RBH Sound are an award winning speaker designer and manufacturer. They've now made a move that appears to be a growing trend within the speaker industry, and that's to enter the earbud and headphone market. We never had the privilege of listening to the predecessor earphones, known as the EP1's to the pair we'll be reviewing today. The successor is appropriately named the EP2 noise isolating in-ear headphones also known as in-ear monitors (IEM'S), sporting some features such as a remote and microphone that the EP1‘s didn't incorporate.
We review a lot of earphones and have to tackle the boxes they come in on a regular basis. Some need to be literally ripped open, others have a cable maze to figure out before you can actually get them out of the box. So it was very refreshing to receive the EP2 earphones and whisk them out of the sleek black magnetic box within seconds. They are found within a high quality leather pouch inside of the box which can be used to store them in.
The design is attractive, the tips of the buds offset at around 45 degrees and of course this is trying to guarantee the audio shoots straight towards the ear canal. The earphones are built to a genuine premium standard, definitely showcasing the intended $179 RRP well. Silver aluminium is used to house the earphones speaker drivers and the black textured aluminium pieces conjoined to the rear housing, make the earphones very easy to grip and take out of the ears. In conjunction rubber black plastic is used on the insides of the buds. Aluminium is also wrapped around the gold plated auxiliary jack. The 1.2m cable is wrapped in braided chord, we always prefer this material over plastic as it's generally stronger, tangles less and is easier to undo if they do happen to tangle. The overall build is definitely good, these are a pair of earphones that have been designed to undoubtably stand up to avid usage, whilst also sparking an elegant charm.
Two pairs of Comply foam tips are included, in medium and large sizes. The default tips pre installed within the box are the medium Comply foam tips and they were an all round great fit. The foam moulds to the ear and provides a very firm fit, perfect for runners and skaters. Additionally three pairs of rubber silicone tips are also included in small, medium and large sizes. However we were very satisfied with the Comply foam tips, they deliver a truly delightful fit. But also support the tremendous noise isolation. These truly keep loud exterior noises out of the ears for full un-compromised sound. People within close proximately will no doubt hear the RBH EP2 earphones audio though, so if you dislike noise pollution, these will offend.
The cables microphone and one button remote hosts a very original rounded design. The remote works with the iPhone, iPad, iPod, Android devices, Blackberry's and many other mobile devices too. Allowing the user to pause, play, skip music and answer calls. The microphone quality is good, delivering clear audio within calls and doesn't pickup outside winds harshly either. The remote is also constructed from aluminium and although it is very easy to find and use, we feel an abundantly obvious opportunity has been missed. The top of the remote has a textured pattern that runs right around the rounded remote. This could have been a brilliant twist volume knob and the execution of the volume control within the manner would have been very original too. It's a function this remote is lacking in and for a pair of premium entry earphones, volume adjustment is sort of 'why not?', if you're gong to incorporate a remote anyway.
When listening to the RBH EP2 Earphones across a wide spectrum of music genres it became clear that these are a truly premium sounding pair of earphones. Listening to 'At Or With Me' by 'Jack Johnson' was a great example of this, the lower frequencies have clear deep definition and mid to high frequencies are aloud to thrive alongside and are very exact. This particular song is very acoustic and rather busy with drums, a piano, electric guitars, acoustic guitars and of course Jack Johnson's vocals. Every instrument is distinctive and can be visually mapped out with the provided widely deep sound stage.
These earphones do produce an enhanced bass audio output which doesn't really distract, but should rather be considered the trademark style of the sound. The 13mm dynamic dome drivers drivers definitely play a huge role in the brilliant frequency entangling. Vocal performance is across the board at the forefront of everything, achieving a rich wholesome vocal experience. Volume can get extremely loud too, unbearable in fact, but doesn't distort eagerly. We have genuinely enjoyed the audio output produced from this pair of earphones, they offer a real thrill. However on occasion the mid range can under perform and it can severely deflate the whole audio experience. This seems to only really occur with lighter songs.
In conclusion RBH have no doubt improved the EP line, with the EP2 earphones. They're pleasing to listen to and incorporate a great build alongside useful functionality that assists the listener. So if you're looking to buy a great sounding premium pair of earphones floating around the $180 price bracket, these aren't a bad option at all.
