Review
This review is for the RHA MA450i earphones, they are designed to work with i devices, but can be used with other products as well.
They are available from the manufacturers site and also amazon.
These are over all very good earphones, they are designed to be passively noise canceling, and they go into the ear rather than over the top.
They come with 7 different sized tips so it should be possible for anyone to find a tip to suit them that can be warn for a prolonged length of time.
These earphones have a built in remote which doubles as a microphone that is designed to answer and end calls, and also can control music playback they can pause it, change the volume and skip to the next or previous track.
It has three buttons, which are very accessible, as the middle button has a depression on it which divides it neatly from the end two buttons, and means you won't accidentally press the wrong one.
The buttons are very simple, as the buttons on the left and right side are exclusively for changing volume up or down, while the middle button which has the depression deals with all other functions, it is used to end calls, and for music playback, one click of the button pauses playback, a double clik goes a track forward, and a triple click goes a track back.
The cable of these earphones is a little unusual as its not the usual rubber style, its what they call braided which makes it feel like string, the manufacturers claim this braiding helps reduce tangling and kinking. It appears this braiding is common to all RHA products.
The earphones do provide good passive noise canceling.
So I guess my reader is wondering why the four star rating
The answer is because of the tips mentioned above, they are made of silicone and are dome shaped with a wide opening on the bottom with a stiff bit of rubber inside, the stiff inner sleeve is where the earphone has to be slid into to attach the tips.
the fact is that I am completely blind and I had to ask someone sighted for help with fitting different tips so I could try them out,
The outer rubber of the tip is very thin and bendy, and the middle inside bit is very stiff and ungiving.
The sighted person I asked for help with fitting these tips took at least five minutes to fit one tip and he said he found it very difficult.
I eventually figured out how to fit the tips myself but I used the best part of a day working it out,
They don't fit directly over the end of the earphones, they fit on sideways, and there is a bit of notched metal shaped like a screw which adds to the difficulty of fitting the tips.
The trick with them seems to be to start inserting them at the right angle and then to apply just the right amount of pressure, as its very easy if you press two hard for the earphone to move and slip out of the tip.
That is my main reason for the 4 star rating and my problem with these earphones.
Once the tip is attached it is held on very firmly by the notched bit of metal mentioned above and they are comfortable.