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Cleer Audio
Cleer Audio appears to have pulled out all the stops for its latest open-ear earbuds, the Cleer Arc 3. In addition to the features that were introduced on the Cleer Arc II Sport, like a charging case with its own battery, antibacterial UV lighting, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound, the Arc 3 add better water protection, voice control, and spatial audio with Dolby-powered head tracking. And the charging case now sports its own color touchscreen. The Cleer Arc 3 are available in black and pink color choices for $220 on amazon.com starting October 24. Cleer says additional colors are coming soon.
Design-wise, the Cleer Arc 3 use the same articulated, spring-loaded earhook as previous generations, and I’ve found that it offers a comfortable, yet secure fit. Cleer says the earbuds are now rated IPX7, making them effectively waterproof, even if fully submerged in water.
Battery life has been upped to a claimed 10 hours per charge, with the charging case providing an additional 40 hours. The case itself has undergone quite the transformation. You still get the UV-C light sterilization when the earbuds aren’t in use, but now the interior of the lid includes a mirror, while the exterior features a color touchscreen. The case can now be charged wirelessly, as well as via its USB-C connection.
The Cleer Arc II Sport introduced Snapdragon Sound, including the hi-res aptX Adaptive and CD-quality aptX Lossless Bluetooth codecs, but the Arc 3 take this formula further. You now get the option of using Sony’s LDAC hi-res codec instead, which is compatible with far more Android phones than Snapdragon Sound. Cleer says it has also improved bass response, however, its published frequency range for the Arc 3 seems to contradict this claim. According to its product page, the Arc 3 can reproduce 50Hz to 40kHz. The Arc II Sport go lower: 20Hz to 20kHz.
We’re beginning to see hands-free voice commands show up on new wireless earbuds. The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds offer an extensive list of available commands, as do Sony’s LinkBuds Fit. The Cleer Arc 3 also support voice commands, though they appear to be limited to just a few functions: previous/next song, play/pause, volume up/down, and pickup/reject call.
As with the Arc II Sport, six-axis sensors let you use head gestures to manage phone calls hands-free, and Bluetooth Multipoint lets you keep simultaneous connections to two devices.
Simon Cohen is a contributing editor to Digital Trends’ Audio/Video section, where he obsesses over the latest wireless…
Huawei joins the open-ear trend with its FreeClip wireless earbuds
As folks try to better merge their digital and real-world lives, open-ear earbuds are becoming an increasingly popular choice. But most of these products use a similar design: an earhook that positions the speaker over your ear, with a battery portion typically behind your ear.
The Huawei FreeClip take a different approach with a horseshoe shape that wraps around the middle of your ear. The jewelry-like FreeClip come in purple or black and will be available in the U.K. and Europe toward the end of December for 199 euros (about $214). There’s no word yet on U.S. availability.
Soundcore’s first open-ear earbuds come with an optional neckband
Soundcore’s AeroFit Pro in Electric Purple with the optional neckband Soundcore
The open-ear earbuds landscape has been growing like crazy over the last 12 months, so it’s great to see that Anker’s Soundcore brand has decided to throw its hat into the ring with two new models: the $130 AeroFit and the $170 AeroFit Pro. Both are available in black starting November 1 from and Amazon, with three additional color options coming toward the end of 2023.
1More gets into the open-ear earbuds race with the Fit S50 and S30
Open-ear earbuds are becoming increasingly popular due to their main benefit: They let you hear the world around you and your music at the same time. And 1More is the latest company to announce a set of open-ear wireless earbuds, but unlike its competitors, 1More isn’t being shy — instead of testing the waters with one model, the company has released two. The 1More Fit S50 are its flagship model at $150, while the more affordable Fit SE S30 cost just $70. Both models are available starting September 7 on 1more.com and Amazon.
1More Fit S50
1More Fit S50 1More
Most open-ear earbuds rely on their shape to position their speakers correctly so that you get the best possible sound. But since all ears are a little different, and most open-ear earbuds are one-size-fits-all, that alignment doesn’t always work out. This is why the 1More Fit S50 cleverly include a set of soft silicone guides (or “directional sound loops” as 1More likes to call them). They look like little donuts, and when you stick them just inside your ear’s concha, they’re designed to keep everything in the right place. Three sizes of guides are included.
