In this review, I’m checking out the Sabbat E12 Ultra TWS earphones. The E12 Ultra has a single dynamic driver, Bluetooth 5.0 and supports wireless charging. They have good battery life and are comfortable too. Sound promising? Read on to find out how they perform.

This sample was provided for the purpose of an honest review. All observations and opinions here are my own based on my experience with the product.

Sabbat E12 Ultra Review

Package and Accessories

• 

• 

The E12 Ultra comes in a somewhat large, sleeved cardboard box. On the front is an image of the earpieces. On the back is a picture of the earphones in the charging case. After opening the box, I was surprised to see a large variety of eartips (there are 7 in total) because you normally get very few with TWS iems. So here’s what you get in the box:

• Sabbat E12 Ultra TWS earphones
• Charging case
• 7 pairs of silicone eartips
• USB Type-C cable
• Vinyl carry pouch
• User guide/warranty

• 

• 

Build and Functionality

The Sabbat E12 Ultra shells are made from lightweight, acrylic. They’re available in several colours, including Smoky and Grey, Martha Red, Electro-Optic Purple, Ice Platinum Silver, Rock Coffee and Gliding Copper.

The faceplates have a shiny chrome finish and the inner shells are glossy black. On each faceplate is a physical control button with the Sabbat logo. There is also a small LED next to the logo.

Operation of the earphones is standard for Bluetooth controls. A single press of the button to play/pause or answer/end a call. A double-tap on the right earpiece will skip to the next song and double-tapping the left will go to the previous song.

Furthermore, a triple-tap on the right increases the volume and the same action on the left earpiece decreases the volume. The buttons have a nice tactile click but don’t require too much force to actuate. I quite like this setup – in fact, I prefer this over touch-sensitive controls because I always seem to press those by accident which gets frustrating pretty quickly.

While watching YouTube and movies on my Android phone, there were no noticeable lag or sync issues. Call quality is excellent and the built-in microphone seems to work really well, however, it can pick up some wind noise if you’re outdoors.

Comfort and Noise Isolation

E12 Ultra’s shells are really comfortable for my ears and I can happily wear them for extended periods of time. They’re really lightweight plus all the edges are rounded and smooth so there are no hot spots. The fit feels very secure – I have been using these regularly for running and they’ve never felt like they were loose or about to fall out.

Noise isolation is only moderate but sufficient for everyday environments. However, if blocking out external noise is important to you these might not be the best option. They’re still definitely a step above your typical Galaxy or Apple buds in this regard though.

Bluetooth Connectivity

I can break down the Bluetooth functionality of the E12 Ultra in 3 words: it just works. It’s reliable and consistent and works well across all my devices. Pairing is fast, simple and there are helpful voice prompts so you never have to guess what’s happening.

Charging Case and Battery Life

The plastic charging case is about average in size and is a glossy piano black colour. Apparently it also supports Qi wireless charging as well which will be super convenient for users. The 750mAh battery inside the case takes 40-60 minutes to fully charge.

On the back of the case is a USB Type-C port for charging plus 4 LED indicators that show the case’s battery level. One thing I really love about this case is that it accommodates many different eartips – even my extra-large third-party tips fit in there fine. That might not seem like a big deal but since I generally always need to use my own tips this is a huge bonus for me.

The earpieces have a rated battery life of around 8 hours. In addition, they can be recharged 4 times using the carry case for a total use time of 32 hours. I’ve been using them around 20-30 minutes daily for running and can easily go a fortnight before I need to charge the case.

Sound

The Sabbat E12 Ultra has what I would call a fairly typical average-consumer TWS signature: that means a significant emphasis on the bass, slightly recessed midrange and a clear but relaxed treble.

This is a tuning suited for casual listening, sports, working out or listening on the go. It’s not aimed at the discerning audiophile nor is it trying to be something it ain’t’. It’s tuned for fun – plain and simple and I can appreciate that.

Bass

Bass is definitely the star of the show here. It’s big, bold and a little thumpy. Emphasis is put on the lower and sub-bass, giving it thickness and plenty of rumble. These would not be suited for anyone averse to a slamming bass, so if you like it light and tight you’d best look elsewhere.

On the other hand, the E12 Ultra is great for certain genres like hip-hop, rock and pop. Bassheads will likely appreciate these too as they’re great for those big bass drops.

Mids

The midrange is a bit recessed but has decent clarity and vocal articulation. Despite the largeness of the bass, the midrange doesn’t get too congested or closed, although it definitely sits behind the bass.

Lower mids have ample body and there’s a good deal of warmth carried over from the bass. After around 150Hz, the bass fades quite rapidly, granting the mids room for clarity and allowing them to open up somewhat. Male vocals are favoured more than females which sound a bit thinner.

Treble

E12 Ultra puts more emphasis on its lower treble which adds clarity and some energy to the mix. For the most part, it’s non-fatiguing and lifts the overall tonality to prevent it from being dark. But there’s little in the way of upper treble which means the extension is limited and there’s not a lot of micro-details present.

Due to the sharp fall off, the treble sounds a bit peaky and slightly artificial. Thankfully, there’s no sibilance but it does get a bit splashy at times.

Soundstage

The soundstage is average in size – surprising for a predominantly bassy presentation. Thanks to the mids thinning out fairly quickly, that allows them to breathe a little and avoid becoming muddy. Stage width is decent but depth is limited. There is some congestion during busy segments but for the most part, the E12 Ultra does a fairly good job with imaging and separation.

Conclusion

The Sabbat E12 Ultra is a fun and functional TWS earphone. Although the audio quality is decent, it’s the comfort, ease of use, connection stability and battery life combined that keep me coming back. Furthermore, I really like the physical ‘clicky’ buttons and the button control configuration is one of the better setups I’ve used. So if you’re looking for a no-fuss TWS with thumping bass that just work consistently, these are worth checking out.

Specifications

• Bluetooth solution: Qualcomm (update from E12 Bluetooth version)
• Bluetooth version: 5.0
• Speaker unit: 10mm/0.4″
• Headphone battery capacity: 3.7V/60mAh
• Charging box battery capacity: 750mAh
• Headphone charging time: 40-60 minutes
• Charging box charging time: 40-60 minutes
• Headset charging time: 4 times
• Using time (call/play): 4 x 8 hours = 32 hours
• Audio format: aptX/AAC/SBC
• Wireless frequency: 2402-2482MHz
• Transmission distance: 10m/32.81ft
• Support Protocol: HSP/HFP/A2DP/AVRCP
• Sensitivity: 120+5db
• Frequency response range: 20-20000Hz
• Impedance: 32Ω