The RHA MA150 earphones adapt some key components from more expensive models.RHA, the Glasgow headphone company that makes some good-quality earphones at a modest price, has in a sense, downscaled. It has adapted some key components from its midprice earphones to produce the budget-price MA150.
The MA150, at a price of $20 â€" less than replacement Apple earbuds â€" uses 10-millimeter drivers similar to those in the popular MA350s,which are $40, and MA450s, at $50.
RHA trims cost where it is largely unnoticeable. The earphones’ cable is rubber instead of cloth, and it is a bit shorter. The earpieces are plastic rather than aluminum. The ear tips are single-density silicone rather than double-density. The warranty is one rather than three years.
Some differences you might notice â€" the loss of the three-button controller on the cord and the lack of a carrying case, for instance.
The sound remains very good, although not quite as good as I recalled the MA350’s as being. One reason may have been that the 150’s ear tips were not perfectly sized for me. With a really good seal, I found the bass a little overpowering and the overall sound a little fuzzy and indistinct. Using slightly looser tips made the bass less overwhelming and improved the overall impression.
But at $20, that is more a quibble than a complaint.
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