The open-ear headphone market has arguably yet to take off, but if (or when) it does, Cleer Audio are looking to be at the forefront of the technology with its Arc II Sport.
As you can guess from the model name, the Arc II Sport is the sequel to the original which we reviewed in 2022. Like before, the earphones fit ‘passively’, which effectively means they sit around the ear without actually blocking external sounds from entering your ear, not unlike bone conduction headphones.
According to Cleer, the audio performance has been improved with more power and a richer audio quality without having to sacrifice volume or bass with its 16.2mm drivers that fire audio in towards the ear.
The fit is also said to be better than before to make it more secure during use, as well as more comfortable. The sweatproof rating for these headphones is IPX5.
Operation is via touch controls, and in addition to this the Arc II Sport has a six-asis motion sensor (not to be confused with PlayStation’s Sixasis controller for the gamers out there). This enables users to use head gestures to answer and end calls, as well as control music playback.
Battery life is up to 35 hours with the case and 8 hours per true wireless (which is up from 7 hours). The case is more compact, with a built-in UV light to sterilise and kill any bacteria when the earbuds are charging.
The Cleer Arc II are surprisingly packed on the wireless front, with support for Bluetooth 5.3 connections, as well as support for aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless audio. There’s Bluetooth Multipoint support, Snapdragon Sound and Bluetooth LE Audio to reduce the amount of power used when streaming.
The Cleer Arc II Sport are available to purchase now from the likes of Amazon UK for £199 / $189. They’re available in black and red finishes.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.