If you follow this website at all, you know that the Shokz OpenFit Pro has been my product of the year. I have not seen anything top it. It is an open-ear style earbud that checked off so many boxes and even some I did not realize were possible with open-ear style earbuds.
Honestly, up to this point, there has not been a true competitor for those. But I think the pair we are going to check out today, which is the Cleer ARC 5, is the first one I would put up against the OpenFit Pro. It is actually, in some ways, head-to-head when it comes to features, sound quality, and a few other things.
To start with, the price tag actually comes in under the Shokz OpenFit Pro. The Cleer ARC 5 normally retails at $219, but right now you can pick them up for $187. That is definitely cheaper than the $249 Shokz OpenFit Pro. In the end, though, we still need to see if everything here justifies the price tag on the ARC 5.
Table of Contents
What Kind of Earbud Is the Cleer ARC 5?
The first thing worth pointing out is that this is an open-ear style earbud. It is not really meant to be compared with normal true wireless earbuds, headphones, or anything like that.
This style of earbud is made so that you can remain aware of your surroundings. You are not getting isolation because there are no ear tips. It uses an ear hook design that hovers over your ear canal, which allows you to stay aware of what is happening around you.
One thing the ARC 5 does not have that the OpenFit Pro does is noise canceling or noise reduction. There is no mode here to isolate the sounds around you. Honestly, though, in this style of earbud, once you start turning the volume up, it already tends to block out a lot of things around you anyway.
Features That Set the Cleer ARC 5 Apart
Dolby Atmos and THX Spatial Audio
The Cleer ARC 5 has Dolby Atmos support, and I will say it works extremely well when using these with a PC. I am not personally a fan of Dolby Atmos when it comes to mobile devices as it creates a weird effect that I do not enjoy. But for some reason, whether it is the drivers or something else with the PC, Dolby Atmos support sounds fantastic in that setting.
This pair also supports THX spatial audio, which is designed to replicate having speakers placed all around you. It even includes a head tracking mode that adjusts the audio depending on how your head is moving. This is a feature many people love.
Personally, I mainly use earbuds for music, and spatial audio tends to take away from the way music is supposed to be heard. However, when I tested these while gaming, the THX spatial audio sounded fantastic. It did a great job of helping me pinpoint where everything was coming from, so it is genuinely beneficial for movies and games.
Audio Codecs and Wireless Certifications
The Cleer ARC 5 is high-res wireless certified and even supports Snapdragon Sound. If you have a device with Snapdragon Sound, you can take full advantage of that. It also supports aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codec, LDAC, and even LE Audio, which stands for low energy audio. There are a lot of really strong playback options available with the ARC 5.
Touch, Button, and Head Gesture Controls
The earbuds have both touch controls and button controls, but on top of that, they also feature head gesture controls. You can go into the app and enable this so that turning your head to the left twice goes back a track, and turning your head to the right twice skips to the next track.
I would recommend using this feature when you are in your room alone because doing it in public might look a little unusual. That said, these features actually work really well. You can customize everything through the app, and I am happy to report that you have full control over all your controls straight out of the box.
Bluetooth and Multi-Point Connection
As far as Bluetooth technology, it is Bluetooth 5.4, which is not the absolute latest, but I had no issues with connections, lag, or anything like that. It also supports multi-point connection, meaning you can be connected to more than one device at the same time, which is a significant plus.
The Case: More Than Just a Charging Box
The case on the Cleer ARC 5 is very interesting. It features an AMOLED screen on the front, and most of the controls and settings you would normally handle through the app can be done right on the case itself.
I find this really convenient because I enjoy listening to music and putting my phone down without being distracted. Being able to manage things from the case allows you to disconnect from your device, and I think that is genuinely useful.
The case also includes UVC sanitation. When you place the earbuds back inside, a blue light activates underneath them and sanitizes the earbuds. That is a thoughtful and practical feature to include.
It is also worth keeping in mind that features like Dolby Atmos support and THX certification do cost companies more to include, as obtaining those certifications involves real expenses. So some of what consumers are paying for here comes from the back end of product development.
Also Read: Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro Review
Build Quality and Water Resistance
This is very important in a style of earbud like this. The Cleer ARC 5 is rated at IPX7, which puts it along the line of being waterproof. Since this style of earbud is made to be worn all day, this rating matters quite a bit.
If it starts to rain, you are fine. If you sweat heavily, you are fine. If the earbud happens to fall out of your ear near a pool and drops into the water, it will survive that too. You do not have to be careful with these all day long, and that is a significant advantage.
Battery Life
The battery life on the Cleer ARC 5 is very impressive. If you turn off LDAC, THX, and other features that drain the battery, you can get up to 12 hours of playback from the earbuds themselves. With the charging case, you can get 60 hours of total battery life.
There is also a fast charging feature where a 5-minute charge gives you 2 hours of use. For a pair of earbuds made to be worn all day, this level of battery performance is exactly what you want. You will have no trouble getting through a full workday without needing to charge them in the middle of the day.
Phone Call Quality
Phone call performance is another area where the Cleer ARC 5 really impresses. It uses Qualcomm’s aptX Voice along with four microphones and wind reduction technology. Even on a windy day, wind interference will not disrupt your phone call.
I have always had really good experiences with aptX Voice, and the ARC 5 continues that trend. You can get a clear sense of the call quality from the outdoor mic test included in the video, where construction noise nearby helped demonstrate real-world performance.
Sound Quality
The Cleer ARC 5 features what Cleer calls DBE 4.0, or Dynamic Bass Enhancement 4.0. This technology allows the earbud to deliver solid bass and real punch regardless of the volume level. Without something like this, many open-ear style earbuds sound thin and flat with little to no low-end impact.
DBE 4.0 is definitely doing its job here because the ARC 5 has some really nice impact. What makes it even better is that the bass does not overwhelm everything else. The mids do not suffer. Both male and female vocalists come through extremely clear, guitars have a really nice tone, and the treble is not bright or harsh.
Overall Sound Character
I would describe the overall sound of the Cleer ARC 5 as slightly warm. The bass gives everything a warmer tone, but this actually makes the sound feel more natural rather than artificial. The treble is not peaking or overly sharp, and there is no sibilant sound with S sounds. The crash of cymbals sounds very clean, and everything blends together extremely well.
Out of the box, the EQ is set to flat, and I actually enjoy it that way. It performs well across all genres. The one exception I noticed is with rock music, where I preferred switching to the rock EQ setting. It pushes the mids a bit more forward, bringing out guitars and vocals slightly. Even on flat, I would be completely happy, but if a song has a lot going on, the rock setting is a nice option to have.
Soundstage and Imaging
When it comes to soundstage and imaging, the open-ear design makes this somewhat of a natural advantage. The design creates the impression of being in a large, open area, and you have no trouble identifying where different sounds are coming from. It is one of the inherent benefits of this type of earbud style.
Specifications Table
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Model | Cleer ARC 5 |
| Earbud Style | Open-ear, ear hook design |
| Retail Price | $219 (currently $187) |
| Bluetooth Version | Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Audio Codecs | aptX Adaptive, LDAC, LE Audio |
| Certifications | Dolby Atmos, THX Spatial Audio, Hi-Res Wireless, Snapdragon Sound |
| Spatial Audio | THX Spatial Audio with Head Tracking |
| Bass Technology | DBE 4.0 (Dynamic Bass Enhancement) |
| Microphones | 4 microphones with wind reduction |
| Voice Technology | Qualcomm aptX Voice |
| Controls | Touch, button, and head gesture controls |
| App Support | Yes, full customization available |
| Case Display | AMOLED touchscreen |
| Case Feature | UVC sanitation |
| Multi-point Connection | Yes |
| Water Resistance | IPX7 |
| Earbud Battery Life | Up to 12 hours (standard mode) |
| Total Battery Life | Up to 60 hours with case |
| Fast Charging | 5 minutes = 2 hours of playback |
| Noise Canceling | Not available |
Should You Buy the Cleer ARC 5?
If you are looking at the Shokz OpenFit Pro and noise canceling is not a feature you necessarily need, the Cleer ARC 5 is a genuinely strong competitor. The sound quality is excellent, many of the features on offer are not commonly found in other open-ear style earbuds, and the AMOLED screen on the case is genuinely convenient.
Being able to disconnect from your phone while still managing your listening experience is something I cannot stress enough. It is easy to get distracted by your phone, and the case screen helps you avoid that.
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