RHA MA390u
Cable
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Product ratings
4.2
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Disadvantages
15 reviews
cythev5 years ago •
purchased this productIf you want (only) bass, these are the speakers for you. If you want mid and higher frequencies out of the box, you should buy others.
First the positive: the things are really pretty and well made, as far as I can tell after one day.
They also sit well in the ear and insulate almost too well for me, as I will also use them as a pedestrian in traffic. On pictures they look more bulky than they are. Despite the metal housing, they are not too heavy and do not "tip" out of my ear, as I read in a review.
I previously had cheap, fairly neutral Philips SHE3950s and when they broke (cable break on one side / so I still have the direct comparison) I looked around for an alternative, which I can get here at digitec, as I still had voucher credit. After a long review search, I ended up with RHA and now had to decide between these and the S500u. Since the S500 have much smaller drivers and the sound was described several times as "(much) too little bass" and "piercing/painful highs", and I suspected that this could be due to the small drivers, I "only" ordered the MA390 and regret it right now. The bass drowns out everything!
It is most noticeable with small drums, which actually produce a medium to bright sound. You don't hear any of that. Everything sounds like a timpani or tuba. The otherwise bright, clear voice of Tarja Turunen sounds like it is packed in cotton wool. The jingle ring in "Shadow of the moon" by Blackmore's Night, which gives the song its character, is almost inaudible and reduced to the "pling" of a mobile phone info tone. The guitar only comes through in waves when treble is struck and otherwise sinks completely into the bass mud. Ritchie really doesn't deserve this.
The very high trebles (as far as I can still hear at almost 40 years of age) can be heard halfway clearly again, but they come across as distant and strange because the frequencies below them are simply missing and therefore not integrated. The frequency response shown for these speakers on the RHA website does not reflect what I perceive here.
I'm not an audiophile and I don't have an absolute ear, but in terms of sound I can't warm up to these things without an equaliser. However, I have to give them credit for the fact that an EQ can save it quite a bit, because they accept it well. However, "The Bard's Song" by Blind Guardian or bagpipe music (The Highland Cathedral) is quite a disaster in terms of sound, because it is virtually only in the "swallowed" frequencies - even the EQ can hardly save anything.
Another point of criticism is the change of attachments, which is really not easy. Therefore, I deduct one point for workmanship and comfort.
My source is a OnePlus6, if anyone is interested, and I now use the included sound enhancement for "JBL E1+" as well as (approximately) the classical preset of the EQ, which boosts the upper mids and highs, and thus get a satisfactory sound image for me.Pro
- Design
- much bass
Contra
- Too much bass
- Too little upper mid and lower treble
- Changing the attachments is very difficult
Potemkyne4 years ago •
purchased this productAverage sound at best
Pro
- comfortable
Contra
- cable too long
- no forward/backward function
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