RHA, based in Glasgow, Scotland, specializes in personal audio products. Perhaps you've read a review of one of RHA's wired in-ear headphones in the past, such as the RHA T20 in-ear monitor by Steven Stone here at HomeTheaterReview.com. At CES 2018, RHA showed their new MA Wireless series of in-ear headphones, including the MA750 Wireless model ($169.95), whose sound signature is geared toward audiophiles according to RHA. Along with its sibling, the more bass centric MA650 Wireless, the two models represent RHA's first foray into the wireless earphone market. If you've been paying attention to the headphone market of late, then you know that manufacturers are rapidly moving away from the traditional wired tether to your smartphone or DAP toward a wireless solution.
Product Description
The stainless steel "Aerophonic" earphone housings of the MA750 Wireless are connected by a silicone-wrapped contoured cable with universal three-button remote and molded over-ear hooks. While considered a neckband design, it's less obtrusive than almost all other brands' similar solutions. Inside the earphone housings are handmade dynamic drivers with a stated frequency range of 16-22,000Hz. And the backside of the housings is magnetic, so when you have the earphones out of your ears and hanging around your neck they stay connected instead of flopping around. That's a nice touch.
The MA750 Wireless comes with an IPX4 rating, making them both sweat- and splash-proof for peace of mind under a variety of use conditions (but not waterproof so don't go swimming with them). Battery life is advertised to be twelve hours, which is solid for earphones. There is an LED battery level indicator as well as verbal battery level status cues whenever the earphones are powered on. And to save on battery life, the earphones automatically enter sleep mode after 20 minutes of inactivity. Charging time from zero to fully charged is claimed to be 2.5 hours and my experience confirmed that.
Connectivity is by NFC / Bluetooth 4.1 technology with support for SBC, AAC, and aptX codecs. The MA750 Wireless can be connected to two devices simultaneously, providing flexible listening options. For example, the user could listen to music from a laptop or digital audio player (DAP) and still receive a telephone call from a connected smartphone. And if the smartphone is set to silent mode, the MA750's neckband will vibrate to alert the listener to an incoming call.
While weighing in at less than 1.5 ounces, the MA750 Wireless feels even lighter, given that most of the weight rests around the wearer's neck. Accessories include a mesh carry bag, a USB-A to USB-C charging cable, shirt clip, and several varieties and sizes of silicone ear tips, as well as Comply Comfort Tsx-400 foam tips. Everything comes in a minimalist yet high-end looking package on par with that provided by 1More. RHA Audio tops it all off with a generous three-year warranty.
Listening ImpressionsDuring this evaluation, I used both an Apple iPhone 6 Plus and an Astell & Kern AK240 digital audio player (DAP) as my music sources. Right out of the box, the MA 750 Wireless sounded a tad on the bright side and a little rough, but they settled in nicely after about five to ten hours of play.
During that process, I tried a variety of the provided ear tips and ultimately, for my ears, the Comply foam were my clear preference, given their better seal and the most comfortable fit, as well as spectacular passive noise isolation. This enabled me to enjoy the RHA MA750 Wireless in a variety of environments, from quiet indoor spaces to airplanes to the gym. Both the silicone wrapped neckband and Comply ear tips stayed in place even during sweaty workouts. And it was nice to have the freedom of not being tethered to a smartphone or DAP.
And battery life actually exceeded the published 12 hours by quite a bit. On more than one occasion, I was able to get 14 hours of use before the earphones gave out.
In terms of sound, I appreciated the slight emphasis the MA750 Wireless brought to both the bass and treble ends of the audio spectrum. It was just enough to add a little drama and extra detail to music, but still remain true to what I would characterize as a near reference sound. While they were revealing in the upper ranges there was no harshness. The MA750 Wireless excelled in the midrange, with voices reproduced with stunning realism.
When streaming the title song on Rag 'n' Bone Man's (a.k.a. Rory Graham) album Human--Deluxe Edition (Columbia/Sony Music, 16 bit/44.1 kHz) on the AK 240 DAP, the track's synthesized bass beat begins from the very first note, and provides the foundation throughout the first 2 minutes and 45 seconds of the tune.
The RHA MA750 Wireless showed good control in reproducing this challenging synthesized rhythm. And through it all, all of the details of Rag 'n' Bone Man's soulful baritone were portrayed front and center. Soundstage width seemed to extend just outside my ears.
Bass energy provided by the MA750 Wireless was a bit more than earphones like 1More's Triple Drivers, which I find a tad shy in that department, but was in no way so obviously overcooked like several other earphones I've tried. If you're all about the bass, though, you'll prefer the RHA MA650 Wireless.
Female voices were reproduced with tonal accuracy and exquisite detail, too. For example, R&B singer songwriter Sabrina Claudio's sultry vocal seemed to be dripping with honey it sounded so sweet on the track "Belong to You" from her debut album About Time (Atlantic/SC Entertainment, 16 bit/44.1 kHz).
Through the MA750 Wireless I could hear every nuance of her breathy alto, providing plenty of emotional impact to draw me deeper into the track. When compared side by side, the performance of the RHA MA750 Wireless on this track was much closer than expected to that of my reference Sennheiser HD800 headphones through a desktop rig. The result exceeded my expectations for Bluetooth IEMs priced under $200.
High Points
Low Points
Comparison & Competition
Competitors to the RHA MA750 Wireless include the Sennheiser HD1 ($199.99), another neckband design that has good passive noise isolation, but a warmer sound that's more bass centric, and a much bulkier neckband. It also lacks protection from sweat, so isn't practical for workouts.
You might also consider the Bose QC 30. It's a bulkier neckband design than the MA750 Wireless, but with adjustable active noise cancellation and sweat protection, albeit at a much steeper price ($299).
You can check out more in-ear headphone reviews by visiting our category page.
Conclusion
The RHA MA750 wireless delivers an audiophile-grade sound signature with an exceptionally comfortable fit that lasts all day long without needing to be recharged, all at a down-to-earth price. The stainless-steel housings and polished metal accents provide a high-end fit and finish to go along with the robust build quality. If you're tired of wires but still want great quality sound in a headphone you can take anywhere, you owe it to yourself to check out the RHA MA750 Wireless.
Additional Resources
• Check out our Headphone + Accessory Reviews page to read similar reviews.
•RHA T20 In-Ear Monitors Reviewed at HomeTheaterReview.com.
2018-07-07 14:20:56
Good review very useful to guide the reader into the future of audio. I just bought a pair of CX Sport. IMHO they are the greatest innovation in audio since the Walkman. The new versions of bluetooth with the aptx codec has finally fulfilled the promise of wireless audio for the masses. One of my favorite songs is Jane Said by Janes Addiction. I have listened to it a million times, mostly using a NAD 3020 and the Paradigm Monitor 7 speakers. Also modest Sennheiser Adidas on the ear headphones. Using the CX I heard background vocals that I had never caught before. My Android box for TV has Bluetooth 4 and no Aptx or Aptx LL. However the sound while not quite as good as the Aptx from my Huawei P10 phone, is far superior to the TV speakers and there have been zero latency issues. I also highly recommend the free for all Sennheiser Music player for OSi and Android. It even lets you play MP3 on OSi and AAC on Android. https://en-us.sennheiser.com/captune-headphone-sound-app