I just thought I'd chime in with an initial impression of these headphones. As a caveat, I have not had the chance to compare these to higher end headphones but have included a list of speakers and headphones that I currently own that I was able to compare them to.
Let me start this by saying that I absolutely hate these RBH HP-2 headphones! Now before you read too much into that statement, let me clarify. Prior to purchasing the RBH HP-2, I had been happily enjoying my AudioEngine 2 (A2) desktop speakers, my Sennheiser HD-598 SE headphones, my Sennheiser PC350 gaming headset, my Fugoo Tough Bluetooth speaker, and my BOSE on ear headphones. All of these, in one way or another, had a purpose and were pleasurable to use and provided me with what I felt was an ability to enjoy music in different ways depending on the activity I was participating in. Now that I’ve purchased the RBH HP-2 on ear headphones, all of this has changed.
The RBH HP-2 provides such a great soundstage, with amazing depth, range and clarity that I never experienced in any of these other headsets and speakers that going back to any of the other headsets or speakers has become hard to tolerate. Listening to Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody on the RBH HP-2 gives me a new appreciation of the song’s range. From Mercury’s falsetto to the purity of sound coming from the piano and guitar or the booming bass drum, I feel like I’m right there in the studio with Queen recording the song. Throw in Aurora’s Half the World Away and you’ll enjoy hearing every breath and inflection in Aurora’s voice as it sends chills through your body. As I closed my eyes, I kept having the sensation that she was right there in front of me singing that song. Any song I threw at these headphones just brought new experiences I had not felt before.
Needless to say, I hate these headphones because they are so good and have set a new standard of acceptability for my listening requirements. I’ve only had a few hours of listening with them so far but the sound rivals that of the Totem Sttaf’s (no.. that is not a typo) floor speakers that I compared them to at a friend's house. The big difference of course is that the Totem’s cost him five times the price ($1800 CDN) but can fill a whole room while these only fill my ears (but only cost $350 CDN). Thankfully my Paradigm Studio home theatre setup still allows me to enjoy music in at least one room of the house.
My only real gripe with these headphones is the curious placement of the cord on the right side. Every single headphone I have ever owned had the cord on the left side. Not that this is anything major but it was just a bit odd at first and is taking a bit of getting used to. The inclusion of a cord with integrated mic and controller allows the headset to also double as a gaming headset to use with a PS4, Xbox One, or PC (although the inability to pin the mic somewhere isn't quite as convenient as the Sennheiser PC 350 gaming headset). For $200 US, I would be hard pressed to find anything on the market that can rival what this headset has to offer in terms of comfort, sound quality, and price. RBH has an absolute winner on their hands with these headphones and I now have to sell all my other equipment to reach for higher standards in order to enjoy listening to music anywhere else in my home.
For any Canadian readers, this headset came up to $225US. I chose the air shipment option which was the same price as a land shipment to Canada. I placed my order on a Sunday night, received an order confirmation on Monday, and delivery was made on Tuesday afternoon. Duty / taxes / surcharges was an additional $45CDN for importing. Money very well spent if this headset has the durability to match the rest of what it has to offer.
