Technology Tuesday: RHA’s SA950i Headphones + Giveaway

I was excited to listen to RHA’s new on-ear SA950i headphones. I’ve been using one of their earphones (MA-350’s) quite religiously since reviewing them last year and have really grown to love the “RHA sound.” These new headphones did not disappoint and have a lot going for them.

An extraordinary value at $60, these headphones are among the lightest I have ever worn and offer great comfort, fantastic style and great sound. What is most impressive is the ability to provide relatively deep bass and high volumes without distortion given the 3.5 oz. weight. Typically, smaller, lighter headphones just can’t offer the overall sound quality and “oomph” that can compete with larger headphones. These do a great job stacking up against the sound quality of much costlier and larger headphones. But, are the SA950i’s right for you? Read on to find out.

Overview and Specs RHA is a Scottish audio company that has been offering professional quality audio products at consumer prices. One of their recent offerings are the SA950i on-ear headphones which are extremely light and offer incredible sound at just $60. Normally, light headphones, good sound quality and distortion free high volumes are incompatible with each other. However, at only 3.5 oz., RHA has figured out the weight/quality issue by coating the 40mm mylar drivers with titanium. This titanium plating allows the speakers to be both sturdy & strong and also lightweight at the same time. On top of the great sound, these offer tremendous style and comfort.

Comfort, Design, and Build Quality There’s lots to like about these. The headband has generous padding and the earcups are also very comfortable. The headphones are on chrome sliders and are easily adjustable to any sized head and offer just the right amount of clamping force to keep comfortably on your ears. These are most certainly headphones that you can wear for hours on end without any discomfort. The only drawback in comfort is that the earcups don’t articulate four-ways. I really like headphones that can swivel not only up-and-down but also left-to-right. While I was still able to get a nice fit, others may not with this limitation.

The build quality is extremely high and they seem sturdy and well built despite the light weight. They are small and can certainly be packed for travel with but they do not fold-up all the way like other travel headphones nor do they come with a hard carry case. Like the MA-350’s I previously reviewed, the cable is fabric braided and is tangle resistant and has a gold plated tip. There’s integrated controls and a mic designed specifically for iOS devices.

[SA950i’s with Apple inline remote and Mic]

Sound These are very enjoyable headphones that can be used for hours at a time. I find that closed headphones can often be fatiguing with extended listening.  However, these on-ear headphones (supra-aural) have extremely well balanced sound with open, wide sound that is relaxing and “easy listening”. Nothing is over emphasized and the sound seems very natural. There’s plenty of bass but it is certainly not “boomy” or artificial sounding. Sound is crisp and they perform quite well across many different types of music. Perhaps they are not nuanced or detailed enough to listen to classical or other demanding types of listening. However, I loved listening to most everything I threw at them. I listened to Page McConnell’s new album, Trey Anastasio’s new EP, and Mike Gordon’s recent release from the Egg in Albany. Keys, bass, guitar and symphonic components all sounded great. I pushed the volume quite high on each and was able to get great sound without any distortion. Pink Floyd, Sun Ra and Steve Reich also all sounded fantastic. I was especially impressed with some of the Reich material I listened to. Piano notes sounded like I was in the room with dueling grand pianos to each side of me.

Koss Porta Pro have been one of the gold standards for a long time in the value category for on-ear, portable headphones. I find the sound on the SA950i’s much more impressive and well beyond what you’d expect of anything in this price category. Likewise, the materials, build-quality and style most certainly make the Porta Pro’s look like an ‘also ran’.

Bottom Line Great sound quality in an extremely light and portable design complemented by great style. The build quality is high (three year warranty to boot) and they are quite comfortable. For $60, these offer quite a lot and should please most music listeners.

Want a pair? I have one just for a lucky Hidden Track reader. Simply leave a comment below that you want to be entered and we’ll pick a random winner next week. As always, Tweeting, “Liking”, or Google+’ing isn’t necessary to win but certainly appreciated!

RHA SA950i Supra-Aural Headphones $59.95 Amazon

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Hidden Track Technology Tuesday

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73 Responses

  1. Great article, as always. These would come in very handy for the audio work I do almost daily. I generally use my studio monitors but there are occasions where I can’t go full blast with the speakers. Sometimes I just need a solid pair of headphones to touch up a small clip or verify something and these seem like they would work nicely!

  2. i need some new headphones, so if i don’t win them then i’ll most likely buy based on this nice review.

  3. Would LOVE to win these! I bought some Monoprice headphones based on a HT review and while the sound was exceptional, they never quite “felt” right. I NEED these headphones!!

  4. Sounds like nice headphones. I’ve been looking for a pair of over the ear phones for a while. Would love a pair.

  5. Thanks for the review, I’m always on the lookout for great headphones and these look pretty good. It would be great if I could win a pair, so I’d love to be entered in the drawing.

  6. these headphones look (and likely feel) great. i would love to win a pair. please enter me in the contest, thanks!

  7. The airplane has eaten my most recent pair of music delivery devices these look like a great substitute/upgrade!

  8. Very informative review. I’d love a pair of these and might just have to pick one up in the near future.

  9. I enjoy the reviews and have made purchases based off of them in the past. Free headphones sure would be nice!

  10. Your recommendations have caused several purchases as well. All have been great. I’ll have to keep these on the list for my next headphone purchase. Also I love free.

  11. I’ve been looking for a pair of supra-aural headphones. Thanks for another great review, and please enter me for the giveaway!

  12. Nice review, Parker. I’ve been looking for a new pair for awhile, would love to try these out.

  13. Great review and I loved hearing that “The headphones are on chrome sliders and are easily adjustable to any sized head” as I’ve had trouble finding headphones to fit my huge dome. I cry about it every night on my huge pillow. 🙂

  14. I would love a pair. Sick of being disappointed by headphones as of late, but these look very promising and are such a good price.

  15. I would love to win a pair of these! The only thing I don’t like about your weekly reviews are the almost weekly debits my wife questions me about. The Sonos purchases really pissed her off, but she does agree its sweet. Great review.

  16. Would love a pair of these. Was drooling over the last couple of articles on headphones, and I too just picked up all the Phish side project Record Store Day releases. Would love to get a listen of Trey’s Traveler with those bad boys!

  17. Sign me up! Looks great.
    I love really light headphones-tough to find ones both light and that sound good.

  18. I’ve just recently discovered this highly touted listening device (and your web site) and plan to get a pair whether I win them or not. Thanks for the review. Please enter me in your drawing. Thanks.

  19. This is the first headphone that when I listened for the first time, my music, I had a great desire to continue listening. It is the first headphone that the speaker bounced when bass is present, like a home speaker,…awesome and pleasant. They are very light. As with all my new headphones, I take them through the process of burning. First, I play them at the lowest volume for half an hour. Second, I play them at medium volume for 72 hours continuously. Last, I play them for 4 hours at a high volume. That’s how I learned. The sound of this headphones are great. I am very happy with them and would recommend them to anyone.

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