When using our mobile devices, we usually make a lot of compromises. We compromise on screen size because we don’t really want to carry around our 27-inch 2K monitors. We compromise on power because we can’t really fit an Intel Core i7 or an NVIDIA GTX in our pockets and even if they could, they’d burn a hole right through them. One thing we don’t need to compromise on, however, is audio. Regardless of what speakers our smartphones come with, we can always rely on headphones or speakers to keep up to the beat. RHA’s T10 in-ear headphoneis the hero of this story, but can it really save the day? Read on to find out.
Packaging
They say first impressions last, and boy does RHA know how to make a first impression. The outside of the box looks unassuming, pretty much like any other headphone box you might pick up. But open it up and you are immediately greeted by everything. And by everything, we do mean everything. Except for the rather lengthy cable, everything that the T10 has to offer is right there in front of you. No hidden attachments, not occluded parts. Everything.
You immediately see RHA’s attention to detail. Sure, the packaging isn’t some fancy luxurious wooden box with etched named plates for good measure, but the T10’s presentation immediately makes present all that it has to offer, both in terms of design and parts. It’s like saying it has nothing to hide and nothing to be ashamed off. It’s an sudden and unexpected surprise that really makes you just stop and try to take everything in, right at the very first meeting. An effective statement, if there ever was one.
Sound
Of course, headphones aren’t meant just to be gawked at and here, the RHA T10 doesn’t disappoint either. In fact, the packaging already hints at a peculiar and unique feature that the T10 has. The headphones come with interchangeable tuning filters that you can swap out to your taste. While there’s very little you can do to adjust the audio that comes out of the headphones, RHA still offers you some amount of control through these filters. Want some more bass in your beat? Put on the black Bass filters. For a bit more treble, the gold ones should do the trick. Out of the box, the T10 comes fitted with the silver “Reference” filters that represent the baseline for audio quality.
On the Lows, the T10 delivers decent output. And by decent, we mean average. No too strong, but not too soft either. They’re about just right, until you get really low, where things start to roll off. The bass filters can mitigate these a bit though on average, you might not need to.
Mids is where the T10 excels. The sound it produces are quite sharp that you’ll have no trouble hearing the fine details of acoustics or the words of vocals. Considering this where majority of music is concentrated, it’s reassuring that this is where the T10 does its best.
Highs, on the other hand, are somewhat its weak point, but only temporarily. They are quite hard and rough, especially during first time use. Nothing a few hours of burn in can’t solve. By then, they become bearable, but still not ideal.
Design
No matter how great the audio quality produced by headphones are, if they make you feel like you’re hanging speakers over your ears, you’re unlikely to use them a lot. Fortunately, RHA does put a lot of thought, not to mention R&D, on this aspect. It has this patent-pending “mouldable” over-ear hooks. In short, it offers a firm hold on your ears without making you feel they’re being gripped by pincers. The wires themselves are particularly impressive. They are strong yet also comfortable to wear over the ear. But they are strong, and it would do you best to avoid getting it caught in clothing or other objects, as they will do try to pull you.
As a bonus, RHA throws in a very nice and spacious pouch so that you can put in the T10 as well as the filters and even all the silicone and memory foam ear tips you want to bring along with you.
Wrap-up
The RHA T10 is a work of art from box, to the filters, and, of course, the headphones themselves. Unlike the stereotype about appearances, however, the T10 is also a quality audio product. But is it perfect? Not quite, but almost. Highs were particularly problematic and though the burn in did eventually solve that, to some extent, it’s still not an ideal first experience with an otherwise quality product.
All in all, if you’re willing to splurge $189.95 for a pair, then the RHA T10 is definitely something worth keeping in your audio arsenal.
