RHA T10i review: In-ear headphones that are all about the bass

Music has the power to move us emotionally, but bass does so in an entirely literal sense. Anyone who has witnessed Jah Shaka’s sound system in full dub reggae flow or experienced the sheer brutality of Dillinja’s Valve PA armoury can testify to the chest-crushing power of sub-bass frequencies; vibrations that grip eardrums and shake the very foundations of the earth.

If that sounds like your bag (and it certainly is mine), then the RHA T10i in-ear headphones hit all the right notes – they revel in unearthing the very depths in music.

RHA T10i review: Sound quality

Feed the T10is the finest dub reggae, drum and bass, dubstep or electronica, and RHA’s handmade dynamic driver laps it up. Basslines reach down right down deep; the T10is pump out clean, powerful bass right down to around 15Hz. It’s overwhelming at first, and clean by the standards of any other headphones I’ve heard, but the impressive thing is how much detail and excitement the T10is unearth across the rest of the frequency spectrum. A few minutes in the company of these leaves you in no doubt you’re in the presence of a class act.

Compared to the £90 RHA MA750i, the T10i’s are a significant step up in clarity. The bass is far more prominent, and lower too, but voices and instruments spread far wider, seemingly reaching out either side of your head. Where the MA750is place a thin muffling veil over their performance, a trait that leaves classical movements lacking presence and airiness, the T10is pull out details that RHA’s cheaper in-ear headphones simply can’t muster.

RHA T10i review: Tunable filters

It’s not all sub-bass perfection, though. At first, the RHA’s bass-heavy lilt is thrilling, exciting, and it urges you to delve through your music collection to find the most subterranean basslines possible. Unless you’re a real bass fan, however, that feeling may not last – and to my mind the RHA T10is deliver too much of a good thing.

Thankfully, though, they allow you to tailor their sound with three replaceable filters. These are simple to swap and install: simply remove the eartips, unscrew the filters and screw the replacement filters in their place.

Three filters are included in the box: “reference”, “bass” and “treble”. It’s fair to say, though, that the “reference” filters that come preinstalled don’t offer the most even-handed presentation. Swap to the bass filters and it’s like someone has cranked up the subwoofer, perfect for grinding dubstep and reggae, especially if you love an exaggerated low-end – but totally unsuitable for more delicate pieces, where the bass leaps up and takes centre stage, shoving vocals, guitars and drums off to the side.

Fit the “treble” filters, however, and the RHA T10i emerge transformed. Driving bass still underpins everything with ground-shaking solidity, but the extra top-end presence brings out the very best in RHA’s headphones. This ekes out more clarity and space in delicate choral works and large-scale orchestral pieces, and gives a touch more snap and excitement across every corner of the frequency range. Fire up a track such as Massive Attack’s Angel, and everything is as it should be: thick waves of bass crested by Horace Andy’s vocals and a sharp snap of percussion. It’s phenomenally entertaining.

As ever, though, that extra detail comes at a cost. Feed these a low-quality MP3, or a scratchy old hardcore vinyl, and they’re ruthlessly, viciously revealing. The snap in the mid-range often ends up veering into harshness, something that had me reaching for the volume control on occasion.

RHA T10i review: Build quality and accessories

How would I describe the T10i’s build quality? In a word, gorgeous. Put the RHA T10is side by side with any other pair of headphones up to £150 and they stand apart. The metal housings look and feel expensive, and the thick grey cabling is terminated with a solid-feeling 3.5mm jack and metal strain-relief sleeves.

As with the MA750i, the T10i’s ear cables loop up and over the ear, but RHA has replaced the pre-shaped rubber of the MA750i’s with a sheathed metal spring that bends and holds in place. Again, I’m not a huge fan, probably because of my excessively floppy hair, but I did find they had a tendency to creep upwards and slip out of place. Those with more Spock-like ears or a less ridiculous barnet probably won’t have such problems, though.

Just like the MA750i, the “i” in the T10i’s title indicates that they come with an in-line microphone and a remote control. This allows you to accept and decline calls, skip tracks, activate Siri and adjust the volume on an iPhone, and some of the functions may work on select Android phones. If you don’t need the luxury, however, then save yourself £10 by opting for the standard T10.

RHA is pretty generous with the extras. The padded zip-up carry case is a nice touch – these are headphones that you’ll definitely want to keep safe and sound – and there are a smorgasbord of different eartips.

You get six pairs of dual-density silicone tips in three sizes, two pairs of double flange tips and a further two pairs of memory foam tips. As ever, though, I reached for my trusty after-market Comply memory foam tips: for some reason, my ears just don’t get along with the eartips that are bundled with most in-ear headphones. I’ve always found them wanting for comfort, or simply not capable of creating the firm, air-tight seal that guarantees in-ear headphones perform at their best.

RHA T10i: Verdict

Given their love of the lower half of the frequency spectrum, the RHA T10i may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But, thanks to the fact that you can tune the sound signature, this shouldn’t prove a significant barrier to purchase – you can tweak the T10i to suit your ears and your tastes.

All told, they give a big, weighty sound from a tiny in-ear package, and if you can forgive the niggles with fit – or don’t suffer from them in the first place – they offer a refined, truly high-end performance for £150. Throw in RHA’s three-year warranty, and the T10is are destined to keep on dubbing for many, many years.

So you’ve got a new pair of headphones. Want to find the perfect smartphone to go with them? Check out our list of the best smartphones of 2015