LINK: Reloop | Price: $239/€199/£165 | Specifications: Reloop
Introduction
Reloop has, for all intents and purposes, come out of nowhere. In a breathtakingly short time they have filled their product range with just about anything a DJ could want. And we all want headphones. They are the kind of toys that we can reasonably afford to throw money at on a regular basis. We’ve covered Reloop headphones before to know that they are worth chucking our credit cards at the screen to buy. The RHP-20s were a surprising favourite with us, and now we have their more expensive and lifestyle focussed sibling — the RHP-30s — to put under the microscope.
In The Box
Being a pair of headphones that aims to suit a wide range of uses, the RHP-30s come well equipped. Obviously, you get the headphones, but with them comes 3 different cables — a heavyweight coiled DJ friendly one, a lifestyle friendly TRRS mobile cable, and a flat cable that “HiFi fans will love”. Perhaps they will if they’re sitting right next to their setup as it is only 1.2m long. One thing — the included screw fit adaptor only works with the coiled cable, so HiFi fans are going need an adaptor of their own to use the minijack cables with their 1/4″ systems.
The RHP-30s also come with a soft bag to keep it all together. I’d have preferred a hard case, but they do come in at a price that’s harder to hit with a proper case.
Looks
Much like Reloop’s other offerings, the RHP-30s are quite different to the average DJ headphones, and probably deliberately so. They have an aesthetic in mind as well as functionality, and most definitely have a “making a statement” feel about them. Clearly they’re not slimline, and remind me more of the ear defenders used by baggage handlers at airports. The 35mm wide headband, chunky cushioning, and big cups more or less take over your head when you wear them.
For people who prioritise function over aesthetics, looks are secondary. But as first impressions really do count, the bold nature of the RHP-30s will either drive people away or win them over immediately.
Build Quality
The RHP-30s are without a doubt weighty, mainly down to the bulk of the largely metal construction. The headband is a flexible steel strip with a more decorative aluminium band. This hinges onto the metal earpiece supports, and in turn the large plastic cups. The all plastic hinge is heavyweight with a single pin holding it in place. Time will tell if this is strong enough to withstand the rigours of DJ punishment.
My concern is with the band. We’re not exactly gentle when we test, and I detected a weak bending spot where the hinge finishes and the headband cushion starts when laying the RHP-30s out flat.My treatment is obviously extreme, but you should keep this in mind if you routinely abuse your headphones. And because of the aluminium used, it will get chipped, and most likely will look tatty if abused hard in a DJ environment.
Sound Quality
Chant the mantra — sound is subjective. We’ve all got different ears and tastes and thus you can take this section with a pinch of salt. As a more lifestyle focussed product, I had preconceptions of where the profile of the RHP-30s would fall. And sure enough, after trying a wide section of headphones to compare, the RHP-30 tuning is very much in the bassy and lively area. The difference between HD-25 IIs, Pioneer HDJ-2000s, and the RHP-30s is like chalk, cheese, and… a third wildly different thing.
For pure comparison’s sake (and I know you crave some benchmarks here), the RHP-30 sound is in the Beats Pro/V-MODA territory — aimed at producing a banging bassy sound that performs well in a live environment, but perhaps isn’t as linear as more production focussed users might want. Not having sophisticated audio analysis tools, I can’t really comment scientifically on the sound. All I can say is that the RHP-30s are loud with an emphasis on the bass and mids, and in comparison to their peers lack a little definition in the highs.
Ultimately though, for the price, they sound really good, and will work very well for DJs.
Isolation
Given the rather lush memory foam cups, you would expect that the outside world is kept at bay. And while nothing really seals against your head (HD 25s still rule at this) the RHP-30s do a fine job of keeping sound out, and for lifestyle headphones, sound stays in too. There’s nothing worse than second-hand listening, and provided you keep the volume in check, passengers won’t hate you.
Comfort and Stability
The epic lushness of the headband and earpads ensures that the comfort level is high. The RHP-30s aren’t the lightest headphones in the world, but I was able to wear them for a significant amount of time without any discomfort. It’s also this lushness that means that the lack of full pivoting of the cups is negated. You pop them on, and the memory foam finds the right position. The more purist amongst you may want to get into driver angling and other more audiophile issues, but in testing I didn’t have a single issue with the way the RHP-30s fit or alter sound
In use, because these are quite an open pair of cans, and also because of the weight, I found the RHP-30s to be less than stable on my head. I’m used to more of a clamp fit, whereas these sit comfortably, but at the expense of stability. Giving my head a bit of a shake was met with too much movement for my tastes. Most will be happy for more sedate listening needs, but for the more energetic DJ this may be an issue.
One real plus point — despite the obvious physical size, the open nature means that they hang very comfortably around my neck without impinging on my movement. Some headphones can feel like a surgical neck brace, but no such issues here.
Compactness
Just looking at the construction, it’s safe to assume that these were never going to squeeze into a small corner of your DJ bag. Even the monstrously sized Beats Pros fold up smaller. I guess this is a good reason for the lack of hard case — it would be a big one for sure.
Value for Money
This is a tricky one because of regional variations in pricing. Generally speaking, the RHP-30s fall into the higher end of the price bracket for DJ headphones, so you have to make natural comparisons with the more lifestyle brands as well as high end DJ focussed ones. It fairs quite well up against the more luxurious models, but I do struggle with the idea of DJs with this kind of money to spend picking these Reloops over Sennheisers or V-MODAs. But for those wanting to make a statement of size, the RHP-30s are definitely a vastly cheaper and viable alternative to Beats.
Summary
The Reloop RHP-30 headphones aim to please the widest number of buyers in one unit. Because of the tuning, these are definitely not geared toward producers. Casual listeners will be very suited because of the statement that they make, the sound that comes from them, and the long- term comfort.
If you’re looking for a pair of headphones that make a statement and can be used for more than just DJing, the Reloop RHP-30s are very much worth a look.
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