SIGNATURE ACOUSTICS C-12 Elements Wooden IEMs review/impressions

Introduction

Really fortunate to be the first early bird to own Signature Acoustics IEM. An in-house production of Pristine Note(Proaudiohome) based in Navi Mumbai,India. Its great to see an Indian brand entering High-End audio. Its always a pleasure to meet Mr Gautam, the owner of the firm whom i met around a year back when i was craving to have some proper high-end audio stuffs in India. And since then Pristine Note has been fulfilling my Audio needs. Everytime i meet him i get to know something new about sound and related stuffs.
The best thing about the place is that one gets to audition before buying anything and thats the most important part considering audio stuffs.
The experience with them has been just great as they provide excellent support.
All this has flashed as this is how i got introduced to these IEMs. got to hear them when they were prototypes some 8-9 months back and i was so impressed that i had been waiting since then to grab one for myself. I am happy to see all their research and hardwork has taken a good shape and wish them all the success.

And now that i have it finally, i'll put my impressions and since i am not an "Audiophile"(But yeah i do prefer high quality sound and my ears do crave for it) but gradually moving towards turning one, i'll try to be as accurate as possible on how i feel about these great IEMs. As this is gonna be my first review, i may not be upto the mark and suggestions/critics are a welcome so as to help me refine my future reviews/writings if i ever come up with more.
Its always fun to climb up the ladder of "Sound" as one really enjoy the gradual quality upgrades and starts understanding it.

As of now i am using Soundmagic E30 for my daily listening & Audio Technica AD300 occaisionally(for home use).
So my parameter would mainly be the E30 for some comparison.
The formats used are 320kbps mp3 & FLAC files only.

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Packaging and Accessories

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The packaging is nice and simple having a sneak-peak into earbuds and the brilliant metal brass carry case. The insides are nicely padded with foams. The C12 comes with the usual trio sets ofsingle flange tips, a pair of extra medium tips and a shirt clip. However a pair of some foam tips would have been a welcome add. Pair of two filters(180 & 250 microns) are also provided in case anything happens to default ones.
Even small things have been thought after well. For instance, the shirt Clip has a rotating holder which helps as the cables do play a little when plugged on shirt leaving them a bit free to move.
Now the huge enthrallment here is the nice metal brass case with a polish that gives it an "Antique" shade, is like a piece of Art and adds to the premium feel. Its like icing on the cake. Infact that could even be the deciding factor for some to get them. And you are always assured your earphones are absolutely safe and wont take any kind of damage.

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Design & Build Quality

Now these are really light weight buds with a straight barrel design. The drivers are enclosed in wooden housing and looks great with "SA" logo engraved onto the back. The 3.5mm gold plated jack is angled to 45 degree and the strain relief looks flimsy and not so strong. However the strain reliefs on the buds seem quite strong enough. The tangle free cable is nicely braided and looks sturdy and quite rugged especially the lower half is thick and can withstand years of abuse. The light wood colour and ring like groove on the buds looks good and the air-vent is at bottom just beside the strain-reliefs.

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Comfort/Fit

Inspite of being quite big compared to my E30s(comfort king) which is usually the case with barrel shaped earphones, the buds fit great into the ears with good seal and depth with default medium tips. Excellent in comfort coz of their light weight and can be easily used for hours of listening without feeling their weight.

Isolation/Microphonics

The Isolation is very good with the default tips, better than my E30. Can easily close the world outside with a lil over 60% volume. Microphonics are noticeable but not much wearing straight down and sweeps to almost none wearing over the ear though its not designed that way but can be worn.

Sound

Now to the sound quality part, they sound great out of the box and wont require much burn-in. A 30hours burn-in is recommended but i prefer to let the earphones play what i listen to and burn naturally. As i am coming from E30 having more of a Neutral sound singnature, the C12 can be called to have a balanced sound. A little warmer & more fun sounding sets equating to an unfatigued listening experience for hours.

The bass on these is fantastic. full bodied with lots of quantity and impact and extends deep down the frequency range with a solid rumble. This is where they perform the best in the spectrum and is gonna keep good care of all the bassheads. Its not as tight & fast as the E30, but is nicely rounded and punchy though a little slow outperforming the e30. However, i do tend to lean more towards the tighter and controlled bass of e30s. The texture and detail is great with plenty of weight to the individual notes. As far as i can recall from limited time spent with the brainwavz m1, IMO c12 performs much better than m1 too in this ground. Basslines sound very clear & detailed and in some songs i could make out some basslines which i never heard before or cared much about. Now the bass does bleed in the midrange to some extent making it feel warmer.

Mids are smooth & a little thick with a nice warmth but somewhat laidback. vocals are very clear upfront and the lyrics of any song is spot on and the "chorus" is more visible to my ears than e30s. Strings sounded absolutely brilliant and rich with nice weight to them especially acoustic guitars. Was totally blown away listening "GnR", "Poets of the fall" as the guitars sounded grungy & detailed. The windy atmospheric sounds/noises in electronic music are much more prominent on c12s than on e30s.

Treble part manages to keep up with the bass to some extent with good quantity. Its got enough sparkle to keep you absorbed in the music but not as much as the E30. absolutely free of any harshness and sibilance. extension comes somewhat close to e30 with great details and very sweet sounding.

The soundstage and imaging are great and better than most in the price range. The width is decent but not as wide as E30s and has got a good depth to it. It doesn't sound much open and airy as the e30s but makes for an engaging sound may be coz of the good depth and warmness. Imaging is good and one can easily imagine whats going on what side of the ear. Clean sweeps of stereo and sounds nicely surrounded. However due to warmness, the instrument separation is good but not as clean as the e30s.
Overall, the presentation is more like in a closed room with a nice 3D surround effect & subwoofer nicely rumbling the floor making for an involving experience.

Conclusion

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With impressive sound, comfort,isolation and build quality to match, these are a strong contenders in their price range of around $50(~Rs3000) and may be taken as the best in that subjectively. Emphasizing more on the low end with smooth mids and slightly recessed treble. As i am yet to taste high-end iems, i can't imagine a picture to contrast them here and as per my limited exposure to the grid of iems and different sound signatures what i can say is, these are definitely the best i have heard of this sound signature and worth the money spent. Since i am accustomed to the sound of e30s, what i can encapsulate is, the c12s aren't an upgrade over the e30 IMO, but an excellent side-grade/parallel grade with a distinct sound to it.
They easily get along with almost every genre and IMO Electronic, bass and strings oriented genres sound magnificent on these.
As i was looking to have a taste of a different sound signature, its a welcome change to my audio collection and i am slowly getting myself acclimatized to its sound.

That thing, me want

Good Review and wrong section

Nice review.love the brass case

Good to see in house earphone from pristine note.

Good review. Plus its good to see some decent IEMs from Indian companies recently.

pratyush997 said:
That thing, me want
Good Review and wrong section

Ohh sorry for the wrong section as this was my first review & i posted it in a jiffy :sad:

. now only i realized there's a review section to post it. darn mee newbie :noob:

.
can anyone guide me on how can i move the thread to the review section or do i have to make a new thread in that section.

^request the mods to move it to review section.i guess 'Sarath' is the mod of this section.

Nanducob said:
^request the mods to move it to review section.i guess 'Sarath' is the mod of this section.

thanks..just PMed him to move the thread

any link please.
can't find it in their site

Thread moved to Reviews section (yesterday)

Nice review. Love that brass case and wooden enclosure.

avinandan012 said:
any link please.
can't find it in their site

SIGNATURE ACOUSTICS C-12 Elements Wooden IEMs

Sarath said:
Thread moved to Reviews section (yesterday)

Nice review. Love that brass case and wooden enclosure.

thanks.. yeah that brass case is stunning :doublethumb:

awesome review..

G

Great review. I love the bass. Have you been listening to M2 or HippoVB? Would want to know how does the bass over all stand out over these. PL 30 is not for bass heads. Do they recommend 30 hours of burning? What are the black 'dots'???

sorry mate, cant say anything as i never got to hear any of those. yes they do recommend 30hrs burnin. the black dots are the filters applied on the nozzle. one pair is 180microns for treble and 250microns for some more bass. however i never tested the 250micron filter as i am quite happy with the default ones.

post #69 on this thread could be of some help--
Signature Acoustics Elements C12 IEMs - Page 4

S

GuitarMan said:
Great review. I love the bass. Have you been listening to M2 or HippoVB? Would want to know how does the bass over all stand out over these. PL 30 is not for bass heads. Do they recommend 30 hours of burning? What are the black 'dots'???

During our initial testings of prototype and comparisons with various IEMs available in market , we found the SA-C12 to be much superior than M2 in terms of more open soundstage and midrange .The M2 has more of mid-bass and lower midrange with a laidback treble which can make it sound slightly congested overall . The C12 has overall more close to balanced and fun sound . This is ofcourse the view our in house audio experts , we would want to get more feedback from forum audio experts and interested members. The Hippo VB are particularly known only for their heavy sub-bass and sharp treble giving it a V-curved sound signature . The C12 has a much different sound signature.

5fusion said:
sorry mate, cant say anything as i never got to hear any of those. yes they do recommend 30hrs burnin. the black dots are the filters applied on the nozzle. one pair is 180microns for treble and 250microns for some more bass. however i never tested the 250micron filter as i am quite happy with the default ones.

post #69 on this thread could be of some help--
Signature Acoustics Elements C12 IEMs - Page 4

Thank you Saurabh for the review . We have designed these keeping in mind a more mid-high end market - 60-80$ price range . The E30 are known to have one of the most fluid midrange and widest soundstage under 60$ price bracket, we are glad that the C12 can keep upto the same . Regarding the filters , the 180 microns filter is for maximum treble and 250 microns is for those who prefer more laidback sound .

If the forum admins/moderators allow we would encourage a lot of other forum members with experience of IEMs to try out the product and provide us with some unbiased feedback and opinion . Before we launch the product in International market it is very important we first please our home crowd and get valuable feedback.

For the same we will have a loaner program and offer review samples for 7-10 days period to interested members

.

how does one apply for a review sample?? i'd definitely like to do a review of such a fine piece of audio gear.

Interesting .. but a little over my budget .. none the less would buy them in near future.

I would like to know the what if the wooden enclosure breaks say by accident or by purpose? how much would you charge in such case. I think the word i'm looking for is "Reshelling" ?

Interested in checking out. Would like an already burned-in unit.

Faun said:
Interested in checking out. Would like an already burned-in unit.

And depending on your review, I might buy one, specially if the price tag justifies the upgrade from E30.

@SignatureAcoustics: I'd like a review sample if thats possible. Just ordered the E10, the younger brother of the E30. Would love to have a comparison.

If a lot of people here compare it favourably over the E30, might even end up purchasing it since its not too expensive afterall...

I have owned E10, ES18, E30, PL30, PL50, Sony EX series, CX180, CX180II, and I don't care about a review sample, I would buy one if it trumps my E30(justify the price tag), if a see a reliable review from sites like whathifi or from Faun here I'd buy it asap.

S

anirbandd said:
how does one apply for a review sample?? i'd definitely like to do a review of such a fine piece of audio gear.

Check PM

.

RCuber said:
Interesting .. but a little over my budget .. none the less would buy them in near future.

I would like to know the what if the wooden enclosure breaks say by accident or by purpose? how much would you charge in such case. I think the word i'm looking for is "Reshelling" ?

The earphones go through a quality check and are much stronger than most plastic housings you find on the earphones so they are not expected to break . Incase of accidental damage, the warranty on these will be void . This is standard policy . A re-shelling wont be possible but if you wish to get the same earphone again we will always provide you a discounted or best possible price.

Faun said:
Interested in checking out. Would like an already burned-in unit.

Check your PM

.

pranav0091 said:
@SignatureAcoustics: I'd like a review sample if thats possible. Just ordered the E10, the younger brother of the E30. Would love to have a comparison.

If a lot of people here compare it favorably over the E30, might even end up purchasing it since its not too expensive afterall...

Check PM

.

tkin said:
I have owned E10, ES18, E30, PL30, PL50, Sony EX series, CX180, CX180II, and I don't care about a review sample, I would buy one if it trumps my E30(justify the price tag), if a see a reliable review from sites like whathifi or from Faun here I'd buy it asap.

We have passed these to a few audiophiles who are well known on Thinkdigit,and other tech/ audio forums . So you should see the reviews soon . What Hi-Fi will also be covering these by next month.

I checked. Seems you missed to PM me :>

What Hi-fi ?
Good. I need to pick up a copy then

SignatureAcoustics said:
Check PM .

The earphones go through a quality check and are much stronger than most plastic housings you find on the earphones so they are not expected to break . Incase of accidental damage, the warranty on these will be void . This is standard policy . A re-shelling wont be possible but if you wish to get the same earphone again we will always provide you a discounted or best possible price.

Check your PM .

Check PM .

We have passed these to a few audiophiles who are well known on Thinkdigit,and other tech/ audio forums . So you should see the reviews soon . What Hi-Fi will also be covering these by next month.

Eagerly waiting, I am always ready to support Indian companies, and also I love your customer service(got FiiO E6 and M35 from you via eBay).

G

Any update on the review?

S

GuitarMan said:
Any update on the review?

There was a slight delay in sending out the samples , we will be sending them in 2-3 days and the reviews should be out soon. Meanwhile one of the ex-digit staff and well known audio expert Vandal has posted a review for the C-12s on another tech forum , I am not sure if I can post the link here.

I was planning to do the reviews myself, but then backed off voluntarily as I may be doing it a disservice as I dont have enough experience with IEM's in this price range. So, now waiting for someone to review

@Signature Acoustics: I guess its not against forum rules.

How are these for Metal music? I am an ardent Metal fan and I believe that metal is one of the most demanding genres on IEMs. I need to know how are the mids on this one.

Also, how does this one compare to the Vsonic GR02 Bass Edition (~~my current earphone~~ now lost).

Update:

Ordered from Hifimart, will probably receive it tomorrow.

DeSmOnD dAvId said:
How are these for Metal music? I am an ardent Metal fan and I believe that metal is one of the most demanding genres on IEMs. I need to know how are the mids on this one.

Also, how does this one compare to the Vsonic GR02 Bass Edition (~~my current earphone~~ now lost).

has very balanced sound with a great soundstage. tested with Iron Maiden/Metallica/Cadle of Filth/Lamb of God/Children of Bodom/Megadeth.

How would you rate the highs, mids and lows?

8/10 on high and lows.
7/10 on mids.

anirbandd said:
8/10 on high and lows.
7/10 on mids.

Can you rate it against the E10? Say assuming the E10 is a 10/20

havent listened to E10..

S

New hand made genuine leather pouches for C-12 are now ready . The C-12 will soon start shipping with leather cases and Brass antique case should be available optionally or as part of the limited edition .

Here some pictures of the new hand made genuine leather case with suede leather inside , they are available in multiple colours. The C-12 will start shipping with these beautiful leather cases in the coming few days.

Also we are excited about the International launch of C-12 as we have received some very positive feedback from the prominent Head-Fi reviewers. Head-fi reviews should be online in the coming weeks.

Also currently the C-12 is available for flat 300 off discount on www,proaudiohome.com using coupon code , C12SPECIAL .

*i.imgur.com/2aAV5jWl.jpg *i.imgur.com/dMiKx2nl.jpg
*i.imgur.com/rihxCo0l.jpg *i.imgur.com/7Kl4h11l.jpg

Nice to know that the brass case is part of the limited edition, so those of us who bought it earlier have a true collectors item

.

I have been using mine for quite sometime now and I never leave home with it.

Edit : Those attachments are broken. Please fix them.

!!

I have a limited edition bronze case!!!!!!!!

PS: Links broken.

SignatureAcoustics said:
New hand made genuine leather pouches for C-12 are now ready . The C-12 will soon start shipping with leather cases and Brass antique case should be available optionally or as part of the limited edition .

Here some pictures of the new hand made genuine leather case with suede leather inside , they are available in multiple colours. The C-12 will start shipping with these beautiful leather cases in the coming few days.

Also we are excited about the International launch of C-12 as we have received some very positive feedback from the prominent Head-Fi reviewers. Head-fi reviews should be online in the coming weeks.

View attachment 11873 View attachment 11874 View attachment 11875 View attachment 11876

Also currently the C-12 is available for flat 300 off discount on www,proaudiohome.com using coupon code , C12SPECIAL .

@SignatureAcoustics: Will I get the brass case If I order there with the coupon ?

I see very good reviews online, leaning into buying these...

EDIT:
Coupon seems invalid

S

DeSmOnD dAvId said:
Nice to know that the brass case is part of the limited edition, so those of us who bought it earlier have a true collectors item .

I have been using mine for quite sometime now and I never leave home with it.

Edit : Those attachments are broken. Please fix them.

anirbandd said:
!!

I have a limited edition bronze case!!!!!!!!

PS: Links broken.

Consider them as the perks of being one of the first customers and for trusting the brand.

Links have been fixed now .

SignatureAcoustics said:
New hand made genuine leather pouches for C-12 are now ready . The C-12 will soon start shipping with leather cases and Brass antique case should be available optionally or as part of the limited edition .

Here some pictures of the new hand made genuine leather case with suede leather inside , they are available in multiple colours. The C-12 will start shipping with these beautiful leather cases in the coming few days.

Also we are excited about the International launch of C-12 as we have received some very positive feedback from the prominent Head-Fi reviewers. Head-fi reviews should be online in the coming weeks.

Also currently the C-12 is available for flat 300 off discount on www,proaudiohome.com using coupon code , C12SPECIAL .

*i.imgur.com/2aAV5jWl.jpg *i.imgur.com/dMiKx2nl.jpg
*i.imgur.com/rihxCo0l.jpg *i.imgur.com/7Kl4h11l.jpg

do link the Head-Fi review once it is live.

Just recieved my C12.
Initial impressions are very good. In fact its so good that I might as well get my biggest gripe at the moment be known - the process of changing the buds is pretty edgy , the wooden build surely doesnt help here.

If I had to describe the IEM in one word, it'd be : Excitement.
More coming once I get some proper time with it.

ATM, they are hands down better than my PL50s and look to be better than the E10s as well. Definitely a brighter high end than the E10s and not as powerful down the frequency spectrum, but that isnt necessarily a bad thing even if your a bass-head

Thanks @SignatureAcoustics for the coupon. Also, the brass box looks kick-ass - like a landmine survivor straight from world war 2

^ it may vary from person to person... i find the bass spot on, not heavy, not light, but just at the sweet spot.

PS: you are right about the brass case

I use the double buds from my old Vsonic GR02.

anirbandd said:
^ it may vary from person to person... i find the bass spot on, not heavy, not light, but just at the sweet spot.

PS: you are right about the brass case

I didnt mean that the bass is bad. I meant that it was weaker in that department as compared to my E10.

I have been noticing something. The C12 has got a sinature thats rather hard to describe. There's bass, there's a sparkly high end, and a normal mid... Its just so different from any of the others I have owned and I cant quite put it in a hierarchy. Its definitely better than my PL50 (which is just too refined and smooth for my liking) and brighter than the E10 (almost makes the E10 sound like a slowpoke not fully out of bed). I guess I need more time to get to any kind of solid opinion. But, from what I have seen so far, I am impressed (and that brass case helps a lot to that end).

@Desmond: I hardly have any tips that I use except the small size ones. How does the VSonic compare to say the E10 or some other IEM in your opinion ?

SignatureAcoustics said:
Consider them as the perks of being one of the first customers and for trusting the brand.

Links have been fixed now .

thanks

pranav0091 said:
I didnt mean that the bass is bad. I meant that it was weaker in that department as compared to my E10.

I have been noticing something. The C12 has got a sinature thats rather hard to describe. There's bass, there's a sparkly high end, and a normal mid... Its just so different from any of the others I have owned and I cant quite put it in a hierarchy. Its definitely better than my PL50 (which is just too refined and smooth for my liking) and brighter than the E10 (almost makes the E10 sound like a slowpoke not fully out of bed). I guess I need more time to get to any kind of solid opinion. But, from what I have seen so far, I am impressed (and that brass case helps a lot to that end).

@Desmond: I hardly have any tips that I use except the small size ones. How does the VSonic compare to say the E10 or some other IEM in your opinion ?

lol i didnt say you said the bass was bad..

i just think the sound is damn well balanced. i listen to a LOT [seriously a LOT] of heavy metal and Orchestra, and they are just mindblowing. each layer of the music can be felt. each instrument, each note, clear, pristine. im proud i took the decision to get the C-12s.

I wonder how the frequency response looks like. I am guessing a few spike towards the highs...
I wouldnt call it balanced, its too bright to say that. But in sound being balanced can be a bad thing, so that statement doent mean much

This is from a short experience, a bright sounding IEM that has got a nice bass too. But considering how difficult that can be to pull off, quite an achievement for any company. Just the fact that I am trying to compare this with my SR60i is proof enough of talent. I'd go so far as to say that the E10 and the C12 approach the Grado from opposite sides. Which one sounds better would depend largely on personal taste. the E10 is bassy, but a bit uncontrolled at that. The C12 on the other end are bright and sparkly with a punchy-taut bass. I'd, at the moment, put the C12 over the the E10 and hopefully as the diaphragm loosens up the brightness will subdue a tiny bit. That'd be great and make for a completely no-brainer recommendation.

And that case :wub:

let the IEMs burn in.. sounds become even better.

pranav0091 said:
I didnt mean that the bass is bad. I meant that it was weaker in that department as compared to my E10.

I have been noticing something. The C12 has got a sinature thats rather hard to describe. There's bass, there's a sparkly high end, and a normal mid... Its just so different from any of the others I have owned and I cant quite put it in a hierarchy. Its definitely better than my PL50 (which is just too refined and smooth for my liking) and brighter than the E10 (almost makes the E10 sound like a slowpoke not fully out of bed). I guess I need more time to get to any kind of solid opinion. But, from what I have seen so far, I am impressed (and that brass case helps a lot to that end).

@Desmond: I hardly have any tips that I use except the small size ones. How does the VSonic compare to say the E10 or some other IEM in your opinion ?

The bass sounds slightly more better, but I used those buds mainly to get a better fit not for the sound.

SignatureAcoustics said:
Consider them as the perks of being one of the first customers and for trusting the brand.

Links have been fixed now .

So proud to hear that

@SignatureAcoustics: I have a rather odd query. In order to make the IEM's more resistant to any accidental damage, I use super-glue to stick the wire to the the small tubing that encapsulates the cable as it exits the IEM's casing with every IEM I have ever owned. I have never had any issues except one time when I accidentally dropped a bit too much glue and blocked the sheath from letting any air out (the cable was glued to the sheath/tubing all around, making it air tight) and causing the diaphragm to have a flexing sound whenever i inserted it into my ear.

My query is, would this invalidate my warranty ?

I am going to make this little mod anyways since I am comfortable doing it and it has helped me more times than I care to remember. Just thought it'd be nice to know the official take on this matter.

BTW, really like the C12 so far

S

Would be nice if you could share some pictures to explain it better ? Usually any physical modifications to the earphone voids the warranty .

hey everyone, sorry cudnt catch up with the thread. have not been active for sometime and somehow, the thread got overlooked :-(

.

@SinatureAcoustics
the new cases look as premium as the previous, now "limited edition" brass case. lots of shades and textures to choose from

. would sure pick up a pair sometime soon. again.. great work guys and would like to congratulate you guys for the C-12 international release. good to see the nice-positive views by "ljokerl" on headfi

will update with few more pics once i have the new case and a small edit in writeup as my c12 has put up around 9 months and now proving on time.

Great Review on HeadFi by ljokerl!!

(3A82) Signature Acoustics Elements C-12

Added Aug 2013

Details: Entry-level earphone from the first Indian IEM manufacturer
Current Price: est. $50 from ebay.com (MSRP: est. $60)
Specs: Driver: Dynamic | Imp: 18Ω | Sens: 102 dB | Freq: 17-20k Hz | Cable: 3.9' L-plug
Nozzle Size: 5.5mm | Preferred tips: Generic single-flanges
Wear Style: Straight down or over-the-ear

Accessories (3.5/5) - Single-flange silicone tips (3 sizes), replacement filters, shirt clip, and genuine leather zippered carrying pouch (limited first run also comes with heavy screw-top brass case)
Build Quality (4/5) – The wooden housings of the C-12 are a little plain but well put-together. The earphones feature replaceable filters, which is a rarity these days. The textured cable is nice and sturdy, reminding me of the cords on the Brainwavz M1/M2/M3 earphones. No cable cinch is present
Isolation (3/5) – Shallow fit results in average noise isolation
Microphonics (4.5/5) – Good with cable-down wear; even better when worn over-the-ear
Comfort (4/5) – The wooden housings are very lightweight and not overly large, allowing for a comfortable fit

Sound (7.3/10) – The C-12 is an unabashedly bass-heavy earphone that focuses on presenting listeners with a big and impactful low end. The midbass region is hyped up, resulting in a slightly boomy sound and making the deep bass appear less prominent. Earphones such as the VSonic GR02 Bass Edition and Dunu Trident, which are by no means lacking in bass, both yield to the C-12 in overall impact, offering a more linear response better balanced between midbass and subbass. Suffice it to say that no one will find the bass of the C-12 deficient.

As a result of the bass boost, the mids of the C-12 are mildly veiled but at the same time maintain a warm and rich tone. Note thickness is rather good, though for my tastes the earphones could use more midrange presence and clarity. Clarity and detail levels are about on-par with the Brainwavz M2 and the older bass-heavy Xears models. The top end rolls off gently for a slightly dark overall tone and has a smoother character than, for example, VSonic earphones and the Astrotec AM-800. This makes it less fatiguing and more tolerable at high volumes. At the same time, the C-12 has a bit more sparkle than the aging Brainwavz M1 and M2 models, which is a plus.

The presentation of the C-12 is nice and spacious, making competitors such as the Dunu Trident sound closed-in and congested in comparison. It’s not quite at the level of the pricier Astrotec AM-800 but comes very close, which is all the more impressive considering the more bass-heavy balance and darker tone of the C-12. Combined with the powerful bass, the spacious presentation makes for a very enjoyable listening experience.

Value (8/10) – The Signature Acoustics Elements C-12 is a very capable earphone from the first India-based IEM manufacturer. A solid all-rounder with even more solid bass response, the Elements C-12 boasts slightly rolled-off treble and a spacious, reverberant presentation. The wooden housings are lightweight and comfortable in the ear while the twisted cables are strong and non-microphonic, making for convenient listening while out and about. Minor details such as packaging are slightly rough around the edges but one thing is certain: the Elements C-12 doesn’t look – or sound – like a freshman effort.

Pros: Lightweight housings & strong cables; impactful bass; good sense of space
Cons: Somewhat veiled midrange

SignatureAcoustics said:
Would be nice if you could share some pictures to explain it better ? Usually any physical modifications to the earphone voids the warranty .

View attachment 12025

That drop of super glue is near impossible to see. Told you I was a pro at this trick

Btw, that reminds me, there is no way right now to easily distinguish the left one from the right - I have resorted to using a whitener. Its a definite area of improvment for your next IEM (judging by my experience so far with the C-12, I'll be buying that one :))

pranav0091 said:
That drop of super glue is near impossible to see. Told you I was a pro at this trick

Btw, that reminds me, there is no way right now to easily distinguish the left one from the right - I have resorted to using a whitener. Its a definite area of improvment for your next IEM (judging by my experience so far with the C-12, I'll be buying that one

there is a stamp for L and R on the back of the black part!!!

Am I to squint for that every single time like I was looking for gold?

TBH, in the general use cases the IEM is picked up from atleast a couple of feet away and I dont have the patience to squint every single time to find which is which - hence a drop of white ink to help.

They should put colour on iems like in E30.Red for right ear..no confusion and saves time in looking at small L and R's.

Nanducob said:
They should put colour on iems like in E30.Red for right ear..no confusion and saves time in looking at small L and R's.

Precisely. My E10, PL50 (you cant quite mis-wear them

) have it. The SR60 has HUGE letters devoted to this very purpose. Even those philips buds from my childhood have it. It may not be a big issue for a lot of people, but let me tell you - when you listen to some songs that you know have a very lopsided stereo presentation (Like Vittorio E by Spoon) you kind of hate it when you mis-wear your earphones.

@SignatureAcoustics:
I have a couple of suggestions if you dont mind

1) Color coding the left and right earpieces

2) There is something not quite right with the comfort levels that I cant quite point out. I have tried atleast three tips already (including the smallest size that comes with the E10, which is my personal favourite outside of the super-comfy foams of the PL50) And I always get a funny feeling that one ear is bit too tight or too loosely fitting. Apologies for putting it in this very vague fashion. It might well be a pesonal thing, but I am yet to notice it in the others :>

3) Foam tips as an option (Hell, I`ll pay another 200 rupees extra for that)

4) If possible, a slightly smaller body too.

I have one concern with my C12. The brass case cover is somewhat darker as compared to the ones that I see in the pics, like it is underpolished or something. Is it possible to polish it myself or is it permanently like that? I would actually like it to be as brilliantly polished as shown in the pics.

DeSmOnD dAvId said:
I have one concern with my C12. The brass case cover is somewhat darker as compared to the ones that I see in the pics, like it is underpolished or something. Is it possible to polish it myself or is it permanently like that? I would actually like it to be as brilliantly polished as shown in the pics.

Even mine is the same. Brass loses sheen over time due to oxidation. There are foul smelling liquid cleaners available in the market that you can use to get the sheen back. I prefer the antique looks

Mine was like that since I unpacked it from the box.

pranav0091 said:
Even mine is the same. Brass loses sheen over time due to oxidation. There are foul smelling liquid cleaners available in the market that you can use to get the sheen back. I prefer the antique looks

exactly,you dont see brass utensils everyday and now most of them belong to museums.So the brass case is a one good collectible.And if you try to clean it shines for somedays and again it oxidises.

pranav0091 said:
Btw, that reminds me, there is no way right now to easily distinguish the left one from the right - I have resorted to using a whitener. Its a definite area of improvment for your next IEM (judging by my experience so far with the C-12, I'll be buying that one

agree on that part, everytime you need to focus on those tiny letters

Nanducob said:
They should put colour on iems like in E30.Red for right ear..no confusion and saves time in looking at small L and R's.

yeah that.. or the ring like groove on the buds can be color coded. would that go well with the classy wooden shade of buds :chinscratch:

?

pranav0091 said:
@SignatureAcoustics:
I have a couple of suggestions if you dont mind

1) Color coding the left and right earpieces

2) There is something not quite right with the comfort levels that I cant quite point out. I have tried atleast three tips already (including the smallest size that comes with the E10, which is my personal favourite outside of the super-comfy foams of the PL50) And I always get a funny feeling that one ear is bit too tight or too loosely fitting. Apologies for putting it in this very vague fashion. It might well be a pesonal thing, but I am yet to notice it in the others :>

3) Foam tips as an option (Hell, I`ll pay another 200 rupees extra for that)

4) If possible, a slightly smaller body too.

well pointed out but what i think about it--
1) yeah something definitely needs to be done to clearly state that.

2) quite true thats a personal thing and i never experienced any issues related to fit. i dont insert them deep but a shallow fit gives me a good seal. may be some more different tips can be included or made optional.

3)now thats what i thought back then as i even stated in review but then realised that its only going to make the already warm sounding iem more warmer which may not sound as good as its tuned to deliver.

4) a change in size of buds gonna affect the whole soundscape of the iem, inturn leading to change quite a lot of other things and would be a huge rework IMO.

5fusion said:
yeah that.. or the ring like groove on the buds can be color coded. would that go well with the classy wooden shade of buds?

good point :doublethumb:

S

C-12 review'ed by ClieOS on head-fi ,
"It is however still slightly ahead of that of Brainwavz M2 or M3 in drawing out detail. With a few dB of treble boost however, C-12 can really shines. Despite restricted air, soundstage is still very good, and better on width than depth."
â€œFirstborn IEM of Indiaâ€ - ClieOSâ€™s Review of Signature Acoustics Elements Series C-12
Unboxing video on youtube ,

Nice one, ClieOS review helped me out in choosing RE272.

Quite similar to mine. I did notice the veil and relaxed presentation. Depth of soundstage too.

I would really like to see an alternate version without veil.

HEAD FI reviews: Signature Acoustics Elements Series C-12 Reviews

A question for those who've used these IEMs. Did you people notice any improvement in sound over time?

I bought these last week and have been leaving them running overnight. However, I do not notice too big a difference from PL11. The sound is better, cleaner, but not too different. I'm almost regretting buying them coz I don't think the upgrade was worth spending 2800 over. For one-fourth the price of C12, PL11 was almost as good in sound quality.

Cool Buddy said:
A question for those who've used these IEMs. Did you people notice any improvement in sound over time?

I bought these last week and have been leaving them running overnight. However, I do not notice too big a difference from PL11. The sound is better, cleaner, but not too different. I'm almost regretting buying them coz I don't think the upgrade was worth spending 2800 over. For one-fourth the price of C12, PL11 was almost as good in sound quality.

I havent used the PL11, so I would not comment on the comparison. However I do own a pair of E10 which I believe are definitely better than the PL11. I'd actually find these to be better sounding than the E10 (which cost me 1.3k and 1.8k, I have a pair). It all depends on the music - I you are the type that wants the music bass heavy then E10s are a better bet. But if you like some sparkle at the high/upper-mid end, then the C12s are the better choice.

No, I didnt really notice an improvement over time.

Two things I need to ask you -
1. Are your music equalizer bars still set to suit your PL11 ? If yes, you are doing the C12 a grave injustice.

2. How do you like your music ? Slightly mushy-powerful bass versus Moderate base and a sparkly high end ?

I hope you do understand that the incremental gain in music as the price paid increases is a diminishing curve... But then given the right music, an earphone can make all the difference between you 'listening to music' and the 'music taking over you' - That IMHO is all what the upper end is all about and worth paying money for.

Infact I am very satisfied with my C12s and to give you an idea of the gear I own, just look at my signature. The only issue I seem to have with them is related to comfort :<

I have observed that the C12s sound better than my old Vsonic GR02. And the GR02 is better than the PL11 from reviews. So, I think the C12s are better.

Well, I guess it's just my misplaced expectation. I was expecting the same kind of difference between PL11 and c12 as there is between a cheap 100 rupee pair and pl11. As Pranav0091 said, it's a diminishing curve and my expectation was totally wrong.
And I do understand that C12 is better. But how much better, I don't know, to me it seemed very little. But maybe this is it.
I read somewhere that on switching IEMs one needs to get used to the sound of the new one. Maybe it's just that and over time I'll start to appreciate the subtle differences more.

To answer Pranav's questions :
I never tinkered with the equaliser on my PL11, partly because it was too difficult to do on my old Nokia 5800. However, I've been trying different settings on my Xperia L and I think I'm getting a hang of it now.

I like my music with clear vocals and sparkly highs. The bass should be there but should not be overpowering. For instance, i tried creative ep630 which had a similar sound quality to PL11 but had a slightly bass heavy nature. I found I liked PL11 more. A natural sound appeals more to me.

Perhaps you do not find it adequate to your taste in sound (not using "music" on purpose). Still I find the vocals of the C12 to be pretty good, especially female vocals. You will have to play with the eq to get the male vocals right. I had to adjust my mids to little less than full to get the proper tone of Mikael Akerfeldt's (vocalist of Opeth) vocals. But my preference is the fuzzy guitar tone and punchy blast beats, for this I find the C12s pretty good.

Cool Buddy said:
Well, I guess it's just my misplaced expectation. I was expecting the same kind of difference between PL11 and c12 as there is between a cheap 100 rupee pair and pl11. As Pranav0091 said, it's a diminishing curve and my expectation was totally wrong.
And I do understand that C12 is better. But how much better, I don't know, to me it seemed very little. But maybe this is it.
I read somewhere that on switching IEMs one needs to get used to the sound of the new one. Maybe it's just that and over time I'll start to appreciate the subtle differences more.

To answer Pranav's questions :
I never tinkered with the equaliser on my PL11, partly because it was too difficult to do on my old Nokia 5800. However, I've been trying different settings on my Xperia L and I think I'm getting a hang of it now.

I like my music with clear vocals and sparkly highs. The bass should be there but should not be overpowering. For instance, i tried creative ep630 which had a similar sound quality to PL11 but had a slightly bass heavy nature. I found I liked PL11 more. A natural sound appeals more to me.

Try boosting the 1k-4k frequencies by a tiny bit. That may be more to your tastes

Yes, cannot stress enough, how it takes time to get used to a new IEM. A couple of weeks atleast, I guess.

If thats any comfort, let me tell you this - When I got the E10 the first though that struck me was this: Why on earth did I get the SR60 before it ? The E10s were very similar (not the same, just very close) to the Grados and costed one-fourth the price. I was disappointed to say the least. And then gradually over time I noticed how the SR60i redeemed itself given the right piece of music and volume. I have now come to know why so many people (including me) revere the Grados. Its not much, the difference between the E10 and the SR60 in a casual listen, but the differences exist and they are significant - just takes you time to recognise. Same is the case with the C12 versus the E10 (and hence the PL11s).

Give them a more serious listen and yourself some more time to get used to.

PS: try "We were lovers" by The Analog affair and lets know of what you feel about the C12.

When I got the E10 the first though that struck me was this: Why on earth did I get the SR60 before it ? The E10s were very similar (not the same, just very close) to the Grados and costed one-fourth the price. I was disappointed to say the least. And then gradually over time I noticed how the SR60i redeemed itself given the right piece of music and volume. I have now come to know why so many people (including me) revere the Grados.

Must be the same case with me. Nice to hear that this has happened with other people too and with someone who has more experience with audio hardware than me. So I'll forget the comparison from now on and just enjoy my music. C12 do sound good

Will try that song you suggested.

P.S. The quote button is not working, it just keeps rotating, that's why posted like this.

Tried that song (we were lovers). I can see what you mean. The reverb effect sounds so much better on the c12. In fact, just yesterday I was listening to some of my favourites and multiple times I noticed sounds that I'd never noticed before. Slowly getting a hang of this.
C12 sounds so much more natural than pl11.

S

Cool Buddy said:
Tried that song (we were lovers). I can see what you mean. The reverb effect sounds so much better on the c12. In fact, just yesterday I was listening to some of my favourites and multiple times I noticed sounds that I'd never noticed before. Slowly getting a hang of this.
C12 sounds so much more natural than pl11.

C-12 is also somewhat source dependent and scales up with a better source. From our experience it usually doesn't sound anywhere close to its true potential with most mobile phones (baring few like iPhone / S4 etc) . In such cases using apps like Power amp + EQ helps to get a desirable sound.

C-12's true potential can be best experienced with a good Mp3 player like iPod/ Clip+ and quality music files (320kbps or higher ). With such a setup most users and reviewers have found it to be better than Brainwavz M2 , M3 which cost 4-5k respectively.

SignatureAcoustics said:
C-12 is also somewhat source dependent and scales up with a better source. From our experience it usually doesn't sound anywhere close to its true potential with most mobile phones (baring few like iPhone / S4 etc) . In such cases using apps like Power amp + EQ helps to get a desirable sound.

I use poweramp. As soon as I bought my phone I knew I had to invest in this app if I had to enjoy my music to the fullest.

SignatureAcoustics said:
C-12's true potential can be best experienced with a good Mp3 player like iPod/ Clip+ and quality music files (320kbps or higher ). With such a setup most users and reviewers have found it to be better than Brainwavz M2 , M3 which cost 4-5k respectively.

I mostly use V0 MP3 files. Some of my favourites are in flac though.

Not willing to buy a separate device for a PMP now.

im on a Clip Zip and it sounds like heaven through the C12.