RHA, the Scottish audio products manufacturer, recently introduced the MA 650. A neckband style wireless pair of earphones, the device is targeted at the increasingly necessary Bluetooth audio products market as the 3.5mm jack goes the way of the dodo. We’ve been testing out the MA 650 over the last few days and here’s what we think about it.
Specifications
- 12 hour battery life
- Sweat and Splashproof to Ipx4
- 380.1 Dynamic driver
- AptX / AAC support
- Noise isolating, aerophonic design in aluminum
- Universal remote for full track, call and digital assistant control
First things first, the packaging of the RHA MA650 is absolutely splendid. The accessory set is perfectly adequate and the metal plate which holds all the different silicon tips is a sign of attention to detail. The RHA MA650 ships with 7 different styles and sizes of tips which means that you shouldn’t have much trouble finding a pair that fits you well and gives you a good seal. The earphones themselves are of the neckband variety. The styling requires you to wear the band around your neck and the earbuds are connected to the ends of the band on either side. We’re not really fans of the styling as it makes the earphones conspicuous and a pain to manage when not being used. The earphones being magnetic, stick together and this made transporting them just a bit easier.
Before we get on to the audio performance, it warrants talking a bit more about the design elements. The rubber neckband is fairly slim but ends up in two larger cylinders on either side. Despite the seemingly large size, the entire set is lightweight and very comfortable on the neck. The right cylinder houses the power button and a USB Type C port for charging. We’re very glad to see the adoption of Type C here as it means that we now have to carry one less cable to carry with us on longer trips. The left side is where you’ll spot the NFC logo that allows for tap to pair. This worked flawlessly in our testing and made the entire connection and disconnection process seamless. We didn’t quite like the very long earphone cables as they unnecessarily dangled around a bit with the buds in the ear. Certainly not a deal breaker, slightly shorter cables wouldn’t hurt. The earbuds themselves are made of aluminum which makes them very light and comfortable to wear. An inline remote is also present which lets you control music playback without having to touch your phone. The buttons on this were unfortunately quite recessed and we found it hard to press down on the minuscule buttons.
RHA claims battery backup to be about 12 hours and we got close to that. Topping off the battery is quick and easy over the Type C connection. These are also IPX4 rated so you can comfortably take them for a run without worrying about ruining your new pair of earphones.
Sound Quality
We tested the RHA MA650 with a OnePlus 5 as well as the Google Pixel as a source. The audio files tested included local FLAC files, Tidal HiFi and streaming over Spotify to simulate a varied set. The connection was of course over Bluetooth Apt X. We tried the MA 650 with triflange buds that further enhanced the passive noise isolation. With music playing at a low volume, it was impossible to hear any external disturbance which makes these a decent option for anyone looking to block out noise. The small size of the earphones means that you can have them in your ears for hours at end without any discomfort. The MA650 are perhaps one of the most comfortable earphones we’ve come across recently.
The sound signature here is slightly warm and largely inoffensive. Most music sounds very decent here though the MA 650 won’t stand out as an exemplary pair either. With our test track Stylo by Gorilllaz, the lows came in a bit light. Sub bass was lightly represented but was not boomy at all. There’s a fair amount of detail and the layering is wide enough to give the lows room to breathe. We wish the earphones were a bit more hard-hitting on this front to make heavier tracks some more slam.
For the mids, we decided to play a vinyl rip of Smooth Operator by Sade. The gorgeously textured vocals here are adequately represented here for the most part. The sound tends to be warm and smooth which makes for great vocals. Tracks like Abdel Kader emphasized the mid-forward tuning and the vocals really stood out from the rest of the music. Instrument separation was average at best and the lower mids would often get veiled behind the vocals.
Be it Rachid Taha’s high-pitched yelps or Pharoah Sanders’ You’ve Got to Have Freedom’s cacophanic saxophone performance, the treble performance was a bit middling. The highs never sounded very good with the treble spike causing a bit of discomfort along the way. But that’s mostly at the higher end of the spectrum. Generally, there’s a clarity to the sound that is not often seen on audio products in this price band.
The RHA MA650 has a very decent soundstage. It’s of course not quite to the level of open back headphones but these can mimic an intimate, concert quite well. Imaging, on the other hand, is about par for the category and it is easy enough to separate out the various instruments being played in simpler tracks. Things get a bit muddier in complex orchestrations.
Conclusion
The RHA MA650 is priced at Rs. 7,990 which makes some of the cheaper high quality wireless earphones on the market. The build quality won’t leave you wanting as these things are clearly built to last. In terms of sound quality, they have all the makings of a good but not exemplary pair. If you’re not one for critical listening, these will serve you well. Bass heads should look at other options. The RHA MA650 are available via Headphones Zone in India.