Now that most of us are working (or learning) from home, having a reliable pair of earbuds is a must. If you’re like me and you’ve resorted to shopping online for a new pair because it’s more convenient and safer, you’ve likely chanced upon the term True Wireless Stereo (TWS). It is the latest technology when it comes to audio devices. Much like some sort of wizardry, it offers complete freedom to move because TWS earbuds don’t have wires that connect to your phone or laptop, and to each other. But they provide a detailed and satisfying sound experience similar to old-school wired headphones.
TWS earbuds are completely devoid of wires. They are two totally separate pieces of earbuds. On the other hand, wireless earphones may not have a wire connecting the earbuds to a phone or laptop, but they still need a wire to connect the two earbuds together. In the case of the TWS earbuds, you can use one earbud and hand the other earbud to a friend who might be a meter away— removing the limitation of having the earbuds tied together.
With what TWS earbuds can offer, the catch is, that they can be expensive.
After checking different brands, I found a trusted brand that offers bang for the buck great all-rounder TWS earbuds. It’s called Sabbat.
Established in 2016, Sabbat is fairly new but it already comes with a selection of well-engineered TWS earphones. I got my hands on two of its best-selling TWS earbuds— the X12 Ultra and the E12 Ultra.
Sabbat X12 Ultra (left) and Sabbat E12 Ultra (right)
Sabbat X12 Ultra— great sounds for less than PHP 3,000
The Sabbat X12 Ultra comes with a hard plastic charging case. The earbuds are tiny that even without the rubber ear tips, they offer a snug fit. The earbuds have the speaker on the side so it was easy to just let them hang in my ears. To ensure that they are securely in place, I had to lightly push them a little.
The X12 Ultra provided amazing control. Everything needed can be done with a press of the center button on either or both earbuds. Don’t worry though, control was easy without the need to push them deep in your ears. Here’s how:
- Long press – activates the voice assistant
- 1 press – plays or pauses a song, or takes a call
- 2 presses – skips or returns to a song
- 3 presses – increases or decreases the volume
The battery playtime of the X12 Ultra is terrific— offering 6 to 8 hours on a single full charge. Meanwhile, the charging case provides up to 30 hours of battery juice. The charging case has four LED lights so it’s easy to know how much power is still left.
The best part of the X12 Ultra is the audio quality such that it is so distinct even at a low volume. The bass, mids, and highs all work together to create a solid sound experience— allowing me to enjoy all music genres with ease. The bass isn’t very strong, which makes it perfect for people like me who aren’t into loud bass effects.
As an earbud, it didn’t fully cancel the surrounding noise, but even with the environment sound coming through, it wasn’t a deal-breaker. The earbuds provided a great amount of detail. It was easy for me to pinpoint the instruments and even the vocal nuances as if there was really a stage around me. The sound didn’t feel clogged but actually airy and enjoyable.
Call quality is clear on the X12 Ultra. I was able to hear properly even when the person on the other line was in low volume. It allowed me to have a perfectly normal conversation.
The X12 Ultra comes in Snow White, Camouflage Series (Amazon, Caribbean, Emirates Rock, and Sahara), and Marble Series (Advanced Stone, Dream Stone, Yan Yanshi, Star Cloud, and Galerite).
On all fronts, the X12 Ultra shares most of the best characteristics in its class. The design is eye-catching, battery life is superb, control is amazing, connectivity is great, and audio quality is awesome. Moreover, these earbuds are outstanding for the price.
Sabbat E12 Ultra— for when you need to keep moving
As a fitness enthusiast, the E12 Ultra is a great choice because of its in-ear design that gives a secure fit and ensures the earbuds stay in my ears while I work out. The ear tips provide suction that hooks the earbuds in place. Since these earbuds come with 7 sets of replaceable ear tips, I don’t have to worry about sweating while wearing them. Additionally, these earbuds have an IPX5 water resistance rating, which means they are sweat-resistant and can handle light splashes of water in case it rains outside when I run.
The control buttons are clever and the response is great such that I didn’t have a tough time activating desired functions. Functionality is similar to the X12 Ultra:
- Long press – activates the voice assistant
- 1 press – plays or pauses a song, or takes a call
- 2 presses – skips or returns to a song
- 3 presses – increases or decreases the volume
Similar to the X12 Ultra, the E12 Ultra has superb battery playtime of 6 to 8 hours. The charging case offers up to 30 hours of extra battery life.
The audio quality on the E12 Ultra is spot on for working out. The sound is spacious and detailed— with vocals and instruments coming from all directions. The earbuds provided an engaging bass and accentuated high notes. The E12 Ultra practically unboxed the beauty of music in every track played through it.
The E12 Ultra comes in Snow White, Cosmos Series (Glitter Black, Aurora Green, Galaxy Blue, and Neon Red), the Sabbat Philippine-exclusive Marble Series (Advanced Stone, Dream Stone, Yan Yanshi, Star Cloud, and Galaline), Camouflage Series (Amazon, Caribbean, Emirates Rock, and Sahara), and Metallic Series (Bingbo Silver, Electro Violet, Gold Copper, Martha Red, Rock Coffee, and Smokey & Grey).
All in all, the E12 Ultra are cozy earbuds to use when I needed music to distract me while sweating out or when I had to bust a move. As a total package— from the design to the audio quality— the E12 Ultra is the ideal TWS earbuds for working out that comes at a decent price below PHP 4,000.
Conclusion
TWS earphones are a great investment when it comes to audio devices. They are completely free of wires— getting rid of cable annoyance and allowing total freedom of movement, and have all basic technical features integrated into the earbuds, When it comes to TWS earbuds, there’s no need to default to super expensive ones because there are budget-friendly choices out there that still offer amazing quality. For this, I highly recommend the Sabbat X12 Ultra and E12 Ultra— both offering topnotch quality without breaking the bank.
We’re giving away one (1) Sabbat E12 Ultra Dream Stone and one (1) Sabbat X12 Ultra Advanced Stone!
How to join:
1. Like the SABBAT PHILIPPINES Facebook page
2. Head on over to the Facebook post of our SABBAT article: https://www.facebook.com/WhenInManila/posts/10158704537828119
3. In the comments section of the link above, share with us: “What’s your favorite feature on these Sabbat TWS earphones?”
4. One (1) winner of Sabbat E12 Ultra Dream Stone and one (1) winner of Sabbat X12 Ultra Advanced Stone will be selected.
5. Don’t forget to top off your comments with #SabbatPhilippines and #WhenInManila
6. The contest runs from September 3 to 17, 2020!
7. We’ll pick our favorite entry and announce it on the Sabbat Philippines and When In Manila Facebook pages on September 18!
Contest terms:
1. Entrants should be at least 18 years old or above to join.
2. Entrants should own a valid ID for verification purposes.
3. This contest is open to all Philippine residents.
4. This contest will run from September 3 to 17, 2020
5. Two (2) winners will each receive a SABBAT Unit
6. The winners will be announced on September 18. Check back on this article for the announcement!
7. Winners will be contacted privately with the complete information on how to claim their prize.
8. The winners will be drawn through an electronic raffle via the Facebook Contest App.
9. WhenInManila.com and Sabbat Philippines reserve the right to forfeit contestants violating our contest terms.
10. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook.
11. In the event of unforeseen circumstances, we may alter, amend, or cancel the competition without prior notice. We reserve the right to change these terms at any time.
Sabbat Philippines
Website and social media:
https://primegoods.ph/collections/sabbat
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sabbatphilippines
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sabbatphilippines/
Lazada: Sabbat Flagship Store
Shopee: Sabbat Official Store
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