Sound Impressions
A Rebuttal
There seems to be some prevailing opinion that the MA750 Wireless is an n-shaped or top-heavy presentation with a flat or neutral bass at best or no bass at worst. That simply is not true. There are a number of reasons why I think that this impression has occurred.
First, the tips. Slip on the foam tips and you will get a better seal, a smoother treble response, and more low-end impact.
Second, check your source. Those without aptX might find the sound a little lacking in dynamic range and impact whereas those with aptX signals will get a more dynamic performance.
Finally, check your source. They do not all deliver the same level of performance or tonality.
Examples
LG G6
As an example, the LG G6 is not only aptX capable but also aptX-HD ready. It should deliver the ideal signal for the MA750 Wireless to sound optimal It doesn’t. Rather it sticks a little closer to its own sound signature. What is that? A cleaner, slightly leaner tonality with a neutral instrumental timbre and sparkling highs.
HiBy Music R6
Now switching to the HiBy Music R6 and immediately the dynamic range and impact are better but with a slightly more relaxed treble. What does that mean? It means I get a far better contrast between the loudest points in my music and the quietest points.
The transients also seem a little quicker and most importantly, the low-end is a lot heavier and thicker sounding. It just sounds more fun and detailed than the G6 signal and closer to the R6’s own stock tonal signature.
Blackberry Passport
Another good example is my trusty old Blackberry Passport which is BT4.0 and aptX capable also. It differs from the G6 with a drier sound and less top-end sparkle. It also had much less depth and sub-bass power compared to the HiBy R6. This one perhaps best represents the concept that the MA750 Wireless could be a mid-centric performer.
Apple iTouch (6th Gen)
The iTouch was a little more relaxed sounding than the G6 with a smoother top end and a fairly warm but polite low-end and midrange. It doesn’t have aptX so I tend to revert to this for the likes of Apple Music or lossy files. It lacks a little impact and the dynamics are not as good as the R6 but it is a musical presentation with little in the way of fatigue.
Core Presentation
So is there a core presentation we can dig into and describe? Well sort off, but as mentioned it is not always consistent.
Bass
For me, the MA750 Wireless has a low-end that is capable of being impactful and delivering power when called upon. Yes, it does drop away a little sub-60-80Hz but that dynamic driver can and does show more than adequate sub-bass presence and a healthy injection of PRaT.
It still has all the typical traits of a solid dynamic driver. A touch slow-paced maybe but very natural sounding than equivalently priced BA designs.
Mids
The mid-bass has some good warmth and impact that slips a little into the lower midrange carrying a little thickness and good body into its instrumental timbre. Still, for a BT IEM, the detail is very good. The MA750 Wireless makes a good fist of delivering a fairly spacious and open presentation to prevent things from sounding muddy or bloated.
Vocal presence is a little more neutral in positioning but they remain very natural sounding. I rarely found them to slip in any sibilance or a harsher sounding attack unless I switched back to the LG G6 which was generally a bit brighter and harder sounding.
Treble
It does have some nice lower treble energy and overall the MA750 Wireless delivers a good harmonic balance. Headroom and air do also depend a little on the source used.
Going back to the LG G6 and I get a slightly brighter midrange and treble with plenty of sparkle and articulation. This is a nice pairing if you want a stronger perception of articulation and detail in your top-end signature.
With the BB Passport, the MA750 Wireless treble sounded more relaxed, perhaps smoother than the LG G6 but it didn’t sound as airy. With the R6 once again the treble falls back a bit more compared to the LG G6 but the lower treble percussion timbre just sounds more natural to my ears and more detailed than the BB Passport performance.
Connectivity
Dual-Pairing
Pairing with sources to the MA750 Wireless is relatively smooth and you can pair up to two devices at the same time.
Note however that whilst switching from Smartphone to an Android DAP consisted simply of pause on one and play on another when both paired at the same time the same was not true of DAP to a smartphone.
On all occasions, I had to reconnect to the smartphone to get it playing again. Only takes a few seconds but not as smooth as I had hoped for with a dual pairing.
Connecting
Pairing simply consists of a long press of the small power button on the right large tube beside the USB-C connection. If you happen to have the drives in your ear you will hear some voice-over stating status such as the battery percentage, connection, etc.
The key sound is like a dial tone and that is your pairing tone. If you look at the base of the barrel under the power button you will see a small LED light. If it is flashing red you are in pairing mode. once paired it will voice that it has a connection. For the latest Android, you will also see the battery level of the MA750 Wireless in the task bad of your phone.
Performance
Connection and Distance
The connection was rock solid on all tested platforms including 2 smartphones, the iTouch and HiBy Music R6. All delivered the same distance of about 10m or 6-7m with one wall in-between the source and the MA750 Wireless.
This is pretty standard for me with BT4.1 so it is competitive. I did not experience any unusual dropouts and all devices had no issues detecting and pairing with the MA750 Wireless.
Volume Control
My only concern was the remote modules volume control which seems a bit rough and inaccurate, especially on the DAPs. On the R6, one click could easily bump it up by around 10 steps or roughly 5dB and vice versa when reducing it. The iTouch was a little better but had the same effect with the odd time going up 2 bars instead of one.
Also, if you are connected to both a DAP and smartphone they can have unintended control of each other. Pushing down the volume on the Passport actually resulted in the R6 volume coming down same time!
Noise
Not always but on some connections, I got a slight bit of background hiss and a generally higher noise floor. It is not as bad as the PlusSound Exo Series BT module, however, the Plussound module can be fitted to any IEM which may be more sensitive than the MA750 Wireless driver.
Select Comparisons
Brainwavz Blu-200
$54.50
Technical
I have always thought the BLU-200 was a bit of a bargain until it fell apart a few months after the review. The main problem was the charging which seemed to get shorter and shorter in terms of battery life.
On paper, it is much too short, to begin with at 3-4 hours playback time which is almost 1/3 of what the MA750 Wireless can do.
It is also mostly plastic compared to the MA750 Wireless’s premium metal build. You can argue the MA750 Wireless has a much bigger construction with the necklace form factor but in truth, it feels much comfier and easier to work with than the BLU-200.
Both, however, have equal performance in terms of connectivity, pairing, and distance from a source. Both can receive an aptX signal also.
Performance
The BLU-200 is tuned for the consumer end of the market. This is a V-shaped presentation though the top-end peak is not hugely elevated so it comes across as a bit darker in tone. The mids are fairly dipped with its low-end dominating the sound signature.
Whilst both carry some warmth the BLU-200 takes it much further up into the mids so it is muddier and not as resolving as the MA750 Wireless. The MA750 Wireless is much more balanced, resolving sound and with far greater top-end headroom and air. The low-end can kick when called upon also.
Advanced Evo X
$54.99
Technical
The Evo X is an interesting BT IEM with its use of beryllium-coated dynamic drivers at this price point. However, at this price point, it also does fall behind the MA750 Wireless in terms of battery life at just 5 hours. That is over half the battery life of the MA750 Wireless in real testing conditions.
BT connection distance was good, roughly the same as the MA750 Wireless with sources at around 10ft with one wall in between. DAPs performed worse with the EVO X connectivity than smartphones with a much shorter distance.
The MA750 is also a better build quality with metal over plastics, provides a much superior level of comfort and seal, and uses aptX. the Evo X has no aptX capability. You can argue at $55 do not expect aptX. However, I present to you the BLU-200 for the exact same price doing aptX.
Performance
This is another V-shaped musical presentation compared to the gentler u-shaped (or n-shaped depending on your source) MA750 Wireless. However, this is a much cleaner and more resolving presentation than the BLU-200.
It will sound a little darker than the MA750 Wireless and that lack of aptX capability does mean it will not sound quite as dynamic and engaging.
The MA750 Wireless is a little warmer, instrumental timbre will also sound a bit more euphonic as a result. It will also deliver a more pleasing level of texture and detail than the Evo X. Lower treble on the Evo X is also a little harder sounding but still well within comfort levels.
Flare Audio Flares Pro
£349
Technical
This is the top-end of BT performance at the time of writing for me. The Flares Pro BT is a balanced circuit design with a lightweight dongle and detachable cables from the dongle.
The IEM drivers are also made from very durable titanium compared to the MA750 Wireless aluminum and use a single 5.5mm single dynamic beryllium driver. It costs more and you expect to see more and the Flares Pro does not disappoint on the build side.
The one thing I do worry about is the cable on the Flares which has a weaker strain relief and a very thin build. The MA750 Wireless cable does seem more durable.
I have to give special props to the BT module on the Flares Pro. The build is great, the button functionality is spot on and the volume control is a bit easier to work with than the remote on the MA750 Wireless.
Both can do aptX and both can pair with all sources tested and deliver a distance of around 10ft with one wall in between so no difference there. Battery life is almost the same at 10 hours for the MA750 Wireless and about 9 hours for the Flares Pro.
Performance
The Flares Pro delivers a more neutral and linear signature than the warmer and more musical-sounding MA750 Wireless. It has a pronounced peak around 7k peak so treble on the Flares Pro sounds a little brighter in comparison to the MA750 wireless which is a touch smoother though not quite as extended and airy sounding.
Mids on the Flares Pro are also fairly neutral with a very clean and excellent instrumental separation. Lower mids are not as thick-sounding or euphonic as the MA750 Wireless but do not necessarily sound thinned out. Vocals are a bit clearer on the Flares Pro but have a slightly harder attack and can slip in a bit of sibilance now and then.
Detail levels on the Flares Pro are higher and you will find it a generally more resolving signature ideally suited to intricate instrumental passages. The low-end on the MA750 Wireless is heavier hitting with more mid-bass warmth and slightly more sub-bass presence but it is not quite as well defined as the Flares Pro’s bass performance.
The MA 750 Wireless seems the better fit for beats-centric music and modern pop/rock compared to the Flares Pro which does better with audiophile recordings. Those looking for a generally more forgiving signature might prefer the MA750 Wireless also.
Our Verdict
The RHA MA750 Wireless is a very good Bluetooth IEM. It sits nicely above entry-level BT IEMs courtesy of the excellent build quality and legacy of the original wired MA750. I was also surprised at how comfortable they are despite thinking that the neck strap would weigh me down.
Tonally I have to say I can find nothing wrong with the bass performance. It is excellent and quite typical of decent dynamic driver response. There is a high degree of clarity and headroom in the rest of the signature also so it is not bass dominant.
Watch your tip selection though, foams will do better if you need bass. Keep a careful eye on your source, not all sound the same and the HiBy Music R6 is a good example of that, sounding meatier and more natural to my ears than the brighter LG G6 smartphone.
The price point is good though I would not like to see it creep up any higher. I think it is spot on for value for money for this type of technology and all-around packaging and presentation. Certainly, it puts the budget performers deep into the shade.
RHA MA750 Wireless Specifications
- Frequency Range: 16-22,000Hz
- Driver: Model 506.1 Dynamic driver
- High fidelity aptX™ and AAC streaming for compatible devices
- Noise isolating, Aerophonic™ design in stainless steel
- 12-hour battery life
- Sweat and splashproof to IPX4
- Universal remote for a full track, call, and digital assistant control
- Selection of ear tips, clothing clip, and carry pouch
- Guaranteed by a three-year warranty
- Free delivery
