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Hi-Fi corner: RHA’s steely T10i tender big bass without sacrificing clarity or detail

By Ryan Waniata Apr 3, 2015 4:54 PM

British headphone maker RHA has crafted an elegant new pair of in-ear headphones drafted from mold-injection steel to add some style (and substance) to the cutthroat genre, dubbed the T10i. And those who want a healthy burst of bass without sacrificing detail will want to take note.

The T10i aren’t just your ordinary pair of buds. The wrap-around earpieces hold more than a few tricks up their sleeves, not the least of which are three sets of removable filters that help tune the sound, designed to move between a bassy punch, a more natural sound, and a snappier push in the treble.

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There are plenty of other features on board as well, including a mountain of eartips to choose from — in both silicone and Comply foam — a soft black case, oxygen free copper cabling with gold plated connection, and a long cable with a well-constructed iOS three-button mic piece.

The T10i offer an impressive claimed frequency response of 16-22kHz, and plenty of power from their onboard dynamic drivers. The bendable hooks adjust to keep the earphones in place, and the heavy steel pieces fit well in our ears, without comfort issues over long listening sessions.

As for the sound, we really enjoyed the T10i for most of our listening. The buds offer a rich and buttery midrange, and plenty of extension and clarity up top. We preferred using the treble filters for a bit of extra snap in the upper register on some tracks, though in all iterations, we found bass could be just a bit too heavy in some genres — especially hip-hop.

That said, if you love some extra bass, these are one of the rare breed that offer that deep punch without infecting the rest of the sound signature to a prohibitive level. If you’re looking for a new pair of in-ears that have some oomph down low, well-cut detail above, and a style that stands out (and you can afford their $200 price tag) RHA’s T10i are a solid new choice.

This article originally appeared on The Manual’s brother site, Digital Trends

Ryan Waniata is a multi-year veteran of the digital media industry, a lover of all things tech, audio, and TV, and a… Read Full Bio

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