varied depending on the track – but it definitely had me wanting to upgrade some of my older tracks. At any rate, this is not really a failure of the speakers so much as it is an indictment of lossy music.

Five out of five stars: at just $40, the RHA MA350 earphones punch well above their weight. If you are looking for an affordable pair of earphones that does not compromise on sound quality – look no further.

Read the full article at Uber Review

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MA350:
Made of aluminum, the earphones are "aerophonically designed" like a trumpet bell and deliver deep, rich full sounds into the ear -- at every volume. The silicone tips make for a tight comfortable fit.

MA350:

I didn't have much use for in-the-ear headphones until I got a sample of the RHA MA-350s in the mail for review. Made of aluminum, the earphones are "aerophonically designed" like a trumpet bell and deliver deep, rich full sounds into the ear -- at every volume. The silicone tips make for a tight comfortable fit. Plus they've got a fabric braided cable, much better than the usual rubber, and come with a nice little drawstring bag, which fits right into my briefcase pocket. They're now my headphones of choice.

Read the full article at Lincoln Journal Star

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MA350:
RHA's MA-350's sound natural with crisp sounds with depth. Even readers on audiobooks, who frequently sound muffled, sound crystal clear...Because of the fit, sound isolation is good, even on an airplane. The braided fabric reinforces the cable and reduces tangling.

MA350:
Good earphones don't have to be expensive. RHA's MA-350 aluminum noise-isolating earphones sound natural with crisp sounds with depth. Even readers on audiobooks, who frequently sound muffled, sound crystal clear. The cone for the earpieces — which is in the shape of a trumpet cone — are machined out of solid aluminum to maximize on the aerophonics (how sound is created and amplified through natural vibrations in air). The shiny cones also instantly give them a classy appearance. But they sure can be cold when you're first inserting them in your ears. And don't leave think about using them right after they were sitting in a hot car!) The earphones are only slightly heavier than plastic ones, but the fit is snug (with three sizes for silicone tips), yet comfortable even for long periods. Because of the fit, sound isolation is good, even on an airplane. The braided fabric reinforces the cable and reduces tangling.

Read the full article at Tampa Bay Times

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MA350:
I’ve seen a few premium earbuds, but none that match the MA-350’s blend of lovely sound, smart, durable design, and moderate price.

MA350:

Like many of you, I burn through earbud-type headphones pretty fast. So several times a year, I pay $10 or $15 for a cheap-looking, cheap-sounding replacement that will last a couple of months. Well, here’s an idea: Why not spend a little more for phones that are tougher, more comfortable, and deliver outstanding sound?

I had never heard of Reid and Heath until recently. But this Glasgow outfit knows how to make a very sharp set of earbuds.

The tiny speakers are machined out of aluminum and feature snug rubber earpieces that seal out most external noises. The sound quality is ­exceptional.

Yes, Apple’s done a nice job with its new-style earbuds for the iPhone 5, but I’d say these Reid and Heath phones are better. Treble tones are a bit too shrill, but midrange sounds nice and mellow, and bass is better than it has a right to be. Top it off with woven fabric cables and you’ve got phones that aren’t going to fall apart after a few weeks’ use.

I’ve seen a few premium earbuds, but none that match the MA-350’s blend of lovely sound, smart, durable design, and moderate price.

Read the full article at Boston Globe

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MA350:
With an all aluminum construction, 10mm driver, braided fabric-covered cable, and a compact and light-weight design, RHA thought about everything

MA350:
The RHA MA350 headphones have, for me, redefined the $40 price point. With an all aluminum construction, 10mm driver, braided fabric-covered cable, and a compact and light-weight design, RHA thought about everything. While I found them too bass-heavy for my liking, they really don't have any downsides sonically. If you are on the market for a $40 earbud, these should definitely be on your list.

One thing I try to do as much as I can when reviewing a product, is to start the review before I know the price. As you might imagine, this isn't always possible. Most times, I've gotten some sort of press release about a product and decided to ask for a review sample. Invariably, those press releases list the price of the headphones. But when you do as many headphone reviews as I do, it is easy to get mixed up - to forget which headphones cost what. That said, The RHA MA350 headphones came and I really had no idea what they cost. All I had to go on was the design and how well I thought they sounded. 

RHA (stands for Reid Heath...Audio?) is a UK company that prides themselves on audio quality.

Now, if that is not a mission statement, I don't know what is. Take out the Glasgow part and the funny spelling of center and this should be on the wall of every audio manufacturer. 

The MA350 are some of the smallest earbuds I've ever reviewed. They look like a cross between those ones you get with your iPod that are meant to be just wedged in your ear and actual earbuds. What you end up with when you put them in, is a mix of both. They sit very flush to your ear and, depending on the shape of your ear, they may actually stay put a bit better than larger earbuds. They are extremely light. The specifications list them as 11 grams but that's with the cord and everything. Each of the earbuds weigh a fraction of that - which assists in keeping them in place. 

The enclosures are machined from solid aluminum and they feature a fabric braided cable. The design is a standard black and polished aluminum which, while not all that exciting, has a sort of understated class. The only easily visible markings on the MA350s is the RHA logo on the back of the enclosure.

Taking in the weight, the design, the enclosure, the fabric cable...I made some assumptions about the price. I can say that I was very off the mark. I would have guessed by their design (and my early listening tests), that the RHA MA350s would have been priced around $100. I wouldn't have been surprised if you had told me $150. I was, however, shocked that they retail for under $40. Honestly, it made me rethink everything I thought I knew about headphones.

I have funny shaped ears. I'm now convinced of that. When I review in-ear products, I often have problems keeping them into place. Even the molded ones and I haven't gotten along very well. What I really want are headphones that will stay in place when I wear my motorcycle helmet.

Alas, the search is still on.

The RHA MA350s weight gives them a huge advantage over most of the competition. Being so light, they don't pull free nearly as easily as the rest. Like many earbud options out there, the MA350s use silicone tips. They offer small, medium, and large options. I've seen smaller (and larger) tips offered by other companies. They've also forgone the inclusion of the foam tip for maximum sound isolation - an odd exclusion considering RHA bills the MA350s as "Noise isolating aluminum earphones."

From a noise isolating standpoint, the MA350s work well. Just about the same as sticking your fingers in your ears. Add in some music and you can't really hear anything that's going on outside. This isn't all that different (and nothing in the MA350 design makes me think that it should be) than any of the other in-ear earbud offerings.

The fabric-covered cable has an adjustable choke at the Y-junction. The cable is the standard 1.2 meters in length and is tipped with a 3.5mm gold-plated connector. The end is straight instead of at a right angle. While I prefer a right-angled tip to the straight option (for in-pocket use), it really isn't much of a issue of contention for me. The only other accessory is a small velvet carrying case.

Not included is any sort of in-line controls or mic for use with your smartphone. At $40, that really isn't all that surprising. What is surprising is that RHA didn't include any way of attaching or securing the cable to your clothing. I realize that the adjustable choke can be used in a similar fashion, but I appreciate some sort of clip as I'm often wearing a single headphone when out and about.

The most egregious omission of the RHA MA350s is easily visible left/right markings. I've seen manufacturers that will use different color silicone tips, some that clearly mark the cable, but I've never seen anyone put a little, raised, black L or R on a little black cable. In bright light it is hard to read. Forget about it in dim light or in the dark. With markings this indistinct, I'm surprised that RHA didn't just put them in braille. That would have be just as useful to me.

f you are familiar with in-ear headphones, you will be familiar with the comfort level of the RHA MA350s. Because they sit in your ears so tightly, you might find them initially slightly more uncomfortable than other earbuds, but that quickly fades. Because they are so light, any weight-based fatigued is all but eliminated.

The last thing I will say about using the RHA MA350s is about the cable. Fabric cables are a bit of a fad in headphones these days and I really wish they'd just go away. While I understand that they usually exhibit less drag than rubber-coated cables, I believe the downsides outweigh the up. Sure, the drag is less, especially when you are using them when you are working out, but think about it. Fabric + sweat = stink. Add to that the fact that fabric cables are much more prone to kinking and give me a rubber cable any day. But, if you disagree, or just prefer fabric, feel free to dismiss my rantings as the ravings of the lunatic fringe. You wouldn't be the first (on this issue and many others).

The RHA MA350 earbuds use a 10mm Mylar driver with a specified frequency response from 16Hz to 22kHz. Many earphones brag such wide response numbers, ones that most speakers would give their bottom woofer for, but few actually live up to the hype. The MA350s have a trumpet-like shape that "naturally transfers sound from the speaker to the ear." RHA calls this an Aerophonic design. While I'm not going to debate the viability of this design, it does show that RHA is putting some thought into their design for reasons other than to make them flashy. If anything, the RHA design is too understated. With a design this low-key, the sound quality better be good. 

Usually, when I finish my listening tests, I do a quick Google search to see what others (if any, I'm often one of the first to receive samples) say about the product. I find that, most times, my thoughts are at least in line with other, professional reviewers.

Not this time.

My experience with the RHA MA350 earbuds has been completely different than others. Working from the top-end down, I find the highs of the RHA MA350s to be well-extended and not at all fatiguing. I wouldn't call them a laid-back headphone but you certainly won't find them giving you a headache after a few minutes of listening. The midrange seems mostly okay except where it rolls into the bass region.

The RHA MA350 earbuds are one of the few headphones I've used where I wish I could turn the bass down. Usually, headphones, regardless of price, suffer from poor bass. They try to hit low but, too often, they either don't have the extension or the output. The MA350s have both. In spades.

This makes me wonder what is up with the other reviewers out there. Too often, reviewers are afraid to contradict each other for fear of either being wrong, or somehow disrespecting the other professionals.

Yeah, that's not me.

The general consensus from what I read was that the RHA MA350s have decent bass but the high end is a bit fatiguing. I didn't feel that at all. If you are a lover of bass-heavy music, you are either going to love these headphones or wish to turn the bass down as I did. With well recorded tracks, the RHA MA350s easily performed many times their $40 price point. Especially if the tracks had normal to light bass. But with bass heavy tracks like "Crazy" by Seal, and just about anything mixed in the last five years, the bass was so overpowering as to be muddy, distracting, and pretty much overshadowed the earphones performance.

I love to use the track "Junior B" by Yello for analyzing bass. It is a bass run at the beginning that will quickly reveal if a subwoofer has the goods or not. With the RHA MA350s, they laughed at this near-sub-sonic run and asked for more. For the first time, I felt like a pair of earphones really lived up to their 16Hz low-point.

With more recent recordings, specifically anything designed with heavy bass in mind, the RHA MA350s didn't fare as well. Because the bass was so prominent, it blurred the entire presentation, destroying any sense of imaging or soundstage. Without the overblown bass, the imaging of the RHA MA350s wasn't stellar but it certainly justified their $40 price point.

All in all, however, RHA has redefined the $40 price point. While they aren't flat, by any means, they are easy to wear for long times, they have prodigious amounts of bass, and they aren't at all fatiguing. The only physical problems I had with the MA350s is that the braided cable will transfer and noise from anything rubbing against it into your ear. This is a physical transference of the sound and can only be eliminated by decoupling the braided cable from the earphone. Depending on how you plan on using the MA350s, this may or may not bother you.

The RHA MA350 headphones have, for me, redefined the $40 price point. With an all aluminum construction, 10mm driver, braided fabric-covered cable, and a compact and light-weight design, RHA thought about everything. While I found them too bass-heavy for my liking, they really don't have any downsides sonically. If you are on the market for a $40 earbud, these should definitely be on your list.

MA350:
I feel like I cannot realistically describe the clarity that is present on the upper registers. The noise isolation is also superb; I tested these with my office phone and was not able to hear the ringing with music playing in my ears and the ringer set to higher levels.

MA350:

RHA Audio sent us a set of the MA-350 Noise Isolating Aluminum Earphones. These earphones are aero phonically designed to naturally relay sounds in the user’s ear using the design of a trumpet’s bell. The earphones are precision machined from solid aluminum to provide a rich natural reproduction of the sounds that coming through the headphones.

They also come with 3 different sized silicon tips to allow a comfortable fit in the ear. The cables on the headphones are braided fabric to reduce tangling and prolong the life of the cables. All of this and a handy carry case are included in the packaging of the unit.

As a lover of all kinds of music, I always end up putting my headphones thru the paces and might be over critical when it comes to my opinion of different headphones on the market. The first thing that I noticed about these particular headphones was the attractive price point of $39.95 US on Amazon.com which includes a 3 year warranty from Reid and Heath Acoustics Ltd. Most of the other headphones that I have considered to be top of the line cost two to three times the price of these headphones. I consider anything less than $40 to be considered a “throw away” pair of headphones and really don’t expect much from those headphones. Packaging of the earbuds is very straight forward, no gimmicky slogans or motto’s, which makes me think that RHA doesn’t need flashy packaging to draw customers to their product.

Looking at the construction of the headphones there isn’t a lot left to improve upon all of the basics are met, these headphones are aesthetically pleasing and almost utilitarian in the appearance which I like. The fabric braid on the cords definitely does the job of protecting the wires and allows for the wire to resist the twisting that is o so familiar with any smaller gauge cords used on headphones. The straight plug will definitely work with any and all phones/MP3 Players that are out there. They fit wonderfully on my Samsung S2 Epic 4G Touch. The shape and design of the headphones nestles the meat of the ear bud up against the natural indention of your ear and there are no sharp edges that would irritate the ear.

The fidelity of these headphones is what blew me away. I compared these to a set of House of Marley earbuds that I reviewed a couple of months back and initially thought that these speakers were lacking in the lower registers, but a bit of adjustment for the headphones on the computer that I was using fixed that issue. These speakers focus on the higher register of the music. The mids and highs are perfect, crisp, and toeing the line of too bright. If you are listening to Jazz you can pick up the sounds of fingers sliding across the neck of a guitar as it is being played, the drumstick making contact with the cymbals, and the whisper of valves on the brass instruments. Even with adjusting the equalizer and bring the bass frequencies up to match the emphasis on the mids and highs you do not lose clarity. I threw everything I could at these ear buds including Jazz, Hard Rock, Hip Hop, RnB, Country, and even Dubstep not once did I hear any bit of distortion at the higher levels. The fidelity is constant across all volume levels. There is a bit of harshness that is introduced at the higher levels but I think that might be the 10 MM reaching the top of the excursion levels. I feel like I cannot realistically describe the clarity that is present on the upper registers. The noise isolation is also superb; I tested these with my office phone and was not able to hear the ringing with music playing in my ears and the ringer set to higher levels.

In closing if you are looking for a good pair of headphones that will outperform some of your higher level Sony, and Panasonic units these are a safe bet. They even won the coveted “What Hi-Fi” award in Britain during December of 2011. If you are on the fence take my word for it, pull the trigger you will not be disappointed at all.

Read the full article at Android Nerds

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MA350:
The amount of detail able to be drawn out by these headphones amazed me - I've never heard something on this side of the $50 mark quite so able to extract the subtleties of a song.

MA350:

The MA350
The MA350 is an earbud produced by RHA, subsidiary of the UK firm Reid Heath Ltd., based in Glasgow. RHA currently manufacture only two models earbud, both of which use the same audio guts - one of them just has inline controls. The MA350's are the model without them. They retail for $40 (buy here). A small carrying pouch and three sets of eartips are included.

The Sound

For $40, the RHA MA350's produce sound that is - I would argue - far more comparable to headphones of the $80-100 range. My primary point of comparison, therefore, were my trusty old Etymotic Research hf2's (equivalent to the hf5, which are $100 street price, $150 MSRP).

Being dynamic driver headphones, as compared to the balance armature Etymotics, there were bound to be major differences in the sound - and there are. Now, to be fair, I am comparing one headphone to another with a suggested price three times as high. So keep that in mind. I didn't have a pair of crappy iPod or in-the-box smartphone earbuds to put them up against.

The MA350's claim to fame is RHA's "reverse trumpet"-shaped soundhole which the driver sends audio through to your ear. They claim this produces a more balanced output across the spectrum of sound, which I'm not sure I really buy - but I'm not an expert on earbuds acoustics (or, as RHA calls it - aerophonics, which frankly has far more to do with instruments that headphones).

The sound signature of the MA350's is interesting. Bass-heavy, to be sure, but not to the point of sounding unnatural. They sound like a solid, powerful dynamic driver earbud. Bass also isn't so extreme that it overwhelms the decidedly gentler mids, and is fairly tight, with little muddiness. The mids feel a little too subdued to my ears, resulting in a somewhat "compressed" sound at times (like your ears need to pop), especially on tracks lacking much in the way of low-end. These wouldn't make great jazz / classical earbuds - strings and keyboards just don't have the depth of a good balanced-armature IEM like the hf2's.

The treble end of the equation is a mixed win for the MA350's. The amount of detail able to be drawn out by these headphones amazed me - I've never heard something on this side of the $50 mark quite so able to extract the subtleties of a song. The little, imperceptibly quiet things that you just don't hear on a cheap set of headphones without maxing the volume (and, as a result, destroying your ears). The drawback is that the MA350's are also very bright - without a heap of bass to balance out the equation, songs heavy on cymbals, snare drums, and other sibilant percussion can become grating and harsh. The same goes for very high vocals, or particularly shrill guitar squeals.

I found the soundstage a little wider than I expected, but nothing to write home about - which is to say, still a million times better than Apple earbuds. Instrument separation was solid, though I found this was one area where my hf2's very noticeably bested the MA350's.

Overall, the MA350's produce great sound for the price, though I'd advise you to explore other options if you're into classical, jazz, or mellower / classic rock. The MA350's are tuned great for modern rock, pop, and are plenty suitable for hip-hop. Electronica listeners may demand yet more bass, though I'd argue the MA350's have plenty for anyone who does not actively endeavor to distort their music.

The Fit

I won't say the MA350's fit brilliantly - I lost seal at times - but they do fit very well. While walking, they didn't dislodge themselves. The only difficulty really stemmed from getting them in correctly in the first place, which I found was best achieved by lodging them unusually loosely into my ears, probably due to the interesting chopped-off-egg shape of the tips. Still, once they were in, they generally stayed in. The machined aluminum housing makes them feel rather durable, as well, and didn't cause my ears any discomfort (aside from the fact that they're icy-cold when you first put them on).

The cord is evil. It's a very light and narrow fabric-wrapped affair, and it gets tangled and knotted up like sewing string when left to move about in your pocket. That really annoyed me, but it's far from a dealbreaker. The cord also makes a fair bit of noise, though that's the tradeoff of fabric - you don't get the annoying reverberation when the cord strikes your body/clothing, but you do when it slides up against anything.

When it comes to earbuds, my judgment of fit is generally reduced to a binary result: good or bad. The MA350's fall squarely into the "good" category.

Conclusion

I really like the MA350's. These are the sort of headphones I'd recommend to my friends who aren't particularly interested in sound, but who suffer through overpriced products like Apple's god-awful earbuds (even the new ones sound pretty terrible), or whatever marked-up Skullcandy crap Best Buy puts in the smartphone aisle. For $40, you're getting an experience, I would say, that matches or exceeds many earbuds at twice that price.

I reviewed the MA350's because I find that many of our readers tend to think spending anything more than $50 on headphones is just excessive, so I wanted to showcase something a little more economical. While I still disagree vehemently and absolutely with the notion that something like the eargasmic $400 UE 900's simply "aren't worth it," I can understand wanting the most bang for your buck - who doesn't?

In that sense, I think the MA350's are an absolutely stellar headphone. I'd argue that, compared to numerous earbuds around the $100 mark that I've tried, you're getting 90% (or more) of the performance at around 50% of the price. That's serious value.

Read the full article at New York Times

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MA350:
Balance is important in life. It's even more critical in a pair of headphones. That probably explains why I like the RHA MA350 earphones so much.

MA350:

Is there anyone not making headphones at this point? There are so many brands of headphones on the market now, one has to wonder if anyone is purchasing loudspeakers. Based on the number of high-end loudspeaker manufacturers rushing earphone and headphone products to market it would appear that the balance has tipped. While it is nice to see that a new generation of listeners is taking the plunge and tossing those crappy white things Apple includes and stepping up, I am almost starting to miss the days where my choices were limited to AKG, Sennheiser, Grado, or Stax.

Headphone listening is also not necessarily for folks with kids; as much as we'd like it to be at day's end. My pair of AKG K702s sit gathering dust as the lady of the house gets medieval on me should I dare to sit down at 8 pm and attempt to have a private moment with Jimi or Sam.

The best parts of my childhood (which kinda speaks volumes about my parents) involved a pair of closed headphones, a beat-up Marantz receiver, and listening to George Carlin on Sunday nights on 104.5 CHUM-FM. Just George and I discussing the seven words you couldn't say on television. Those three hours each week restored balance to my troubled nine year-old mind. Balance is important in life. It's even more critical in a pair of headphones. That probably explains why I like the RHA MA350 earphones so much.

The audiophile snob in me wants to raise an eyebrow to such a stupid question, but then again not everyone has heard of Linn. Great Britain has some of the best audio manuacturers in the world; Naim, KEF, Harbeth, Cambridge Audio, Arcam, Spendor, SME, Rega, Rotel, NAD, Tannoy, and many more. Scotland is better known for its whiskey, kilts, awful food, Sean Connery, and the television. Yes, the television was invented in Scotland. Seriously.

So where does that leave a company like Reid Heath Audio with their impressive line-up of affordable over the ear and in-ear headphones?

In really good company. Guid.

It's hard to imagine Renton or Begbie standing around a street corner in Edinburgh listening to music on a pair of headphones (let's be honest...they would be stealing a pair to pay for their next hit), but if they could, a pair of RHAs would be on or in their ears. Guaranteed.

What's most notable about the MA350s (aside from their ridiculously low price of $39.95) is how balanced they sound. Looking for a pair of bass heavy in-ears? Move along. Nothing to see here. There are a pair of Beats by Dr. Dre for almost three times the price calling out to you in that case.

Inspired by the aerophonic design of a trumpet's bell, the MA350s are a simple-looking design constructed from solid aluminum that weigh only 11 grams. The construction of the headphones reminded me of a carbon fiber tonearm I once owned from another British manufacturer; Wilson Benesch. The A.C.T. One tonearm was the lightest I've ever tried but also one of the best sounding.

The MA350 uses a 10mm Mylar driver with an impedance of 16ohms. It's quoted frequency range is 16-20,000Hz and at 103dB sensitivity is a relatively easy load for tablets, smartphones, and iPods.

Like the Paradigm Shift in-ear headphones, I recently reviewed, the MA350 use a very strong fabric-braided 1.2m cable with a 3.5mm gold-plated connector. It is a sturdy pair of headphones for a rather paltry asking price.

Unfortunately for the MA350s, this little thing called Hurricane Sandy decided to punish my section of the Jersey Shore so listening to music became an afterthought as we stood in line for gas at 4 am and ate outside on our BBQ before falling asleep at 7 pm in a frozen house surrounded by downed trees. It was an awesome experience to bond even further as a family and the worst time for me to settle in at 3 am listening to music when I needed to be on the lookout for looters.

Sitting in my driveway one morning as we charged our phones on a powerstrip connected to a generator (which is a good way to ruin your phone BTW...), I decided to forget about how awful life was at that exact moment and drift away to the sounds of Sam Cooke, Animal Collective, Kraftwerk, and the Who.

Unlike the Paradigm Shift E2ms which sounded rather heavy-handed out of the box, the MA350s were remarkably easy to listen to; although their bass response was a tad too anemic to my ears.

The bass became more taut over time, but they don't match the more expensive Paradigms which have a more visceral punch and better definition in the upper bass and lower midrange.

The MA350s also suffer from a mild case of chestiness with male vocals compared to the E2ms which have a cleaner midrange. Nothing too terrible for $39 but even my sleep-deprived brain could discern the clarity of Sam Cooke via the more expensive cans from the colonies. Greater presence for sure.

It was impossible to stream movies on my Nexus 7 or iPad 2 post-storm on the shore (no Wi-Fi) but I found a working Starbucks on Staten Island and relaxed with the kids who desperately needed to watch something to take their minds off ur living situation.

Movies had a nice sense of clarity and spaciousness via the MA350s and while I refuse to let my six year-old son listen to headphones (let him ruin his hearing as a teenager like the rest of us), his older sister has displayed enough maturity with the volume control to earn a limited amount of time with headphones. After six days without power, she needed something to make her happy and it almost brought tears to my eyes to watch her smile for once as she watched a cartoon on Netflix. She's a rather visual kid so when I lifted my fist with thumb raised high, she gave me both thumbs way up. Nice job RHA.

The MA350s have a genuinely balanced sounding presentation but do they favor certain types of music? Yes, Ewan...they most certainly do. If heavy metal is your thing, I'd look for something else as the MA350s do not have the ability to really blast your ears into oblivion with bone crunching bass. Should your brain prefer something more cerebral like Dvorak or Sharon Van Etten, there is a distinct possibility that you may like their laid back, more ethereal presentation.

Electronic music such as Kraftwerk sounds quite energetic via the MA350s but they don't posses the E2m's ability to recreate that sense of space which I found to be one of their strongest points of differentiation. But compared to the latest "new and improved" set of earbuds from Apple, the MA350s are dramatically cleaner sounding and far easier to listen to for extended periods of time.

Noise isolation? One of the best I've used so far and that includes headphones that are 3-4 times the price. You lose yourself completely with these in your ears.

If it sounds like I have been slightly hard on the RHA MA350s, that's because I like them a lot. Huh? If the folks in Glasgow can work on altering the tonal balance just a tad (need more meat in the bass), they have a monster in the affordable in-ear category. $39 for these quality headphones is a steal and something to think about when buying gifts this holiday season. Quality Scotish engineering that will leave a warm fuzzy feeling in your belly like a good scotch. The world of headphones just became even more crowded with these.

Read the full article at Big Picture Sound

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MA350:
These headphone represent fantastic value and we have no hesitation in recommending them.

MA350:

Built and designed by a Scottish audio company, the RHA MA-350 earphones are a strong, home-grown alternative to the popular Soundmagic E10 budget in-ears.

Hewn out of aluminium and looking like they cost more than their diminutive £30 price tag, the MA-350s have an unusual, ‘aerophonic,’ trumpet bell-like design, with a fabric woven cable that claims to eliminates tangling and prolong cable life.

There’s the usual selection of three sizes of silicone tips to provide a good fit and provide effective noise isolation, and a little carry bag is provided.

The earphones are driven by RHA’s 10mm Mylar drivers which produced a reassuringly solid sound, with a well balanced mid and treble, and a decent enough bass end (although low end freaks may want to look elsewhere).

The sound was dynamic, crisp and punchy, although the MA-350s really did benefit from a period of ‘running in’ – at first we found the sound harsh and bass-light, but things seemed to settle down after a few hours.

We still managed to get the cable tangled up, and the braided wire seemed to transmit a lot of physical noise to the earphones too if we were on the move.

Despite these minor niggles, these headphone represent fantastic value and we have no hesitation in recommending them.

Read the full article at WireFresh

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MA350:
You’d be hard-pressed to obtain a better bang for the buck than the MA-350 Noise isolating alumimum earphones from RHA.

MA350:

You’re looking for a new set of earphones. The combination of performance at a good price point is what you’re after, correct? I recently spent some quality one-on-one time with the RHA MA-350 Noise isolating aluminum earphones and I came away very impressed. If you’re on the lookout for great sound backed by super pricing, the MA-350′s are a good choice. Let’s get a little background info on these earphones.

Aerophobic design naturally relays sound into the ear

Precision machined from solid aluminum

Soft silicone tips for a comfortable fit

Fabric braided tangle free cable

Carry case and S/M/L size tips

I’m going go to just say I came away quite impressed with these earphones.  I listen to quite a variety of music and I put the MA-350′s to the test by listening to a fix of music to include classical, jazz, metal, dubstep, etc.  They performed admirably on all levels of music throughout my testing.  RHA calls the MA350 earphones “noise isolating.” While they will cancel out most external noise quite well, the isolation is passive, which means they work the same way as shoving fingers in your ears.

The MA-350′s felt really comfortable in the ear.  A snug fit but not irritating to say the least.  I even used the earphones while hitting the elliptical machine at the gym and the earphones stayed intact in the ear without any adjustment.  This is key to me.  I’m a very active person and I need earphones that can accommodate my lifestyle.

I came away presently surprised by the clarity of these earphones.  Listening to classical music allowed me to truly enjoy the beautiful upper-end treble levels with the MA-350′s.  Turning up the volume on an extremely high level did come with a little distortion, but that’s something you’d expect when testing earphones on a level not normally comfortable to the average human ear.  Otherwise, the earphones were quite clear as you would see if you decide to pick up a pair.

One word…dubstep.  Dubstep is a genre of music that allows you to really test the bass sound of just about any set of earphones.  I listened to various dubstep tracks and came away impressed as well.  The MA-350′s sounded great.  I do have to say that once I increased the volume on the higher end of the spectrum, around 80 decibels or so.  Don’t get me wrong…you can purchase better sounding headphones, but you’d be hard-pressed to obtain a better bang for the buck than the MA-350 Noise isolating alumimum earphones from RHA.

The reviews speak for themselves.  Great sound and great pricing…it doesn’t get much better than that.

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MA350: 
RHA has produced a true winner.

MA350:

RHA, like Phiaton that we did a review on several weeks ago,  might be an audio company that you are unfamiliar with. Based in Glasgow, this UK company has only recently made a push into the United States with their professional grade products and cutting edge sound. Despite the hyper-competitive market segment of budget earphones and headphones filled with the likes of well known names like Sennheiser, Sony, Koss, Klipsh, Yamaha, Polk and scores of others, RHA is poised to make a name for themselves.

The MA-350 noise isolating earphones are lightweight, comfortable, striking in appearance and offer quite a gratifying listen for $39.95. Read on to learn more about these earphones and your chance to win a pair!

RHA MA-350′s offer stunning sound with their unique trumpet horn shape and 10mm drivers. The $25-$75 earphone market is riddled with products of a dizzying array of quality and performance, but at $39.95, RHA has produced a true winner.

Sound I have really enjoyed listening to these over the last couple of weeks and have enjoyed them with all sorts of different music. The sound is incredibly even, crisp and balanced. A deep and impressive bass output is complemented by plenty of treble. Both the lows and the highs sound natural without any artificial sounding processing. Likewise, the vocals are crisp and in-your-face right up front. It is tough to get punch, clarity and bass all delivered so naturally in this price range without one of those items suffering. The MA-350′s do a great job at all of them. They perform particularly well when pushed to max volume which is another thing many earphones in this price range are unable to do.

Another thing that I absolutely love about these earphones is how quick they are able to “recover.” I’m sure there’s a fancy audio term for this but not sure what it is. What I mean is percussion and other sounds are sharp and able to quickly recover to prevent the notes from bleeding into each other. I used to think that the continued hum of a bass drum kick or vibrations from a cymbal smash were a good thing. Certainly they are if that is what the sound actually was on the recording. However, with more critical listening, I am definitely now really enjoying sounds like the MA-350′s can produce: clear, accurate and “as-recorded”.

The noise isolation is also extremely impressive. These are of course passive noise cancelling meaning they rely on the physical design rather than microphones and signal processing. Nevertheless, perhaps due to the trumpet shape and the the design of the tips, these are the best passive noise isolating earphones I’ve ever used. You many NOT want to use these biking or jogging: you are literally cut off from almost all outside sounds. Similarly, very little sound leakage occurs with these either.

 With aluminum construction and a nice woven fabric cable, these earphones feel very durable and look nice too. The ‘aerophonic design’ as RHA calls the trumpet shape is not only aesthetically pleasing but it allows a much larger driver (speaker) to fit without having to resort to side mounting which can be awkward and potentially uncomfortable.  The normal airflow system used by trumpets is inverted: the earphone directs air from the widest part of the bell shape to the narrowest. This concentrates sound naturally and produces clear, natural sounds with deeper bass than typically possible.

When wearing the headphones, they are very unobtrusive looking with simple black buds featuring the RHA logo.  Three sizes of silicone tips ensure a good fit. Despite the metal aluminum build, they are still extremely lightweight and stay positioned in the ear for long periods without any discomfort. I also particularly like the length of the braided cord at about 4′. The cable Y-splitter and gold plated stereo plug also seem durable and well built.

Keep in mind that these are straight earphones and do not include a microphone for calls or player controls on the cord. However, RHA has recently released the MA-450i’s. I have not listened to these but can only assume that they have the same outstanding sound quality. If you need a mic and controls, these may be the ones you want.

This is a fantastic pair of earphones that will be a massive upgrade to anything that came packaged with your portable media player or phone. They compete well with all the major audio brands in this price category and offer bright, defined, natural, well-balanced sound with a huge kick. Particularly impressive is the bass, noise isolation and accuracy of sound.

Read the full article at Hidden Track

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MA350:
RHA did a extraordinary job with these. The design is clean and simple, and the build quality is astonishing for the price you´re paying

MA350:RHA are a recent British audio company but are quickly becoming known for their cutting edge sound and quality design. Example of that are these RHA MA-350 Aluminum Noise Isolating In-Ear Earphones we received for testing. The award winning earphones feature full aluminum construction and produce astounding sound quality, all this for under $40! Read our thoughts and check out some photos below... 

The RHA MA-350 come in a small package that includes the headphones, a carrying pouch and 3 pairs of soft silicone ear-tips(small, medium and large). 

The build quality on these is fantastic, something rare for sub-$100 earphones. The 10mm drivers are made out of solid aircraft-grade aluminum and feature RHA’s signature aerophonic design, allowing the air to progress unobstructed and unforced from the speaker into the ear, producing clearer more natural sound than traditional earphone, as well as allowing full and deep bass response.  
 
The cable is fabric braided, an essential detail to avoid tangling as it would with standard cables. This also prolongs cable life. 
 
They come with several uniquely shaped high-grade silicone tips, and once you find the right fit the sound truly is balanced and penetrating. In fact, these are the best earphones we have tried for under $50, the sound quality is warm and natural, the mids and lows are very good, even when you get into the highs with a lot of sound and base they still perform very well.

Normally we are a bit wary when it comes to cheap headphones, but RHA did a extraordinary job with these. The design is clean and simple, and the build quality is astonishing for the price you´re paying. They have a bit less bass than we´d like, but the sound is nice and crisp. The RHA MA-350 produce amazing sound that are a bargain at their price. 
 
If you´re looking for some good quality earphones or headphones for an affordable price and you don´t really know what to get, we recommend you check out RHA website, they produce some seriously good products. 

Read the full article at BlessThisStuff

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MA350:
Ultimately, I love these earphones; they’re the best in-ear buds I have ever tried. They’re comfortable, provide great sound, and I won’t be surprised to see the braided cable copied by acoustic companies the world over.

MA350:

UK audio company RHA has recently released a new set of noise isolating aluminium earphones, the RHA MA-350. I’m normally more of an over-ear headphone type, but after spending a few weeks with these earbuds RHA has me thoroughly converted.

These sleek earphones have a simple and elegant look, and with three different rubber tip sizes these earbuds actually fit in my tiny ears. These are the first earphones that I have ever used that have actually been comfortable. Even after hours of wear, the RHA MA-350s fit comfortably and snuggly in my ears without the aching pain I would normally be experiencing with other products.

The earphones also have a fabric braided cable, an elegant and innovative solution to tangling and cable wear that I am shocked isn’t industry standard. Though it does make the cable a bit kinky and may contribute to the only problem I have with this product, I was certainly thankful for it when I found one of my cats, a notorious destroyer of electronics, chewing on the cable. Yet it was completely undamaged. It’s also a relief to pull my MP3 player out of my pocket and not have to deal with an incredible knotted mass of cable.

Finally, the sound from these earphones is excellent; they have great base and deliver full crisp sound, even at low levels, and the upper-range is reasonable and does not heavily distort. This is in part due to the noise isolating design of the MA-350s, which do a premier job of blocking out ambient sound and funnelling your music into your ears, filtering out other stimuli. I’ve actually been keeping my MP3 volume at a slightly lower level with these earphones since I no longer have to compete with the racket of the bus. The complete seal of the buds also stops sound leakage, which is great for long plane rides where your music might disturb other passengers.

However, there is one problem with the MA-350s and that is that the cord is incredibly noisy; every time the cable rubs against your clothing it echos in the earbuds, drowning out softer music should you dare a brisk walk. It’s something you can tune out and is likely due to a combination of the braiding on the cable and the noise cancelling acoustics of the earbuds themselves, but it can get a little annoying. As a result, I wouldn’t really recommend these earphones for people that like to listen to their music while running, but it doesn’t break the deal for those that want to use them during regular day-to-day life. Overall, I believe that the trade-off is worth it.

Ultimately, I love these earphones; they’re the best in-ear buds I have ever tried. They’re comfortable, provide great sound, and I won’t be surprised to see the braided cable copied by acoustic companies the world over. It’s a shame that the cord is so noisy when it rubs against things, but that does not greatly detract from the overall quality of RHA’s product. I would definitely recommend these, even if you’re not usually a fan of earphones.

Read the full article at NerdReactor

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MA350:
I was blown away at the sound quality. It’s what you would expect in headphones with a price tag of $200 and up. The highs are crisp, the bass is deep, and the vocals couldn’t be more clear

MA350: One the things the fellas do at the end of each show is suggest apps, devices and software that they’ve been using and suggest that the listeners try out. So I took this opportunity to talk about the unassuming but BANGIN’ RHA MA-350 noise isolating aluminum earphones.

RHA Audio is out of the UK and makes a number a highly-engineered audio products. The company was kind enough to send me a pair of the MA-350 earbuds to review. I’ll be honest, compared to the ‘flashy-ness’ of your average high-end earbuds, the MA-350′s are nothing to brag and boast about. They’re sleek and simple earbuds with black cords, aluminum body, rubber ear-tips, and a plain “RHA” brand logo on the back-side.

Here is where the MA-350′s get my vote. I often joke that I have slight O.C.D. when it comes to tangled cords. So you can imagine I was more than pleasantly surprised that the earphone’s cable is not made of that typical fragile rubber that accompanies most earbuds; but a fabric-braided cable, that reminds me of the cable a rock-climber uses to suspend crazies, I mean…adventure seekers hundreds to thousands of feet in the air…on a rock. So not only is the cable sturdy enough to resist accidental tugging and yanking when you’re moving the cables around; but it also eliminates constant tangling that drives me absolutely up the wall.

LET ME TELL YOU when I put these things in my ear and fired up iTunes, I was blown away at the sound quality. It’s what you would expect in headphones with a price tag of $200 and up. The highs are crisp, the bass is deep, and the vocals couldn’t be more clear. The noise isolation technology is very effective if you want some time alone your tunes.

The MA-350 earphones don’t have an integrated mic or controls folks have come accustomed to; but as an entry-level earphone that can be found on Amazon for $35 bucks, the MA-350′s will definitely make you think twice before spending big bucks on premium earphones, I know I will.

Read the full article at BrothaTech

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MA350:
For the price you pay for the MA350’s you are more than getting your money’s worth and much much more.

MA350:
The last time we had the opportunity to check out a pair of headphones from RHA we were really into what they were pushing out. Not only did the headphones offer great quality and construction but the sound was above average especially at the price point. This time we are going to take a look at the in-ear sibling of the previous headphones. The MA350 Earphones have a lot to live up to so be sure to read ahead and see if they can actually out duel their bigger brother in the full review below.

I was a tad bit skeptical of the MA350 Earphones just because they don’t feature an in-line mic/remote but I gave them a chance anyways and let me tell you right now that was the best decision I could have made. Even though an in-line mic/remote is nearly a must have for me when I use in ear headphones if any pair of earphones are going to make me forget they are missing it’s going to be the MA350’s.

Let’s start with the overall construction of the MA350’s which feature a very unique design and profile that was actually inspired by a trumpet’s bell. The look of the MA350’s are definitely one of the nicest I have seen yet with its solid aluminum housing and half silver half matte black finish. 

While we have seen aluminum housing earphones before I have to say that these are probably the nicest I have used to date. Not only does each ear bud look amazing but they have a very solid weight to them that just makes them feel 3 times as expensive as they really are. They are definitely one of the classiest looking earphones we have tested out.

One nice little feature they have as well is the cord coming out of each ear bud has a slight tilt to it away from your head that makes it that much easier to insert them into your ear without ramming them into your ear canal. That slight angle actually made a noticeable difference when wearing them making the MA350’s very comfortable after use over a long period of time. 

The cable is your normal fabric braided variety and is actually made well when compared to some other brands fabric cables. There is no wiry feel to them and they feel very thick which ensure a tangle free experience. 

Now getting to the real reason these earphones shine is the sound they put out. As soon as I put these in my ears and slowly turned the volume up I was just floored by what was coming out of them. The first thing I noticed was the level of bass they produce even at low volume levels. While you may be thinking uh oh the big bass must drown out the mids and highs well don’t worry about that either. Even though the bass given from these earphones is above normal they never once drown out or take anything away from the rest of the range of sounds. 

I really cannot emphasize enough how great these earphones sound when even compared to other brands options that top out at nearly $200. For the price you pay for the MA350’s you are more than getting your money’s worth and much much more. If these had an in-line mic/remote they would be my number one choice for a pair of in-ear headphones if you need big bass by a large margin. RHA does offer another model that does include an in-line mic/remote but is not yet available in the states however once they are available we are going to be first on the list to get them so we can see if they are able to take the crown. The sound isolation they provide is really one of the best we have seen as well especially for an in-ear set of headphones. The MA350’s give you a very secure and comfortable seal with the provided silicon ear tips that are more comfortable than your normal disposable ear tips. Once these are in your ears and the music is turned up you cannot hear a thing even in the loudest of environments.

If you can do without the in-line mic/remote feature I would definitely recommend the MA350 earphones to anyone regardless of the type of music you listen to but especially if you listen to bass heavy music as these are just going to blow you away. I don’t know how RHA is able to produce such a nice sounding pair of earphones at this affordable price point but it’s more than welcome and a nice change. We cannot wait to see what else RHA has up their sleeves in the future.

Rating: 5/5

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MA350:
These are a good pair of earphones, well worth the asking price.

MA350:These earplug-style headphones are designed by British newcomer Reid and Heath Acoustics. They have a number of pairs headphones on the market, but these are the first in-ear designs, and very impressive they are too. At £30 these can’t be described as high-end earplugs, but the audio quality leaves us with little to complain about. They are bassier than most earplugs using a 10mm driver; and while some may enjoy a flatter, more neutral sound, others will prefer the MA-350′s richer deep tones. The physical design is also good, though not without its own foibles. The actual earplugs are made of aluminium and feel incredibly sturdy. There are three sets of silicon tips supplied, so anyone should be able to get a comfy fit.

In terms of audio quality there’s little to complain about here, and if your musical preferences tend to bassier tracks then you should seriously consider buying a pair. The lack of obvious L/R marking and proper noise isolation are both minor down points (unless of course you commute on the tube), but generally these are a good pair of earphones that are well worth the asking price, so go for it!

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MA350:
The sound quality of the RHA MA-350 was exceptional for an earbud of any price.

MA350:

I was fortunate enough to have grown up through an American music period typically referred to as the “British Invasion”. Spearheaded by the Beatles in 1964, it completely changed the landscape of popular music in the United States forever. As a kid I can clearly remember bands such as Herman’s Hermits, the Dave Clark Five, the Searchers and, of course, the Kinks, the Who and the Rolling Stones being commercial radio staples. Quite a drastic change from just a few years earlier when watered down Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry recordings were still considered far too risqué and harsh for the average audience. My first record record acquisition of choice was “White Light/White Heat” by the Velvet Underground, and US based band, but one that never would have been were it not for the door that the Invasion had opened.

Many years later the iPod was introduced. It is generally believed that the iPod did as much to change the way music was listened to as the British Invasion did to the music itself. It was really a case of “right place, right time” and a good interface, but it became the first mp3 player with wide reaching mass appeal. Large quantities of music became completely portable, no more decisions on what to take with you, you could simply take your whole collection in one small device. Unfortunately, it also lowered the expectations of sonic quality for an entire generation. Lossy audio is distinctly lo-fi to begin with and the iPod’s audio handing wasn’t helping any. Thankfully in the last few years we have seen an upswing in consumers calling for sound quality. Was it due to Dr. Dre introducing beats Audio and essentially saying “your portable music doesn’t actually have to sound awful”? Or is it that people suddenly started hearing better audio systems somewhere? Either way, it’s certainly a change for the better. In this invasion of more audiophile friendly products happens to be RHA. Somehow quite fitting that a British company would be mixed up in this “invasion”…

RHA introduces the MA-350 Aluminum Noise Isolating Earphones which are distinctly aimed at those looking for improved sound quality. The RHA-MA350 Earphones feature aluminum buds that use aerophonic design to naturally deliver enhanced audio to the listener’s ear. Each bud of the RHA MA-350 contains a 10mm mylar driver capable of delivering 16-22,000Hz frequency range. Noise isolation is provided by the soft silicone tips, which are included in S/M/L sizes for extra comfort, and a convenient carrying and storage case is included. The MA-350 features a 1.2m cable with fabric braided sleeving which goes a long way in preventing tangling, and ends with a gold plated 3.5mm stereo connector. Sensitivity of 103dB allows for effective volume on lower powered devices, while 3/10mW power handling allows almost universal usage. The RHA MA-350 Earphones weigh in at only 11g, providing effortless wearing and fantastic portability.

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MA350:
RHA have released an earphone that can compete with anything in its price range- and above.

MA350:

There are two approaches to reviewing earphones or headphones and which direction I take is determined mostly by price. Earphones that sell for less than $100 are judged on a different level than those costing double or triple. The market for the under $100 earphones is huge and only getting bigger, plus the sound quality in this price range has improved dramatically. And when you factor in the lousy audio quality of those trendy white buds, it’s not hard to see why the lower priced earphone market is exploding. A Scottish audio company has now jumped in the fray with some earphones and headphones. RHA (Reid and Heath Acoustics) has supplied their entry level dynamic speaker earphones for review, the MA350 noise isolating earphones.

Although tastefully done, the design of the MA350 earphones is not particularly exciting, just functional looking. Included in the box are three sizes of tips which should fit almost anyone – but not me. As I’ve said in many reviews, the seal that earphone tips provide means everything and the supplied tips just don’t provide the seal I need. No seal equals no bass. So, once again, I used tips from another brand of earphone that fit my ears, and I can now hear what the MA350s are supposed to sound like. The supplied tips will probably fit your ears, but a more varied selection would have been nice. Comply is a good source of replacement tips made of foam and they do have tips for this brand. Also included is a small, velour draw-string bag for carrying.

RHA calls the MA350 earphones “noise isolating.” While they will cancel out most external noise quite well, the isolation is passive, which means they work the same way as shoving fingers in your ears. Note: Active noise isolation requires microphones and a power source to work properly.

Interestingly, the MA350s lean towards the bright side. Bass is present and powerful, as you would expect from a dynamic type earphone, but the high frequencies remind me of an armature design. Weird. Note: dynamic speaker design simply means the speaker inside the earphone looks almost like a tiny speaker. An armature design is a totally different approach and borrows technology from hearing aids. Dynamic earphones are usually warmer sounding with powerful bass and armatures are more accurate and clinical sounding. There are pros and cons on each approach, and which is better is subjective, at best.

As I said earlier, the MA350s are machined out of solid aluminum. They are extremely light and feel very durable. I have worn them for hours with no discomfort. The cloth covered cord minimizes but does not prevent tangling. Cloth can also cut down on microphonics – that annoying thumping sound you get from scraping or tapping the cord, but does not eliminate it. I noticed that the cord can sometimes get folds and creases which can’t be totally removed. It’s not harmful to the wiring, but it also doesn’t instill a lot of confidence against future problems. Time will tell.

Did I say that the MA350s are only $40? One reason is that the MA350s do not have a mic or remote. If you wish to have those add-ons, RHA makes the more expensive  MA450i, which I will review later. Other than that, the MA350s are a bargain and a half. Here’s a spoiler: the MA350 earphones sound as good and are as comfortable as many earphones I’ve heard – and liked – In the sub-$100 range. So how good does 40 bucks sound?

The MA350 earphones have a kick in volume and attack… not that common in this price range. Listen to Bryan Ferry’s “Valentine.” from the album, “Boys and Girls.” The percussion throughout the song is sharp and immediate. Attack (and decay) is when a speaker – whether it’s a headphone or earphone – can recover quickly so notes don’t bleed into one another. That’s a good thing. The MA350s recover quickly. No, they are not the most accurate earphones I’ve ever heard, but did I mention that they are only $40? Thought so.

AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long” is an exercise in production done exactly right. I am a huge fan of this group’s sound. It is clean, sharp and a kick in the teeth. The MA350s capture that power and reproduce it very well. When pushed to punishing levels however, distortion can and does appear. But by then, the volume has become painfully loud anyway.

“Raconte-Moi Une Histoire,” by the French electronic group M83,  is a jaunty, upbeat song featuring a little girl’s vocals overlaid on a driving, synth beat. Some of the song gets muddled towards the end and the MA350s accentuate the highs a bit too much, but overall, the earphones help make the song a fun listen.

RHA have released an earphone that can compete with anything in its price rang – and above. Of course, there is no comparison when sampled against those free white buds from you-know-who. If you have the money and a discerning ear, look elsewhere. But if you are on a budget and/or need an inexpensive second pair of earphones for commuting or exercise, you can’t do much better than the MA350s.

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MA350:
They're wonderfully designed and made (they feel like they will last!), understated and most importantly, sound fantastic.

MA350:
Introduction
I've heard nothing but good things about RHA's MA-350 earphones from people who really do know what they're talking about when it comes to such things. But they're £29.95. Can they really be that good? I've gone ears on to find out!

I don't claim to be an 'audiophile' at all... my credentials as far as a reviewer go are that i've owned and used a lot of earphones and always try different ones whenever I can (including the frequently bundled in box junk)! My earphones of choice are currently a pair of Ultimate Ears Triple-Fi 10s which replaced a broken set of Ultimate Ears Super-Fi 5 Pros. The Triple-Fis are truly excellent - I love them to bits - but at over £200 for a pair you'd kind of hope so!

In the box
In the box you get the earphones, small, medium and large 'noise isolating' silicone tips, a small faux-velvet carry bag and a user's guide. Yes, a user's guide! It's not really though, basically it just says 'don't turn them up to loud or you'll break your ears'.

Design / construction
The MA-350s are machined from solid aluminium with an 'aerophonic shape inspired by a trumpet's bell' design. The back of the earphones are black with a prominent RHA logo and a rubber 'stalk' (embossed with L or R respectively) trails off the fabric woven cable. Cables for both ears are the same length with a sliding toggle to take up the slack. The cable length for each ear is such that you can wear the cable around the back of your neck fine. The cable terminates in a gold plated 3.5mm tip.

The quality feels very good indeed, having metal construction at this price point is pretty great. In impressive attention to detail, even the little grille is made of metal too. The design is pretty understated, which I think is a good thing. The cable is black, the headphones are black, only the tasteful 'RHA' logo tipping off onlookers to the fact that you do actually know your earphones! White cable / red cable / form over function fashionistas need not apply.

The braided cable is designed to reduce cable tangling and prolong cable life. I quite like braided cables, so it's a thumbs up from me.

Comfort
The MA-350s ship with 3 different sizes of silicone tips to help you find a comfortable fit. The 'medium' size worked best for me, which is inline with my experience with other earphones. I obviously have average size ears. On the inside at least.

The earphones are very comfortable to wear, the back of them is pretty thin meaning non strange pressures on your ears when wearing them. The flipside is they are a little bit susceptible to movement if you're chosen tip is a little on the small side. Provided you've chosen the right tip, the noise isolation is good.

Sound
So, to the real money question? What do they sound like? To decide, I ran them through a selection of different tunes, some with thumping bass, some with delicate trebles and lots with a full and complex midrange.

The verdict? Really rather good... certainly better than anything i've listened to up to now at this price point. Plugged into my phone they sounded good, plugged into something with a half decent amp of course they sounded fantastic. Generally speaking on cheaper earphones there are some tracks which can really expose their limitations. An example is how a lot of budget offerings (and my horrible iBeats) balk at Example's 'Changed the way you kiss me' when the bass kicks in, but i'm pleased to report no such issues with the MA-350s... the bass reproduction is excellent.

When listened to directly alongside my SuperFi 10s a tiny bit of excessive crispness on the highest trebles at the expense of some detail is evident, but not so much for me to consider it a negative in any way... it's more a reflection of the formers exceptional performance than any deficiency in the MA-350s. The comparison does really emphasise the overall quality of the sound - if I told you there was a £170 price difference you'd call me a liar.

Pricing and availability
The RHA MA-350s are priced at £29.95 at Amazon. An extra £10 buys you a set of MA450is, which include a remote and microphone for use with your phone. They also include 7 tips rather than three and are available in black and, yes, white for the Apple set.

Conclusion
At sub £30, the MA-350s are a steal. They're wonderfully designed and made (they feel like they will last!), understated and most importantly, sound fantastic. If you're looking for a great value replacement for those crappy in-box buds, these are what you need.

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MA350:
What RHA did is pretty awesome and certainly worthy of applause.

MA350:
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 this price, the RHA MA-350s are damn good.

Read the full article at http://gadgetsteria.com/2012/05/07/review-rha-reid-and-heath-acoustics-ma-350-earphones/

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MA350:
Voices were crisp, instrument seperation was good, bass was fantastic and mids and lows even better

MA350:
The MA-350′s are made out of precision machined aircraft aluminium which is partially sandblasted in matte black, this makes the earbuds build quality very strong and hard to break. You have three inter-changeable earbuds too suite your ear-type which are very comfortable and they block out sound beautifully. Inside the earphone you have something called a ‘aurophonic design’ which pushes sound out organically from its 10mm drivers which gives it a much better performance than normal earphones.

Read the full article at http://www.techboom.co.uk/rha-ma-350-earphones-review/

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MA350:
These earphones offer a great build quality as well as a really good sound quality for a really low price...

MA350:
Arguably the most important thing about the earphones is the sound quality, and we’re glad to say that they don’t disappoint. The headphones can deal with all genres of music well, from Classical to Dubstep, from Bob Dylan to Metallica, these sounded great. In fact the bass was well pronounced and not at all tinny and the highs sounded clear and not muffled. The bass response was great for their size and the lack of distortion was impressive.  Furthermore the range of frequencies is also great creating a realistic stereo effect when listening to large group pieces.

Read the full article at http://gadgetcore.co.uk/blog/reviews/rha-ma-350-earphones-review

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MA350:
The MA-350...is certainly one of the best in-ear headsets we heard for some time and at this price it is quite amazing to see aluminium used. 

MA350:
The MA-350 is an in-ear headset that is precision manufactured from solid aluminium and features a unique aerophonic design which ensures a natural transfer of sound from the speaker to the ear. The soft silicone tips provided with the MA-350 offer comfort and noise isolation.
The headset ear buds use 10mm Mylar drivers and each earpiece has a frequency response of 16Hz-22,000Hz with impedance of 16ohms. Sensitivity is rated at 103dB and they have a rated/max power of 3/10mW.

http://www.hardwareheaven.com/reviews/1401/pg3/rha-sa-850-headphones-and-ma-350-earphones-review-ma-350.html

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MA350:
RHA has really notched it up a level by giving us a well contrived product that scores high on many attributes.

MA350:
Ever had that lingering sensation of hearing some minuscule magnitude of music even when you have taken off your dandy bundled earphone buds? If your answer is yes, then you are in the same league with us. Time and again, those bantam ear-buds have proven to leak sound to the outside of the musical set up, thus creating an irritating sensation for yourself, as well as for others around you. But now, with the progressive strides of technology in this field, many of us audiophiles do not have to worry about the unintentional exudation of sound. This is because, British audio company Reid and Health Group have contrived their version of advanced yet sensibly priced ear-buds that not only solves the aforementioned issue, but offers much more in terms of quality, to us guileless consumers.

Read the full article at http://www.gizmowatch.com/review-rha-ma-350-noise-isolating-aluminum-earphones.html

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MA350:
While the bass was deep the mids and highs were clear and nuanced.

MA350:
Given the price, we were cautious of expecting too much from the MA-350′s; happily the cut-price earphones proved us wrong. We’re not sure whether the trumpet-styling adds to it, but the sound has a decent slug of bass that undercuts a full-bodied midrange and some neatly crisp treble. Pitted against more expensive in-ear options and the RHA’s understandably come off worse, but what’s impressive is how well the sound from the MA-350′s sits together. It’s a very natural, listenable audio, without any of the imbalance that could end up showing up shortcomings elsewhere.

Read the full article at http://www.i4u.com/2011/08/review-rha-sa-850-and-sa-500-ma-350

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MA350:
An extremely capable set of headphones available at a very good price.

MA350:
These earplug-style headphones are designed and sold by British newcomer RHA. They have a number of pairs headphones on the market, but these are the first in-ear designs, and very impressive they are too.
At this price these can't be described as high-end earplugs, but the audio quality leaves us with little to complain about. They are bassier than most earplugs using a 10mm driver; and while some may enjoy a flatter, more neutral sound, others will prefer the MA-350's richer deep tones. Despite this tendency to the lower end, it's not overly at the expense of other frequencies, so those with eclectic tastes don't have to worry. In fact, we found a pleasing warmth about the sound on orchestral pieces.

Read the full article at http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/headphones/1286452/rha-ma-350

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