The RHA T20i is, put simply, an excellent-sounding in-ear headphone. They come with three neat little tuning filters: reference filters, bass filters, and treble filters. Their stainless steel design makes them durable and able to withstand a catastrophic accident (hopefully that doesn’t happen though). They are among the best earbuds in the industry, hands down. Don’t believe us? Compare the RHA with our Zipbuds earbud headphone review if you’re not sold by these headphones. Or, if you’d rather go with over-ear, our Harmon Kardon Beautiful Sound CL on-ear headphones review. If you already have Bluetooth headphones, take a look at how easily they’ll pair with the SYRE iPad Nano watch case.
Why We Like It – RHA T20i
The RHA T20i impresses with the exceptional build quality, a sound quality so good you will consider going back to wired headphones, and a plethora of extra goodies in the box. Any serious audiophile would be doing themselves a great disservice if they didn’t consider the RHA T20i as a potential earbud. If you love technology, you might want to read our NU force Air DAC uWireless system review a read too.
- Bass Filter doesn’t just add more bass
- Wide Selection of Ear Tips
- Dual-Coil Driver gives Superb Sound Quality
- Treble Filter can be a bit too harsh at times
- Stainless Steel can be a Pain to Clean
- On the Pricey Side
Performance
The reference filter makes the RHA T20i sound mesmerizing with controlled and resolute bass. Instead of emphasizing the bass, the bass filter on the RHA T20 does what compression sustainer pedals do which is dull the highs and brighten the mid-range. Even though this might anger dubstep fans, people who enjoy excellent sound quality and musicians, especially bassists, will appreciate these types of bass filters. The treble filter can sound slightly too harsh sometimes, but can add some kick to songs that could use more energy. You’ll find similar sound quality on the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1. If the filters are a bit too much for you, the Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear offers great sound quality without all the filters. Or if you’re looking for the over-the-ear type, check out the Logitech UE 4000 on-ear headphones.
Related: For something durable with premium construction, our Rha T20 In-Ear Headphones review is a must-read.
Design
In the box, aside from the two pairs of earbuds, you’ll discover a wide selection of ear tips to help you find and choose the right fit for you. The Jaybird X2 also has a wide selection of earbuds. Of these variable ear tips include Comply foam tips, the Comfort TSX series, so you know they’ll be comfortable when nestled in your ear. They also have stainless steel tuning filters holder and stainless steel ear tip holders so durability will never be an issue. Just remember that stainless steel insists it can only be cleaned with stainless steel cleaner. That will be another investment if you’re picky about the cleanliness of your electronics. The design doesn’t include noise cancellation, though, so the Bose QuietComfort 20 will be your next choice should this be important to you. And, unlike the Etymotic Research HF5, it doesn’t have inline controls.
Related: If you like these headphones, you might also be interested in our Scosche Realm Iem856Md Earbud review.
Value
The RHA T20i headphones feature a Dual-Coil driver. This is a dynamic driver specifically made to offer high-resolution sound reproduction. They’re priced at almost $142.00, though, which is enough to make anyone circle back to rethink their purchase. If this is you, the Shure SE215 is an excellent, under $100, choice for earbuds and Shure’s attempt at budget headphones. But with the outstanding sound quality and many, many extras the RHA T20i offers, it will be hard for any serious audiophile to consider anything else.
RHA T20i Wrap Up
It’s clear that the target audience for the RHA T20i is people who know a thing or two about sound reproduction and sound quality. Although this may alienate a certain segment of people, it’s nice to see a product focusing on a core group of individuals by playing up their strengths and not trying to appeal to a wide audience with good, but not exceptional, performance across the board.
