The Reid Heath Acoustics (RHA) MA750 IEM – Review

Jack Wilbur is a guest writer for Audio-Head.com.

The MA750s are a pair of universal fit IEM’s made by the Britan-based Reid Heath Acoustics. RHA engineers their entire product from end to end and doesn’t use other outside parts to assemble their product. The drivers are all handcrafted and all of their products feature oxygen-free copper cables that claim to help provide a clear, clean signal to the drivers so that they can faithfully reproduce the music that flows through them.

The MA 750s are very sturdy little beasts. The housings are constructed of 303F stainless steel and the cable is a beefy 1.35 meter long rubber coated cord. The included cable has such a thick rubber wrap around it that it becomes almost difficult to tangle. The plug is gold plated and has a massive spring to prevent pulling and overbending of the cord that can shorten the life of the headphones. In addition, the cord is designed to be wrapped over and around the back of the wearer’s ears which removes the strain caused by constant cable bounce, which has the added benefit of eliminating the distracting noise caused by the cable rubbing up against outside material. The noise isolation effectiveness on these headphones is great as well, even with music at low levels, the outside world is almost inaudible from my listening tests. The headphones include an impressive ten different pairs of ear tips, including dual density, foam, and double flange tips. With this selection it is almost difficult to find at least one set that does not fit a person’s ear comfortably and isolate noise properly. The headphones also include a well built carrying case with two containment bands that hold all of the ear tips in place within a steel card. RHA also threw in a small pouch to hold the coiled up headphones and protect them from knots and outside wear.

The headphones produce excellent sound quality, especially for the price point that they are at, $119.99 MSRP. The MA750s have RHA’s 760.1 handmade driver engineered by RHA for this specific model of monitors.  The monitors are well balanced the bass and the treble is exceptional. The upper mids are a bit veiled at higher volumes, but not to the point that it is noticeable without careful listening and a solid A/B. At normal volumes the soundstage is surprisingly expansive, every single note feels well defined and powerful. While listening to Baba O’Riley by “The Who” the instrumental opening truly shines and as the vocals start. The synthesizer and the instruments remain distinguished and clear in the background. The early age stereophonics come through beautifully and bring the song to life and you feel as if you are sitting in the middle of the recording studio listening the band create the legendary track.

While listening to “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk the wide range of applications that these headphones can handle is brought to light, everything from the high notes of the synth to computer generated bassline come though sharply and distinguished from each other. The bass hits hard, but not in an overpowering way, but rather in a way that makes you feel the beat of the music without crowding the rest of the songs’s range. It can be hard to believe that the single driver in each monitor can keep up with the complex output to produce such a wide soundstage and also still keep all the instrumental tones identifiably separate from each other. These headphones truly shine with music that has both dynamic range and natural textures. The overall engineering of the headphone seems to align with its intent to produce clear, crisp, natural sounds. The low impedance of the IEMs is also a great feature, because it doesn’t require an amp to be able to get them to perform.

For everyday use these headphones are great. They are lightweight, comfortable, and tough; but they do not sacrifice high quality audio in the process. The physical design of the entire system makes allows for a comfortable and secure fit inside my ears. With the cord wrapped over and around the back of the ears, there is no worry of them falling out or outside noise tainting the listening experience. The balance is natural and pleasing to the ear. They have a good bass response that is not overbearing, the lows and highs come through completely clear, and they truly sound as if the music is right there for you, not distant or faded. The mids are great at normal levels, but become a bit hazy at high volumes. Because they have a good natural balance, they seem to be able to play every genre of music well without discrimination. These headphones seem to be able to overcome the most common problem of typical in-ears, weak base and a sloppy soundstage. The handcrafted drivers made by RHA are extremely well done.

Summary

Overall, these are great headphones. At loud volumes the midrange lacked some clarity, but didn’t sound particularly bad and the highs and lows still came through beautifully. These IEMs are a great choice for someone who is either just getting started into the world of high end audio or the person who just wants a solid pair of sturdy reliable headphones that will still sound excellent.