Hey everyone, listen up! See what I did there? Anyway, corny jokes aside, these headphones pump some serious tunes. The $60 RHA SA950i is a set of wired on-ear headphones that also include an in-line remote and microphone on the fabric braided cable. The Glasgow-based company has found a great balance between price point and sound quality with this set. The RHA SA950i wired headphones boast professional grade 40mm titanium coated mylar drivers, adjustable headband with padding, along with a detachable cable with in-line remote and microphone.
These headphones deliver excellent sound quality through the 40mm titanium coated mylar speakers. There is very little distortion even at high volumes with the low-end bass booming. While listening to Ray Charles’ “Hit the Road Jack,” the vocals are clean and crisp, while the bass line is as thick as it’s meant to be. The hi-hat comes through clearly and it sounds fantastic. These headphones are a little heavy on bass, but in this price range, nothing is going to be perfect for audiophiles. I’ve read that mid-range vocals can get a little muddy with these phones, but I have not experienced this with the RHA SA950i Wired Headphones.
The RHA SA950i Wired Headphones are comfortable to an extent, although it’s tough to expect the highest level of comfort at this price. The padded headband and ears feel fine against the head and ears, however the on-ear design always tends to lead to ear fatigue when worn for long periods of time which is why I’ve always preferred over-the-ear or in-ear headphones.
The headphones include a great fabric-braided cable with an in-line remote and microphone. The best thing about this cable is that it’s detachable, meaning that it has a 3.5mm on each end of the cable. The cable can be removed from the headphones for storage or if the cable gets pulled too hard and, as a result, damaged. The detachable cable means that if something happens to the cable you can just replace the cable rather than the entire set of headphones. The fabric braiding helps prolong the life of the cable as well as prevent tangling. The cable only connects to the left side of the headphones, however, which seemed odd to me being right-handed. The in-line remote and microphone is compatible with iPods, iPhones, iPads, and most Android devices. The remote works well and you feel a satisfying click to let you know you’ve fully depressed the button. There are three buttons on the remote; volume up, volume down, and a center button. This center button appears to pause and play your music as well as accept and hang up on voice calls. During voice call testing, the remote performed well and my friend on the other end of the line had no problem hearing and understanding me.
The headphones do not come with any sort of carrying case and do not fold up for easy storage. However, they are light and since they are an on-ear design, the earcups are not too big. The lack of a protective case means they might not be protected in your luggage but at least they won’t take up too much space!
Overall, I’m a big fan of these headphones and they’ll be sticking around for every day use. They almost make me wish I commuted to work by train or bus so that I could use them everyday to and from work, switching between music and phone calls. Although there is some downside to these phones, they can be easily overlooked when taking the price into consideration. For $60, these headphones deliver premium sound quality that should grab the attention of any budget-conscious music lover.
Judie and Dan, have recently reviewed numerous other headphone offerings. For example, Judie reviewed the Monster Inspiration Active Noise Cancelling Headphones, Dan reviewed the AKG K551 Over-the-Ear Headphones and, just recently we had early reviews of the just-released Jabra Revo Wired Headphones and Jabra Revo Wireless Headphones. It is worth noting that the least expensive among them come in at… $200. Compare that the sub-$60 RHA SA950i Wired Headphones and there is a compelling case to be made for these headphones from Glasgow.
The RHA SA950i wired headphones can be purchased at Amazon for $59.95.
MSRP: $59.95
What I Like: Excellent sound quality, great price, detachable fabric-braided cable, in-line remote compatible with iDevices as well as Android.
What Needs Improvement: The on-ear design can lead to eat fatigue over long listening periods, no carrying case or ability to fold.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample