INTRODUCTION:-
Signature Acoustics is one of very few Indian brands who make their own products. They mostly have entry level earphones priced in the range of $20. As of now all of their earphones are based on dynamic drivers. They are coming up with a DD + BA hybrid earphone soon. But here.. It is all about their revision of their C-12 v2.0. And can you guess the name? It is C-12 V2.1, it's an revision with better tuning and comes with the exactly same eco friendly carry package and retails at 1049rs or around $15 most of the time.
It has exactly same shell, same design, everything is same except the tuning.
Here is the link to the C-12 V2.1.
http://signatureacoustics.com/signa...-version-2-1-wooden-earphone-with-microphone/
You can buy one for yourself from here:-
https://www.amazon.in/Signature-Acoustics-Elements-Version-Earphones/dp/B075WT5T5R
Technical Specifications For Earphone
Model: Elements C-12 Version2.0
Impedance: 22Ω±15%
Sensitivity: 94±3dB ＆1KHz; 1mW; IEC318
Frequency response: 20~20KHz
Distortion: Max: 3% ＆ 1KHz
Rated Input Power: 3mW
Maximum Input Power: 5mW
Level difference average: ≤3dB ＆ 1KHz
Microphone Specification
Directivity Omni-directional
Impedance: Max：2.2KΩ
Sensitivity: -42±4dB & 1KHz; 2.2KΩ 3V ,0dB=1V/Pa
Decreasing voltage: -3dB &VS=4.5V,RL=2.2KΩ
Current consumption: 200uA-350uA
S/N ratio Min: 58dB & 1kHz
I reviewed the V2.0 some time before. And I will not bore you guys with unnecessary gibber jabber here. I will dive into two very simple things. Goods and bads, and will squeeze in the review in it.
I am using my Galaxy A7 16 for this review. I have the foam tips on it and has burned the earphone for more than 70hrs.
Let's start.
GOOD things:-
The whole Eco friendly packaging is retained, the jute case and pouch makes you feel like you didn't bought some garbage for yourself as you can use it to store other things in it.
The lot of accessories contains a few useful things like a Leather key chain which will retail for around 50-100rs in open market. There are 3 pair of silicone tips and a pair of foam tips. The foam tips are good and are fairly rare in this price range.
The build quality of the ear pieces is very good, it doesn't feel feeble or weak or cheap. In fact it feels more premium than its price suggests. Everything about the earphone feels very sturdy and once you have it in your ears you know that you didn't bought a cheap pair of earphones for your daily commute.
The straight cable design is what makes it an easy wear, the 90 degree 3.5mm jack makes it easier to hold the phone while gaming.
The Mic has very good clarity. The listener at other end has no problem with the clarity.
SOUND QUALITY:-
The biggest plus point of the C-12 v2.1 is its sound quality. The C-12 V2.1 is still V shaped but has better reach at both ends without sounding harsh.
BASS:-
I was not exactly satisfied with the tuning of the v2.0. It had good bass and everything but the treble region was lacking. It lacked the bite which I look for in most of the earphones. You can't really miss a whole part of the spectrum. That thing has been rectified here.
Most of the earphones in this price range have bass (boat and stuff), boomy, but they lack depth and definition to them. There are barely any details in those bass notes.
The C-12 V2.1 sound very mature when it comes to the bass region. It has plenty of thump to it. Where the V2 was lacking a bit of sub-bass the v2.1 delivers better amount of sub-bass rumble. The reach is considerably better and lands in very good category. The mid bass gives it the required amount of fullness. It feels very meaty and full bodied. There is little to no complaints about the notes delivery. It has plenty of depth and richness to it. The upper bass is not uncomfortable too.
The decay is nicely paced for a $15 earphone. It is as good as something like the BGVP DMG. Yes the DMG has better texture and details but the v2.1 has better decay speed while still keeping the slam size big. The best part is the V2.1 is it delivers very good amount of details too, as good as similarly priced KZ earphones.
When listening to Coldplay - Everglow the sub-bass rumble delivered by the C-12 is fantastic.
MID RANGE:-
The mid range hasn't changed much. It is what it was with the V2. It takes the mid range slightly in to the V. The level of energy is good but it is slightly lower than the treble and bass region.
Instruments have very good clarity and pop to them. Nothing sounds overly hollow or unnatural. Vocals sound really natural. Male vocals have the required amount of throatiness to them. Female vocals have very good sharpness. Presentation of the notes is very good too. They have nice depth and required amount of sharpness. It is not very accurate but what can you ask for a $15 earphone.
What I am really impressed is the amount of details and clarity it has. Yes you won't be able to pick micro details but the v2.1 is aptly good.
The stage size is very good too. Bigger than Realme Buds 2.
TREBLE:-
The treble region of the v2.1 is the most improved part of the spectrum compared to the V2.
This time around the treble has very good amount of reach and spark to them, they extend more into the spectrum and have very good amount of energy to them. Instruments sound livelier.
Air between instruments is okay. One cannot as for better layering and separation in this price range.
COMPARISONS:-
VS Realme Buds 2:-
Realme buds are just bass minded earphones, nothing special about them at all. They sound hollow and out of depth. The notes feel like floating in the air.
Bass is boomier without much detail in them, there is little to no texture to it, its monotonous, the mid bass is bloated and feels unnatural. Mid range lack details too, they don't sound focused and the imaging is very bad. Vocals are drowned. When a big bass note arrives it drowns the mid range.
There is no treble to talk about here, it lacks energy, extension and any type of transparency. It is bad, horrible to be precise.
VS stock Samsung In-ear:-
The stock Samsung earphone is good, but not as good as the V2.1.
It lacks a bit of bass body and sub-bass rumble, the mid range and treble region do have okay amount of details but they don't have the notes depth to them. It lacks details across the spectrum when compared to the C-12 V2.1.
Treble of this is just okay. Better than the Realme Buds 2 but is not good otherwise. Its sounds lame at times. Instruments sound tinny. There is very little amount of treble extension. The stage size is smaller.
VS Panasonic hje-290:-
The 290 is more balanced and has good vocals, still not as good as the V2.1.
The bass has good sub-bass rumble but the mid bass is lacking body, hence the whole bass region feels thin. The decay speed is better. Mid range lacks a bit of depth and sharpness. Vocals sound good, male vocals have good texture to them, female vocals have good sharpness too, but the V2.1 still is better.
Treble region of the HJE-290 is okay, better than the Samsung and Buds 2 but still the V2.1 is better with it. The good thing is the Panasonic doesn't sound unnatural like the Samsung or overly hollow like the Buds 2.
The C-12 V2.1 has better details and is better in every other way.
VS Sony XB41EX:-
This bass monster can blow anything away with its bass size and the amount of air it can move.
The Bass of the few years old Sony top dog for bass minded earphones is still leaps and bounds above the rest. It has a huge bass, huge, the slower decay is the reason for this. But it can be more mid bass minded and the upper bass region is not well controlled either. It does get tiring after while thanks to the dry upper bass notes.
Vocals are okay, instruments are good, treble extension is slightly good and stage size is very big but due to lack of instrument transparency it feels hollow.
Level of details too is okay. The C-12 V2.1 sounds better in many departments except stage size and bass size.
VS SoundMagic E50:-
The E50 is very good earphone, it sounds more natural, the timber is more natural and has a good stage to work around.
The bass is more mid bass minded, sub-bass is good but doesn't move much air. Bass size is smaller than the C-12 V2.1. Vocals are good and have better transparency to them Instruments have good clarity too. Stage size is similar.
What the E50 is not so good at is the Treble region. It is okay and lacks much of the energy and spark. Extension too is just okay. C-12 v2.1 is better here.
BAD things:-
The cable needs to change, it is horrible and the wire noise or microphonics in more technical term is very bad, the rubbery wire while rubbing on the cloth makes horrible noises.
Realme buds have better cables.
Nothing else is bad with the C-12 V2.1.
CONCLUSION:-
The C-12 V2.1 is tuned to be a very good earphone for the asking price. It is fantastic for 1049rs. There are barely any earphone in this price range which comes close to the C-12 V2.1 when it comes to sound quality.
Earphones like Realme Buds 2 and boat earphones just focus on bass and do not deliver on other fronts.
Anyone looking for an earphone for around 1000rs should go for it without any doubts.
Signature Acoustics is one of very few Indian brands who make their own products. They mostly have entry level earphones priced in the range of $20. As of now all of their earphones are based on dynamic drivers. They are coming up with a DD + BA hybrid earphone soon. But here.. It is all about their revision of their C-12 v2.0. And can you guess the name? It is C-12 V2.1, it's an revision with better tuning and comes with the exactly same eco friendly carry package and retails at 1049rs or around $15 most of the time.
It has exactly same shell, same design, everything is same except the tuning.
Here is the link to the C-12 V2.1.
http://signatureacoustics.com/signa...-version-2-1-wooden-earphone-with-microphone/
You can buy one for yourself from here:-
https://www.amazon.in/Signature-Acoustics-Elements-Version-Earphones/dp/B075WT5T5R
Technical Specifications For Earphone
Model: Elements C-12 Version2.0
Impedance: 22Ω±15%
Sensitivity: 94±3dB ＆1KHz; 1mW; IEC318
Frequency response: 20~20KHz
Distortion: Max: 3% ＆ 1KHz
Rated Input Power: 3mW
Maximum Input Power: 5mW
Level difference average: ≤3dB ＆ 1KHz
Microphone Specification
Directivity Omni-directional
Impedance: Max：2.2KΩ
Sensitivity: -42±4dB & 1KHz; 2.2KΩ 3V ,0dB=1V/Pa
Decreasing voltage: -3dB &VS=4.5V,RL=2.2KΩ
Current consumption: 200uA-350uA
S/N ratio Min: 58dB & 1kHz
I reviewed the V2.0 some time before. And I will not bore you guys with unnecessary gibber jabber here. I will dive into two very simple things. Goods and bads, and will squeeze in the review in it.
I am using my Galaxy A7 16 for this review. I have the foam tips on it and has burned the earphone for more than 70hrs.
Let's start.
GOOD things:-
The whole Eco friendly packaging is retained, the jute case and pouch makes you feel like you didn't bought some garbage for yourself as you can use it to store other things in it.
The lot of accessories contains a few useful things like a Leather key chain which will retail for around 50-100rs in open market. There are 3 pair of silicone tips and a pair of foam tips. The foam tips are good and are fairly rare in this price range.
The build quality of the ear pieces is very good, it doesn't feel feeble or weak or cheap. In fact it feels more premium than its price suggests. Everything about the earphone feels very sturdy and once you have it in your ears you know that you didn't bought a cheap pair of earphones for your daily commute.
The straight cable design is what makes it an easy wear, the 90 degree 3.5mm jack makes it easier to hold the phone while gaming.
The Mic has very good clarity. The listener at other end has no problem with the clarity.
SOUND QUALITY:-
The biggest plus point of the C-12 v2.1 is its sound quality. The C-12 V2.1 is still V shaped but has better reach at both ends without sounding harsh.
BASS:-
I was not exactly satisfied with the tuning of the v2.0. It had good bass and everything but the treble region was lacking. It lacked the bite which I look for in most of the earphones. You can't really miss a whole part of the spectrum. That thing has been rectified here.
Most of the earphones in this price range have bass (boat and stuff), boomy, but they lack depth and definition to them. There are barely any details in those bass notes.
The C-12 V2.1 sound very mature when it comes to the bass region. It has plenty of thump to it. Where the V2 was lacking a bit of sub-bass the v2.1 delivers better amount of sub-bass rumble. The reach is considerably better and lands in very good category. The mid bass gives it the required amount of fullness. It feels very meaty and full bodied. There is little to no complaints about the notes delivery. It has plenty of depth and richness to it. The upper bass is not uncomfortable too.
The decay is nicely paced for a $15 earphone. It is as good as something like the BGVP DMG. Yes the DMG has better texture and details but the v2.1 has better decay speed while still keeping the slam size big. The best part is the V2.1 is it delivers very good amount of details too, as good as similarly priced KZ earphones.
When listening to Coldplay - Everglow the sub-bass rumble delivered by the C-12 is fantastic.
MID RANGE:-
The mid range hasn't changed much. It is what it was with the V2. It takes the mid range slightly in to the V. The level of energy is good but it is slightly lower than the treble and bass region.
Instruments have very good clarity and pop to them. Nothing sounds overly hollow or unnatural. Vocals sound really natural. Male vocals have the required amount of throatiness to them. Female vocals have very good sharpness. Presentation of the notes is very good too. They have nice depth and required amount of sharpness. It is not very accurate but what can you ask for a $15 earphone.
What I am really impressed is the amount of details and clarity it has. Yes you won't be able to pick micro details but the v2.1 is aptly good.
The stage size is very good too. Bigger than Realme Buds 2.
TREBLE:-
The treble region of the v2.1 is the most improved part of the spectrum compared to the V2.
This time around the treble has very good amount of reach and spark to them, they extend more into the spectrum and have very good amount of energy to them. Instruments sound livelier.
Air between instruments is okay. One cannot as for better layering and separation in this price range.
COMPARISONS:-
VS Realme Buds 2:-
Realme buds are just bass minded earphones, nothing special about them at all. They sound hollow and out of depth. The notes feel like floating in the air.
Bass is boomier without much detail in them, there is little to no texture to it, its monotonous, the mid bass is bloated and feels unnatural. Mid range lack details too, they don't sound focused and the imaging is very bad. Vocals are drowned. When a big bass note arrives it drowns the mid range.
There is no treble to talk about here, it lacks energy, extension and any type of transparency. It is bad, horrible to be precise.
VS stock Samsung In-ear:-
The stock Samsung earphone is good, but not as good as the V2.1.
It lacks a bit of bass body and sub-bass rumble, the mid range and treble region do have okay amount of details but they don't have the notes depth to them. It lacks details across the spectrum when compared to the C-12 V2.1.
Treble of this is just okay. Better than the Realme Buds 2 but is not good otherwise. Its sounds lame at times. Instruments sound tinny. There is very little amount of treble extension. The stage size is smaller.
VS Panasonic hje-290:-
The 290 is more balanced and has good vocals, still not as good as the V2.1.
The bass has good sub-bass rumble but the mid bass is lacking body, hence the whole bass region feels thin. The decay speed is better. Mid range lacks a bit of depth and sharpness. Vocals sound good, male vocals have good texture to them, female vocals have good sharpness too, but the V2.1 still is better.
Treble region of the HJE-290 is okay, better than the Samsung and Buds 2 but still the V2.1 is better with it. The good thing is the Panasonic doesn't sound unnatural like the Samsung or overly hollow like the Buds 2.
The C-12 V2.1 has better details and is better in every other way.
VS Sony XB41EX:-
This bass monster can blow anything away with its bass size and the amount of air it can move.
The Bass of the few years old Sony top dog for bass minded earphones is still leaps and bounds above the rest. It has a huge bass, huge, the slower decay is the reason for this. But it can be more mid bass minded and the upper bass region is not well controlled either. It does get tiring after while thanks to the dry upper bass notes.
Vocals are okay, instruments are good, treble extension is slightly good and stage size is very big but due to lack of instrument transparency it feels hollow.
Level of details too is okay. The C-12 V2.1 sounds better in many departments except stage size and bass size.
VS SoundMagic E50:-
The E50 is very good earphone, it sounds more natural, the timber is more natural and has a good stage to work around.
The bass is more mid bass minded, sub-bass is good but doesn't move much air. Bass size is smaller than the C-12 V2.1. Vocals are good and have better transparency to them Instruments have good clarity too. Stage size is similar.
What the E50 is not so good at is the Treble region. It is okay and lacks much of the energy and spark. Extension too is just okay. C-12 v2.1 is better here.
BAD things:-
The cable needs to change, it is horrible and the wire noise or microphonics in more technical term is very bad, the rubbery wire while rubbing on the cloth makes horrible noises.
Realme buds have better cables.
Nothing else is bad with the C-12 V2.1.
CONCLUSION:-
The C-12 V2.1 is tuned to be a very good earphone for the asking price. It is fantastic for 1049rs. There are barely any earphone in this price range which comes close to the C-12 V2.1 when it comes to sound quality.
Earphones like Realme Buds 2 and boat earphones just focus on bass and do not deliver on other fronts.
Anyone looking for an earphone for around 1000rs should go for it without any doubts.
