Much like the review we did on the Canon 300EG custom gadget bag, product reviews here on UTG are a rarity, but when it comes to something relevant to our needs and practical uses, we can obviously make an exception. We were recently presented with a pair of the sleek RHA MA450i Noise Isolating Aluminum Earphones, sold exclusively by Apple retailers, and as we, as a group, or individually, likely have music playing at nearly any given moment of our lives, these were something that piqued our interests immediately.

These earbuds look amazing coming out of the package. They have a knot-free fabric braided cord, gold plated 3.5mm connections, and aluminum bodies. They also came with a separate pack of 6 additional rubber earbud tips for preference and comfortability as well as a small drawstring pouch to carry your headphones in. A lot of convenience in a small package. Connected to the ‘buds are a iPhone/iPod/iPad remote and microphone which is also very convenient for when you’re on the go for calls and such. The volume control on these do not work when connected to a laptop or anything besides an Apple product it seems. I have not tried them on a Mac but I would imagine that they only work with the Apple tablets, phones, and MP3 players. This is not a huge loss but there are situations when it would be accommodating to have that crossover appeal.

Now, for all the the pros of the looks, there are some cons of the sound and very minor design flaws. First of all, the description of the MA450i earphones describes them as having “dynamic speaker for high definition sound with full bass.” The high definition is there. The sound is crystal clear, but the sound is also flat as I personally do not get a sense of “full bass.” There is very little bass in fact and I tested them with many genres of music (e.g. indie pop, death metal, hip-hop, folk, and for the ultimate bass test, some trap courtesy of Dillon Francis). I’m a bass hound personally so this was a disappointment to me. As far as the design, which I said is lovely, there is a problem with the braided cords. While they certainly feel nice and would aid in a prolonged cable life, while running, and even sometimes while walking, the cords tend to rub together, creating a sound of friction that transfers up the cable to your ears, causing quite the distraction from the sounds you’re trying to enjoy. This can be rather obnoxious. As far as how the earbuds feel, they’re actually quite comfortable depending on the silicone tip chosen, but with the main earpieces being made of solid aluminum, they can feel very heavy in your ears.

I have a pair of $10 Skull Candy Jibs that produce the best sound I’ve personally ever heard from earbuds (that I’ve owned or tried). I’ve had them for about three years and they’ve held up wonderfully. After having used these MA450i’s, that fact remains. For me, when it comes to headphones, more expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better. While I do enjoy the quality of the RHA’s contruction, the sound just doesn’t wow me and at $50 for the pair, I just can’t justify purchasing them over an inexpensive alternative with superior sound.

SCORE: 6.5/10

Review written by: Brian Lion – Follow him on Twitter

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Brian Leak

Editor-In-Chief. King of forgetting drinks in the freezer. Pop culture pack rat. X-Phile. LOST apologist.

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