RHA MA390 review

Quality is outstanding. The main cable is interesting, thinnest yet tested but bulked beneath the join with braid. The cable is very soft, so shouldn’t tangle badly. The joins are soft rubber, the plugs small but again quality. The earphone housings are made of metal, which appears to be machined. I like the big indented base that lets you use your thumbs to push them into your ears. The MA360s are convincingly robust. Not only are they easy to push in, they are comfortable. The grip of the silicone tips is not convincing. As style, they are basic, so reasonable, but give an impression of quality.

Quiet. Timing seems good. attack seems slow, decay is nice timing. They stay coherent in swells. There is an intrusive bump in mid‐low frequencies, near double‐bass/ kettle drum. Trumpet frequencies seem recessed. but top trumpet sounds stick out. Top strings squeal. This is throughout odd, they are never loose control, but seem horribly uneven. High notes not there—there’s an overall muffle to the sound which is probably down to a lack of high. They do put color into mid‐strings, and are detailed, but do you care? Positions are precise but wandering, scale is reasonable.

Despite the timing, and some detail/color, the muddle is poor for orchestras. Though the smooth highs move along ok, until they scrape, the booming low notes are poor for instrumental pop. You’d think the timing and control would pull through on solo instruments, but the M390s get worse, wandering and muffled. As for games or soundtracks—get something else.