Cleer ARC 3

The Cleer ARC 3 is a feature-packed open-ear headphone with a 16.2mm graphene driver, Dolby Atmos, and a 50-hour total battery. Sound quality is genuinely impressive for the form factor, and the IPX7 rating makes it a solid workout companion. At $160 USD, it's priced like a premium in-ear but delivers a different experience entirely. Buy it if you need situational awareness without sacrificing audio quality, but skip it if all-day comfort or laptop connectivity are priorities.

The 16.2mm graphene driver is the star here. Graphene is stiff and light, which means it can move fast without distorting, and that shows up in the clarity. The frequency response runs from 50Hz up to 40kHz, which covers the full Hi-Res range and then some. In practice, owners consistently mention clear highs and surprisingly present bass for an open-ear design. That's not easy to pull off. Open-ear buds usually sacrifice low end because there's no seal, but the ARC 3 manages to keep bass audible without turning everything into mud. The Dolby Atmos head tracking adds spatial positioning that makes movies and supported music feel wider than the physical drivers should allow.

Where things get less rosy is at high volume. At least one owner reported distortion when pushing the default EQ loud, and that tracks with the open-ear physics. Without a seal, you need more driver excursion to hit the same perceived volume, and that's where distortion creeps in. The ANC is adaptive and ranks near the top of our database, but keep expectations realistic. ANC on an open-ear bud is more about reducing low-frequency rumble than creating silence. It helps on a plane or train, but it won't block voices or high-frequency noise the way a sealed in-ear would. The transparency mode is the real star for this form factor, letting you stay aware without removing the buds.

Against the Sony WF-1000XM6, the ARC 3 wins on situational awareness and that open-ear comfort for people who hate in-ear pressure. But the Sony will crush it on pure noise isolation and probably comfort for long sessions, given the ARC 3's mediocre comfort percentile. The Sony is the pick if you want to disappear into your music. The Cleer is the pick if you want music without disappearing from your surroundings.

The Technics EAH-AZ100 is another interesting comparison. Technics has been nailing sound quality in the wireless space, and their in-ear seal gives them a bass advantage the Cleer can't match. But the ARC 3's IPX7 rating beats most in-ear competitors for workout durability, and the UV sterilization case is something neither Sony nor Technics offers. The Apple AirPods Pro 3rd Gen is the default choice for iPhone users, but it's a sealed design with a different philosophy entirely. If you're comparing these, you're really deciding between open-ear awareness and in-ear immersion. The Cleer makes the strongest case for open-ear we've seen, but it's still a trade-off.

At $160 USD, the ARC 3 is priced like a premium in-ear but delivers a very different experience. You're paying for the open-ear design, the Dolby Atmos integration, and that fancy case. Whether that's worth it depends entirely on how much you value situational awareness. If you're a runner or cyclist who wants music without blocking the world, $160 for this feature set is reasonable. The battery life alone, 10 hours in the buds and 50 total with the case, beats plenty of sealed competitors.

But if you don't specifically need open-ear, $160 buys a lot of in-ear performance elsewhere. The Technics EAH-AZ100 and Sony WF-1000XM6 both sit in this price neighborhood and offer better noise isolation and likely better comfort for most people. The ARC 3's value proposition is niche, but within that niche it's one of the most feature-complete options we've seen. The CAD 170 listing in Canada tracks similarly. You're not getting fleeced, but you're also not getting a bargain.

Cleer has been quietly doing open-ear audio for a while now, and the ARC 3 is their most ambitious swing yet. You get a 16.2mm graphene driver, Dolby Atmos with head tracking, Snapdragon Sound, adaptive ANC, and a charging case with a built-in display and UV sterilization. That's a spec sheet that reads more like a flagship in-ear than something that hangs off your ear. And at 12 grams per bud, Cleer is clearly betting that comfort and awareness can coexist with genuinely good sound.

The target buyer here is pretty specific. If you hate the plugged-up feeling of in-ears, want to hear traffic while cycling, or just need something that won't fall out during a workout, open-ear is the move. The ARC 3 goes after that crowd with features most open-ear buds skip entirely. ANC on an open-ear design is a weird flex, but Cleer did it anyway. The case display is another flex. This is a product that wants to prove open-ear doesn't mean compromise.

Our database puts the ARC 3 in the top tier for social proof and ANC, both at the 97th percentile. Sound quality lands at the 91st percentile, battery at 93rd, and connectivity at 93rd. But comfort sits at the 28th percentile and build at 34th. That's a fascinating split. The headline features are elite, but the fundamentals that matter most for all-day wear are where this thing stumbles for some people.

If you want all-day comfort for office work or long listening sessions, the ARC 3 is a risky bet. The comfort percentile is 28th, and multiple owners report discomfort after extended wear. The laptop connectivity issues compound this, making it a poor choice for a work headset. Look at the Sony WF-1000XM6 or Technics EAH-AZ100 instead if you need something that disappears into your ears for hours at a time.

If you're a bass head or someone who listens at high volume, the open-ear design will frustrate you. The distortion at high volume with the default EQ is a real limitation, and the lack of a seal means you'll never get the thumping low end that sealed in-ears deliver. The Soundcore P31i or EarFun Air Pro 4+ would give you more bass impact for less money, though you'd lose the open-ear awareness. And if you're an iPhone user deep in the Apple ecosystem, the AirPods Pro 3rd Gen will integrate more smoothly, even if it's a completely different form factor.

If you're a cyclist, runner, or gym-goer who wants to hear the world around you while still getting genuinely good sound, the ARC 3 is one of the best open-ear options available. The sound quality punches above what the form factor usually allows, the battery life is excellent, and the IPX7 rating means you don't have to baby them. The Dolby Atmos head tracking is a nice bonus that makes movies and spatial audio content feel more immersive than expected.

But if you're buying these for all-day office wear or long listening sessions at a desk, think twice. The comfort percentile is concerning, and multiple owners mention discomfort after extended wear. The laptop connectivity issues are also a red flag for work use. If you want open-ear specifically for workouts and outdoor activity, buy with confidence. If you want a do-everything daily driver, a sealed in-ear like the Sony WF-1000XM6 or Technics EAH-AZ100 will serve you better.