I've tested many of the best headphones, and I've been wearing the Cleer Audio ARC II Sport open-ears all week for my gym workouts to find out how they compare to the best workout headphones.
As my first time wearing a pair of open-ears, I've been impressed by the experience and appreciate the awareness benefits. The Arc II Sport also cost less than the AirPods Pro 2 (they're $189 / £199 / AU$ 283 @ Amazon). But these headphones are not for everyone. Here's what I learned.
What I like (and dislike) about AirPods Pro 2
Looking around at fellow exercisers at my local sports club, I'm not alone in needing musical motivation to help with my performance when it comes to reaching my personal best during a workout routine. Listening to great-sounding audio with an up-tempo playlist for aerobic exercise can help me run for longer (and sometimes faster). It can also help to make the time pass more quickly so that my exercising doesn't feel like such an endurance test.
As an iPhone 12 Pro owner, I favor Apple's AirPods Pro 2 as my go-to earbuds for my workouts. I've found them to be surprisingly durable during my sweaty exercise routines, and the fit surprised me with how secure they feel in my ears even when I'm pounding the treadmill.
The only criticisms I can level at the AirPods Pro 2 are the short battery life that has seen me forget to keep on top of recharges; several times I've found them depleted in my gym bag. The other is that unless I have transparency mode activated, I am unable to hear what's going on around me, and there's no speak-to-chat tech on board yet until Apple Adaptive Audio rolls out when iOS 17 arrives later this year.
Trying the Cleer Audio ARC II Sport
Despite the earhook style earbud with flexible hinge, I initially felt that the fit was less secure than the AirPods Pro 2. I've been happily inserting earbuds into my ears for as long as I can remember, and the feeling of Cleer's open-ear headphones dangling over my tragus and ear-canal felt oddly disconcerting.
I've been happily inserting earbuds into my ears for as long as I can remember, and the feeling of Cleer's open-ear headphones dangling outside of my ear-canal felt oddly disconcerting.
I soon got used to the extra weight from the earhooks hanging at the back of my ear, but it was initially a strange feeling to adjust to all the same.
After that breaking-in period, I found the fit remained secure throughout my exercising sessions. From running on the treadmill to performing burpees, the open-ears stayed in place.
The extra weight is an issue and noticeable at 0.5 ounces (around 14g) per bud, whereas the AirPods Pro 2 weigh under 0.2 ounces (around 5.5g). The Cleer's weight is greater than the similarly styled Shokz OpenFit at 0.3 ounces per bud, and I certainly knew I was wearing them.
Additionally, I experienced mild soreness where the open-buds rested on the antihelix part of my ear, too. This happened after an hour or so of continuous use. Although not a major problem, it was often a welcome relief when I took them off, and not a level of discomfort I've ever encountered when using my AirPods Pro 2.
Forget buttons: Shake your head to control playback
One of the neatest features on the Cleer Audio ARC II Sport is motion control, which enables you to accept or decline incoming calls with a simple shake or nod of the head. The same head gesture motion sensors can also be used to skip tracks backwards or forwards.
One of the neatest features on the Cleer Audio ARC II Sport is motion control, which enables you to accept or decline incoming calls with a simple shake or nod of the head.
When activated, it's a very neat level of control, although I confess that I did find myself inadvertently skipping and restarting playlist tracks as I navigated a path through fellow travelers at overcrowded rail stations on my commutes. So if you're the kind of person that likes to look at the world around you while out and about, you'll need to deactivate motion control for playback. Touch controls are also available.
High-level audio support, but sound balance is off
Given all that Cleer Audio has managed to cram into this open-ear design, I'd really like to be more positive about the sound I experienced when listening to the ARC II Sport. Despite the high level of audio support with SnapDragon Sound, AAC, SBC, aptX Adaptive, and aptX Lossless Audio with Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) Audio, the open-ear design didn't showcase the full potential of the highest quality wireless Bluetooth audio signals.
I found myself needing to ramp up the lowest frequencies in the Cleer+ app to get any sense of bass with the tracks I regularly listen to for motivation during my workouts.
Even though they're fitted with a 16.2mm dynamic driver, which is considerably larger than the size of driver you'd find in any of the best wireless earbuds, the open-ear design doesn't allow for a balanced sound across the frequency range. That's simply because the sound from the speaker isn’t being fed directly into your ear canal.
I can't argue with the sense of stereo soundstage that's on offer with the Cleer Audio ARC II Sport or the level of mid and treble detail, although I did find some mid frequencies sounded a bit hard and forced on some vocals. For me, though, the lack of bass was the main issue.
The step down in the kind of frequency balance I experienced with the Cleer Audio compared to the sound I get when wearing the AirPods Pro 2 at the gym resulted in me feeling less motivated on my workouts. To be fair, this didn't impact my training, but the lack of bass certainly didn't help to make me feel more energized.
The open-ear design means that there's just too much space for sound to escape, leaking out so that anyone nearby can hear exactly what you're listening to. Also, without any kind of acoustic seal, some frequencies just can't be reproduced effectively, and I found myself needing to ramp up the lowest frequencies in the Cleer+ app to get any sense of bass with the tracks I regularly listen to for motivational moves during my workouts.
Battery life
With their open-ear design and a battery life that claims to give 8 hours between recharges and up to 35 hours in total from the charging case (compared to 6 hours and 30 hours respectively from the AirPods Pro 2), the new Cleer Audio ARC II Sport look like a great headphone workout alternative I was keen to try out.
Admittedly, the Cleer's battery life claims aren't huge, but an extra 2 hours versus the AirPods Pro 2 means the potential for another couple of gym sessions between recharges and a worthwhile gain. And with an IPX5-rating for water and sweat resistance, they're better protected than the IPX4-rated AirPods Pro 2 and what gives them the 'sports' design qualification.
Verdict
The Cleer Audio ARC II Sport open-ear headphones are remarkably well specced and have neat motion control that enables wearers to use gesture controls to navigate playback and take calls. While I appreciate the awareness benefits when wearing open-ear headphones, that's not enough to sway me into moving away from one of the best wireless earbuds. In terms of a sound balance that keeps me energized and entertained in equal measure during my workouts, I'm switching back to the AirPods Pro 2.
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