About Myself:
I am just an average consumer who tries to listen to music just the way they are meant to be heard. I currently have a Sennheiser HD598SE, Fiio Q1 as an amp, and lz a4, rha t20i, rha ma390u and some other cheap in ears. My current favorite is the lz a4 and I will be writing a review for it shortly. Now onto the review.

Preamble:

I have the RHA T20i for about 4 months and I have burned it with my mixed tracks of pink and white noise for about 100hrs. In short they are quite good for their price and their filter system is just an icing on top of their cake.

Box Contents:

Now, this I must say at first. The unboxing experience of these were just one of a kind for me. I never thought someone could showcase their iems like this! This makes for a very good first impression. These iems contain everything that a man needs to fit them in their ears (but the sad thing is, even with that, it was kind of itchy inside my ears). The box contains 6 pairs of single flange eartips (s,m,l), 2 pairs of double-flange eartips (s,l) and 2 pairs of Comply foam eartips. They also include a carrying case, a shirt clip, a manual and of course the three tuning filters for the bass, mids and treble.
Build Quality:

These pair of iems have an outstanding build quality. They are built like a tank and are built to last. I think that there are hardly any iem manufacturer who uses injection moulded steel for their iems as it is a long and tedious process and also not much cost-effective. But these iems do not come with detachable cables which is quite a letdown considering the price of the iem. Should anything happen to the cable, you have to send it to RHA for RMA! But still, all jokes aside, this really is a major omission from such an expensive pair of iems. The cable is made of OFC and the outer covering is made of silicon.Also the cable feels rubbery and sticky to the touch which I don’t like much. But the cable is quite sturdy and should survive quite a while if handled properly. Also, I have never seen such a highly protected y-split and headphone jack. RHA has really taken it to the next level in the headphone jack department; the strain relief on the jack is the best i have seen and it feels really durable and premium.

Comfort:
Now this is one of those areas where YMMV. For me even after trying out all the tips including the foam tips, i could not find something that is both comfortable and isolating. The only one that at least was the least irritating to my ears were the small double-flange tips. They maintained a good seal but it still was uncomfortable for me. Also the shell of the iem often made contact with my inner ear and it was painful. But eventually, I adjusted with it and now, they don't bug me no more.

Filters:
Now, I am making a separate section for the filters as it is one of the main features of the iem. Now, I have read in some forums that people are telling that the filters are a gimmick so let me clear this once and for all - they are not a gimmick, they really do change the sound signature a bit which can be felt by any listener. Now, about the filters, there are 3 types of them included. The black one is for bass, the white one is for reference and the gold one is for treble. Now all of them changes the sound signature subtly without changing the actual sound signature of the iems.

Sound:

I am going to be using the bass filter for this sound review as I mostly listen to edm, rap, and also some acoustic songs. The sound signature on these iems is slightly v-shaped which means that there is more emphasis on the bass and the treble than the mids. The audio is going to be flac and they will be output from my pc via fiio q1.

(i) Bass:
Now obviously with the bass filter, the bass really pops out in most of the songs. At moderate volumes, the bass is quite punchy and enjoyable and most people will enjoy it. The bass is really tight and dynamic and it never bleeds into the lower mids. The sub-bass digs really deep and the the mid-bass is quite present in them. There is a bit of a peak near the 100Hz which gives it that "thump". All the edm and pop songs sound really nice with the bass filter on. But at times, it becomes a little harsh at higher volumes, But that's about the only con I could find at the bass department.

(ii) Mids:
The mids are clear and forward on these iem. Both male vocalists and female vocalists sound good on these earphones. Idina Menzel's 'Let It Go' sounds really good on them. Also vocals sound natural and intimate (That means that it seems as if they are singing just to you due to a narrow sound stage). You should give it a try!

(iii) Treble:
The treble is quite strong on this iem and you can literally feel the strings if the guitar in Stairway to Heaven. There is a slight peak at the 1 kHz range which provides a nice bite to guitars and other string instruments. Also the treble is not harsh at high volumes which is nice.

(iv) Sound stage:
Now, the sound stage is not that wide on this iem. It has depth but not width. Also, the instrument separation and detail is extremely good. The amount of detail this iem can replicate is simply amazing. You can listen to some of the tracks you hear almost on a daily basis and you can find something that you have never heard of in your songs!

Now, on to the pros and cons:

Pros:
(i) Well built
(ii) Great Sound
(iii) Good Instrument Separation

Cons:
(i) No removable cable
(ii) Bass can be a bit harsh at high volumes
(iii) May take some time getting the fit right
(iv) Average soundstage

Conclusion: These are a great pair of iem but they do come at a cost of $200 which is not inexpensive for an iem, but still if anyone who has a budget of $200 for an iem, I would highly recommend them to at least give these iem a try, they won't disappoint you.

Many thanks to RHA for RHA T20 Tour Program!
The T20 unit in this review is demo unit from the RHA T20 Tour Program:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/770875/rha-t20-tour-program-reviewers-wanted

Product webpage:
http://www.rha-audio.com/us/t20.html


 

Usually I need at least a month to properly review an earphone, this time I only had more than a week to review it, so not going to be a detailed review, but I'll do my best. I was the 3rd in the sequence, and the other 2 reviewers before me already burnt-in the T20 for a total of approximately 4 days. I did another 2 days of burn-in, and I don't hear any difference before and after the 2 days burn-in. So just a small note, that I have no experience of how T20 sounds before burn-in.


 
 

Summary
As usual, I prefer to start my review with summary before going into detail.
I would give 5 stars for the design, build quality, and the precision craftsmanship of the RHA T20. The stainless steel shell looks really nice and seems to be very durable. Cable and headphone jack were of good quality too. Comfort and fit were perfect for me, very comfortable for long period of use. Besides that, noise isolation is very good and effective, better than many other IEMs.

Sound quality wise, in my opinion RHA T20 is more of a fun sounding IEM with excellent build quality and comfort for daily easy listening, and not for those who are looking for accurate sounding IEM for critical listening. T20 is quite enjoyable especially for slow to medium pace of music, but doesn't perform very well on fast pace music and complex orchestra. The tonality is mildly V shape with Reference filter and stock silicone eartips, but tune-able and can be improved to a certain degree by the combination of tuning filters and other eartips. I will describe the tonality in detail later. What I feel a little lacking is dynamic, tightness and control, mainly on the bass. Bass has good volume and body but lacking tightness, control, and texture. I also expect a more spacious and holographic type of stereo imaging, but probably it is not the T20 forte. Stereo imaging is more towards intimate presentation, not very spacious and lacking a bit of depth, but overall not congested and still acceptable. Overall sound quality is pretty good, big bass, fun and enjoyable for some music; just don't expect a giant killer IEM. Pop, EDM, and other modern genres with closed miking recording techniques are recommended for T20. But I don't recommend classical, binaural, and other natural, distant miking recordings. I honestly never been highly impressed by T20 and expect better sound quality from a flagship model, especially in this price category. It doesn’t mean that T20 sounds bad, because it is not. It is just that I expect more of it. Well, we all have different personal preferences, the fun and tune-able tonality of T20 could probably be someone else cup of tea, so YMMV. 

 


Pros:

1. Excellent build quality.
2. Excellent comfort and fit.
3. Very good noise isolation.
4. 3 Sound filters for tonality tuning.
5. No driver flex.
6. Very nice pouch and generous accessories.

Cons:

1. Bass tightness, resolution, and stereo imaging spaciousness are not great for the price category.
2. 1.5 meters (measured) cable could be too long for portable use.

Suggestions for improvements:

1. Dynamic, resolution, and stereo imaging.
2. To include SpinFit and Triple flange eartips as part of stock eartips.

Build Quality & Comfort
Build quality of RHA T20 is really impressive. The stainless steel shell, Y splitter, and headphone jack looks really nice, solid with precision craftsmanship. The shell feels so solid that it should be able to withstand daily usage with ease. Not only solid and excellent craftsmanship, T20 fit and comfort are excellent. I could use it for hours comfortably. It flushes nicely in the ear, so that it can be used on sleeping position. It fits really well on my ears that it always stay nicely in position even when doing a lot of physical activities or exercising. Practically T20 can be used for any activities. T20 is really one of the most comfortable IEM I ever tried. 

 

The cable also feels good, with the right thickness, it feels very durable. The cable jacket is the rubbery type, but it is not coiling at all. At approximately 1.5 meter, I feel the cable is a little too long for on the go, but just nice for desktop use. When using T20 for walking or jogging, I do hear mild microphonics (cable mechanical noise that transmitted to earphones when cable in contact / friction with shirt or other object), but pretty mild, below annoying level. Near the earphone housing there is memory wire for over the ear wearing style. The memory wire is quite soft, with just the right amount of stiffness to keep the shape. In general I prefer soft memory wire (or without memory wire), than the stiffer one.

RHA T20 build quality and comfort are top notch! I would give 5 stars for build quality and comfort.

 



Tuning Filters
Beside the generous eartips, sound tuning filters are probably the most interesting accessories of the T20. The tuning filters are replaceable nozzles with different density of foam damping inside the nozzle.
Treble Filter: No foam damping.
Reference Filter: Medium density foam damping.
Bass Filter: High density foam damping.

 
 
 

Reference and Bass filters are generally my preferred filters. Treble filter has too much treble and treble sounds glaring to me. Performance of each filter will be elaborated in sound quality section.




Sound Quality
With only around 9 days of evaluation period, I couldn't do extensive listening for every filter and test it with various players and eartips. 7 days (9 days minus 2 days burn-in) is practically too short for me to do proper sound quality analysis, so please read it with a pinch of salt.

 

In my philosophy for sound analysis, I'm quite relaxed with various flavours of tonality, as long as it doesn't deviate too much from what I perceived as natural sound. I don't restrict myself to like only a particular tonality. I experienced that bright, bassy, warm, or neutral sounds signature can be musical and enjoyable in their own way, as long as it doesn't go too extreme, and the perceived frequency response is still perceive-ably a smooth curve or close to linear. What I hate most are annoying peaks and dips in the frequency response. If I detect any annoying peaks or dips in the frequency response, I will rate it below 4 stars. Beside the frequency response, there are other very important parameters such as: Perceived level of details, transparency and clarity, instrument separation, spaciousness (holographic imaging), and dynamic. Those parameters are very important and set apart great performers from the average ones. For those parameters, I have less tolerance and expect the best.

In general T20 sounds better on slightly louder volume, as the dynamic improves slightly. Though I don't recommend listening music with loud volume (over 85 dB). With many combinations of sound filters and eartips, RHA T20 provides a wide gamut of sound signatures. It will take weeks to really get familiar to each combination. I've tested it with all the sound filters, the provided eartips, plus some other eartips of mine: SpinFit, triple flange, & Comply T500. Some combination sounds good, but unfortunately from what I've tried so far, I couldn't find any combination that I found highly impressive. Some combinations are quite enjoyable, but not at the level that in my opinion sounds really great. So from my limited experience with T20, honestly I have to say, T20 is not really my cup of tea. It doesn't mean it sounds bad, because it is actually pretty good and enjoyable, and I did enjoy some of my collections with T20, but I have other IEMs that I enjoy more.

 

Beside the various tonality it offers, the following are the general T20 performance for other parameters:
Perceived level of detail & resolution are decent and not lacking, but I would say it is about average in this price range. T20 is not detail monster, and not for those who are looking to hear micro details. There are other IEMs in this price category that offer higher level of details, for example DUNU DN-2000. Please take note that some users might prefer smoother presentation without too much perceived detail for less fatiguing listening experience. So YMMV.
Instrument separation and holographic imaging are ok, around average performance, and improved slightly when using better eartips such as SpinFit and triple flange. Instrument separation of T20 is not sharply focus and defined like what we hear from a good BA or Hybrid IEMs, but I would say pretty decent. Stereo imaging is a little narrow to my liking, but quite decent for a single dynamic driver IEM.
Transparency and clarity are pretty good. Clarity is actually pretty high, but sometime doesn't sound very natural due to mild treble peak around lower treble area at 3 kHz - 5 kHz, but the upper treble extension that creates the sense of transparency and airiness is rolled off a bit too early, and slightly lacking. Treble filter unfortunately doesn't really help, only increase the lower treble peak that makes it sound less natural.
Bass dynamic and texture is a bit lacking. Especially when using the stock silicone eartips, bass is lacking texture and sometime may sounds lazy, cannot cope fast pace bass. But it improves a little with other eartips such as SpinFit.

The dual voice coils dynamic drivers seem need more improvement and tweaking to shine. At least on T20, I don't really hear the advantage of the dual voice coils over regular single coil dynamic. 



Since the tonality differs by the combination of tuning filters and eartips, The following is the tonality observation based on some combination of tuning filters and eartips.

 


Treble Filter (Cooper color)
Treble filter has no damping material in it, so basically just nozzle with no filter. It is the least favorable among the 3 filters. I couldn't find any favorable sound signature with the treble filter. As mentioned before, treble filter doesn't really help to make the treble sounds more linear, but increasing lower treble peak that to me is a bit annoying.



Reference Filter (Silver color)
With the right eartips, reference filter gives the most balanced tonality. Mildly V shape with some emphasize on bass and lower treble region. Bass level is good, mildly bassy with decent low bass extension. Bass is a little boomy and not very tight, as mentioned earlier. T20 is quite eartips dependent, therefore sound quality varies between eartips. The following is the list of some of the eartips I tried with the Reference filter, from the most favourable to the least, top down.

Triple Flange Eartips (from Brainwavz S5)
Best tonal balance, no annoying peaks and dips, smooth sounding, with pretty good dynamic. Slightly better than the stock foam eartips.
Triple flange does magic again. I noticed triple flange eartips often give great improvement to the sound quality on some IEMs (tested on Brainwavz S5, DUNU Titan 1, and now RHAT20). But there is one problem, not many people find it comfortable to use triple flange. So practically it may not be a good option for some people.

SpinFit
SpinFit is my preferred eartips after triple flange. It mildly improves the treble in a nice way. Overall tonality is quite balance and mildly brighter in comparison to the triple flange eartips. I found SpinFit to be a better alternative over the stock silicone eartips. In comparison with stock silicone eartips, SpinFit moves the treble emphasize higher to probably around 7-9 kHz, improving transparency and reducing treble glares.

Stock Foam Eartips
RHA foam eatips is denser and a harder than Comply T500. Comply T500 doesn't sound as good as the stock foam eartips on T20, bass is leaner and overall tonality sounds thinner. Dynamic using Comply T500 is also not as good as stock foam eartip. The stock foam eartips has slightly better performance than the stock grey silicone eartips. Tonality is less V shape, more linear, slightly brighter, bass is more balance and less boomy, and the spaciousness improves slightly. Stock foam eartips is the better choice among other stock eartips.

Stock Double Flange Silicone Eartips
Pretty close to the stock silicone eartips with grey bore, only some minor differences, overall about the same performance, with a tad less sibilant.

Stock Silicone Eartips (grey bore)
IMHO the stock silicone eartips are not the most optimum eartips for T20. Mild V shape tonality, bass sounds full but a little boomy, not tight and lacking texture. Treble is emphasizes more on lower treble area and then started to rolls off at upper treble extension. Transparency is less than SpinFit, about the same as the stock double flange eartips. Treble may sounds a little glaring on some recording, and mild sibilant occurs on some vocal recordings.

 


Bass filter (Black color)
Bass filter has the thickest damping material and reduce some of the treble energy. It improves the bass extension a little, and reducing the treble and the treble peaks, resulting a dark, smooth, and bassy tonality. Overall tonality with bass filter is smoother, less peaky around the treble area than other filters. For those who are allergic to treble peak would probably prefer the bass filter. I found the reference filter and bass filter are the 2 useful filters that I would recommend to use. The following is the list of some of the eartips I tried with the Bass filter, from the most favourable to the least, top down.

SpinFit
I like this combination of bass filter with SpinFit, creating a smooth, slightly darker and bassier tonality. SpinFit improves the clarity to the otherwise rather veiled and muffled signature when using the stock silicone eartips. And the bass filter improves the sub bass extension a little. A pretty good filter for those who prefer smooth and dark signature.

Stock Foam Eartips
About as good as SpinFit, the stock foam eartips is a good match for bass filter. Tonality is smooth, pleasing, and less bassy as other eartips.

Stock Silicone Eartips (grey bore)
Very smooth tonality, but also lacking some transparency and sounds rather veiled. Pretty good for bright recordings, but generally lacking in clarity.

 



Comparison with my reference IEMs
Currently my reference IEMs are 1964 Ears V3 and DUNU DN-2000. Not really a fair comparison due to different technology and design, but those are my reference for evaluating other IEMs. T20 has more bass than those 2 IEMs, and that might be an important consideration for bass lover. But despite the differences in tonality, both 1964 Ears V3 and DUNU DN-2000 are generally less coloured with smoother, more open sounding, and more natural in tonality. Perceived detail and resolution, instrument separation, transparency, holographic imaging, bass texture and tightness, are better on both V3 and DN-2000. At slightly lower price than DN-2000, T20 is still performing quite well, but the technicalities are not yet at the level of DN-2000. 

 



T20 is best described as fun and comfortable IEM with excellent build quality. I hope the next flagship from RHA would maintain the excellent comfort and build quality of T20, with improved sound quality. It is probably the time for RHA to start exploring other design and technology such as dual dynamic drivers and hybrid design. Single dynamic driver without crossover technically is still one of the best approach, but it has its own limitation. Probably push-pull, one way dual dynamic drivers approach such as ATH-CKR series would be one of the better approach for crossover-less design. Whatever the design approach RHA will take, I'm looking forward to hear improvements on RHA future IEMs.

 
 



Specifications:
Drivers: DualCoil™ Dynamic
Frequency range: 16-40,000Hz
Impedance: 16 Ohm
Sensitivity: 90dB
Rated/max powe: 2/5mW
Weight: 39g
Cable: 1.35m, multicore OFC
Connections: 3.5mm, gold plated


Equipment used in this review:

IEMs:
1964 Ears V3
DUNU DN-2000

DACs, DAPs & Headphone Amplifiers:
Fiio X3 2nd gen
Fiio E12DIY (Op-Amp OPA827 + Buffer LME49600)
iBasso DX90
ifi micro iDSD (firmware 4.06)



Some recordings used in this review:

I was lucky enough to get a pair of the T20 from a friend for a low price (less than half the retail price). Even Though I managed to get it at such a low cost this wasn't taken into fact when writing this review, it comes with a lot of different sized ear tips including comply. The RHA also comes with filters for Bass and Treble for when you prefer some boost on either end. 
 
I would say overall it is by far the best earphones I have got my hands on yet, I haven't used the filters so I am not able to comment on them. The memory ear rest is not the best build, it is very clumsy and doesn't seem to properly fit the ear, needs to be messed with to stop annoying (Keep in note I have OCD). The weight could be an issue but as mentioned above, you tend to get used to it after a day or two. It tends to get twisted after the Y split but can be avoided at times by zipping it. Other than that, I enjoy it day to day. Overall good buy !
 
I would recommend this product to anyone who reallys wants to enjoy good quality audio for a price. 
 
PS: I am not affiliated with any brands, just my honest opinion

Raoul

Disclaimer
 
I would like to thank www.headphonezone.in for review sample. I got to listen to it for just under a week, free of charge. I will try my best to give as unbiased review as possible.
 
Packaging and accessories:
 
Packaging if iem is very high quality. It showcases included accessories very well and makes a great first impression. Literature printed on it is interesting and shows cut out view of iems which is cool. Accessories include everything you might want. A large semi hard carry case is including that holds iems comfortably. Tons of tips are included and chances are you will get a good fit. I found my personal tips to be a little difficult to use as they come out easily. Included tips have good grip on iem nozzles and dont come out as easily. Apart from these, tuning filters, bass, treble and reference which screw on earpiece nozzle are included. I will talk about these in sound section.
 

 

 

 

 
 
Build:
 
This is highlight of this iem. Beautiful steel housing looks as good in real life as in photos. Left and right earpieces has small red and blue plastic inserts, tuning filters have beautiful patterns engraved, cable is rubbery and thick. Strain relief on headphone jack is a long spring which is very effective. 
 
Overall its a luxuriously build IEM and is its one of best aspects.
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Sound:
 
These come with 3 filters to tune sound to your liking. With reference filters, sound is a bit warm, lacking a little treble. Bass is not very tight or detailed but impact is adequate. I did not enjoyed it much on reference filter. So I switched to bass filter. Here it keeps everything same, only bass becomes more present, detailed and a bit more extended. Not bass head by any means, but clearly bass improves a lot in quality. With my fiio x5 classic, bass sounded textured but it was a bit slower sounding apparently cause of additional warmth. I preferred this filter with my brighter amp, but still treble was a bit rolled off for my liking. Upon switching to treble filter, it was much better. It keeps rest of sound same as reference filter, just gives a bit energy up top. This filter I found to be best to my liking. To improve it further I changed tips to my personal double flanged rubber that resulted in even better treble extension.
 
So my point is, it offers tons of options to do system matching, which is a good thing as you can use it with virtually any amp and get a good synergy by little mixing and matching.
 
So for listening I settled down of Audinst HUD mini, treble filter, and double flanged rubber tips. So I made it as treble happy as was possible with my equipment, as its quantity was less than what I prefer. With this setup, sound was smooth, easy to listen to. Still did not had too much shine or shimmer. Bass is also a bit rolled off in deepest regions. Mids were a little warm. Vocals and mids were engaging and enjoyable. It tends to blend instruments a little than crisp separation and sounds coherent.
 
Comfort and isolation:
 
These are meant to be used over ear and come with ear guides. I found it a bit hard to use my personal tips as they tend to come out easily. None the less, included tips are plenty and you will probably find a good seal. Once I got used to them, comfort was above average. Isolation was average, not too good but acceptable. 
 
Comparing to Hifiman RE400, I found these to be a little better. But they are under $80. So sound quality to value ratio is not the best out there. I do think sound wise, you can do better with a bit cheaper options. However if you value build quality, attention to detail, accessories and overall package, then its a more level playing field. These are hands down best made iems i have used.

Out-of-box experience.....Accessories and packaging
 
Receiving and unboxing the RHA T20 gives the impression that this product is not just "some" product. Everything signals quality and thought. Right from the beginning it is a pleasure to use the T20.
 

 

 

 

 
All the accessories with the T20 is more than one could wish for. It contains tips for most sizes and preferences. The interchangeable filters are sturdy and easy to handle and change. It does not require a separate tool or anything to change them. The packaging is very nice. When opening the front there is even a little magnet holding it closed. All in all the packaging gives an impression that this is a finished product. RHA surely have thought of everything. The T20 is placed perfectly and it is easy to remove. I only found it a bit difficult to remove the little plate with the filters. It was glued securely to the foam holder. Maybe I am not supposed to remove it but I wanted to bring the filters with me in the hope I could find time to change them during my day at the office.
 

 

 
Build quality, Comfort and the cable
I have tried a few other universal IEMs that did not fit my ears. My ears are small so I cannot wear large IEMs, like the Ultrasone iQ for instance, for longer than 10 minutes. They quickly start to fall out and constantly irritate my outer ear. The T20 does not have that problem at all. In fact they are pretty small. Even smaller than my current reference IEM’s the Tzar 350. The T20 fits perfectly in my ear. They totally disappear and I don’t even feel they are there. The memory wire does not rattle or make noise against my glasses like the memory wire from my Tzar 350 does. Only small movements of my face, ears and jaw will make my glasses touch the Tzar-wire and make microphonic cable noise. The T20 cable is completely silent and even though they touch my glasses I cannot hear anything from that. I love that and regarding the memory wire, I have always preferred not to have it, and just let the cable bend naturally over the ear. But the memory wire of the T20 is made with a perfect balance between being too stiff and to wiggly.
 

 

 

 

 

 
Right from touching the T20 for the first time, to wearing them over most of a work day at the office, I love everything about the T20. The plug is sturdy and the start of the plug is made thin so it can be used with my iPhone even with its cover on. There is a spring around the cable to distribute the pulling force not to wear out the cable by the plug. Very nicely designed and cleverly done. I can imagine some people carrying their phones in the jeans pocket would have loved to have an angled plug instead of the straight one though. I can also understand why. It is not very practical with a straight plug for that and it can destroy the headphone out in the cellphone. The T20 cable and plug is too sturdy and will never suffer any damage with just a little bending.
 

 
Isolation
I am working at an office with 4 people right next to a hardware test center, where we have a lot of people walking around. Phone calls and machines with ventilators making a constant noise floor. When wearing T20 with the silicone single flange tips I can barely hear people talking next to me. When listening to music surrounding noise disappear and people will have to get my visual attention to talk to me. If I use the comply foam tips the isolation gets a little bit better. They do not block out 100% of all sounds like wearing a pair of ear plugs but it gets very close. It definitely is not an issue when listening to music.
 
 
Sound and filter choice
First a little bit about my sound preferences. I have been a former Etymotic ER-4S user for some years, After that my current reference IEM is the Tzar 350, which is also a bright earphone. My preferred signature in full size headphones are the likes of Beyerdynamic T5p and T70. Both are by a lot of head-fiers deemed as bass light and too thin sounding. I do prefer airy sound and high resolution. I never listen at high volume so it is very seldom that I find bright headphones ear piercing. While I do not need the bass to be have a lot of impact it certainly has to be fast and clean before I am satisfied. 
 
After some initial changing of the filters I quickly chose the treble-filter as my preferred one. The bass-filter was just too much to my taste. The reference filter sounded great but the treble filter was right in the sweet spot for me. There is still more bass with the treble filter than I am used to but I am slowly getting adjusted to it and do not notice it that much anymore. 
 

 
 
While listening to T20, most of the time I am using either the headphone out of my iPhone 6+ or PC --> ODAC RevB --> Meier Quickstep to drive the T20. The T20 sounds very good directly from the iPhone but it does scale well when used with an amplifier. The dual-coil driver definitely has potential to open up a bit when given some more force. 
 
All my impressions are when using the treble filter only. 
 
I find that the bass is puncy and tight. It does not have any unnatural impact when listening to jazz or classical. Acoustic bass sounds full and comes out nicely in every way. Snares, cymbals and percussion sounds lifelike. I find that with classical recordings containing the full orchestra, the T20 does a great job to play the bass instruments like they are supposed to. It feels like the bass has its own room to play freely in and the T20 still sounds coherent. Nothing is too forward sounding and nothing is too drawn backwards. There are great dynamics in the bass area for an IEM in this price range. I also think the room acoustics comes through very well on the good recordings. T20 sounds very good and truly offers listening pleasure for me with jazz and classical.
 
The treble has great resolution. As does the mids. I never think they are ear piercing even with the treble filter. 
 
One thing that stands out for me with the T20 is how natural acoustic guitars sound. They sound kind of dry but in a very balanced way. The T20 does not play with a plethora of micro details like some balanced armature in-ears but it comes very close in a super natural and pleasing way. The resolution is very good and probably the best I have ever heard from a dynamic driver in-ear. T20 never sounds boring or flat nor does it over exaggerate anything. Classical and jazz feels lifelike, vocals are portrayed naturally. Specially male vocals are spot on but female vocals tend to be drawn just a little backwards on some recordings. The following two recordings have been given new life for me with the T20. Both are acoustic guitar and male vocals. This is where T20 reigns for me:
 

 

 
Listening to metal is the only genre where the T20 kind of lack something. I cannot really pinpoint what it is they do wrong here. Maybe I have not found the best metal recordings? But where for instance the Beyerdynamic T51p sounds brutal and really in-your-face the T20 can sometimes be a bit too polite. With Beyerdynamic T51p there is a solid wall of sound but still it is possible to see through the music. With the T20 the sound lacks a little transparency. This is only with metal and this is the only weak spot I have been able to find with the T20. 
 
Conclusion
All in all it is hard to find areas in the sound I do not like. I am enjoying listening to music with these earphones. They do a wide variety of genres really well. I was looking at Beyerdynamic DX 160 as my new everyday portable in-ear. I am definitely going for the T20 instead and the extra price is totally worth it. They are easy to use, have great wearing comfort and since they are rougher than the average in-ear they can take a few hits along the way. This is just a good product in every way and I recommend everyone to consider the T20 if you are looking for a great overall in-ear.

Firstly, a big thank you to RHA & Iain for organising this tour of the T20, and for having the confidence and patience to allow me to take part in this, and for giving me the time to write this review at a slower pace than what others are taking, as this is the very first review that I’ll be writing (it won’t be the last though).
 
As the T20 is still with me, I will still be using it, and updating this review with any new thoughts that I may have, if any.
 
About Me
I stumbled into the head-fi world when my itchy fingers picked up a Shure SE846 back in January’14. Coming from a Klipsch S4i, it was certainly a huge leap upwards in price! I did my research, did multiple auditions before splashing the cash on the 846s, finally entering the world of head-fi. It has been a long journey, and I’m only just starting. There are still so many things in the world of head fi I’ve yet to explore!
 
As I slowly explore various IEMs and portable set-ups, my knowledge of the entire audio world is slowly expanding. This allows me to learn to appreciate good sounding gears at various price points.
 
I decided to start writing reviews to contribute in my tiny way back to this community. It’s definitely an awesome community, although it has led to my wallet often disagreeing with me! Being new to writing reviews (this is my first), please take it easy if I'm not as descriptive or accurate as other members. I’m still looking to slowly develop a more consistent writing style as well. I’ll appreciate any feedback anyone has on any areas I could improve on!
 
As with all reviews, this review is purely subjective, based on my own experience, gear and preference! So YMMV.
 
For a list of my gears, past and present, I’ve linked my head-fi profile here.
 
Disclaimer
The RHA T20 here is a review unit on its Asia Tour. I am not affiliated to RHA in any way. This review was done as part of a demo tour done with the Head-Fi community. For the purpose of this review, I will only compare the T20 with my M750i, which I have in my possession.

 
 
 
About the RHA T20
The T20 is RHA’s latest flagship IEM offering, featuring what RHA calls a DualCoil™ dynamic driver technology, a tuning filter system similar to the T10 to adjust the sound signature, a patent pending mouldable over-ear hook and their signature injection moulded stainless steel housing.
 
    
 
 
 
Accessories
The amount of accessories provided is simply mind-blowing! This seems to be the norm for RHA, based on the accessories provided with my M750i.
 
Included in the box in addition to the T20 (Reference filters) were 6 pairs of dual density ear tips (2 pairs each of S, M, L), 2 pairs of double flange ear tips (S, L), 2 pairs of memory foam ear tips (universal fit), 1 Stainless steel ear tip holder, 2 Additional Tuning Filters (Bass, Treble) with Holder, 1 Premium carry case and 1 Clothing clip!


 
 
Build
The T20 is built like a tank, with the main housing built from injection moulded stainless steel. But really, it’s nothing new from RHA as all their products that I seen (mainly the M750/750i, T10 and T20 now), are extremely well built.
 
Holding it, it’s definitely heavy! However, when wearing it, it is comfortable enough that I did not feel the weight of the T20. The built in ear hooks, while being long, are very comfortable as well, never interfering with my glasses. The cable feels well-made and strong, and microphonics is a non-issue as well. The strain relief of the T20 is excellent to, with its spring based design that gives much more confidence in its durability. In short, everything about the T20 is well made and feels that they were built to last, which is par the course for the MA750 that I have as well, so nothing surprising to me here.
 
My only gripe with the build of the T20 would be a cable that is too long (for me) and the Y-split’s location, which is located too far down the cable to be of any practical use.
 
Sound
 
The rig used for this review are; PC (Foobar-ASIO) / Samsung Note 3 > Chord Hugo > T20 (Reference Filter)
 
Bass
The bass on the T20 is obviously boosted. While not to the point of being bloated, it does feel inaccurate due to the boost, and tracks on which I did not notice much bass previously felt bassy with the T20. However, it is still rather well controlled; with little bleed into the mids, but I still feel that it could have been tighter.
 
Sub bass is present with good extension, but feels too smooth and lacks details. Mid bass is where most of the bass emphasis is, and it doesn’t disappoint, being fast and punchy. It has a slightly slow decay, and with the boosted bass, this results in a slightly bloomy effect while listening to complicated or bass heavy tracks, which left me feeling slightly overwhelmed at times.
 
Generally, I’d say that the bass on the T20 is fun and enjoyable with excellent punch without messing up the midrange, with the slight lack of details being its downside.
 
Mids
Mids on the RHA T20 while lush and clear are slightly recessed, giving it its U shaped signature. Vocals feel laid back and relaxed, but its lushness allows it to remain engaging.
 
It’s still pretty clean despite its slightly thick presentation, as the bass doesn’t bleed much into the midrange. Clarity is good but instrument separation on complex tracks isn’t as good as expected. The mids is not my favourite part of its sound signature, but it’s due to me being more used to more linear or forward mids on my IEMs, so YMMV.
 
Treble
Treble on the T20 is the best in the RHA series so far, with good extension and detail. As with the bass, the treble decay tends to be slightly on the slower side. It rarely feels harsh to me, although it is certainly splashy and peaky at times.
 
This is especially so with the silicon tips, which may cause the treble to border on being sibilant. Foam tips do takes the edge of the treble, and might be preferred by some. However I still prefer the silicon tips or my spinfit tips, as luckily it was just slightly below my threshold for sibilance. J
 
Soundstage
Soundstage of the T20 is decently wide and airy. Soundstage depth is just average, and while imaging and separation are good, but not outstanding, sounding slightly congested on complicated tracks.
 
Bass Filter
The Bass filter gave a more intimate soundstage, and rolled off the treble the most of the 3 filters. Mids ended up more recessed and veiled, while the overall sound became much warmer. It does live up to its name though, significantly boosting the bass quantity, This comes with a trade off, with the bass quality decreasing slightly.
 
Treble Filter
Bass becomes a bit less prominent, while upper mids and treble becomes more prominent. Overall sound became brighter, and might be too bright for some (me included).
 
Brief Comparison VS MA750i
Bass is more enhanced and prominent on the T20, with the bass on the T20 extending deeper as well. Mids are slightly more forward, richer and clearer, although still very similar in tonality. Treble is brighter and has better extension on the T20 in comparison, with much more details and clarity compared to the MA750i.
 
The RHA T20 is very similar to the RHA MA750i, with a very similar signature, albeit with a warmer take, yet improving on the MA750i. Generally, the T20 is a much improved and refined older brother to the MA750i in all aspects, so anyone looking to upgrade from the MA750i yet still retaining the MA750i sonic characteristic should give the T20 a shot.
 

 
 
Conclusion
 
The T20 has the typical RHA house sound and further improves on it, being a step up from the MA750, combining a U-shaped sound signature (boosted bass, slightly recessed mids, and well-extended treble) that is more forgiving, if one is not sensitive to treble.
 
With its boosted bass and bright treble, the T20 is not for those who are looking for neutral sound or those who are sensitive to treble. However, I have to add that the treble is improved with burn-in and further tuned down when foam tips are used. The T20 also does benefit from some tip rolling! Sound quality does improve when using better sources, showing that it does scale pretty well. Despite this, I’d have to add that the T20 is somewhat thick sounding, perhaps due to the way its bass and midrange is presented.
 
So, if you’re looking for a detailed yet fun U-shaped sound signature with pretty good clarity and imaging, this deserves more than a look at. The build quality and accessories provided are an added bonus as well! The T20 is definitely worthy of being RHA’s new flagship, and is RHA’s most neutral sounding IEM yet!
 
 
Ending Notes
As a matter of personal preference, while my initial impression of the T20 was ok, I didn’t really like it that much. It took me quite some time before I got used to its signature. I have to say again that despite that, it’s still the best RHA I’ve had the luxury of trying, and I do prefer T20 over the MA750i. Still, I’d prefer if the bass could be tighter and the treble could be more refined to eliminate or at least tone down the splashy treble.
 
As the competition in this price bracket is heats up with good entries from other companies as well, I hope that RHA will look to further improve on its tuning as it has done so with the T20 (in comparison to RHA’s previous offerings) while maintaining its awesome build quality and plethora of accessories.

 
Pros: Excellent build quality; great warranty; huge choice of tips; fit.
Cons: Recessed mids; sibilance; overly bassy for a general purpose IEM.
Tonal Balance: Bass heavy with recessed midrange, treble amount varies.
Style: Over-Ear IEM
Listening Set-Up: Clip Zlip (FLAC), Musicbee (FLAC) -> Matrix HPA-3U
Cost at Time of Review: $240
 

Reviewing Process

I’ve had the T20 for at least a month and during this process I’ve used them for light exercise as well as home listening. I have spent enough time with them to feel comfortable sharing my opinion, but my experiences may differ from yours. It’s always best to demo a headphone before purchasing, but if you’re unable to I recommend at least reading other views in conjunction with this review.
 
Thanks to RHA for the review sample.
 

Build & Fit

Build
The RHA are wonderfully crafted in-ear monitors from top to bottom, coloring me impressed from the moment that they left the beautiful packaging. The housings are made of stainless steel with a barely visible line that joins the two halves. The nozzle is removable and unscrews easily by hand and is reattached smoothly in the same fashion. Each cable leaving the housing is clearly designated either blue or red for left or right, respectively, at the base of the memory wire. The cable itself is a tad bulky, but inspires confidence in the durability of it. Stress relief is adequate at the end of the durable looking straight plug, relieved by a metal spring rather than a rubber sheath. All of this is backed by a 3 year warranty, not too shabby.
 
Fit
I find the T20 to be very easy to arrange around the ear as well as with inserting the nozzle into a secure position. The IEM sits at a moderate depth, but manages to block out a good amount of noise passively, more than enough to use in crowded college hallways. Comfort-wise these are a notch above every deep insertion IEM that I’ve used, as well as much less picky about positioning to obtain optimal sound. I have these inserted and positioned in my ears in a few seconds per ear, with comfort and stability that allows me to wear these with no issues for the 2 hours at a time that I tend to wear them. The large variety of tips should ensure a secure and comfortable fit for most users.
 

Sound Quality

Overall
Regardless of which filter was used sibilance is apparent, the midrange is recessed, and the bass is overly prominent. Sibilance varies with filter tips and despite the bass being prominent the low-end leans tight and controlled. The filters only affect the upper-midrange and treble, thus leaving the bass to have a heavy presence without EQ. The driver is relatively free of distortion and the bass carries quite a thump with an overall sound signature being decidedly V-shaped with the exception of the bass filter. Overall soundstage presentation lacks width and depth, but has good left/right panning and positional accuracy.
 
Reference Filters
I was excited to see the word “reference” as I have been looking for a neutral IEM to accompany my HD600. Unfortunately reference filters don’t equate to a reference sound. Outside of the common characteristics of the overall sound, the reference tips offer the largest amount of sibilance and a moderate upper-midrange boost that gives the reference filters a moderate v-shaped sound signature. The sibilance was so much that I found Glory Box from Portishead and I Can’t Feel My Face from The Weeknd to be completely unlistenable.
 
I don’t think that RHA intended reference to mean “reference quality sound,” rather reference in regards to the variety of filters.
 
Treble Filter
I had reservations after listening to the reference filters. I was scared that these would be even more sibilant. Somehow that’s not the case, despite the treble being raised. This filter adds further presence in the upper ranges, further increasing the v-shape to a rather heavy v-shape. Sibilance is still present though and there’s a bit of grain added compared to the reference tips. Nothing else has changed, only the uppermids/treble are affected with the filter change so it’s not a shock.
 
Bass Filter
The bass filter offers the most linear midrange to treble balance of all of the tips while providing a large amount of bass. There is a slight veil due to the prominence of the low-end, but the driver controlls the low-end rather well. Sibilance is reserved, there seems to be some brightness inherent in the drive but I don’t find myself wincing on snare hits as I did with the reference tips. I find this filter to be the most enjoyable of the three, especially with hip-hop, due to the relaxed upper frequencies and powerful bass. Despite me enjoying this filter the most, it’s nowhere near an all purpose tuning. This tuning reminds me a bit of the HyperX Cloud and DT770 Pro 80ohm.

Conclusion

Overall the T20 is a v-shaped IEM that DT770 owners would want to consider for portable use. They offer 3 filters that change the presence of the higher frequencies for those that want a tweak to the sound without using software EQ. Build quality, a massive amount of tips, and comfort are the strong points here, all backed by a 3 year warranty.

Introduction
I am part of the RHA T20 Tour and received my IEMs on Monday.
 
I have listened to them a WHOLE lot since then and here are my discoveries.
 
The listening took place sat down, on the move, on the run and any way I could think of to put these Scottish Gems through their paces.
 
They were plugged into my DX100 shown above as well as my Note II, Macbook Pro, Colorfly C3 and Cambridge Audio Dacmagic Plus. I have other kit but this felt like a good cross section.
 
I will go into the music I listened to in more depth as I go along, the tracks ranged from Full Orchestra to angry men playing guitars extremely loud.
 

 
The Package
 
RHA has some wonderful eye candy for the Headfier to enjoy and I unwrapped this with anticipation.
 

 
Opening up further the usual touches RHA owners will be familiar with, and the filters shown clearly. A diagram on the inside sleeve explaining new dual voice coil technology innovation in the drivers.
 

 
 
 

 

 

 
The accessories are what we have come to expect from RHA and now even more. A manual with everything you thought you needed to know about the T20 complete with graphs safety info i.e don't turn them up too loud!
 
A cable clip which is really tight on the cable so needs to be fitted in the right place to start with and can't easily be slid up and down cable of this thickness. If you're out walking or running this clip will definitely be needed because there's a significant length to the multicore copper cable and it'll swing everywhere or use up a pocket with the excess being stuffed in there.
 
10 sets of tips in silicone or memory foam should ensure a good fit for most ears. The mouldable ear hooks and smoothness of the driver housings should get most ears sorted after a few tries.
 
The carry case will house the T20, it's ear tips and clip and filters when not in use and is the same as my 750 case which has lasted well and slides in and out of my pockets really well as well as looking black and stylish.
 
For even more customising RHA has introduced a 3 filter option for their flagship model. Bass will boost the lower frequency range , neutral will keep bass and treble under control and the treble filter will boost the upper end of the spectrum. The filters screw into the drivers and are a doddle to fit , so you can interchange according to mood , music or for the sake of change.
 
The build
 
 

 

 

 
 
 
The build as you can see has been looked at with great care . Every stress point on the cable is reinforced in steel or tough plastic. The cable is thicker than most IEMs I have come across on the market. The design is now all in black which is a cosmetic improvement over the previous grey and black. The design of the driver housing , in the same way as the T10 , means that more material is going into the ear than previously on the 750. The T20 is a far better fit in my ears than the 750 which occasionally can slip out slightly but noticeably. The T20s, under normal use, are a solid fit for hours as they power through track after track. Anyone having any doubts about the build of these should be made aware that RHA are offering a 3 year warranty, not every manufacturer is doing that .....
 
 
 
The Comfort
These are heavy! Made of metal injection moulded stainless steel there's nothing flimsy here, and I had a sense of foreboding when I went to put them on for the first time , being aware of the fit issues I have with my Sennheiser IE800s which are half this weight. Thankfully the memory wire hooks with the around the ear design hold most all of the weight away from the ear lobe. I experienced the tiniest of aches in my right ear on the fit and I could certainly tell there was quite some weight in my ear but I was able to wear these for 6 hours at a time and soon forgot they were in.
 
Walking needed careful placement of the cable clip , the cable produced no noise and there was the odd noise caused by the ear hook part of the cable bouncing up and down very slightly.
 
Running needed a tightening of the chin strap to minimise the bouncing vibration caused by more pronounced bouncing of the ear hooks.
 
A comparison between 2 similar priced IEms I own; the Klipsch X10is are a thinner design and have to be inserted deeper into the ear canal, they are far less comfortable to wear , they can't be worn over the ear, they have lots of cable noise and don't isolate well enough to even consider running. When it's windy outside it's no place for the Klipsch.
 
The Sony XBA4ips have just as large a housing as the T20s but have a much shorter fit and are designed to be worn down from the ear. They are difficult to wear even walking , they stick a long way out of the ear lobe and have to be squashed in pretty tight to get a good seal and need constant readjusting when walking. Running is out for these and I can't wear them for as long as I could wear the T20s.
 
The Sound
 
My first listening was through my Note II headphone out. Most people will buy these for their Phone , Iphone or Ipod I reckoned.
 
Neutral Filter, All Around the World Oasis, Played through Note II:
 
9 minutes of Oasis at their overblown best. The bass on these IEMs was in evidence straight away, they gave a low end oomph beneath the track , the chorus of this song has a lot thrown in there and the mids and upper range sounded slightly harsh. There was a full feeling to the sound.
 
The Sony XBA4ips did not have the low end oomph but the instruments were easier to pick out and there was more width to the sound and Oasis sounded more natural , if not quite as exciting.....
 
The Klipsch X10is sounded significantly thinner than the T20s although there was oomph there it was not as much . The mids and treble were less strained than the T20s
 
Spring The Four Seasons Revisited Vivaldi recomposed by Max Richter, Played through Note II

This time I put the T20s through their paces with a Chamber Orchestra and synth with Daniel Hope the principal soloist on violin.
There shouldn't be much low end on this piece and it builds to a flurry of violins complementing each other and spacing themselves between the left and right channels.

The T20s sounded nice and full through this track and found some low end from seemingly nowhere as the piece built; there was just a little strain in the sounds of the violins and there was a hint of congestion in the busy part of the section.

The Klipsch in comparison sounded thin and as good as they are could not really keep with the T20s unitil the busier part of Spring came fto the fore.

The XBA4s sounded natural and were controlled through the busier part of the track.

Hotel California The Eagles HDTracks, Played through Ibasso DX100

Less treble problems with this track , the bass sounds great once again ; if I had to be ultra critical the opening of the song with the guitar sounds like it's slightly too pronounced.

The Sonys in comparison sounded more natural , the bass could be followed more accurately and there was more space between the instruments.

Carnival De Paris Dario G, Played through Macbook Pro connected to Cambridge Audio Dacmagic Plus

Had to put this one in because of the bagpipe solo! Not what I normally listen to but a track many will be familiar with. Dance tracks seem to work extremely well with the T20s. Again , the bagpipe in all it's naked glory was slightly too shrill for my tastes. On balance I think the T20s were the more enjoyable listen for this track compared to the XBA4ips. The Klipsch by this stage has been relegated from the comparison because in my opinion I don't think they sounded as good as the T20s.

The 3 Filters

I tried the neutral filter for the first 5 days of my review period thinking that this would be the obvious choice for my listening tastes. I am not a basshead although I like a full sound and I listen to rock music primarily. I am not keen on sacrificing treble for the sake of more bass or sacrificing anything to boost mids or treble.

However given that I was finding the mids and trebles a bit glarey I tried the bass filter. The results surprised me. The bass was huge of course, but there seemed to be a toning down of the treble , whether that was because of the bass creeping into the mids I'm not sure , but there was a noticeable improvement in the treble.

The treble filter was not my preference, it knocked some of the bass response off and made the treble even more prominent. The presentation became too congested and loud.

Comparisons

Westone UM2 with ACS Custom Sleeves

The addition of the custom sleeves make this a price match. Performance of the UM2 is superior at low listening levels with better isolation - Classical Music would be the obvious example here. For rock and pop; the UM2 has more harshness in the upper range and less warmth in the lower ranges.
For comfort either pair fare well.

Klipsch X10i / X11i

Both IEMs have the same driver the difference is in the cabling and reinforcements of the X11i. The sound quality in the treble of the Klipsch is less harsh, but the thinness of the sound overrall means the T20s beat them convincingly for me.

MA750

Significantly less in price. Part of the RHA stable so therefore worthy of a listen side by side. These IEMs did not disgrace themselves against the T20 and had less noticeable treble boost. The bass was not in the same league. The fit of the 750 was much more problematic compared to the much larger driver housings of the T20.

Sony XBA4ip

The Sonys had a leaner signature with a wider sound stage and a natural sounding frequency response. It did not isolate anywhere near as well and was nothing like as comfortable as the T20.

Conclusion

The T20 is a solid built IEM capable of some good sound whether on the move or at home. The musical presentation overall is an exciting one , with tons of bass ; useful for masking the sounds of commuting on a train or the thud from running or walking.
I have decided to update this review in the light of so many competitors coming onto the market recently at a similar price level which do not have the treble fatigue that these IEMs suffer from. The treble on the RHA T20 is simply too harsh for extended listening and once over the honeymoon period of the deep bass and warmth of that and the lower mids I suspect some will struggle with these. There are other more subtle presentations available for similar money but each has their individual drawbacks and careful consideration is needed before you make the jump.
If your choice sways towards the T20- enjoy!
 
[Mod Edit: Improved the formatting.]