Cleer Audio Arc II Sport Earbuds Review

When it comes to listening to music or a podcast during a workout, finding the right pair of earbuds can make a huge difference in your experience. Traditional earbuds may be great for everyday use, but when it comes to sports and fitness activities, they often fall short. This is where open-ear sports earbuds step in to elevate your workout sessions to a new level of convenience and performance.

Sports earbuds are specially designed to meet the demands of physical activities, providing an audio experience that keeps pace with your energetic lifestyle. With their distinct features and functionalities, these earbuds offer a range of advantages over regular earbuds, making them a great choice for fitness enthusiasts and athletes alike.

Specifications

The Cleer Audio Arc II Sport marks the debut of Cleer Audio’s second-generation Arc open-ear lineup. These earbuds feature an open-ear design with a flexible ear hook hinge. Unlike conventional earbuds that fit snugly inside the ear canal, the Arc II Sport is uniquely designed to hook around the upper part of the ear, resting at a higher position and leaving the ears partially exposed. This design choice ensures that the earbuds do not sit deep within your ear.

These earbuds feature 16.2mm neodymium drivers. Engineered to withstand an active lifestyle, the ARC II Sport features an IPX5 water resistance rating, ensuring durability and reliability during intense workouts or in wet conditions.

The Cleer ARC II Sport introduces several improvements from the original Cleer Arc. One of the standout features is the built-in UV-C sterilizer, a new addition not found in its predecessor. This sterilization system consists of a small UV LED inside the earbud charging dock, specifically targeting the part of the earbud that rests against your ear. This feature is particularly appealing, especially considering that you are likely to use these earbuds during your workouts, where hygiene is a pretty important factor.

The Arc II Sport charging case is both practical and stylish, featuring a magnetic enclosure and durable fabric material. The dimensions of the case are similar to its predecessor, coming in at 4.5-inches wide x 3-inches deep x 1-inch thick, and weighs roughly 4.5-ounces.

Equipped with Bluetooth 5.3 technology, the ARC II Sport offers seamless connectivity. It supports a range of audio formats, including AAC, SBC, AptX Adaptive, and AptX Lossless (Snapdragon Sound). These formats ensure high-quality audio transmission, allowing you to enjoy your favorite music with exceptional clarity and fidelity.

The Arc II Sport features an innovative head control functionality, which adds a unique and convenient way to interact with your earbuds. By simply turning your head to the right or left, you can easily skip tracks or perform other functions.

The Cleer ARC II Sport headphones are compatible with the free Cleer+ App, providing a range of customization options to enhance your audio experience. With this app, you can personalize and adjust the EQ settings to suit your preferences and music playback style. The app allows you to customize device controls and receive firmware updates to keep your headphones up to date.

The Cleer+ App is available for download on both the Apple App Store and Google Play. It offers a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate and provides access to a range of features such as health management tools, a battery indicator for the earbuds, and six sound presets. You have the option to create your own sound signature using the custom mode, which includes a 5-band EQ for fine-tuning your audio to your exact preferences. With the Cleer+ App, you can personalize and optimize your audio settings with ease.

With the Cleer Audio Arc II Sport, you have the ability to connect up to two devices simultaneously with their Multipoint Connectivity. This means you can switch between devices, allowing you to enjoy music from your tablet or PC and seamlessly transition to your phone for incoming calls. The Arc II Sport earbuds also offer the flexibility of independent use, allowing you to listen in mono mode by using just one earbud if desired.

Performance

Before delving into the performance aspect, it's important to highlight the fit of the Cleer Arc II Sport. Having used them for about two hours a day during workouts over the last week, I found them to be very comfortable. It's worth mentioning that proper positioning is crucial for optimal comfort. If not positioned correctly, they can cause some discomfort.

With 8 hours of battery life in the buds themselves, and an extra 27 hours stored in the charging case, you get a solid 35 hours of use. This allowed me to navigate through several consecutive workdays, numerous calls, and multiple workout and listening sessions without the hassle of recharging them.

The open-ear design of the Cleer ARC II Sport does allow some ambient sound to enter your ears but strikes a happy medium by providing a minimal level of passive isolation while still allowing you to remain aware of your surroundings.

When it comes to performance, the Cleer ARC II Sport delivers an enjoyable audio experience. From the lowest lows to the highest highs, these earbuds maintain clarity and power across the entire audio spectrum. The sound stage is well-rounded, immersing you in a captivating audio environment. With the advantage of comparatively large drivers, the sound is presented with clarity, making the listening experience truly enjoyable.

The Cleer Arc II Sport delivers enhanced sound reproduction through the integration of AptX Lossless with Snapdragon Sound technology. Compatibility is key, so it’s important to note that both the headphones and the device need to be equipped with AptX Lossless and Snapdragon Sound capabilities to achieve the best performance.

The performance of the Cleer ARC II Sport proved to be impressive across various music genres. While the emphasis on bass was evident, the treble was slightly overshadowed by it. However, this didn’t have a huge impact on the overall listening experience. The earbuds offered sufficient mid-range clarity, which helped balance the slight disparity between the low and high ends of the audio spectrum.

For example, while listening to Fleetwood Mac's "Gypsy," the Cleer ARC II Sport headphones excel in reproducing the intricate sound of the song. The bassline is robust and well-defined, providing a solid foundation for the track. Stevie Nicks' vocals are clear and expressive, capturing the heartfelt essence of her performance. The headphones effectively convey subtle guitar melodies and delicate percussions, adding depth and dimension to the overall sound. It’s a satisfying experience that allows me to appreciate the musical intricacies of this classic.

Equipped with a 2-mic setup and supporting AptX Voice, these earbuds deliver superior call quality. Even during my outdoor runs, my voice was conveyed with clarity, enabling smooth, crystal clear conversations. The sophisticated technology managed to isolate my voice from the surrounding noise, ensuring that the person on the other end could hear me distinctly.

So here’s the main question: should I opt for a decent noise-canceling wireless earbud, or should I consider the appeal of an open-ear design? Ultimately, the decision rests on personal preference. Speaking from my own experience, I have both types of earbuds and find that I can't tolerate in-ear options during workouts.

In this regard, the Cleer ARC II Sport proves to be the perfect fit for me. Not only do they provide a comfortable fit, but they also deliver impressive sound quality. If you lead an active lifestyle, these earbuds are likely to meet your needs and preferences.

With a MSRP of $189.99, the Cleer ARC II Sport stands out as an excellent choice among open-ear workout headphones. With its long battery life, clear sound reproduction, comfortable and secure fit, and IPX5 water resistance rating, it offers a compelling package for fitness enthusiasts. These headphones provide an audio experience that caters to audiophiles while also being durable enough to withstand rigorous workouts.

FAQ

What are open-ear earbuds?

Open-ear headphones, as their name implies, are designed to avoid complete coverage and isolation of the ears. Instead, they allow some external sounds to be heard, enabling you to immerse yourself in the music while maintaining awareness of your surroundings.

What are the benefits of open earbuds?

With open-ear headphones, sound vibrations are directly transmitted to the middle ear, bypassing the eardrum and eliminating the need for any physical contact without covering the ears. Your music stays personal and private, while still keeping your ears open and aware of your environment.

What is aptX Bluetooth?

aptX is a well-established technology that efficiently compresses and decompresses audio during its journey from a source device, such as a phone, to a receiving device like a wireless speaker. This compression process ensures that the audio can be transmitted over Bluetooth without compromising its quality.