Clear Arc 3: Cleer’s Arc 2 earbuds were among the best-performing open-back wireless earbuds with an over-the-ear design. The new Arc 3 headphones are still some of the best in terms of sound, but other companies like Shokz and Bose have caught up and arguably sound slightly better. But the Cleer Arc 3 headphones have something that other headphones of this ilk don’t have: a touchscreen LCD screen integrated into its charging case. It lets you control playback and access earphone features, including EQ settings and even use the case as a remote to take a photo on your smartphone. As they have been on the market for a while and Cleer has released the new Clear Arc 4 Plus without a smart case, the Arc 3 are on sale.
Anker Soundcore AeroClip: The AeroClip Soundcore are Anker’s current flagship clip-on headphones. Not only do I like their design – they have a premium look and feel – but they are comfortable to wear and provide very good sound for clip-on headphones. Equipped with 12mm drivers, they deliver plentiful bass with good volume and decent clarity. The earbuds sound fuller and more open than many cheaper clip-on earbuds and are among the best-sounding open earbuds I’ve tried (Android users should note that they support Sony’s high-quality LDAC audio codec). I also thought they worked well for making calls. For the most part, callers said they could hear me clearly, even in noisier environments like the streets of New York (Anker says they have four beamforming mics, windproof meshes, and advanced AI). Battery life is rated for up to 8 hours at moderate volume levels, and the earbuds are IPX4 sweat- and water-resistant (they’re splash-proof). Although their list price is somewhat high, they are currently discounted, making them a decent value.
Baseus Bowie MC1: Baseus is known for its quality earphones, power banks and charging products. Although its Bowie MC1s ($43) aren’t in the same category as Bose’s Ultra Open headphones, they’re about a sixth the price and sound pretty good for this style of clip-on headphones, especially with less demanding tracks that don’t feature heavy bass and lots of instruments playing at once. note that the most recent MC1Pro offer improved sound and don’t cost much more.
Edify LolliClip: Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are perhaps the best performing and most comfortable clip-on headphones. But they cost $300. In contrast, Edifier’s new LolliClip earbuds cost $130 and sound pretty close to what you get with the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds — and they’re almost as comfortable to wear while still fitting securely in my ears. They also have some features that Bose headphones don’t have, including active noise cancellation (it’s not very effective but you feel it attenuating some low-frequency noise), a heart rate monitor, a blood oxygen sensor, and spatial audio with head tracking. There is also a low latency mode for gaming and supports LDAC audio codec for Android users.
Sony LinkBuds open: Although the LinkBuds Open retains the ring-shaped open driver of the original LinkBuds, it is slightly smaller than the original driver (11mm versus 12mm). Additionally, the Air Fitting mounts are an improvement over the original Arc mounts, which were quite thin and didn’t conform to the shape of your ear as well as these new mounts. The combination of the slightly smaller driver design and the new brackets should allow the headphones to fit more ears more comfortably and securely. However, those with smaller ears may have issues with these.
Amazon Echo Buds: Amazon’s Echo Buds 2023 impressed me in several ways that I didn’t expect. For starters, they sound good for cheap open-back headphones, offering decent clarity and plentiful bass. But they also have a robust feature set, including multi-point Bluetooth pairing, hands-free Alexa, and ear detection sensors that pause your audio when you remove one or both earbuds from your ears. They sound inferior to Apple’s AirPods 4, which offer better bass performance and overall fuller, cleaner sound (they’re better at handling more complex pieces of music with many instruments playing at once). But AirPods 4, even the entry-level model ($129), cost significantly more.
Beyerdynamic Amiron 200: Beyerdynamic is known for its sound quality, so it’s no surprise that the Verio 200, its first open-back over-the-ear headphones, deliver top-notch sound with nice depth and richness. They have very good clarity and bass performance for this type of open earbud and match the Bose Ultra Open and Shokz OpenFit 2 earbuds for sound quality, and they may sound slightly better than those models depending on the fit you get. Unfortunately, the way they fit your ears is the only big downside about these headphones. Although they fit my ears comfortably and securely, they bent the tops of my ears slightly, which made me look a little funny while wearing them. That said, they fit my wife’s small ears perfectly.
1More fit SE S30: 1More makes a few open-back sport headphones with over-ear hooks, including the newest ones SE S31 Fit ($50). THE Fit S50 ($100) sound a little better than the Fit SE S30, have a more premium design, and are fully waterproof (IPX7 rating). But I like the fit of the step-down S30 a little better, which is IPX5 splash-proof (it can handle a jet of water) and costs less than $40, making it a better value.
Soundcore by Anker AeroFit Pro: The AeroFit Pro are some of the best open-back “air conduction” headphones, with a premium look and feel and are comfortable to wear. (I had no problem keeping them on my ears while running or working out.) On the downside, they’re expensive, but they offer good audio quality for these types of headphones, with ample bass and volume, as well as decent clarity. They’re great for making calls (they do a really good job of reducing background noise) and also offer strong battery life of up to 14 hours at moderate volume levels.
Sony Link Headphones: The LinkBuds are, in a sense, Sony’s answer to Apple’s Standard AirPods. While they don’t sound as good as Sony’s flagship WF-1000XM5 noise-isolating earbuds, they offer an innovative, discreet design and a more secure fit than the AirPods, as well as good sound and very good voice call performance.
Cleer Audio Arc 2 Sport: Cleer’s original Arc headphones were solid sports headphones with decent sound for open-style headphones that sit on your ears and pump sound into them. This new-for-2023 model improves sound quality and offers additional enhancements and feature enhancements, including a new “improved” charging case with UV sterilization and multi-point Bluetooth connectivity (Bluetooth 5.3), all for a significantly improved product.
Samsung Galaxy Buds live: Samsung’s bean-shaped headphones were a hit when they were released in 2020, but they have become obsolete. Like standard AirPods, they have an open design, so you don’t get an eartip stuck in your ear. They are comfortable to wear and fit my ears better than AirPods. These wireless earbuds are discreet and sit essentially flush with your ear, reducing wind noise when cycling. I use them regularly for running and cycling, and they’re great for sporting activities if they fit your ears well. But a warning: Some people won’t get a secure fit, so buy from a retailer that has a good return policy.
