Cleer Audio has really outdone themselves with their latest open-ear earbuds, the Cleer Arc 3. Building on the features of the Cleer Arc II Sport, such as a charging case with its own battery, antibacterial UV lighting, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound, the Arc 3 now boasts enhanced water protection, voice control, and spatial audio with Dolby-powered head tracking. Additionally, the charging case now includes a color touchscreen. The Cleer Arc 3 is available in black and pink color options for $220 on Amazon starting October 24, with more colors coming soon according to Cleer.
Design-wise, the Cleer Arc 3 retains the articulated, spring-loaded earhook from previous models, providing a comfortable yet secure fit. The earbuds are now rated IPX7, making them effectively waterproof, even when fully submerged in water.
Battery life has been extended to a claimed 10 hours per charge, with an additional 40 hours provided by the charging case. The case itself has undergone significant upgrades, now featuring a mirror on the interior of the lid and a color touchscreen on the exterior. Wireless charging is now supported along with USB-C connectivity for charging.
Building on the Snapdragon Sound features introduced in the Arc II Sport, the Arc 3 now offers the option of using Sony’s LDAC hi-res codec, compatible with a wider range of Android phones. Cleer claims to have improved bass response, although the published frequency range for the Arc 3 suggests otherwise. According to their product page, the Arc 3 can reproduce 50Hz to 40kHz, while the Arc II Sport goes lower to 20Hz to 20kHz.
Hands-free voice commands are becoming more prevalent in wireless earbuds, with models like the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds and Sony’s LinkBuds Fit offering a wide range of commands. The Cleer Arc 3 also support voice commands, allowing functions such as previous/next song, play/pause, volume adjustment, and call handling. Just like the Arc II Sport, six-axis sensors enable head gestures for managing calls hands-free, and Bluetooth Multipoint allows for simultaneous connections to two devices.
