RHA MA750i headphones review: A lot of potential

RHA is an exciting brand if for no other reason than they are a Scottish firm designing some of the best-looking, most robust earphones we've ever seen. The RHA MA750i headphones are part of a range which are made from various kinds of metal. These are stainless steel, and have a hand-built driver in each earpiece designed to deliver the best quality sound.

Design

Anything made of steel has an immediate advantage over things made of plastic. These headphones will last, and have a quality and weight to them that can't be replicated with cheaper plastics.

There's two versions of the MA750s available. The one with an "i" after the MA750 is designed for iPhone users, and have a microphone in the cable, along with controls for volume and multi-functions. The "i"-free version is designed for non-iPhone users, or those who don't want a remote and microphone - there's an audiophile argument that such things can degrade quality.

Included in the box are a set of tips, which are varying sizes and are designed to fit in most ears. We had a slight problem with these, and even the largest ones didn't fit securely. This is a problem we'll get into in the sound quality discussion shortly.

Also included is a small case, and you'll want to use this, as the metal case of the headphones will scratch any phone if you keep them in the pocket with it.

Sound

There are a couple of little problems with the MA750i earphones, but it seems that these issues are almost completely related to the size and design of the tips which keep them stuck into your ear. If you have small ear canals, you'll have no problem. But with our average - perhaps they're large - canals, we couldn't quite find a tip that fitted properly.

What this meant was a slightly loose fit, and much less bass transmission and sound isolation than we would have liked. This did have a negative impact on the quality. Pushing the earpieces a little bit further with our fingers helped, but removing the fingers let them move too much, which gave a much less impressive sound.

The mid-range seemed a little dull to us too. We've used the RHA T10s, which are about twice the price of these, and the quality difference is almost unbelievable. It's not that these are bad, it's just that the next model does such a remarkable job of delivering punchy, head-cracking bass while retaining the subtlety of the sound overall.

In general though, the MA750s produce a likeable enough sound, and it's a massive upgrade over most headphones that hover around the £50 price range.

The verdict

These headphones have a lot of potential. From a design perspective, they're damn near perfect. The construction is A-grade, and the comfort from the over-ear design is excellent. The size of tips is a concern even if you have average-sized ear canals, and it has a massive impact on the transmission of balanced sound.

That aside, they are a little muddy in the mid-range, and while the overall sound is quite clear and crisp these are outshone by their big brothers, the T10i headphones.

Of course, there's a massive price difference between these and the T10s, but if you have the money, the upgrade to the T10s is nothing short of spectacular. The ear tips are still a problem, but the sound is better, more tweakable and the T10s are even more comfortable to wear.

The MA750i headphones are good for lots of reasons. The three-year warranty and the build quality are two huge advantages - just be sure the tips fit first, and you should be good to go.