UK audio company RHA has recently released a new set of noise isolating aluminium earphones, the RHA MA-350. I’m normally more of an over-ear headphone type, but after spending a few weeks with these earbuds RHA has me thoroughly converted.

These sleek earphones have a simple and elegant look, and with three different rubber tip sizes these earbuds actually fit in my tiny ears. These are the first earphones that I have ever used that have actually been comfortable. Even after hours of wear, the RHA MA-350s fit comfortably and snuggly in my ears without the aching pain I would normally be experiencing with other products.

The earphones also have a fabric braided cable, an elegant and innovative solution to tangling and cable wear that I am shocked isn’t industry standard. Though it does make the cable a bit kinky and may contribute to the only problem I have with this product, I was certainly thankful for it when I found one of my cats, a notorious destroyer of electronics, chewing on the cable. Yet it was completely undamaged. It’s also a relief to pull my MP3 player out of my pocket and not have to deal with an incredible knotted mass of cable.

Finally, the sound from these earphones is excellent; they have great base and deliver full crisp sound, even at low levels, and the upper-range is reasonable and does not heavily distort. This is in part due to the noise isolating design of the MA-350s, which do a premier job of blocking out ambient sound and funnelling your music into your ears, filtering out other stimuli. I’ve actually been keeping my MP3 volume at a slightly lower level with these earphones since I no longer have to compete with the racket of the bus. The complete seal of the buds also stops sound leakage, which is great for long plane rides where your music might disturb other passengers.

However, there is one problem with the MA-350s and that is that the cord is incredibly noisy; every time the cable rubs against your clothing it echos in the earbuds, drowning out softer music should you dare a brisk walk. It’s something you can tune out and is likely due to a combination of the braiding on the cable and the noise cancelling acoustics of the earbuds themselves, but it can get a little annoying. As a result, I wouldn’t really recommend these earphones for people that like to listen to their music while running, but it doesn’t break the deal for those that want to use them during regular day-to-day life. Overall, I believe that the trade-off is worth it.

Here are the full specs:

  • $39.95 USD
  • Industry leading reduction in background noise and sound leakage
  • Machined aluminium construction for durability
  • Custom 10mm RHA speaker for perfectly balanced response across frequency range
  • Fabric woven cable eliminates tangling and prolongs cable life
  • 3 year manufacturer’s warranty
  • 3 sizes of silicone tip for the perfect fit
  • 3.5mm gold plated connections and carry case
  • 1.2m copper cable with fabric braiding for durability
  • Designed and engineered in the UK
  • What HiFi 5 star award

    Specifications 

  • Drivers – 10mm mylar
  • Frequency range – 16-22,000Hz
  • Impedance – 16ohms
  • Rated/max power – 3010mW
  • Sensitivity – 103dB
  • Cable – 1.2m Fabric Braided
  • Connections – 3.5mm Gold Plated

Ultimately, I love these earphones; they’re the best in-ear buds I have ever tried. They’re comfortable, provide great sound, and I won’t be surprised to see the braided cable copied by acoustic companies the world over. It’s a shame that the cord is so noisy when it rubs against things, but that does not greatly detract from the overall quality of RHA’s product. I would definitely recommend these, even if you’re not usually a fan of earphones.

RHA’s MA-350 earphones can be found in Apple Retail Stores across the United States and Canada. Check out more at the RHA webpage or buy the earphones directly from Amazon.

Grade: A

Genevieve LeBlanc

Genevieve LeBlanc is a contributing writer for NerdReactor.com and lives in snowy Canada.