Short answer: the Fir Audio e12. Both are rated 3.2/5 for sound quality (#379 and #381 of 450 in-ear headphones), and the Fir Audio e12 costs $1,799 against $1,999 for the 64 Audio U12t, so with nothing between them on sound quality, price settles it.
What the 64 Audio U12t does well: Twelve balanced armatures produce a warm, smooth tuning with sub-bass right on target down to 20 Hz and about 1.6 dB of extra bass for body. Watch for: Presence sits about 5.7 dB below target from 3 to 6 kHz, with a 7.9 dB dip near 3.3 kHz, so vocals and guitars sound distant and detail is subdued.
What the Fir Audio e12 does well: A big, energetic V shaped tuning in HypetheSonics’ measurement, with sub-bass about 4 dB and bass about 5.5 dB above target for heavy, physical kick drums and synth lines. The tradeoff: A 9.3 dB peak near 8.1 kHz and treble about 5 dB above target from 6 to 10 kHz can make cymbals and sibilance sharp and fatiguing at higher volume.
Buy the Fir Audio e12. Both are rated the same for sound quality, and it costs $200 less than the 64 Audio U12t.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| 64 Audio U12t | Fir Audio e12 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,999.00 | $1,799.00 |
| Ranked | #381 of 450 in In-Ear Headphones | #379 of 450 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 64 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) | 64 (measured by HypetheSonics, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.67 dB standard deviation | 2.66 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.86 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.62 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Balanced armature | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 12 x balanced armature | 1 x 12mm dynamic |
| Impedance | 12.6 ohms | 16 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 108 dB/mW | - |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 20Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | No | No |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.4 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+3.5 dB at 30 Hz) |
Related Headphone Comparisons
How Fir Audio e12 compares with other leading options:
- 64 Audio A12t vs Fir Audio e12
- Fir Audio e12 vs SoftEars Cerberus
- 64 Audio A12t vs 64 Audio U12t
- 64 Audio U12t vs HIFIMAN RE2000 Pro
- 64 Audio U12t vs SoftEars Cerberus
Prices on this page were last checked October 11, 2026 at 4:59 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Headphones In Full
64 Audio U12t: $1,999.00 64 Audio eBay
Pros: Twelve balanced armatures produce a warm, smooth tuning with sub-bass right on target down to 20 Hz and about 1.6 dB of extra bass for body. In the median of 22 hobbyist measurements on squig.link, the treble never rises more than a fraction of a decibel above target between 1.5 and 12 kHz, so there is no harshness or sibilance at any volume. At 108 dB/mW it plays loud from a phone. It matches the rating of the SoftEars Cerberus for less money.
Cons: Presence sits about 5.7 dB below target from 3 to 6 kHz, with a 7.9 dB dip near 3.3 kHz, so vocals and guitars sound distant and detail is subdued. The 64 Audio A12t from the same maker rates higher at the same price, and the Fir Audio e12 matches its rating for less.
Full 64 Audio U12t review and specifications →
| Back | Closed |
|---|---|
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.67 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Balanced armature |
| Drivers | 12 x balanced armature |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 64 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 12.6 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 108 dB/mW |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.4 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.86 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -5.3 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -0.4 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 191 Hz | -2.3 dB | 0.44 |
| Peak | 8,941 Hz | +5.5 dB | 1.20 |
| Peak | 3,118 Hz | +5.7 dB | 2.53 |
| Peak | 2,054 Hz | -3.1 dB | 2.08 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -6.7 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 5,678 Hz | +3.0 dB | 5.76 |
| Peak | 4,885 Hz | -1.9 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 314 Hz | +0.4 dB | 3.39 |
| Peak | 540 Hz | -0.4 dB | 2.46 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Fir Audio e12: $1,799.00 Audio46 eBay
Pros: A big, energetic V shaped tuning in HypetheSonics’ measurement, with sub-bass about 4 dB and bass about 5.5 dB above target for heavy, physical kick drums and synth lines. Mids stay close to target from 1 to 6 kHz, so vocals are not buried under the bass. It suits listeners who want a fun, bass forward sound from a single 12 mm dynamic driver.
Cons: A 9.3 dB peak near 8.1 kHz and treble about 5 dB above target from 6 to 10 kHz can make cymbals and sibilance sharp and fatiguing at higher volume. The extra 5.5 dB of bass also thickens the low mids on acoustic and vocal recordings, and the 64 Audio A12t rates slightly higher at a similar price.
Full Fir Audio e12 review and specifications →
| Back | Closed |
|---|---|
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.66 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 12mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 64 (measured by HypetheSonics, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 16 ohms |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+3.5 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.62 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -4.4 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -2.5 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 806 Hz | +4.2 dB | 0.87 |
| Peak | 172 Hz | -3.5 dB | 1.00 |
| Peak | 3,777 Hz | +8.8 dB | 2.09 |
| Peak | 5,026 Hz | -5.7 dB | 0.80 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +0.6 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 5,514 Hz | -2.7 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 6,361 Hz | +2.6 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 62 Hz | +0.4 dB | 1.79 |
| Peak | 2,239 Hz | -0.9 dB | 4.08 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons