QCY T12 IPX4 BT5.1 TWS
- Added by regancipher
- Create date
How I review: (See Previous Reviews)
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: QCY T12
Price: MSRP $20
Vendor Website: QCY
Review Reference: RC042
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User manual, Chinese & English
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the Regancipher review of the QCY T12.
QCY are well renowned in the TWS space for developing extraordinarily low cost earbuds that perhaps lack some of the bells and whistles of the more lauded chifi brands, but deliver to the segment of the market that need 'good enough', reliability and value for money. Part of the Hele Electronics Group, as well as designing their own products, they also OEM product for other vendors (Aukey, for example rebrand the T5) with three of their major customers in the global top 10 of the TWS market in 2019, and in 2020 they were the 4th biggest TWS vendor in the world, according to market research.
The last time I reviewed a set of QCY earbuds - the T10 - was a bit of a damp squib. I shouldn't have expected much, but the lure of balanced armature drivers at less than $20 was too much to ignore. Unsurprisingly, they turned out to be, well, as good as you would expect for $20 - nothing more, nothing less. However, QCY are very quick learners - straight after the T10 came the T11, and they were much improved. What I like about QCY is they seem to keep the elements that are good, and improve on the areas that are weak, with every release. Fit and comfort on the T10 were great, but they lacked a little in audio quality. The T11 retained the form factor and simply improved the audio delivery - smart decision.
The QCY mission seems to be bringing music to the masses - they are unlikely to top the charts for sound quality or features any time soon, but I think that's how they prefer it - their bang for buck is often unparalleled, with customers knowing they are getting value....and this time, they got it just about right.
The Unboxing - 7/10
Like Haylou, whose Moripods and W1 I recently reviewed, there is nothing fancy about a QCY unboxing. What is noticeable is that they have upped their game in recent releases. The change in branding and logo is evident, and the key features - 13mm drivers, low latency and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity - are all detailed clearly on the front. Inside the buds are held securely in a plastic insert, along with the case, the type-C USB charge cable.
The user manual is a little primitive, and in English and Chinese only. Some of the print is a bit small so make sure you have your reading glasses on!
The back of the box features some of the key characteristics and a QR code for their app.
The Case - 7/10
The case is an 'open cigarette box-style' - similar to the FIIL CC2 - and that can cause a problem with foreign objects getting inside the case and obscuring the charging sensors - so be aware of this.
QCY have favoured a glossy, but solid plastic over the metallic finish of the FIIL, which is robust and very solid. Compared with the FIIL, it provides a much lower total charge capacity.
It is very portable - one of the smallest cases I've tested. The case is visibly smaller than the Haylou Moripods (top left), FIIL CC2 (bottom left) and SoundPEATS TrueAir 2 (bottom right).
It is also extremely light - less than 24g fully loaded, and unlike previous QCY releases it has a nice glossy finish, and the build quality feels more premium than the price would suggest.
A single light on the front glows red when the case is on charge, and green when charge is complete, but there is no indicator of percentage. The light for the buds does the same, and is on the outside - the same side as the case. This makes it very straightforward to see whether they need charging or not and is a nice feature, although it takes an eternity for the lights to go off!
Ergonomics - 7/10, Build Quality - 7.5/10
The shape of the T12 is rectangular, which, like the Moripods and CC2, makes it very easy to adjust them without accidentally initiating the touch controls. There is no obvious sign of the ambient mic on the outside, although the marketing material claims they do have it - where it is, I'm not really sure.
The 'head' of the buds is much thicker than any of the other models above, and this, combined with their very short length (35.4mm) can make them a little lopsided in terms of weight displacement, and consequently quite loose fitting if you have a shallow concha, so these are better suited to those with slightly larger ears, or ears that droop down only a little to enhance stability.
The SoundPEATS and Haylou models get round this with more angular necks to hook better on the ear, and the 1More, FIIL and Taotronics, have a more refined nib which is designed to rest further in the ear canal. To be honest none of them will fit everyone perfectly so it should be remembered fit is entirely subjective, and is especially pertinent with this semi-in-ear style.
They driver surround terminates in a nice metallic mesh cover though, differentiating them from the pack - usually we see this on IEM's, so nice to see on TWS. The build quality is much better than the rough-edged Haylou Moripods.
On the inside we see what is probably the second mic, and a pressure relief hole, commonplace on buds of this ilk. The glossy finish throughout again looks nice, but doesn't help secure them like the traction of the rubberised Comfobuds or matte finish of the TrueAir2 and CC2.
Weighing just 4.17g, they are very light, although as I mentioned earlier, the weight displacement is better suited to those with deep conchas.
Above shows how they look in the ear - a little generic - but they look very nice overall and the LED lights do not flash once they are out of the case and in your ears - a bug bear I have with other manufacturers.
Audio Quality - 7/10 (for the price), 6.5/10 (raw score)
Unlike most buds at this price point, the focus has been on elevating the mids a little, but not too much. This can give the sound a warm, intimate feeling, and whilst they lack a little tonality, they can also sound spacious and airy thanks to the form factor creating a little room between you and the source. High mids are rolled off, which makes them less fatiguing when worn for long periods, but can sound a little muddy on more complex tracks.
I gave them a tweak through Wavelet and Windows, and they responded pretty well through both. It is worth remembering these are $20 buds - the sound is perfectly acceptable for the money. If you're mainly going to be listening to audiobooks or podcasts, these are a great option, as they lack the harshness associated with the v shaped, consumer sound signature typically present on buds at this price point.
The buds support AAC and SBC codecs. QCY mostly use the Jerry chipset range, which supports Bluetooth 5.1, but does not facilitate the aptX codec range as it isn't a Qualcomm SoC. This relationship with Jieli is one of the reasons QCY can keep the buds affordable, and the sound is very good for the price, and especially good for the offer price!
Call Quality - Indoors - 7.5/10, Outdoors - 6.5/10
Calls are surprisingly very clear and natural, if a little boomy, at this price point. Your voice comes across very clear in both cell and Zoom calls, and most sounds that are more than 5m away are blotted out. Closer sounds feel dulled but definitely present, although your voice is elevated above them quite clearly.
Outdoors they seem to suffer the same fate as most other buds of this type. Traffic and wind can completely decimate your calls, and your voice gets lost. This is not exclusive to the T12, more a feature of TWS that all vendors have to compromise on.
Controls & Other Features - 7.5/10
Controls are quite straightforward, and whilst there is no volume control by default, the QCY app does allow you to remap the buttons - remarkable at this price. The manual details how to initiate different functions, and also what the LED status and prompt is. Rather than a Chinese sounding voice, you get a single tone. QCY's YouTube channel gives you very nice visual instructions on how to use the buds here.
Low latency mode is initiated by triple-tapping the right bud, and left triple tap hails voice assistant. Latency came in quite good on this model
The app, like most TWS apps, requires a lot of permissions and doesn't always connect straight away. It does, however, have a remarkable amount of features, including touch sensitivity, button mapping (detailed above), a ten-band equaliser and a 'find my buds' feature a la Samsung. Some very impressive features for the money.
Battery Life - 7/10
The buds are pretty loud, so you can achieve close to the advertised 4 hours at around 55% volume comfortably, and 20 hours from the case is respectable, if unspectacular. In fact, it's pretty low by today's standards, although for semi-in-ear it's still about right.
The lack of quick charge is a shame, and wireless charging would have been a nice to have, but at the price point, it is understandable that it has been ommitted.
Final Comments
In a crowded market, QCY have offered a very respectable set of buds at an extraordinarily low price that do nothing outstandingly well, and nothing badly, still providing some high-end features, such as app support, low latency and control mapping that bely their incredibly low price tag. The build quality is very impressive - the semi-in-ear market is dominated by SoundPEATS' excellent TrueAir 2, FIIL CC2, 1More Comfobuds and Haylou Moripods, but the T12 are definitely more solid than all of the above, and whilst they don't top the charts overall, they also costs a lot less. If the above buds price you out of the market, or you want a spare pair to use in case the others fail, you can do a lot worse than the T12.
At just $16 - you can pay more for a beer in London - QCY deserve major kudos for once again delivering a reasonable attempt at an extraordinary price point.
Ideal for:
Raw Score: 74%
QCY Review Inventory:
HT07 Arcbuds
HT05 Melobuds ANC
T20 Ailypods
T18
G1
T17
T16
T13
HT03
T12
T11
About QCY:
Whilst not quite a household name outside of China yet, QCY are well-renowned in the budget TWS space for developing extraordinarily low cost earbuds that, whilst perhaps lacking some of the bells and whistles of the more expensive brands, deliver to the segment of the market where 'good enough is good enough', with solid reliability and tremendous value for money.
Part of the Hele Electronics Group, as well as designing their own products, they also OEM product for other vendors (Aukey, for example rebrand the T5), with three of their major customers being brands you will certainly recognise and in the global top 10 of the TWS market in 2019. In 2020, market research indicated they were the 4th biggest TWS vendor worldwide - no mean feat.
Despite a close relationship with SoC manufactuer Zhuhai Jieli, QCY are not afraid to mix and match components to suit their target market. This often sees a number of releases in quick succession - their T17S are an example of this, released subsequent to the T17, and differentiating with the use of the Qualcomm QCC3040 SoC, to support customers who require the added lower latency enabled by the aptX codecs that the Qualcomm chips support. They did a similar thing with the very popular T5, T8 and T9 - nice to see a vendor using an easy to follow naming convention! The G1 use the newest Pixart chip in order to reduce latency - horses for courses!
The QCY mission seems to be bringing music to the masses at a very affordable price - they are unlikely to top the charts for sound quality or features any time soon, but I think that's how they prefer it - their bang for buck is often unparalleled, with customers knowing they are getting value from a brand they can trust.
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Squiglink: regancipher
Socials: Biolink
Model: QCY T12
Price: MSRP $20
Vendor Website: QCY
Review Reference: RC042
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: QCY
- Model: T12
- Driver: 13mm
- Chipset: Jieli (aka Jerry) AC6972A
- Impedence: 32 Ohm
- Mic: Dual MEMS
- ANC: No
- Volume Control: No
- Codecs: AAC, SBC
- Earbud Weight: 4.17g
- Earbud Dimensions: Stem Length 35.8mm
- Gross Weight with Case: 24.79g
- Case Dimensions: 45 x 44 x 25
- Case Charge Capacity: 380mAh
- Full Charge Time: 120 minutes
- Quick Charge: No
- Wireless Charging: No
- Input: 5V 400mA
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 4 hours
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 20 hours
- App Support: Yes
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.1
- Bluetooth Protocols: HSP/ HFP/ A2DP/ AVRCP
- Water Resistance: IPX5
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User manual, Chinese & English
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the Regancipher review of the QCY T12.
QCY are well renowned in the TWS space for developing extraordinarily low cost earbuds that perhaps lack some of the bells and whistles of the more lauded chifi brands, but deliver to the segment of the market that need 'good enough', reliability and value for money. Part of the Hele Electronics Group, as well as designing their own products, they also OEM product for other vendors (Aukey, for example rebrand the T5) with three of their major customers in the global top 10 of the TWS market in 2019, and in 2020 they were the 4th biggest TWS vendor in the world, according to market research.
The last time I reviewed a set of QCY earbuds - the T10 - was a bit of a damp squib. I shouldn't have expected much, but the lure of balanced armature drivers at less than $20 was too much to ignore. Unsurprisingly, they turned out to be, well, as good as you would expect for $20 - nothing more, nothing less. However, QCY are very quick learners - straight after the T10 came the T11, and they were much improved. What I like about QCY is they seem to keep the elements that are good, and improve on the areas that are weak, with every release. Fit and comfort on the T10 were great, but they lacked a little in audio quality. The T11 retained the form factor and simply improved the audio delivery - smart decision.
The QCY mission seems to be bringing music to the masses - they are unlikely to top the charts for sound quality or features any time soon, but I think that's how they prefer it - their bang for buck is often unparalleled, with customers knowing they are getting value....and this time, they got it just about right.
The Unboxing - 7/10
Like Haylou, whose Moripods and W1 I recently reviewed, there is nothing fancy about a QCY unboxing. What is noticeable is that they have upped their game in recent releases. The change in branding and logo is evident, and the key features - 13mm drivers, low latency and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity - are all detailed clearly on the front. Inside the buds are held securely in a plastic insert, along with the case, the type-C USB charge cable.
The user manual is a little primitive, and in English and Chinese only. Some of the print is a bit small so make sure you have your reading glasses on!
The back of the box features some of the key characteristics and a QR code for their app.
The Case - 7/10
The case is an 'open cigarette box-style' - similar to the FIIL CC2 - and that can cause a problem with foreign objects getting inside the case and obscuring the charging sensors - so be aware of this.
QCY have favoured a glossy, but solid plastic over the metallic finish of the FIIL, which is robust and very solid. Compared with the FIIL, it provides a much lower total charge capacity.
It is very portable - one of the smallest cases I've tested. The case is visibly smaller than the Haylou Moripods (top left), FIIL CC2 (bottom left) and SoundPEATS TrueAir 2 (bottom right).
It is also extremely light - less than 24g fully loaded, and unlike previous QCY releases it has a nice glossy finish, and the build quality feels more premium than the price would suggest.
A single light on the front glows red when the case is on charge, and green when charge is complete, but there is no indicator of percentage. The light for the buds does the same, and is on the outside - the same side as the case. This makes it very straightforward to see whether they need charging or not and is a nice feature, although it takes an eternity for the lights to go off!
Ergonomics - 7/10, Build Quality - 7.5/10
The shape of the T12 is rectangular, which, like the Moripods and CC2, makes it very easy to adjust them without accidentally initiating the touch controls. There is no obvious sign of the ambient mic on the outside, although the marketing material claims they do have it - where it is, I'm not really sure.
The 'head' of the buds is much thicker than any of the other models above, and this, combined with their very short length (35.4mm) can make them a little lopsided in terms of weight displacement, and consequently quite loose fitting if you have a shallow concha, so these are better suited to those with slightly larger ears, or ears that droop down only a little to enhance stability.
The SoundPEATS and Haylou models get round this with more angular necks to hook better on the ear, and the 1More, FIIL and Taotronics, have a more refined nib which is designed to rest further in the ear canal. To be honest none of them will fit everyone perfectly so it should be remembered fit is entirely subjective, and is especially pertinent with this semi-in-ear style.
They driver surround terminates in a nice metallic mesh cover though, differentiating them from the pack - usually we see this on IEM's, so nice to see on TWS. The build quality is much better than the rough-edged Haylou Moripods.
On the inside we see what is probably the second mic, and a pressure relief hole, commonplace on buds of this ilk. The glossy finish throughout again looks nice, but doesn't help secure them like the traction of the rubberised Comfobuds or matte finish of the TrueAir2 and CC2.
Weighing just 4.17g, they are very light, although as I mentioned earlier, the weight displacement is better suited to those with deep conchas.
Above shows how they look in the ear - a little generic - but they look very nice overall and the LED lights do not flash once they are out of the case and in your ears - a bug bear I have with other manufacturers.
Audio Quality - 7/10 (for the price), 6.5/10 (raw score)
Unlike most buds at this price point, the focus has been on elevating the mids a little, but not too much. This can give the sound a warm, intimate feeling, and whilst they lack a little tonality, they can also sound spacious and airy thanks to the form factor creating a little room between you and the source. High mids are rolled off, which makes them less fatiguing when worn for long periods, but can sound a little muddy on more complex tracks.
I gave them a tweak through Wavelet and Windows, and they responded pretty well through both. It is worth remembering these are $20 buds - the sound is perfectly acceptable for the money. If you're mainly going to be listening to audiobooks or podcasts, these are a great option, as they lack the harshness associated with the v shaped, consumer sound signature typically present on buds at this price point.
The buds support AAC and SBC codecs. QCY mostly use the Jerry chipset range, which supports Bluetooth 5.1, but does not facilitate the aptX codec range as it isn't a Qualcomm SoC. This relationship with Jieli is one of the reasons QCY can keep the buds affordable, and the sound is very good for the price, and especially good for the offer price!
Call Quality - Indoors - 7.5/10, Outdoors - 6.5/10
Calls are surprisingly very clear and natural, if a little boomy, at this price point. Your voice comes across very clear in both cell and Zoom calls, and most sounds that are more than 5m away are blotted out. Closer sounds feel dulled but definitely present, although your voice is elevated above them quite clearly.
Outdoors they seem to suffer the same fate as most other buds of this type. Traffic and wind can completely decimate your calls, and your voice gets lost. This is not exclusive to the T12, more a feature of TWS that all vendors have to compromise on.
Controls & Other Features - 7.5/10
Controls are quite straightforward, and whilst there is no volume control by default, the QCY app does allow you to remap the buttons - remarkable at this price. The manual details how to initiate different functions, and also what the LED status and prompt is. Rather than a Chinese sounding voice, you get a single tone. QCY's YouTube channel gives you very nice visual instructions on how to use the buds here.
Low latency mode is initiated by triple-tapping the right bud, and left triple tap hails voice assistant. Latency came in quite good on this model
The app, like most TWS apps, requires a lot of permissions and doesn't always connect straight away. It does, however, have a remarkable amount of features, including touch sensitivity, button mapping (detailed above), a ten-band equaliser and a 'find my buds' feature a la Samsung. Some very impressive features for the money.
Battery Life - 7/10
The buds are pretty loud, so you can achieve close to the advertised 4 hours at around 55% volume comfortably, and 20 hours from the case is respectable, if unspectacular. In fact, it's pretty low by today's standards, although for semi-in-ear it's still about right.
The lack of quick charge is a shame, and wireless charging would have been a nice to have, but at the price point, it is understandable that it has been ommitted.
Final Comments
In a crowded market, QCY have offered a very respectable set of buds at an extraordinarily low price that do nothing outstandingly well, and nothing badly, still providing some high-end features, such as app support, low latency and control mapping that bely their incredibly low price tag. The build quality is very impressive - the semi-in-ear market is dominated by SoundPEATS' excellent TrueAir 2, FIIL CC2, 1More Comfobuds and Haylou Moripods, but the T12 are definitely more solid than all of the above, and whilst they don't top the charts overall, they also costs a lot less. If the above buds price you out of the market, or you want a spare pair to use in case the others fail, you can do a lot worse than the T12.
At just $16 - you can pay more for a beer in London - QCY deserve major kudos for once again delivering a reasonable attempt at an extraordinary price point.
Ideal for:
- Low-budget customers that need a good set of buds for today
- All round users that value comfort, good sound and good calls
- Those on the move, that see value in the small case
- Those that like to hear their surroundings
- Those that need active noise cancellation
- Those with a bigger budget
- Exercise
Raw Score: 74%
QCY Review Inventory:
HT07 Arcbuds
HT05 Melobuds ANC
T20 Ailypods
T18
G1
T17
T16
T13
HT03
T12
T11
About QCY:
Whilst not quite a household name outside of China yet, QCY are well-renowned in the budget TWS space for developing extraordinarily low cost earbuds that, whilst perhaps lacking some of the bells and whistles of the more expensive brands, deliver to the segment of the market where 'good enough is good enough', with solid reliability and tremendous value for money.
Part of the Hele Electronics Group, as well as designing their own products, they also OEM product for other vendors (Aukey, for example rebrand the T5), with three of their major customers being brands you will certainly recognise and in the global top 10 of the TWS market in 2019. In 2020, market research indicated they were the 4th biggest TWS vendor worldwide - no mean feat.
Despite a close relationship with SoC manufactuer Zhuhai Jieli, QCY are not afraid to mix and match components to suit their target market. This often sees a number of releases in quick succession - their T17S are an example of this, released subsequent to the T17, and differentiating with the use of the Qualcomm QCC3040 SoC, to support customers who require the added lower latency enabled by the aptX codecs that the Qualcomm chips support. They did a similar thing with the very popular T5, T8 and T9 - nice to see a vendor using an easy to follow naming convention! The G1 use the newest Pixart chip in order to reduce latency - horses for courses!
The QCY mission seems to be bringing music to the masses at a very affordable price - they are unlikely to top the charts for sound quality or features any time soon, but I think that's how they prefer it - their bang for buck is often unparalleled, with customers knowing they are getting value from a brand they can trust.
