INTRO:-
More than a few months ago Rockjaw audio had broguht us the Rockjaw Clarito. I was given an unit back in July I think and I regret this delay, as I should have had brought this review to you guys sooner.
I don’t think I need to introduce Rockjaw Audio to you guys as it has been in the scene for last 3-4 years and rose to fame with their Rockjaw Alfa genus and RJ kommand..
Clarito is an introduction to music for beginners who are new to this crazy still ever so exciting word of audiophiles and not willing to pay more than $30 or 20euros. This one priced exactly at 24euros, comes in only one color and doesn’t have an variant with MIC will face fierce competition from MI hybrid pro, Vsonic VSD2/s/I, Tennmak pro (other Chinese earphones) and Brainwavz Delta.
You can grab one from these places:-
https://rockjawaudio.com/collections/earphones/products/clarito
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Clarito-Lightweight-Earphones-Finished-Aluminium/dp/B01GOG3W7G
Let me thank Rockjaw and Joe for this review sample.
ACCESSORIES AND ERGONOMICS:-
RJ Clarito is equipped with 4 pairs of red core rubber tips, a draw string pouch and thank fully a cable clip (RJ have them). Nothing fancy at all, and one doesn’t really need much.
Ergonomically it will never bother anyone, with a slim slender body its not the one which will give you tough time while getting a proper seal or any type of discomfort. Build quality has never been a problem for RJ earphones and this one too is plenty strong. L/R markings can be easily found on the body.
It has bad microphonics but thank fully there is a cable clip to tackle it. As I had stated earlier RJ Clarito too has one of the thickest cable I have seen on an earphone and even my $400 Sennheiser Amrerior has an slimmer and weaker cable. There are good amount of stress relievers at both earphone and 90 degree 3.5mm jack end.
Isolation is average at best.
SOUND QUALITY:-
RJ is marketing this by saying that Clarito has perfectly balanced sound signature but let me tell you its not as balanced as they say it to be, it has a basshead grade bass and cannot qualify as a balanced earphone.
I have burned this for more than 150 hrs and don’t think it will change any more. Using stock tips for this review.
Some songs used for this assessment of sound reproduction:-
Eminem - Rap god, space bound, not afraid
Drake - one dance,
The Weeknd - cant feel my face,
Justin Bieber - what do you mean,
Felix Jaehn - Aint nobody loves me better,
Shawn Mendes - Treat you better,
Royal Deluxe - Dangerous, Wanted man,
And many more..
BASS:-
As I said earlier this one has a basshead grade bass quantity and impact, the good thing is Clarito doesn’t have the urgency to go boom whenever it can, it holds its horses and unleashes when required. With this type of attributes comes a few perks too like lack of precision and slower than average decay still for an bassy earphone Clarito has good control and acceptable decay, better than other bassy earphones like S0 and twinwoofers. Its not loose like AD D2 which makes me prefer this bass over the D2.
where it goes wrong? Practically nowhere, it’s an earphone for bassheads, still for nit pickings there is a slight elevation around 45-70hz which is not bad but not pleasing either. Good thing is, it has nice body and good impact with good amount of air. Details is above average but not as good as AD D2.
It has a nice, airy and impactful bass, doesn’t hit too hard or too softly, Keeps all that essence of a crowd pleaser.
MID RANGE:-
Mid range is really nice, even with its V shaped signature. It has plenty of body and sounds natural. Bright and warm is the signature I like. It does lack any type of micro details and that’s not a thing which bothers me much given its price point, what it does good is it sounds cohesive and engaging making the experience more enjoyable rather than analytical. Even with this deficiency Clarito sounds remarkably likeable.
The main reason being the thickness of notes, slightly slower decay and the spaciousness of the imaging helps notes and all available instruments fill up the head space, hence even without being so critical it manages to entertain.
Both male and female vocals sound as they should, thick and meaty for male and sharp and to the point for female ( slightly thicker though), none is more emphasized. What I really like is that there are not much ups and downs in the vocal region. There is a dip around 2-5k region which makes instruments lose their shine sound less pronounced.
Sound stage is really nice, bigger than many in this price range. It can throw cues far enough.
It does have its share of details, which one can hear with mostly any earphone.
HIGHS:-
Does it has sparky highs? Nope, even when its V shaped, it doesn’t have the bite of a Brainwavz Jive or a BA in it. Its comparatively smoother and not so sparky but still has enough life in it, making it easy on ears and pleasing at the same time .It lacks some extension, I don’t think an average buyer or a not so demanding listener will mind it.
Top end lacks fine tuned layering or separation, everything sounds clumsy and overlapping each other, still manages to keep things in place. Clarity suffers, instruments sound blended, notes are far more thicker than required.
Still better than S0 and many other bass heavy earphones, it's better to have something than nothing right?
CONCLUSION:-
Put this earphone inside your ears, close your eyes.. Enjoy the music.. Relax..
This is not an earphone for someone who is looking for best in class details and clarity. It's for the one who just wants to lose themselves in the flow of music, wants to get drowned in the feeling.
Its one of the most enjoyable earphones for around $30. Clarito is the other name of not being harsh, it just doesn’t have any type of harshness, bass is juicy, mids are melodic, highs are the least bothering type.
One just doesn't need to bother about wearing comfort too, its really comfortable and its signature lets anyone wear this earphone for hours.
Its an earphone for the mass market, a crowd pleaser I have to say. Its plenty loud, no amping required, and sounds pleasing too, what else do you want?
I just want RockJaw to have a MIC version of the Clarito.
I hope you guys are having an awesome time, Christmas coming!! Enjoy!!
Thanks so much for such a great review, we're back on Head-Fi and would love to hear from you on one of our first new posts being back, where you'll also find a coupon code for our new Hybrid IEM, the Resonate!
Joe.