It wasn’t long ago that I discovered RHA for the first time. Call me sheltered, I know, but when I reviewed their excellent MA650 Hi-Res headphones, I pulled myself out from under my rock and had to hear more of what this company had to offer. Thankfully, RHA was willing to oblige and I’ve spent the last two weeks using one of their premiere wireless models with the RHA MA750s. To say I’m impressed would be an understatement. This is our review of the RHA MA750 Wireless: AptX-Enhanced Bluetooth In-Ear Headphones.
Specifications and Features
- MSRP: $169.95
- Drivers: Model 560.1
- Noise isolating, Aerophonic™ design in steel
- Frequency Range: 16 – 22,000Hz
- Battery Life: 12 hours playback; 30 days standby
- Remote & Mic: Universal, 3-button; digital assistant control via remote and mic
- Compatible Codecs: AptX, AAC, SBC
- Sweatproof: Sweat and splashproof to IPX4
- Weight: 41g
- Warranty: Three year warranty
Unboxing a pair of RHA in-ears is always a treat. Their packaging is always a touch more well-considered than the competition, opening like a book to display an artfully presented product alongside key features and a nice bit of photography. This is undoubtedly a high-end set of headphones but even on the much cheaper MA650s, the unboxing felt decidedly premium. Going further with the unboxing, the quality of that presentation persists in something as simple as replacement ear tips. Most companies are content to throw a scant few pairs in a plastic baggie, but here you get a whopping seven sets on a nice brushed aluminum plate. This isn’t something you’re going to lose and fits nicely inside the included travel bag.
I’ve considered Bluetooth in-ears for some time and have found they come in a few variants. You have your stand alone earbuds that communicate wirelessly, those that have a thin cable between them, and those with a neckband. The RHA MA750s feature the latter and I’m glad: I wouldn’t trust myself not to lose a stand-alone earbud (and it would just be one), but more importantly, the neckband works well to keep the earbuds from falling out while you’re moving. It’s covered in a rubberized, soft-touch skin and each end is weighted to drape across your shoulders. Using them on the treadmill, most of your movement is absorbed into the band and there’s enough play in the wires to keep the buds from tugging out.
The downside to the band, at least for a man my size, is that it’s slightly too big. At times, I’ll put it on and find it’s hanging too far on my upper back, throwing off the balance of the weights. This mainly comes from putting them on too fast (like on the way out the door) but it would be nice to see an adjustable band in the future.
The earbuds are controlled using the in-line remote as well as the power button set into the right weighted end of the neck band. Holding the button will turn it on or off and pressing it once will let you know your current battery level in 20% increments. The battery holds up very well. I routinely use it for listening to music and audiobooks at home and on my commute and have never used more than half of the battery, even with 5+ hours of consistent use. RHA quotes 12 hours of use per charge and 30 hours on standby, which feels accurate to me based on my experience. It also charges fairly quickly through the USB Type-C power set next to the power button.
The in-line remote, on the other hand, is used for your track controls, volume, and answering/ending calls. It works exactly as you would expect. It’s also steel with rubberized buttons to keep it safe from the elements. The microphone is clear and picks up very well. People immediately noticed how much better the pickup was compared to my standard in-ears before the MA750s.
That said, I’m impressed at how well constructed this wireless set is. Both the remote and driver housings are made of steel and are ready to take a beating – not that you would with such an expensive pair of earbuds, but when you’re taking headphones on the go, life happens and it’s nice to know these can take a beating and without falling apart like lesser pairs of headphones. The headphones are also sweatproof and weather resistant with a rating of IPX4. This indicates that they’re sealed against water spray, and I’ve used them in light drizzles with no issues whatsoever.
I’m also a big fan of the included replacement tips. I’ve always had trouble with rubber ear tips. Here, RHA includes two sets of Comply-brand foam tips, which work wonders for noise isolation and work great at keeping the earbuds in place in my ears.
Onto the sound. These headphones use RHA’s 560.1 drivers, which are highly regarded for their clarity. They feature a cool, crisp sound signature that brings out the small details in your music you might otherwise miss. As a budding audiophile, I’ve grown to appreciate these minute details – the oscillations of a background synth, the articulation of a tap on a ride cymbal – and was surprised at just how well the MA750s compared to even much more expensive over-ear headphones. They don’t have the low-end punch hip hop driven headphones might have but the bass is well balanced with the other frequencies.
Balance. That’s the key word here. While the mids are slightly elevated, by and large this is a headphone that doesn’t overemphasize any one frequency strand. Instead, you can use these to get an honest representation of what the artist originally intended you to hear.
The soundstage on these is shockingly good. Given that they are literally set into your ear, it’s a little startling that the sound actually seems to be set back like you’re listening to a pair of speakers. I’ve never heard in-ears with such a good soundstage before now. Even after two weeks, I catch myself saying “wow.”
Final Thoughts
With an MSRP of $169.95, these headphones are a big investment for a set of in-ears. That said, they are easily the very best I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing and immediately became my daily drivers. Their solid construction also supports that these are earbuds meant to last. You won’t be replacing them within three months like your old $30 plastics you picked up a Target and after using them for a while, you won’t ever want to go back to those again. If you have the MA750s are highly recommended.