Short answer: the Inawaken Dawn MS. It ranks #266 of 450 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 4.0/5, at $49.99; the CCA C12 ranks #325, rated 3.8/5, at $48.99. The price gap is small enough that the sound-quality ranking should decide it.
What the CCA C12 does well: Sub-bass sits within 0.2 dB of target and holds up all the way to 20 Hz across hobbyist measurements on squig.link, and a 3.3 dB lift from 60 to 200 Hz adds warm punch to drums and bass lines. Watch for: The top octave runs 7.5 dB above target with an 8.8 dB peak near 11.9 kHz, which can add sizzle to cymbals and hiss to bright recordings.
Buy the Inawaken Dawn MS. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $1 saving on the CCA C12 is not enough to make up the difference.
Want more options? Browse the full Headphones rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Inawaken Dawn MS | CCA C12 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $49.99 | $48.99 |
| Ranked | #266 of 450 in In-Ear Headphones | #325 of 450 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 73 (median of 17 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 71 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 1.73 dB standard deviation | 2.22 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.80 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.38 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+2.2 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.1 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Hybrid (1 dynamic + 5 balanced armature) |
| Drivers | 1 x 11.2mm dynamic | 1 x 10mm dynamic + 5 x balanced armature |
| Impedance | 32 ohms | 24 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 110 dB/mW | 112 dB/mW |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 7Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | No | - |
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- CCA C12 vs DUNU Titan X
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
Inawaken Dawn MS: $49.99 Amazon eBay
Full Inawaken Dawn MS review and specifications →
| Released | Aug 2024 (2 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Closed |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 1.73 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 11.2mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 73 (median of 17 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 32 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 110 dB/mW |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+2.2 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.80 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
CCA C12: $48.99 Amazon AliExpress eBay
Pros: Sub-bass sits within 0.2 dB of target and holds up all the way to 20 Hz across hobbyist measurements on squig.link, and a 3.3 dB lift from 60 to 200 Hz adds warm punch to drums and bass lines. Crinacle’s measurement gives it a preference score of 71, and the 24 ohm, 112 dB/mW hybrid of one dynamic driver and five balanced armatures plays loud from any phone. It matches the rating of the KZ ZAX while costing less.
Cons: The top octave runs 7.5 dB above target with an 8.8 dB peak near 11.9 kHz, which can add sizzle to cymbals and hiss to bright recordings. A 4.5 dB dip around 6.7 kHz sits just below that peak, so the treble sounds uneven rather than smooth. The MEE Audio M6 Pro earns the same rating for less money.
Full CCA C12 review and specifications →
| Back | Closed |
|---|---|
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.22 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Hybrid (1 dynamic + 5 balanced armature) |
| Drivers | 1 x 10mm dynamic + 5 x balanced armature |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 7Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 71 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 24 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 112 dB/mW |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-0.1 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.38 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -3.4 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 | +0.9 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 161 Hz | -3.6 dB | 0.61 |
| Peak | 677 Hz | +3.8 dB | 1.07 |
| Peak | 2,181 Hz | -3.3 dB | 3.04 |
| Peak | 7,371 Hz | +3.4 dB | 3.04 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -5.1 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 9,487 Hz | +2.8 dB | 2.05 |
| Peak | 3,358 Hz | +3.0 dB | 3.37 |
| Peak | 5,217 Hz | -3.3 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 2,530 Hz | -1.7 dB | 5.25 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons