RHA MA450i is the baby brother of the MA600i that doesn't lag that much in terms of sound performance at almost half the price. It is also a very sturdy looking in ear monitors with great design and a surprising good isolation and comfort. So without further delay here's our unboxing and review of the IEM.

RHA MA450i Unboxing And Initial Impressions! A Solid Sub PHP 3K In Ear Monitor!
Meet the classy RHA 450i!
Unboxing

RHA MA450i box
The packaging of RHA MA450i is pretty simple, you can see the IEM and the microphone part in the clear plastic of the box.

Specifications

  • Drivers: 130.5 Dynamic
  • Frequency range: 16 - 22,000Hz
  • Impedance: 16 ohms
  • Sensitivity: 103 dB
  • Rated/max power: 3/10mW
  • Weight: 14g
  • Cable: 1.5 m Fabric braided
  • Connections: 3.5 mm, 90°, gold plated

Accessories

The accessories included
  • MA450i in-ear headphone - black
  • 6 pairs, dual density ear tips - S x2 / M x2 / L x2
  • 1 pair, double flange ear tips - S x1
  • Ear tip storage box
  • Fabric carry bag
  • Clothing clip

High quality pouch

The earclip

A lot of spare eartips!
The package included with the MA450i won't disappoint, there's a lot of eartips for better tip selection, the pouch used is made out of very good materials that should protect your IEM from accidental drops (though it may not be dust resistant due to the holes in it) and there's a free shirt clip included.

Build Quality

The solid machined aluminum housing
The high quality gold plated angled jack
The microphone with answer and volume controls
Y Splitter and the cable cinch
RHA logo with tiny left marker dot
(to easily know the sides even without looking at it)
The overall build quality of the MA450i is better than most set at this price point and beyond. The cloth braided fabric used has a higher quality compared to the ones used with TDK, Monoprice 9927 and others, the aluminum shell almost feels indestructible, the L jack and the microphone part also feels durable. In general this in ear monitor should last for a long while especially with its 3 year warranty in case it breaks.

Comfort / Isolation

Comfort wise this is one of the most comfortable sets I've tried, with the right tips it can sit on my ears as if I'm not wearing anything at all for hours. For a more secure fit, I prefer to wear this one over-ear. As I've said earlier, tip selection is very important, with the wrong tips it might not be comfortable enough and sound the way it should be.

The isolation of this RHA IEM is about to be the same with the MA600i and can block the outside noise better than Soundmagic E10m, Havi B3 Pro I and about to be on par with the LG Quadbeat 2 in that regard.

Note: It is not advisable to wear this while crossing the streets as it isolates really well

Sound Quality

When it comes to the sound quality department the RHA MA450i just lag by a tad to the MA600i. I actually liked better than the pricier MA600i it due to a slightly more balanced sound signature from my memory. It has that V-Shaped sound signature that puts emphasis on the bass and highs. The bass is definitely the strongest point of this set, it's fast, tight, punchy and sub bass / midbass extends really well! The mids is just fine and has that smooth feeling as the voices doesn't sound clouded with bass even if there are just some tracks with a little bass bleed. It is not as clear as some balanced in ear monitors, but it's pretty acceptable for especially with this kind of bass amount. The highs is just fine though there are times that it becomes piercing and slightly harsh. Turning the treble part of the eq down by a 2 dB should be a great help to make these IEM sound even better.

The live track of Knockin' On Heavens Door from Guns and Roses sounded heavenly on this, the sub bass was really sweet and overall presentation was great. It also has that surprisingly above average wide soundstage with good instrumental separation that gives you a more 3D feel when watching movies and playing games.

Note: It sounded better on me on a shallow fit

Lossless Tracks Used:

1. Sweet Child O' Mine - Guns and Roses Live!
2. Through The Fire - Nina Live!
3. Pretty When You Cry - Lana Del Rey
4. P.D.A (We Just Don't Care) - John Legend Live!
5. Clarity - Zedd

Pro's - Amazing sub bass quality, surprisingly detailed, above average build quality, there's a lot of good extra eartips, great overall packaging, great value for money

Con's - Slightly harsh treble, sometimes there are slight bass bleeds in the mids, tangles at times, microphonic when worn straight down

Verdict

RHA made another solid product with this one. The overall build quality is still better than most in ear monitors at this price point. When it comes to the sound department I liked what I experienced with this set as it is very easy to appreciate. Fans of sub bass with good details will definitely like this. Overall this should be a great buy for PHP 2,650 with 3 years of warranty.


Distributor: Digits Trading

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