RHA MA-350

Full review here:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/691442/review-rha-ma350
 

 
 
 
First of all, I must note that the version I got seems to be a newer one as it differs from the ones I've seen online. The box is different, the plug is angled and not straight, the nozzle filter is black and the included eartips are "hybrid-style" ones. So please take this into consideration as my impressions might be quite different, and so it seems, from previous MA350's reviews.
 
There's a lot to like about these RHA model, and it's hard to find a weak point on them. The overall sound is on the warm side, rich and fun, and full through all the frequencies, with a slightly lively presentation.
 
 
Bass is strong and punchy, but not lacking control. Sub-bass manages to reach deep and offers a fun rumble. There’s an extra mid-bass lift which makes the 350 sound fuller, but not overwhelming to offend the lower mids. Not as powerful and thick as the heavier sets such as the Dunu DN-23 and, fortunately, don't have the Brainwavz M5 annoying upper-bass 'hump'. Of course, there's no need to mention they're far from AF45 bass levels. A good comparison should be the VSD1-S, as both are very close both in quantity and quality terms, being the RHA just slightly boomier on times, but do share a very similar presentation.
 
Midrange is very slightly forwarded at best, not recessed for sure. Neither dry nor too sweet, but do have a decent sense of fullness. Not as effortless as the above mentioned VSD1-S though, but yet a bit thicker than the ATH CKM500 (which have the edge when it comes to overall clarity and openness - not very surprising considering the open-design of the AT). Vocals are more forwarded and nicely positioned. Female ones aren't as sweet as with more mid-centered in-ears, such as the VSD1-S with their special coloration, but on the other hand, both male and female vocals are evenly positioned (something that the Vsonic were really lacking). However, both RHA and Vsonic are far from to the pricier RE-400, which offer a much more intelligent, coherent and, mainly, beautiful vocals reproduction. Anyway, considering the stronger bass and added highs, the MA350's midrange was nicely made and won't dissapoint with most genres.
 
Following the lively signature, the highs are more prominent, very crispy and sparkly with a nice extension and very good clarity for the asked price. They are less forgiving than the smoother RE-400, and in a lesser degree, than the VSD1-S (which are already smoother within the Vsonic's budget line), but not sibilant or harsh unless used on higher volumes.
 
Soundstage is quite good, wide and open with a right sense of air and separation. A very enjoyable and catching sound, indeed.

Introduction:
Reid Heath Audio is somewhat of a new comer to the world of audio. Their main branch, Reid Heath Ltd. is still not very big. However, their company represenatives were homley and their web page yells humble.  They are ambitious in getting the word out about their company from the looks of it. I recently spotted their company at an Apple store. Amazing isn’t it, what people with a dream can achieve. I would like to thank RHA for arranging the review samples and Warren for the recommendation.Now let’s take a look at their earphone.
 
Read the review here:
http://www.pandatechreview.com/rha-ma-350-review/
Unit Quality:
-Utilitarian, light but well structured-

The MA-350 boasts of its use of Machined Aluminum and it should. The driver housing, from the looks of it, is comprised completely of this material. Many companies obviously use Aluminum. But few use it in such a way that RHA did. Many will add designs, and plastics, and other things to the housings aluminum faceplate or body. This weighs the unit housing down. RHA goes utilitarian and gives you a light weight housing for the driver. It is very light, but isn’t exactly weak. I wouldn’t and haven’t actually tried to step on them but they seem to hold up well. Scratching the black faceplate wasn’t really an issue but I can see it happening.

The cable however is really like many of the braided cables out there at this price point. Skinny, light, and flexible. However, this adds microphonics and feels a bit too weak. From the cable to the headphone jack feels a bit underwhelming.  The cable does also get kinks in it. It is still hard enough at sections to scrunch up. It is basically an ordinary cable at this range of headphones.


Microphonics:
Microphonics is the annoying sound made by cables due to a variety of factors.

Yes (and the masses go wild!). This earphone has a problem with microphonics. I hinted at it with the cable part. But just like many ordinary cables at this range, it also has the problem that hits many other earphones.  The dreaded microphonics syndrome plagues it.  It is quite bad. I’ve had to awkwardly wear the cable over ear in most situations to escape it. I can usually not do this while at the desk for most earphones that have this. But the mere touch of the cable to my clothing would give me the plague. Sorry.

Sibilance:
Ahh yisssssss. Sibilance is another dreaded thing that we hate. It is the audible sound of s’s and many others. It is a demon of many heads.  Thankfully, RHA had slain the dragon with the MA-350’s. There are some times when it may arise. But those are mainly due to some sonic qualities of this unit (more later) and the track itself. For now, you may rejoice.


Isolation:
Don’t want to hear Harley’s while you listen to music? Don’t want to let your friends know that you actually am sick with Bieber fever? Well then knave, carry on reading. In terms of blocking out outside noise, the RHA’s do perform below average. Keep in mind that average is already quite good. At a ‘decent’ volume, some annoying vehicles and etc could still be heard. It may be due to the thin aluminum. As for personal isolation, these keep your secret nice and safe. As long as the buds are in properly that is. Pop them out, and they do have enough sound coming out of them when you are jamming that anyone will ‘know’. I mean who doesn’t know “BABY! BABY BABY! OOOOO!!”

Usability:
I will admit that I do not prefer using these for the sole purpose of microphonics. Wearing these over ear gives a weird cable loop that extends a bit too far. Besides that, there is nothing extra ordinary to note.


Driveability:
iPod/pmp is fine. Very easy to drive these things. It’s impedance is low so watch out.

Sound Quality introduction:

These RHA MA-350 go for $39.95. But how do they sound? Well, quite above average. You were expecting another one of my famous out bursts huh? I would say it is quite a lollipop.

Highs:
-holds well, not too fatiguing, done well-

The high frequency response of these held out quite admirably. Most earphones at this price range make the mistake of giving a consumer highs and doing it wrong. Most don’t even bother giving you a high frequency range anymore. This means very sharp highs that want to make your ears bleed or none at all. I attribute this to the problem of teens today. The RHA’s however do give you a good high. Not perfect but good. It hits high and holds. It wouldn’t be a silky smooth high frequency response but is quite admirable. There are a few times when the highs doe escape their path and lead to some bright moments though.  It is a good addition to the MA350 but I do wish for a smoother high frequency next time.

Mids:
-right in the middle, sweet, fatiguing after a while, dynamic-

So first we start with the vocals. I would not say that the vocals are forward or laid back. Background instruments are a bit louder than the vocals so you can say that they are. But they aren’t pulled back enough for me to say that they are really a backup. The energy is still enough that you can still enjoy it. The vocals are very dynamic. They cover a variety of roles and don’t become like flat soda. There is a bit of a spike in the upper mids that do cause fatigue though. These are some bursts of this spectrum that adds to the fatigue sadly.

The mid range instrumental spectrum is done well.  Smooth and dynamic are the words I would give it. They do become a bit louder than the vocals on general (unless the track differentiates and makes it differently).  So they do become a show stealer many times. Instruments have above average separation and clarity. They are good sounding. But the problem with the vocals comes back. That little spike in the upper mids that just gives a knock on fatigue lane.

Lows:
-punchy but without orthodox impact-

For earphones at this range, a bassier earphone is always welcome. The MA 350’s give you the bass of many other earphones but with a noticeable less amount of impact. It is still there but much more subtle. You are getting the bass response but without the actual ear drum thumping signal, or most of it that is.  This is a feature more often found in higher tier IEM’s. Glad that it is there.

The sub bass and mid bass also share qualities that the bass response gives. They are there is very good proportions. It isn’t extended too deeply, not too little, and not too much.

Conclusion:
The MA-350’s do get a bit fatiguing after a while, but it has a nice sweet dynamic sound. It isn’t as musical(long term enjoyment) as many earphones though. There really wasn’t a set genre that I could jam too without comparing the MA-350 to other IEM’s that give you a very fun sound. However, this right here is another feature of higher end IEM’s. It’s just that the MA-350’s neither fall on the musical side, nor a good replica of higher end sound.  

Specs:
Freq Range: 16Hz to 22KHz
Impedance: 16 Ohms
Rated max power: 3/10mW
Sensitivity: 103dB



Package contents:
Carry case soft
S/M/L tips
Earphone
Price:
$39.95


Pros:
Good Dynamic sound
lightweight
price

Cons:
Cable Microphonics
A bit too light for some
Fatigue
Usability

Where do I buy these?:

Click here for Amazon link

RHA Official Website Earbud page:

Click here

Ratings:
Unit Quality: 8/10
Isolation: 7.5/10
Microphonics: 5/10
Usability:7/10
Sound Quality: 8.5/10
Value: 8/10

First off, I would like to thank RHA for sending me the MA350's for a review! 
 
I am going to get right into the review now. 

Specs:
Driver size: 10mm Mylar
Frequency range: 16-22,000Hz
Impedance: 16ohms
Sensitivity: 103dB
Rated/max power: 3/10mW
 
When I first received the MA350's and opened them, the packaging was good. A rectangle cardboard box with a plastic cover in the front, displaying the headphones. On the back you can see the specs of the MA350's, and a paragraph on why they were designed. The packaging is great for a $40 earphone. When I opened the box, inside I found a users guide, small and large tips, (The medium size tips are already on the MA350's) and a carrying case. It doesn't come with lots of accessories, but that isn't really an issue. 

Accessories: The MA350's come with 3 sizes of tips. Small, Medium, and Large. They also have a nice, velour type carrying case. The carrying case is black. It is plenty big for the earphones. You couldn't fit an iPod in the case, but if you need to, possibly an extra earphone or two. The case has a drawstring on it, so you can tighten and loosen the case if needed. One thing about the case though, is how it attracts dust and pet hair. I dropped the case on the floor just to test it out, and a lot of dust/ pet hair got on it. The pet hair was easy to get off, but the dust was nearly impossible to get off. Unless you plan to show off the case, it shouldn't really be a problem. 

Build: The build quality on the MA350's is very nice. Every time I hold them in my hand, I can't help feeling how smooth they are. The MA350's are made out of Machined aluminum. It is very solid. I have not found any faults in them at all, and they seem like they will last a very long time. The earphones come with a 3-year warranty. Unless put under a lot of stress, the MA350s shouldn't break under normal use. The cable is a well built, braided cable. It seems nice and strong, and I don't think it will break anytime soon. But having the braided cable, the cables rubbing is pretty annoying. The tips are kind of difficult to get off, so when taking them out of your ears, a tip shouldn't fall off. The warranty includes complete coverage for 3 years from the date of purchase, so if you manage to break them, RHA has you covered. 

Appearance: The MA350's from the back are all black, with the RHA letters on them, in a nice white color. From the front, they are a nice silver aluminum color. The two colors go together very nicely. When worn out in public, I didn't get many looks or stares. But when paired with a bright outfit, the earphones compliment the outfit very nicely. One thing I thought could be different color was the Right and Left markers. The "L" and "R" markers are black, on top of the same color black, which in dim light, made it very hard to see which is which. The ear tips are black. The overall appearance, is simple, yet stylish. 

Comfort: As with most earphones, comfort is subjective. I found the MA350's to be comfortable for around an hour, until my ears started to become a little sore. The MA350's really didn't stay into my ear too well, falling out a little too frequently, causing me to not get a good seal. When I could get a good seal, the isolation was average for an IEM. The comfort/ isolation may be better with different tips. Overall, the comfort / seal wasn't up to par. 

Sound: The sound on the MA350's is pretty good. I wouldn't say the best bang for your buck at $40, but definitely worth the full retail price. 

Bass: The bass is very good. There is a decent amount of Sub-bass and a nice amount of Mid-bass. You will get the nice rumbling lows, and plenty of punchy-ness when you need it. You won't find any muddiness or bloated bass here. The bass play's in nice with the other frequencies, by not overpowering the mids or treble. But, there isn't a large enough quantity of bass for these earphones to be deemed a bass-head headphone. So bass-heads should look elsewhere.   

Mids: The mids are slightly recessed. Just slightly. Not really enough to called be a v-shaped earphone, but the mids are slightly recessed.

Treble: The Treble is pretty nice. It is bright and sparkly. The is a little bit of sibilance, but not much. The detail and instrument separation is very nice. The soundstage is on par for a $40 IEM. 

Overall, the MA350s are a great pair of earphones. Nice bass with a punch to them, and a bright, sparkly Treble. A very good build too. Sightly recessed mids and annoying Cable noise keep these earphones from getting a 4 star review. If you need a nice sounding, portable IEM for around $40, the MA350s are a great choice. I would recommend them for just that.