Check out these product pictures:
Product Performance
Comfort
These headphones sit on-ear, so they are a bit smaller than the Acoustic Research 808 headphones that I recently reviewed. I happen to really like on-ear headphones, but some people, especially those who wear earrings, have complained to me that on-ear headphones can be uncomfortable. The SA950i’s are no more uncomfortable to those people who tested them than other on-ear options, so if you are in the market for on-ear headphones, these are as comfortable as other options.
The SA950i is also pretty light, so wearing these for an extended period of time was not an issue for any of the people who tried these out.
Performance
Music performance was viewed as good, with some loss of highs and somewhat muddled bass response, but perfectly acceptable. When the three testers all found out that these were $60 headphones, they were amazed at the sound quality for the price.
Movies sounded fine, with plenty of volume and with decent definition of the sound.
Overall, these headphones fall a little short on sound quality when compared with the Beats Solos, but the Beats cost 5 times what the SA950i’s do. Performance is perfectly acceptable for the price point.
Features
One area where the SA950i falls a little short is in features. When I travel, I like to take a set of headphones that fold up. While these headphones are pretty small, they don’t fold up for easy storage. It’s not the end of the world, but a folding option would be nice. It would also probably take the SA950i out of the $60 price point, though.
The cable is wrapped in fabric to prevent tangling, a very nice feature.
For iOS devices, there is a built-in microphone with a mute button, and volume/track controls. These worked just fine with an iPhone 5. RHA certifies that these controls work with iOS devices; as far as Android devices go, they don’t guarantee that these controls will all work. This is similar to how the Beats Solos work.
Overall build quality is nice. Glossy black plastic dominates, and the chrome accents give a premium look to the headphones. The headband is padded for comfort.
Overall Evaluation
The RHA SA950i headphones are a budget headphone aimed at people who want quality sound but don’t want to pay a premium price. These headphones retail for $60, and deliver acceptable sound and quality for the price. The fabric-wrapped cable should prevent tangles, and if you have an iPhone, they can be used as microphone and headset for calling as well as music/movie playback.
The SA950i gets a 4/5 Silver Award and represents a very good choice for those in the market for a set of budget headphones.
Check out the RHA SA950i website here.
