

Rating: 4/5
What I Like:
- Great overall sound with heavy bass that does not overpower the treble and mid tones
- The in-line buttons are easy to find and press compared to other in line buttons I’ve tested before
- The headphone cables feel strong when pulled and flexed
- Comfortable to wear
- Battery life is acceptable
What I Don’t Like:
- The pieces that hold the headphones into the ears are not strong enough
Summary: These Q12’s are some of the better performing budget Bluetooth headphones I’ve reviewed, with more bass than competing models. The best part is, even with more bass the treble comes through crisp and clear, striking a good balance between high and low tones. When combined with the decent build quality and battery life, these headphones make it onto my recommendation list.
Where to Buy
SoundPEATS Q12:
Amazon U.S.A. | Amazon Canada
Price at time of review: $22.99
Build Quality & Appearance
These headphones are the standard around-the-back in ear Bluetooth headphones. Their controls are situated on the cord which is not my favorite layout, but SoundPEATS has done a good job with making the buttons easier to find than other cord control headphones I have tested. In terms of design, they’re more or less the same as every other set of wireless headphone out there. Once nice touch is the magnet that holds the two earbuds together for travel or storage.
Audio Quality
Audio quality with these headphones is great. The set I received has good dynamic range, emphasizing the deep bass in electronic music while maintaining treble clarity. For rock music with loud guitar, the treble can almost grind a little, but that’s me being super picky. Once I’m exercising, I appreciate the heavy bass as the sound of wind and the droning of cars that pass can overwhelm it with other headphones I have used. Here there is still lots of definition and when I move to other sets I own it feels like they lack bass. For call quality, the headphones are about average. Most callers on the other end reported they could hear me fine, and I was able to understand an entire conversation. Overall these headphones sound great to me and are one of the best in the price range I’ve personally heard.
Battery Life
I did not measure battery life exactly, but I’ve been charging them weekly with about 6 hours of use at mid volume. This is above average. As another note, the rubber plug covering the power port is easy to open.
Comfort
I found these headphones felt a bit ‘thick’ to wear at first even with the smallest ear-tips. They sit slightly deeper than other in-ears I have used, which took some of time to get used to, but after I got used to it I appreciated the noise isolation and additional bass this creates. It also means there is less wind noise when cycling. One little nitpick I have is with the pieces that hold these headphones into the ears: they are not very strong and really don’t do much. I found they stayed in about the same with and without the pieces. I didn’t have trouble with them falling out because they fit me quite well, but others may find that they slide out after getting sweaty while exercising. Also, since they stick out the the ear so much they are not comfortable to lay down on the side with.
Connectivity & Signal
I noticed that these headphones hold signal for about 20 feet with no walls between. Within that distance, the signal is strong with no stuttering and fairly little lag. Get farther than 30 feet and the signal starts to drop. The distance is cut in half with a wall between. This is about standard in their class.
Conclusion
In conclusion, these headphones have decent sound performance and a comfortable fit. Aside from minor gripes about the pieces that hold the headphones into my ears, these headphones are very good and represent a decent balance of price and performance. Those who appreciate bass heavy music but don’t want to compromise on treble performance will enjoy these headphones.