Rock Jaw has come a long way since we reviewed the original Alfa Genus over a year ago. Although the company's lineup has now grown a bit smaller and is headlined by the Alfa Genus V2, the company continues to ship good, affordable earphones all over the world.
The latest product in the range is also Rock Jaw's most affordable pair of earphones yet, the Clarito. Despite its somewhat silly name, the Clarito promises to be a solid upgrade to the bundled in-ears that come with your smartphone. Priced at GBP24 (Approximately Rs. 2,100), these British-engineered earphones are on the review bench today. Find out how they perform in our review.
Design, specifications, and comfort
While the company's earlier products were made of wood, the current range has switched to a more modern-looking and durable metal construction. Like the Alfa Genus V2, the Clarito is also built almost entirely of metal, with plastic featuring only in the stalks that connect the cables to the ear casings. The small size of each earphone keeps the headset light, and the overall design is simple and sophisticated. The back of each casing features the new Rock Jaw logo.
The 1.2m cable of the headset is rubber coated, which makes it durable and resistant to strain, but also extremely tangle-prone. There's no microphone, but a shirt clip and soft carry-pouch have been included in the sales package, along with a handful of silicone ear tips. The Clarito is easy to wear and comfortable over long periods.
The Rock Jaw Clarito is powered by 8mm dynamic drivers, has an impedance of 16Ohms, a frequency response range of 20-20,000Hz, and a rather high sensitivity rating of 108dB. As a result, it's incredibly loud at peak volume, which will appeal to a lot of users looking for a loud pair of earphones.
Performance
We tested the Rock Jaw Clarito with our reference Fiio X1 high-resolution audio player, as well as the iBasso DX80, a OnePlus 3 (Review), and a Windows laptop. Focus tracks for the review were Martin Solveig's Intoxicated and Alt-J's Taro.
Starting with Intoxicated, we were immediately treated to an intense bass-oriented sonic signature, which could be felt and heard right from the beginning of the track. It's occasionally a bit too powerful and attacking, overpowering the mid-range but not the highs, in much the same way that any product with a V-shaped signature operates. The sound might seem a bit too aggressive at times, but bass-lovers will enjoy it for what it is.
With Taro, the sensitivity spike in the low-range can be heard even more distinctly, although vocals aren't as weak as with Intoxicated. The detail in the track can be heard fairly well for headphones in this price range, and the soundstaging and imaging are about as good as we've heard as well. It's also worth noting that the Clarito can get very loud without much distortion or loss of detail, and it's helped along by its comfortable fit and noise isolating design.
Verdict
Where most budget in-ears fail is in boosting volume. That's where the Rock Jaw Clarito succeeds in a big way. It's loud, bass-happy and exciting. While that sound can occasionally become a bit too much to handle, it's still enjoyable to a certain extent.
The added bass doesn't get too much in the way of the rest of the sound, and detail and soundstaging remain excellent for the price. Along with comfort, good looks and decent build quality, this makes the Rock Jaw Clarito an option worth considering if you're looking for a good pair of earphones.
Price: GBP 24 (Roughly Rs. 2,100, not including import duty and taxes), available via Rock Jaw
Pros
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Ratings (Out of 5)
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