Cleer Arc 4 Plus Review: The Open-Ear Headphones That Finally Brought the Bass (And THX to Your Face) 🎧
Hey there,
Let’s be honest about traditional earbuds for a second. Yes, shoving a silicone plug deep into your ear canal gives you great noise cancellation. It also gives you a weird sense of intra-aural pressure, a gross amount of earwax buildup, and a highly increased chance of stepping in front of a silent electric Prius because you couldn’t hear it coming.
The audio industry knows this, which is why “open-ear” headphones are the new obsession. But historically, open-ear audio has suffered from one massive problem: the bass absolutely stinks.
Until now. A San Diego-based hardware company called Cleer Audio decided to tackle the physics of open-ear sound, and what the company came up with is borderline witchcraft. I just spent a week testing the new Cleer Arc 4 Plus, the flagship of the company’s new lineup. The company managed to cram Dolby Atmos, head-tracking, and the world’s first THX Certification for an open-ear bud into a device that hovers outside your ear.
Here is my in-depth, real-world review of the wearable audio tech that might finally make you ditch your silicone earplugs.
The Sound: Giant Drivers and THX Witchcraft
Designing an open-ear headphone that sounds good is a nightmare for audio engineers because bass frequencies immediately escape into thin air. To fix this, the company brought a bazooka to a knife fight.
1. The 16.2mm Sledgehammer
Instead of the tiny 6mm drivers found in normal earbuds, the company engineered massive 16.2mm dynamic drivers into the Arc 4 Plus. The company expertly aimed these drivers to funnel sound directly into the bowl of your ear at a “whispery level.”
- Real-World Test: I wore these in a quiet office. Even cranked up, the directional audio is so precise that the guy sitting in the cubicle next to me couldn’t hear my embarrassing 90s pop-punk playlist.
2. Dynamic Bass Enhancement (DBE 4.0)
Because it’s open-ear, the company utilized a proprietary DSP algorithm called DBE 4.0. It actively monitors your volume. If you are listening quietly, the company’s software aggressively boosts the low-end so you don’t lose the bass. As you turn it up, it intelligently tapers off so the massive drivers don’t distort. It is punchy, deep, and totally unexpected for an open-ear design.
3. The World’s First THX Certified Open-Ear Bud
This is where the company flexes on the competition. Achieving THX Headphone Certification usually requires a heavy, sealed acoustic environment. The fact that the company achieved this rigorous standard for frequency response and zero distortion on an open-ear device is a monumental engineering feat.
The Sci-Fi Tech: Dolby Atmos & Head Gestures
The company didn’t just stop at good audio; they turned the Arc 4 Plus into a spatial computing node.
1. Dolby Atmos & Head Tracking
The company integrated a 6-axis motion sensor (a gyroscope and accelerometer) directly into the buds.
- Real-World Test: I booted up a Dolby Atmos movie on my tablet. When I physically turned my head to the left to look at my dog, the company’s software instantly shifted the audio to my right earbud, anchoring the sound to the screen. It feels exactly like sitting in a real movie theater.
2. Nod to Answer (Kinematic Controls)
The company also used that motion sensor to create hands-free Head Gesture Controls.
- Real-World Test: I was walking out of the grocery store with four heavy bags of groceries when my mom called. Instead of dropping my eggs to tap my earbud, I literally just nodded my head “Yes” to answer the phone, and shook my head “No” side-to-side to reject a telemarketer later that day. It is a game-changer.
Ergonomics & The “Sweat” Test
If you are buying open-ear, you are probably active. The company shaved the weight down to a ridiculous 10.8 grams per earbud and made the ear-hooks 45% thinner than their last generation. They are coated in hypoallergenic silicone and flex to fit your ear shape. Because nothing goes in your ear, there is zero fatigue.
More importantly, the company secured a hardcore IPX7 waterproof rating.
- Real-World Test: I didn’t just sweat in these; I dropped one in a mud puddle on a trail run, rinsed it off under the kitchen sink, and it kept playing flawlessly. (For comparison, the $300 Bose open earbuds are only IPX4 splash-proof. The company absolutely dominates Bose on durability here).
The Verdict & USA Pricing
Let’s talk about how the company is aggressively undercutting the entire USA market.
- Cleer Arc 4 (Base Model): $99.99 USD
- Cleer Arc 4 Plus (Flagship): $129.99 USD
The competition is sweating. The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds cost $299. The Sony LinkBuds Clip cost $230. The Shokz OpenFit 2+ sits around $179.
For just $129.99, the company is giving you 34 hours of total battery life, Multipoint Bluetooth 5.4 (seamlessly switching between my Zoom calls and my iPhone), Snapdragon Sound with aptX Lossless, Apple MFi certification, and THX audio.
The only minor gripe? The charging case doesn’t have Qi wireless charging, and if you are on a loud subway train, the lack of Active Noise Cancellation means the train will drown out your podcast (but that is the tradeoff for ultimate situational awareness).
If you want to hear the world around you without sacrificing audiophile-grade bass and spatial tracking, the company has built an absolute masterpiece for the price.
Fingerprints cannot be avoided…. Apparently
About The Author
