RHA Product Reviews North America

The following pages contain a selection of North American reviews of RHA products; the T20i/T20, T10i/T10 and MA750i/MA750.

Additional reviews can be found on the RHA website; be sure to follow RHA's social media profiles for the latest news, information and reviews of RHA products.

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When a piece of technology becomes commoditized, the inevitable response from its maker is to try and obscure that fact by resorting to gimmicks. Smartphones offer some of the best examples of unnecessary over-engineering (see LG’s curved G Flex handsets) and gratuitous use of exotic materials (like on Motorola’s kevlar-plated Droids), but they’re hardly alone.

Headphone makers are just as susceptible to filling out spec sheets with meaningless jargon, and on first sight, I thought the RHA T20i in-ears to be just another in a long line of gimmick-laden tech products. They have a “revolutionary” DualCoil driver system, interchangeable tuning filters, and an injection-molded stainless steel build. And a $249.95 price tag. I didn’t think something so simple as a pair of earphones required all that

sophistication and expense, but having listened to them for an extended period of time, I have to say the T20is are a pleasant exception to the gimmick rule.

Reid Heath Acoustics is a British headphone company whose products have attracted Apple’s attention and are featured alongside the more familiar Beats, Bose, and Bowers & Wilkins brands in the accessory section of Apple Stores around the world. This particular set, the T20i, comes with the Made for iPhone designation and an in-line microphone, which bumps its price up by $10 over the otherwise identical T20. Both look pretty much the same as their predecessor T10 / T10i models, whose attractiveness has been recognized with a Red Dot product design award. The molded steel provides a neat, durable carriage for the technology within and has “That’s really the

thing I keep coming back to with the T20is: they sound great...I’ve been inspired by the RHA T20is to improve my music collection...These in-ear headphones are a great example of harnessing engineering and materials with a purpose”

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a universal appearance that wouldn’t be out of place in almost any context.

What’s different about RHA’s T20 family is the unique driver and magnet arrangement on the inside of each earphone. Instead of the usual solid disc, RHA uses a ring magnet and puts two voice coils around it — hence the DualCoil branding — with the inner one handling the lower range of frequencies and the outer addressing the higher end. The audio signal is split when it arrives at the earphone, with bass and lower midtones going to one coil and treble and upper midtones going to the other. I’m not going to pretend to understand the mechanics of how this separation makes things sound better — I just know that it does.

Putting on the T20is for the first time was an eye-opening experience. I’ve messed around with expensive earphones before, but none have ever delighted me quite so quickly. It’s not that anything stands out in the sound of the T20is, but on the contrary, it’s the absence of any excess or distortion that is most notable. I’m used to most in-ear headphones exaggerating bass in order to make up for their physical constraints, but not this time. The bass produced by the T20i set is clear, precise, and just right. Neither overpowering nor underwhelming. The best analogy I can think of is a fine-tipped pen: it leaves a mark only where the writer intends and doesn’t spill a drop of superfluous ink.

Bass is important to me because it figures prominently in the sort of electronic music I usually listen to — Daft Punk, deadmau5, and DJ Shadow, just from the D section — but the T20is handle pretty much everything I throw at them with aplomb. The urgency of a wailing Eddie Vedder and the deep, soul-sapping despondency of Thom Yorke are both realized beautifully and effectively. Every instrument has a distinct position on the T20i sound stage, which isn’t extraordinarily wide, but still offers enough definition for me to easily distinguish between, for example, the guitar at my left temple, the bass at the right, the drums at the back of my head, and the vocals in the middle. I’m also constantly discovering subtleties about my favorite tracks that I just hadn’t noticed before: little background flourishes that had previously been lost in a bassy swamp. That being said, I do find the treble can sometimes feel harsh, though I suspect that’s down to the recordings I listen to. Violin concertos sound perfectly crisp and accurate, no matter what volume I turn them up to.

The best, and most important, thing I can say about the RHA T20is is that they just let me enjoy my music. RHA subscribes to the school of thought that headphones, like a camera’s lens, aren’t supposed to embellish or affect

the signal. They are meant to convey it faithfully, and that’s what this pair of earphones does. And just like a good camera, the T20is continue to work well when I crank up the intensity: even at max volume, they remain composed and distortion-free. Their detail is almost excessive: during an episode of The Great British Bake Off on BBC iPlayer, I could hear judge Paul Hollywood’s heavy breathing and chewing as he was tasting the latest cakes on the show. Like HD video, high-resolution audio is a double-edged sword — and yes, the T20is are Hi-Res-certified, although I still can’t find a huge difference in listening to Hi-Res tracks. All of my positive impressions, and the Paul Hollywood episode, came from conventional, compressed audio.

As someone who listens to a lot of his music on YouTube, I realize I’m not exactly the target audience for the RHA T20is. These headphones are expensive to me, but they’re at the affordable end of the scale for people who put in the effort to ensure the highest quality of their aural experience. But you know what, the T20is are so good that they’re tempting me to change my ways. I still listen to the Best Brutal Dubstep mixes online, but I’m also growing more curious about higher-fidelity recordings and how they might sound. I can’t think of a better function for a piece of technology than its rekindling of a passion for cultural exploration

In terms of day-to-day use, the RHA T20is are a little less practical than a conventional pair of in-ear buds. They’re larger and heavier, and putting them on and taking them off requires more ceremony to get just right. Colored tabs at the top of each earphone identify which is left and which is right and connect to a moldable hook that goes over the ear. Such over-ear hooks are a common solution to the greater bulk and weight of high-end earphones, but I’ve universally hated all the ones I’ve tried before. They’re just a nuisance to fit correctly. I was having the same issue with RHA’s set until I got a bit more aggressive in shaping the hook around the contours of my ear. That did indeed make for a more comfortable, or perhaps more tolerable, fit. What’s clear is that the T20is are not designed to be worn while running for the subway or in the midst of an intensive workout. The in-line mic works very well, but its integrated controls are a little too high on the wire, forcing me to reach almost up to my ear to change tracks.

RHA bundles no less than 10 pairs of ear tips, including two sets of memory foam covers that should fit anyone. Those sit atop swappable tuning filters, which are clearly demarcated: one set boosts the bass, the default one keeps things neutral, and the treble filters emphasize the high end. For all this customization and multiplicity of

options, I found myself most comfortable using the default set of filters and buds. They fit me best, and the reference sound is just too pure and accurate for me to wish to spoil it by prioritizing any part of the aural spectrum.

That’s really the thing I keep coming back to with the T20is: they sound great. Whether you mess around with all the user configuration options or just rip them out of the box, they will inevitably impress you. Take this from someone who isn’t an audiophile and usually treats music like fast food. I’ve been inspired by the RHA T20is to improve my music collection, both in its quality and diversity. These in-ear headphones are a great example of harnessing engineering and materials with a purpose. They’re different for the sake of being better, not just different.

The RHA T20i earphones are available to buy now at Amazon or through RHA's website, and will be at Apple Stores globally from October 6th. There will also be an Apple-exclusive black edition, which will differ only in having a black rather than silver shell.

The Verge

Everyone has their own idea about what makes the perfect headphone. Some people like huge bass, some want totally accurate sound reproduction. Some people just want them loud. Equally as important, however, are the physical features. Do they fold? Are they wireless? Are they good-looking enough that I won’t be embarrassed in public? All valid criteria. To suit everyone’s taste in one headphone is impossible, but we’ve rounded up the 20 best pairs of headphones for all the different wants and needs of 20 types of people.

We start with the cheap earbuds for the person who just wants something cheap they won’t have to worry about, and we end with some picks for the tough-to-satisfy audiophile. These are some gifts that will help your loved one plug in, turn on, and tune out.

Wired

“The RHA T20 is a stellar, audiophile-quality in-ear with truly killer isolation. Place them in your ears, and the world disappears”

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Over the past year I’ve looked at quite a few pairs of headphones so I thought it was about time I took a look at earphones instead. Not everyone wants to carry around a large pair of headphones or wander the streets looking like one of Doctor Who’s cybermen, and yet there’s little to compare to a really good pair of reference headphones to bring out all the subtlety and detail in a piece of music, especially if you have a hi-res music player such as the AK Jr that I reviewed here recently.

For the past few weeks I’ve been road-testing a pair of T20i earphones from Scottish company RHA. These earphones are at the top of the RHA range and there’s no question that they reek of high quality. Manufactured from injection-moulded stainless steel (I’d no idea you could injection mould stainless steel) these earphones feel weighty in the hand. The cable is thick and durable while the 3.5mm gold-plated jack plug is exquisitely assembled with a coil spring running up the cable to relieve any strain on the plug . There’s a small tubular remote towards the top end of the right-hand cable which has a microphone and the usual controls to work with most iPhones, iPods and iPads. It’s fair to say that the feel of the T20i reflects their price tag very well. Each pair comes with a three-year guarantee which speaks volume for the build quality.

The T20i come with a selection of silicone and memory foam earplugs in various sizes so that you can choose the one that suits your ears best. Alongside the earplugs is a set of three changeable steel tuning filters that offer a subtle change in the sound character, ranging from treble and reference through to bass. These little metal filters screw into the earphone housings and you can try each pair out to see which set suits your taste. The effect of the tuning filters is fairly subtle but I found the bass filter added a little extra depth that suited my hearing best.

Inside those injection-moulded stainless steel housings are two separate voice coils which work much the same way that a woofer and a tweeter might on a two-way speaker. A tiny crossover is also shoehorned into the housing to direct the appropriate frequencies to each voice coil. The result is a clear and neutral sound that can actually be quite unusual at first listen. Most of us are used to using the earbuds that come with our iPhones or iPods and, let’s be honest here, those cheap mass-produced units are never going to win awards for sound quality. In fact, most of us have only ever heard our music on the go through earbuds tuned to provide maximum volume and thick bass so that we can get the illusion we’re listening to hi-fi when we’re running or exercising.

Initially the T20i sounded a little bright to my ears but after trying out and swapping over the tuning filters and selecting

a set of earbuds that properly fitted my ears, I finally heard the sound quality that the designers at RHA had intended me to hear. I can’t stress enough how important it is to select the correct size of earbud and to test out the tuning filters in order to get the very best out of the earphones. If the T20i aren’t fitting properly you’ll just hear a harsh and tinny sound that won’t impress, but once you have the earphones set up correctly you will hear a sound that’s every bit as clear and as enjoyable as any pair of high-end headphones. The separation and clarity of all the frequencies is superb. RHA’s clever sound shapers have managed to bring out a treble that doesn’t fatigue, a mid-range that projects forward and a bass that doesn’t muddy or crowd out the rest of the music. These are earphones you can listen to on a long train journey or flight without suffering ear fatigue. You’ll find yourself searching out different tracks just to hear them anew.

Forbes

“The separation and clarity of all the frequencies is superb...You’ll find yourself searching out different tracks just to hear them anew”

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For audiophiles who don't want to look like an airplane mechanic, these stainless-steel earbuds are a revelation. Swappable filters on the tips optimize sound for bass or treble-heavy tunes, and a DualCoil driver makes any music crystal clear

Rolling Stone

“These stainless-steel earbuds are a revelation”

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For decades, I’ve been searching for the perfect pair of headphones—ones that would render my favorite songs with warmth, richness and detail. I’ve walked the halls of audiophile trade shows, hogging the outrageously expensive pairs on display. I have no qualms about strolling into high-end audio showrooms and spending the better part of an afternoon listening to various models. Heck, I’ve even had audiologists inject my ears with pink goo so I could have custom-molded earbuds made. But recently, I’ve given up. Perfect headphones do not exist.

That’s because no matter how awesome your cans, they’re going to make some types of music—even certain songs—sound better than others. Headphone manufacturers carefully “tune” each model, boosting or cutting frequencies to give each pair a particular sound. It’s an aesthetic decision. One size does not fit all.

Lately, I’ve been enjoying a relatively obscure class of headphone: those that allow you to acoustically tweak their sonic profile—boosting the bass, treble and other characteristics as you see fit. It’s like having multiple models packed into one tidy package.

One of the greatest joys of being an audio nerd is listening to the same song on various headphones and hearing how different elements come to the fore—perhaps a previously obscured instrument that the percussionist hits on the upbeat or the lilt with which the singer delivers a line. These models allow you to do that in a space- and relatively cost-efficient way and offer practical benefits for casual music lovers, too: They can adapt their sound to better suit the listening environment, whether a quiet living room or a noisy train station.

Granted, some headphones, like the Parrot Zik, let you modify their sound with the help of your smartphone. And apps can pull off similar results with any headphone by adjusting the sound of the music itself. EQ apps, for example, allow you to boost or cut frequencies, while the Audyssey Music Player app uses modeling algorithms that attempt to make average headphones sound like stellar ones.

Although this digital trickery can be convincing, it isn’t quite the same as what the headphones shown here manage to pull off: Altering sound using good old-fashioned physics and acoustic know-how. The effect is somehow more authentic—and infinitely more satisfying.

Few models out there offer this adjustable-sound feature, but I managed to find three outstanding examples that hold their own against conventional pairs in a similar price range. These are stellar headphones in their own right; the ability to tweak them just brings them a step closer to perfection.

“Even if you never bother installing its two additional screw-in acoustic filters, the T20 still comes across as astonishingly detailed”

RHA T20 Even if you never bother installing its two additional screw-in acoustic filters (one enhances treble frequencies by 3 dB, the other bass frequencies by the same amount), the T20 still comes across as astonishingly detailed. But it’s worth taking the five minutes required to swap them out. This simple-seeming modification makes the T20 sound awesome in different ways. The treble filter imparts a crisp but natural timbre to vocals and brass especially, while the bass filter provides an unmistakable kick without coming across as boomy. Just remember that, as with all earbuds, the T20 needs to sit snug in your ear, blocking out as much ambient noise as possible, if you want to appreciate all of the nuance. The T20 includes 10 eartips of various sizes—including foam and silicone—so you can get the fit just so. I heard the most detail using the double-flange silicone tips

Wall Street Journal

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About six months ago, I reviewed the T10i IEMs (in-ear monitors) by Reid Heath Acoustics, a scottish audio company. It was one of my favorite headphones, with top-notch build quality, a comfortable and elegant design and powerful sound.

Some people found the sound a bit too powerful though, with a strong bass that sometimes intruded on the rest of the sound frequency and bright treble that just wasn’t the cup of tea for some of the persnickety audiophiles paying $200 for the set. The headphone’s included tuning filters helped you modify the sound between bass, reference and treble settings, but the effect was relatively subtle.

Enter the new T20, an upcoming $260 [Update: the release price will be $240 now] set that kicks RHA’s sound quality up another notch, due later this summer. While they look nearly

“I have no hesitation to recommend the T20... It hits all the right notes: neutral sound, looks, comfort, durability, accessories, warranty and customizability.”

identical to their predecessors, a newly designed ‘DualCoil’ driver is designed to provide a neutral sound by separating the high and low frequencies onto different mechanisms.

It delivers: The T20 competes with larger headphones as well as earphones.

Build and design

If you’ve read our T10i review, then you already know most of the design story here. The headphones are beautifully crafted out of polished, injection molded steel, giving them an almost handmade look. Aesthetically, the only real difference is the use of a reassuringly thick black cable instead of a grey one, which I suppose somehow makes them look a little more serious-business.

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About six months ago, I reviewed the T10i IEMs (in-ear monitors) by Reid Heath Acoustics, a scottish audio company. It was one of my favorite headphones, with top-notch build quality, a comfortable and elegant design and powerful sound.

Some people found the sound a bit too powerful though, with a strong bass that sometimes intruded on the rest of the sound frequency and bright treble that just wasn’t the cup of tea for some of the persnickety audiophiles paying $200 for the set. The headphone’s included tuning filters helped you modify the sound between bass, reference and treble settings, but the effect was relatively subtle.

Enter the new T20, an upcoming $260 [Update: the release price will be $240 now] set that kicks RHA’s sound quality up another notch, due later this summer. While they look nearly identical to their predecessors, a newly designed ‘DualCoil’ driver is designed to provide a neutral sound by separating the high and low frequencies onto different mechanisms.

It delivers: The T20 competes with larger headphones as well as earphones.

Build and design If you’ve read our T10i review, then you already know most of the design story here. The headphones are beautifully crafted out of polished, injection molded steel, giving them an almost handmade look. Aesthetically, the only real difference is the use of a reassuringly thick black cable instead of a grey one, which I suppose somehow makes them look a little more serious-business.

The earphones are meant to be worn around the ear instead of the usual arrangement with the cable handing straight down. This has the dual benefit of helping the buds stay in your ear while exercising and reducing microphonics (the sound of the headphone cables hitting your body).

Like the T10i, the T20 have a unique moldable ear hook design, which you can adjust to conform to your own ears’ shape. As for the earpieces themselves, they are smooth and small enough that I had no issue sleeping with them on.

Notably, RHA released the T20 without a microphone to start. It’s likely the people spending their cash on headphones in this price range care more about the sound quality than convenience, and some audiophiles allege that integrated microphones degrade the cable’s sound signature. I personally missed the convenience of the microphone though, so I was happy to hear that a T20i model will be released in the future for a small premium (no specifics on the price yet).

As with their predecessors, isolation from the outside wold is excellent. There’s no fancy noise cancellation circuitry, but the metal housings are able to block outside noise well, especially

using the included foam tips. It’s comparable to larger headphones using active noise cancelling such as some Beats models and the Bose QC25.

Speaking of tips, you’ll be more than covered by the set included in the box. You get two sets of small, medium and large sizes, two sizes of double flanged tips, and two pairs of the aforementioned foam ones. As always with in-ear headphones, its worth experimenting with different configurations to see what best suits your tastes. In my case, it was the foam tips.

You also get the T series’ trademark tuning filters, again in bass, ‘reference,’ and treble varieties (more on this later).

Both the tips and filters come with their own machined steel holsters – a nice touch – as well as an elegant leather carrying case for all the items so you don’t damage the headphones or lose any of the accessories.

I do still wish the cables were detachable – the more expensive headphones are, the more silly this omission is – but again, RHA has a virtually unmatched three-year warranty, so it largely balances out.

Sound Let’s first discuss those sound filters. The effect is subtle, but they definitely work to nudge sound slightly towards your preferences. Unlike with the T10i, this time I think the reference filters are probably the best option for most people, although I still personally gravitate to the brighter treble sound.

Furthermore, the bass tips are legitimately useful this time around, increasing the physicality of low notes by a substantial amount without being overwhelming. Because the default tuning is much more balanced this time around, the filters end up being more effective. As a note, most of my listening happened using the middle-ground reference filters.

Starting on the low end, the most noticeable characteristic is the relatively tame midbass. This part of the sound spectrum is very often overemphasized on headphones aimed at the masses – including previous RHA headphones – as it’s an easy way to add a fun “thump” to pop and hip hop. Unfortunately, it also has the effect of distorting virtually everything else, so it’s refreshing to hear that’s not the case here.

The T20 instead shows its low-end chops by providing a deep and powerful rumble on the sub-bass, helping the headphones have more visceral rumble on church organs and a more realistic kick to its drums on tracks like Paramore’s Ain’t it Fun.

The refined laid-back mid-bass allows the midrange – where vocals and most instruments live – to shine. There’s virtually no discernible bloat on voices, which is an impressive feat for sealed in ear monitors.

I’m perhaps most impressed by the treble, which addresses the sometimes harsh sound on the T10i. Here it manages to always be prominent without ever being grating. It extends high enough to give cymbals the proper sparkle in jazz tracks like Gretchen Parlato’s Weak, but I caught no hint of sibilance (an annoying hissy characteristic around the letter ‘s’ and certain instruments) either.

The balanced frequency response make the T20 something of a genre master – there wasn’t a single type of music I thought sounded poor. The DualCoil drivers use separate parts of the speaker diaphragm to push out low and high tunes, and it shows how separate lower sounds are kept from the higher notes.

This also aids in giving the T20 a realistic amount of instrument separation. I’ve heard a wider soundstage (how far from your head instruments sound) on some earphones in the price range before, but you can still hear separate instruments clearly in orchestral tracks, and there’s a surprising physical depth to the sound.

On the whole I’d still describe the T20 as being a bit more bassy than what audiophiles may consider neutral, but any less and you’d miss out on a lot of the fun sound in more mainstream music.

Conclusion Let’s be clear: the T20 are aimed at people who care about their sound quality above anything else. Few companies would consider releasing mainstream IEMs without a microphone in 2015, so RHA is making a statement that sound quality is paramount with the T20.

That’s also evident with the price. At $240 (and likely more if you opt for the upcoming microphone-enabled T20i) they’re not exactly an impulse purchase, though in the world of hi-fi, few things are. If this is your first foray into buying a decent set of headphones, I’d point you to RHA’s MA750i, which are an excellent value at a more accessible $129.

Still, while mainstream consumers may not often consider earphones to be in the same league as larger, over the ear headphones, the T20 can easily compete with large cans like the audiophile-approved Sennheiser Momentum 2.0, which retail for $349.

They T20 fix little that was wrong with the T10i. While audio quality in this price range is inevitably subject, I have no hesitation to recommend the T20 if you can afford them. It hits all the right notes: neutral sound, looks, comfort, durability, accessories, warranty and customizability.

The Next Web

RHA has gradually morphed from a boutique manufacturer of quality, budget earphones to a purveyor of much higher-end gear, and the new T20 ($239.95) represents the company's current top-of-the-line offering. Audiophiles keen on being able to tweak sound signature without involving digital signal processing or apps will be drawn to the T20's tuning filters—easily replaceable nozzles that emphasize focus on bass, reference, or treble. In this price range it would be nice to see a detachable cable, but with a plethora of accessories and excellent audio performance, there's not much to complain about with the T20. It earns our Editors' Choice award for high-end earphones.

Design The stainless steel housings that hold the T20's "DualCoil" drivers—a type of driver RHA claims delivers more audio clarity and resolution—look high-end and handsome. Underneath each silicone eartip, the nozzle that extends toward the ear canal can be screwed off and removed—this is the tuning filter. The "reference" tuning filters are in place when the T20 is shipped, but can be swapped out with "treble" or "bass" filters.

A thick rubber cable descends from each earpiece, with a rigid, moldable section running a few inches from where the cable meets the housing you can sculpt the cable over the top of your ears and behind, and it stays in place quite well. The two cables join as one around mid-torso, terminating in a 3.5mm connection—a slider along the cable can be pulled upward if you'd rather have the cables combine closer to chin height. It's really too bad the cable isn't removable, however—considering it's likely to malfunction long before the drivers do, it would add significant value to a very expensive purchase.

It's also a tad surprising that earphones this expensive don't ship with a 1/4-inch headphone jack adapter for use with home audio gear, but those are cheap and easy enough to find. However, between the tuning filters and a whopping eight pairs of silicone eartips in various sizes and shapes, as well as two pairs of Comply foam eartips, there's little to complain about in the accessories department. The goodies don't stop there—you also get a classy zip-up protective pouch and a removable shirt-clip.

Performance Going into this review, the big question was: How will the T20's sound signature differ from that of its (slightly) more affordable sibling, the ? The T10i is a high-quality offering that also features tuning filters—but regardless of which filter you have in, the 10i packs some very boosted bass. The T20 delivers a more flat-response style sound signature that is more accurate—its default response, with the "reference" tuning filters in place, is balanced, clear, and neither bass-heavy nor brittle.

See How We Test Headphones On tracks with powerful sub-bass levels, like The Knife's "Silent Shout," the T20 delivers accurate, powerful low-end. This isn't the sound of a wildly boosted bass response, it's the sound of accurately reproduced, very powerful bass in a mix. Putting the added bass filters in obviously increases the bass response, but without going over the top—it's like bass boosting for audiophiles, who really only want a small amount of added low-end.

Using the default reference tuning filters, Bill Callahan's "Drover" sounds fantastic. His voice gets plenty of high-mid treble edge to remain clear and crisp, despite being paired with a rich presence in the low-mids. The drums on this track can sound overly thunderous on earphones that boost the lows wildly, but through the T20, while we do get a strong sense of the drums' lower frequencies, everything sounds natural. This is one of the more balanced sound signatures we've heard lately—everything in every range gets more or less equal representation through the reference tuning filters.

On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the kick drum loop's attack is nice and crisp, with plenty of high-mid punch to allow the hits to slice through the multi-layered mix with ease. The vocals, which float above the track with ease, are never overly sibilant, but have plenty of bright, high-frequency presence. The sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat here are not as intense through the T20 as they are through heavily-bass boosted pairs, but they still sound plenty powerful. And, of course, if you wish, you can put in the bass filters for more thump.

Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene in John Adams' The Gospel According to the Other Mary, sound quite bright through the reference filters. I actually preferred the bass filters here—they added some extra depth that brought out the lower register instrumentation more without sacrificing clarity and brightness. So, you may have to do some swapping of filters here and there to get the sound and balance you prefer, but the process of changing the filters is very quick and simple.

If you're trying to decide between the T10i and the T20, the T20 is, in our opinion, the better option, but bass lovers will likely gravitate more to the T10i. For slightly less money, we also are big fans of the . But most of the earphones we test tend to cost less than either of these models. The recently released , for instance, is an excellent choice, as is the . At $240, the RHA T20 is a worthy Editors' Choice for serious music lovers.

PC Mag

“With a plethora of accessories and excellent audio performance, there's not much to complain about with the T20. It earns our Editors' Choice award for high-end earphones.”

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A good in-ear headphone is like a truly good book – most of the time, you’re settling for “good enough,” and a true masterpiece only comes along once in a while. The new RHA T10i is that masterpiece when it comes to in-ear buds, with design that’s durable, eye-catching and comfortable, and sound quality that’s hard to match, and that can be tailored to your own tastes thanks to replaceable hardware tuning filters included with the set for sound modification without the attendant downsides of software-side equalization.

Basics • Stainless steel • Copper cable with gold connectors • Replaceable tuning filters for more bass, neutral or more treble • Built-in over-ear hooks • MSRP: $200 • Product info page

Pros • Great sound • Plenty of fit and customization options

Cons • Somewhat heavy

Design RHA has crafted a set of earbuds that are unique – so unique that at first I wasn’t sure what to make of them. The stainless steel buds have a design that manages to look more organic than industrial despite the material used in its construction, and the final effect is of something almost hand-made. Details like the cylindrical steel remote case and the knurled cable case protectors at the headphone split point and the 3.5mm connector are far more industrial in look, and therefore easier to mentally place when you’re taking in the RHA T10i at first glance, but the earbuds take a little more getting used to.

In the end, though, the T10i’s buds are designed to sit in the ear with maximum comfort, and their smooth-pebble look is ultimately a pleasant alternative to other earbud designs that strive for something harsher, and that feel worse when worn as a result. Other design elements, including the flexible metal clad “ear hooks” that make up the final portion of each cable nearest the ear buds, the remote, and the cable end nearest the 3.5mm jack seems designed to result in a final product that is best able to withstand tangles, unceremonious packing and repeated removal/insertion in iPhones and other devices without cable breakage and with a reduction of wear.

Attention to detail is obvious, too, in the case that comes with the RHA T10i, which includes a metal card that holds additional earbuds and the swappable tuning tips. You won’t have to go digging for these accessories when you need them, as RHA appears to have thought of everything.

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“I wouldn’t be surprised if these were regarded as a ‘classic’ in even five or ten years’ time... If you’ve been waiting for a good in-ear headset to come along, don’t hesitate on grabbing the T10i.”

Sound When preparing this review, I had to go back and remind myself of the price when preparing the list of basic specs – and I honestly thought I’d made a mistake when the number I came up with was $200. The RHA T10i I’d be listening to could’ve easily cost $100 to $200 more than that, based on the kind of sound they deliver.

Out of the box, the RHA T10i have the neutral acoustic filters installed, which are screw-in components that go under the actual earbud tip and modulate the balance of the sound you’ll get from the devices. These basic, or reference ones, provided the perfect sound for me – rich, warm and inviting, but not overly heavy on the base, or too tinny in service of the kind of high-fidelity clarity only a purist can love.

The good news is that if you’re either a bass addict or a classical enthusiast, you can easily tag in the other two acoustic filters as needed, and essentially convert your earbuds into a completely different set, albeit with the same great construction and a high level of sound quality that persists despite the shifts in overall equalization. And because this is hardware level, not software-side equalization, you won’t notice any odd auditory effects from the change – and they’ll apply to all your music, unlike some of the app-based solutions provided by other companies.

RHA’s sound and comfort combo means that you can listen to these while also forgetting that you’re wearing earbuds for the most part, even while in motion and using them under toques or other hats, which is a rare achievement for this kind of audio hardware.

Bottom Line If you’re looking for a good pair of in-ear headphones, the RHA T10i are for you. They might be a bit outside the ideal target price range of most, since I often get asked what’s the best option at $100, but the extra $100 gets you a lot of additional benefit with the T10i over any comparable option. They’re better than in-ear headsets I’ve owned that have cost twice as much, in fact, and they seem designed to last. iPhone compatibility via the in-line remote is also great, and the sound quality on calls, even when used out on the street, is likewise top-notch.

I wouldn’t be surprised if these were regarded as a ‘classic’ in even five or ten years’ time, and one of the better bargains in mobile audio accessories. If you’ve been waiting for a good in-ear headset to come along, don’t hesitate on grabbing the T10i.

Tech Crunch

The Good The well-crafted, uniquely designed stainless-steel RHA T10i earbuds sound great and come with an abundance of accessories, including three sets of acoustic filters, 10 different eartips and a carrying case. You also get an Apple-friendly inline remote/microphone for making cell-phone calls.

The Bad They're a little weighty for in-ears and may not fit everyone comfortably. Some of the inline remote's functions won't work with Android and Windows Phone devices.

The Bottom Line While the design may not work for everyone, the RHA T10i earbuds are great-sounding and well-built, with some nice extras, including three sets of swappable acoustic filters.

Earphones are made out of all sorts of materials, but it's not too often that you hear about metal injection-molded, stainless-steel ones, which is why RHA's T10i model piqued our interest. They cost $199.95, £149.95 UK or €179.95 EUR (they're not not available in Australia, but the US price translates to about AU$227.)

In case you've never heard of RHA, it's a Scottish headphone maker, though its products are produced in the Far East, as most headphones are these days.

RHA says the stainless-steel T10i model features a handmade dynamic driver (model 770.1) "engineered to reproduce all genres of music with high levels of accuracy and detail." It's also interesting to note that the earphones include a tuning filter system that allows for frequency response customization. It's a feature we've seen on a few in-ears in the past (the high-end Phonak Audeo PFE 232 comes with acoustic filters), but you don't usually see it in a $200 headphone.

Everything about these seems well crafted -- from the housings to the reinforced, oxygen-free copper cable to the gold-plated plug -- and the sound is excellent, too. Factor in all the included accessories (RHA provides eartips in several different sizes and shapes along with a nice case), and you really feel like you're getting a lot of headphone for your money.

The only potential problem is the fit. The T10i earbuds are somewhat weighty for in-ears and the over-the-ear cable system won't appeal to everyone (I'm not a huge fan, while CNET audiophile Steve Guttenberg finds it more appealing).

I had a little trouble maintaining a tight seal, especially when I hit the streets and walked around with the earphones in. They were fairly comfortable, but I found myself regularly adjusting them in my ears. Also, the cords are fairly heavy, too. I was always aware the cord was there. Ideally, you want to forget you're wearing headphones.

view online >

“First impressions count for a lot and the T10i's were terrific on every count — bass, midrange, treble, low distortion, dynamics, stereo imaging. And the earbuds' clarity made us feel closer to the music.”

Part of the cord weight is due to the inline remote. It's sleek and sturdy, but it's got a little heft to it. The remote works with iPhones, controlling music transport and volume; don't expect them to work with Android and Windows Phone devices. Note, though, that the RHA T10 is also available, sans remote, for $10 or £10 cheaper.

Performance First impressions count for a lot and the T10i's were terrific on every count -- bass, midrange, treble, low distortion, dynamics, stereo imaging. And the earbuds' clarity made us feel closer to the music.

C-Net

The T10i is easily one of the weightiest pairs of in-ear headphones we’ve tested, but also one of the best built - improving on RHA's own MA750i we reviewed back in 2013. The use of stainless steel goes some way to explain the added weight and we actually found the extra heft reassuring.

Initially we were concerned the weight would mean they might be uncomfortable by pulling down when in your ears, but we were pleased to find this wasn't the case. Mouldable over-ear hooks help keep each earphone in place, with the cables looped behind your ears rather than straight down. You’re able to bend the hooks into a custom shape around your ears to remove any slack. The driverhousing is also reasonably low profile, sitting flush against your outer ear so they don’t protrude or succumb to the weight of gravity pulling them away from your ear canal.

RHA has been extremely generous with sleeves, which helps when it comes to comfort and finding a secure fit. There are three different sized silicone tips and you get two pairs of each, meaning you have a spare should you lose a set. It’s always annoying to lose a tip and have to resort to using a different size so we were glad to have a second pair. There are also two different sized double flange tips that provide a greater level of isolation as they sit a little further in your ear canal. On top of these you also get two pairs of memory foam tips, which we found provided the greatest seal.

You also get a well-made carry case, which offers a good level of protection while also being large enough that you don’t need to squeeze the earphones in. The sleeves and tuning filters also come with holders.

The T10i uses a Y-shaped cable, with an iPhone-compatible three button remote and microphone built into the the right earphone cable. Volume controls unfortunately don’t work with Android. The rubberised cable terminates in a straight 3.5mm jack that is reinforced with a spring, which should help with flexion. The only minor complaint we have with the T10i is the mix of materials and colours. It’s as though RHA has attempted to use as many shades of grey as possible for the cable, remote, microphone and driver housing, so the T10i lacks a degree of visual and material consistency.

Unlike in-ear headphones from Shure, the cable is designed more to be worn down your front, rather than run down your back, which is similar to how musicians often wear in-ear monitors. This method won't really work with the T10i because the microphone would then be located behind your neck, although if this isn’t an issue you can still wear them in this manner and take up the excess slack with a cable cinch.

Similar to the Alfa Genus Rock Jaw, the T10i uses interchangeable tuning filters in order to adapt its sound

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“The RHA T10i is a supremely comfortable pair of in-ear headphones that sound great with fantastic build quality.”

signature. Three sets are included: bass, reference and treble. We actually found the reference pair had more than adequate bass response for most tracks. When we did want a little more energy the bass tuning filters performed admirably by adding some extra warmth without muddying the sound. We were less impressed by the treble tuning filter as it caused the sound to become a little too bright. We spent most of our listening time with the reference tuning filters, however, preferring the flatter, more neutral sound signature, and found the sound delightfully delicate. The T10i’s dynamic drivers delivered crisp details in instrumentation and the sound stage was about as wide as you could expect from a pair of in-ear headphones at this price.

We’re big fans of the T10i. They not only sound great but they’re very well built, too. We found them significantly better than the similarly-priced Tonino Lamborghini Quantum HL-01 and also preferred them to the more expensive Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Titanium +remote. If you’re looking for a premium pair of in-ear headphones, the RHA T10i is a great choice especially considering its great three year warranty.

Expert Reviews

The T10i is easily one of the weightiest pairs of in-ear headphones we’ve tested, but also one of the best built - improving on RHA's own MA750i we reviewed back in 2013. The use of stainless steel goes some way to explain the added weight and we actually found the extra heft reassuring.

Initially we were concerned the weight would mean they might be uncomfortable by pulling down when in your ears, but we were pleased to find this wasn't the case. Mouldable over-ear hooks help keep each earphone in place, with the cables looped behind your ears rather than straight down. You’re able to bend the hooks into a custom shape around your ears to remove any slack. The driverhousing is also reasonably low profile, sitting flush against your outer ear so they don’t protrude or succumb to the weight of gravity pulling them away from your ear canal.

RHA has been extremely generous with sleeves, which helps when it comes to comfort and finding a secure fit. There are three different sized silicone tips and you get two pairs of each, meaning you have a spare should you lose a set. It’s always annoying to lose a tip and have to resort to using a different size so we were glad to have a second pair. There are also two different sized double flange tips that provide a greater level of isolation as they sit a little further in your ear canal. On top of these you also get two pairs of memory foam tips, which we found provided the greatest seal.

You also get a well-made carry case, which offers a good level of protection while also being large enough that you don’t need to squeeze the earphones in. The sleeves and tuning filters also come with holders.

The T10i uses a Y-shaped cable, with an iPhone-compatible three button remote and microphone built into the the right earphone cable. Volume controls unfortunately don’t work with Android. The rubberised cable terminates in a straight 3.5mm jack that is reinforced with a spring, which should help with flexion. The only minor complaint we have with the T10i is the mix of materials and colours. It’s as though RHA has attempted to use as many shades of grey as possible for the cable, remote, microphone and driver housing, so the T10i lacks a degree of visual and material consistency.

Unlike in-ear headphones from Shure, the cable is designed more to be worn down your front, rather than run down your back, which is similar to how musicians often wear in-ear monitors. This method won't really work with the T10i because the microphone would then be located behind your neck, although if this isn’t an issue you can still wear them in this manner and take up the excess slack with a cable cinch.

Similar to the Alfa Genus Rock Jaw, the T10i uses interchangeable tuning filters in order to adapt its sound

view online >

“The RHA T10i is a supremely comfortable pair of in-ear headphones that sound great with fantastic build quality.”

signature. Three sets are included: bass, reference and treble. We actually found the reference pair had more than adequate bass response for most tracks. When we did want a little more energy the bass tuning filters performed admirably by adding some extra warmth without muddying the sound. We were less impressed by the treble tuning filter as it caused the sound to become a little too bright. We spent most of our listening time with the reference tuning filters, however, preferring the flatter, more neutral sound signature, and found the sound delightfully delicate. The T10i’s dynamic drivers delivered crisp details in instrumentation and the sound stage was about as wide as you could expect from a pair of in-ear headphones at this price.

We’re big fans of the T10i. They not only sound great but they’re very well built, too. We found them significantly better than the similarly-priced Tonino Lamborghini Quantum HL-01 and also preferred them to the more expensive Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Titanium +remote. If you’re looking for a premium pair of in-ear headphones, the RHA T10i is a great choice especially considering its great three year warranty.

Huffington Post

Let me start by saying, I know headphones. I have reviewed a lot, I own a lot, and my ears have endured a lot. Generally speaking, function comes before form in my recommendations. Do they sound good? Are they comfortable? How much do they cost?

Only after these questions are positively answered do I then I allow myself to get excited over how pretty they are. Rarely am I able to reach that glorious final stage. To be frank: most tech that focuses on form ends up lacking in function (I’m looking at you, Beats). But every once in a while, my inner geek gets her day, and today it’s thanks to the British company RHA’s 750i. Now, knowing the substance is there, just look at them. Sigh...Sexy, no?

They’re beautifully designed, with small details that are generally only seen in headphones far more expensive. Those silvery bits? 303F grade stainless steel. (A Google search informed me that 303 grade steel has a psi of 89,900! So, very durable.) Not only is the 1/8th-inch jack reinforced with this steel, but there is also a spring that gently keeps the cable from kinking at the connection point. The cable is oxygen free, and has a velvety rubberized texture that feels both flexible and sturdy. The junction from main cable to individual ear cords is steel reinforced. Even the Apple compatible remote feels luxurious, snug in a little steel jacket.

The in-ear buds are supported by the cable being worn over the ear, which historically speaking, I’ve disliked. Many headphones’ over-ear designs have cables that rub against and chafe the delicate skin between one’s ears and skull, especially when wearing glasses of some kind. Not so with the 750is. Somehow the texture and structure of the cord is such that I wore my test pair for several hours very comfortably.

Included with the headphones are tips of varying shapes and sizes, which are all housed in a genius little business-card-like caddy. The types of tips are single flange silicone (s,m,l), double flange silicone (s,m,l) and two sets of Comply. The caddy not only keeps the tips organized, but handy, as the card fits into elastic straps in the included faux-leather carrying case. The carrying case also has a little mesh pocket, perfect for holding the also-included shirt clip. It’s these small but thoughtful details that transform liking headphones into loving them.

What else is there to love? The sound. Exciting and clear, with emphasis on the upper mids and bass. While this isn’t by any means an even frequency response, it’s not a bad one either.

Rock, hip hop, and electronica sound intense and forward. Try listening to this: The Who’s “Baba O’Riley”: the electric organ sounds smooth and rich, and you can even hear the old strings on the piano vibrate in the intro. Once the guitars kick

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“They are a fantastic buy for those looking to make the leap into higher end headphones. Think of them as the Aston Martin of headphones.”

in and the layers of sound come at you like a crashing wave, you’re ready to kick some arse.

Or Radiohead’s “I Might Be Wrong”: deep low bass guitar with snares snapping on top. The 750i’s bass response is strong, but it doesn’t overtake the rest of the frequencies.

Or, Estelle’s “American Boy”: The thumping synth bassline never drowns out the buttery vocals. The sound profile reminded me of the AKG 376s, but in a far classier package. And although they lack the sense of sonic depth and space that the RBH EP2 or Bowers and Wilkins C5s have, they are also around $60 less expensive, and arguably more solidly built.

The writers at The Huffington Post and British Esquire like them too.

While I wouldn’t use the 750is for studio monitors in mixing, I do enjoy them for rocking out. The overall feeling is vivid and fun. Add in the consideration that you can get them for around $120, they are a fantastic buy for those looking to make the leap into higher end headphones. Think of them as the Aston Martin of headphones: stylish, classic, zippy, exciting. And bugger me, they sure are pretty!

Sound + Vision

For years at trade shows, I have been passing the stand of an intriguingly subfusc British headphone company called RHA. I always note down the name, take its interesting, very black brochure and promise to get hold of one of its products – and then, well, I don’t get round to it.

RHA isn’t what you’d call pushy, which may sound nice, but its quietness works to the extent that nobody I know in techie circles has (until recently) a view of any kind on the brand. A search of its website doesn’t help a lot in establishing who it is or what it’s like, other than that it is obviously high-end. The website is remarkably spare on details about the company, its heritage, anything, and only a scan of the legal section shows its official name is Reid Heath. My own mini-investigation, however, reveals it to be a Glasgow company whose HQ is “in the shadow of the Finnieston Crane”.

This is odd because it sounds like the kind of background a company could make a great deal of. A few months ago, I finally made contact and asked for a sample of whatever it was currently most proud of. RHA complied quickly but, again, the beautifully packaged MA750i headphones it sent remained on my shelf unopened, as if the company’s shyness is shared by its products. They just weren’t shouty enough. Even the price (£90) wasn’t extravagant enough for me to want to tear them from their box and try them out.

Yet now I have finally got round to testing them, they are quite superb, especially – and this is an important point – when you’ve let them run in for a few hours, a common requirement with good headphones and loudspeakers.

The MA750i is an in-ear model, but one supported by a nicely springy ear loop, making the headphones ideal for the gym or running. The build quality is top rank: they are machined from stainless steel and have the best type of springy, durable cabling, with no concession at all to the middle-market price. Even the excellent carrying case and selection of alternative tips resonate quality. This product could easily sell for £150 or more – especially when you hear the rounded but still exciting sound. It has a design characteristic (who knew?) of RHA called “Aerophonic”, meaning it’s inspired by the airflow and the acoustic properties of a trumpet bell. I’m not sure if that would pass without comment from rival audio companies, but it worked for me.

The MA750i cans are also extremely comfortable and have a three-year guarantee (as if anyone will manage not to lose a pair of in-ear headphones within three years).

Oh, and on the shyness front, as I write this, by coincidence, a thick, tasteful invitation plops through my letterbox to the launch in Berlin of a new RHA product, promising to be a serious audio breakthrough of some kind. A quaint

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“The build quality is top rank: they are machined from stainless steel and have the best type of springy, durable cabling, with no concession at all.”

but effective marketing idea, using the post – and maybe a welcome end to RHA’s introverted phase.

Financial Times

Endless wires, bulky headphones and noisy trains are just some of the reasons why listening to music on the go can be a bit of an ordeal. British headphone company RHA have the solution.

Engineered from individual stainless steel components, the in-ear headphones have been specially designed to produce a greater depth of sound and cut out background noise.

Esquireview online >

“Engineered from individual stainless steel components, the in-ear headphones have been specially designed to produce a greater depth of sound and cut out background noise.”

RHA is a British (well, Scottish) audio manufacturer that aims to revise our thinking on what a genuinely modestly priced pair of earphones can be and do, both in terms of sound and build quality. As a case in point, I would cite RHA’s flagship model, the MA750i which sells for $129.95 (US), £89.95 (UK), or €99.95 (EU). If you stop to think about it, you could easily go out with your mates, spring for some delectable pub grub and a few pints, only to find you’d actually spent more for the evening than RHA’s top-flite MA750i would have cost you. In my book, this math makes the MA750i a potential bargain (or what we Amurricans might call “a screamin’ good deal”), provided the earphones sound good and are well made. But is that the case?

Yes. Full stop.

We could pretty much end this review right there, but it would hardly seem sporting of me. After all, surely Hi-Fi+ readers are eager to learn how and why a British earphone is acquiring a bit of a reputation as a giant killer on both sides of the Atlantic and on both sides of the English Channel. I generally prefer to leave discussions of sonic character for last, so let’s begin by looking at what your £89.95 will buy you if you invest in a set of MA750i’s.

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“It is hands down the finest earphone I've heard at its price point.”

When you open the box you’ll discover the MA750i is beautifully made. For starters, its earpiece enclosures are made of machined 303F-grade stainless steel, which creates a strong, positive first impression. Nothing—absolutely nothing—looks cheaply made, here. The ‘phones are supplied with a large diameter set of smoothly-jacketed, steel reinforced, oxygen free signal cables that terminate in a robust, knurled metal mini-plug fitted with a gold plated, four-conductor plug tip. The “four-conductor” bit refers to the fact that the MA750i is fully iPod/iPhone/iPad compatible and accordingly comes with a machined metal in-line three-button remote/mic module (with soft rubber button surfaces for better ergonomics). Sturdy strain reliefs are fitted where the signal cables enter the earpieces and where the signal cable routes into the connector plug. Even the “Y-yoke” (the joint where the left and right earpiece leads join the main signal cable) is handled via a knurled metal connector whose fit and finish mimic those of the main output connector.

HiFi+

The Good The well-crafted, uniquely designed stainless-steel RHA T10i earbuds sound great and come with an abundance of accessories, including three sets of acoustic filters, 10 different eartips and a carrying case. You also get an Apple-friendly inline remote/microphone for making cell-phone calls.

The Bad They're a little weighty for in-ears and may not fit everyone comfortably. Some of the inline remote's functions won't work with Android and Windows Phone devices.

The Bottom Line While the design may not work for everyone, the RHA T10i earbuds are great-sounding and well-built, with some nice extras, including three sets of swappable acoustic filters.

Earphones are made out of all sorts of materials, but it's not too often that you hear about metal injection-molded, stainless-steel ones, which is why RHA's T10i model piqued our interest. They cost $199.95, £149.95 UK or €179.95 EUR (they're not not available in Australia, but the US price translates to about AU$227.)

In case you've never heard of RHA, it's a Scottish headphone maker, though its products are produced in the Far East, as most headphones are these days.

RHA says the stainless-steel T10i model features a handmade dynamic driver (model 770.1) "engineered to reproduce all genres of music with high levels of accuracy and detail." It's also interesting to note that the earphones include a tuning filter system that allows for frequency response customization. It's a feature we've seen on a few in-ears in the past (the high-end Phonak Audeo PFE 232 comes with acoustic filters), but you don't usually see it in a $200 headphone.

Everything about these seems well crafted -- from the housings to the reinforced, oxygen-free copper cable to the gold-plated plug -- and the sound is excellent, too. Factor in all the included accessories (RHA provides eartips in several different sizes and shapes along with a nice case), and you really feel like you're getting a lot of headphone for your money.

The only potential problem is the fit. The T10i earbuds are somewhat weighty for in-ears and the over-the-ear cable system won't appeal to everyone (I'm not a huge fan, while CNET audiophile Steve Guttenberg finds it more appealing).

I had a little trouble maintaining a tight seal, especially when I hit the streets and walked around with the earphones in. They were fairly comfortable, but I found myself regularly adjusting them in my ears. Also, the cords are fairly heavy, too. I was always aware the cord was there. Ideally, you want to forget you're wearing headphones.

view online >

“First impressions count for a lot and the T10i's were terrific on every count — bass, midrange, treble, low distortion, dynamics, stereo imaging. And the earbuds' clarity made us feel closer to the music.”

Part of the cord weight is due to the inline remote. It's sleek and sturdy, but it's got a little heft to it. The remote works with iPhones, controlling music transport and volume; don't expect them to work with Android and Windows Phone devices. Note, though, that the RHA T10 is also available, sans remote, for $10 or £10 cheaper.

Performance First impressions count for a lot and the T10i's were terrific on every count -- bass, midrange, treble, low distortion, dynamics, stereo imaging. And the earbuds' clarity made us feel closer to the music.

C-Net