If you want better Volume output
Choose Shokz OpenFit 2. It scores 4.8 vs 3.5 for Volume output, with a 4.4 overall score.
Bottom Line
Choose it for all-day comfort, secure open-ear awareness, long battery life, and a genuinely useful touchscreen case. Skip it if deep bass, strong isolation, compact size, or consistently premium music quality matters more.
Best for
Best for office workers, runners, cyclists, commuters, and all-day listeners who need awareness, comfort, long battery life, and flexible controls. It is especially appealing for movies, games, calls, and mixed-device use.
Not for
Skip it if you need active noise cancellation, strong passive isolation, deep sub-bass, a tiny case, or the most consistent music fidelity for the price.
Verdict
The Cleer ARC 5 succeeds most convincingly as a comfort-first open-ear system rather than an audiophile replacement for sealed earbuds. Reviewers consistently praise its secure, low-pressure fit, situational awareness, 60-hour total battery life, useful fast charging, broad codec support, reliable calls, and unusually capable AMOLED smart case. Spatial audio also adds convincing depth for movies and games. Music performance is the dividing line: several testers heard clear mids, smooth treble, punchy bass, and a wide stage, while one detailed review found the bass muddy, treble subdued, volume insufficient outdoors, and overall sound below the price. The premium cost therefore makes sense mainly for buyers who value comfort, awareness, features, and daily usability more than isolation or top-tier fidelity.
Feature Scorecards
Summary
40 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.027 (68%)
-
Positive 3.5-4.412 (30%)
-
Negative 1.5-2.41 (3%)
Pros
-
The AMOLED touchscreen case is one of the most praised features, offering useful phone-free access to battery, playback, EQ, spatial settings, and more. Its size and reversed left/right docking orientation are the main annoyances.
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Comfort is the strongest consensus: the thinner hooks, open fit, and balanced design remain comfortable for full workdays, workouts, travel, and long listening sessions. Many reviewers said the earbuds nearly disappear once worn.
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Battery life is a standout strength, commonly lasting a full workday and reaching about 60 hours with the case. Reviewers repeatedly described the endurance as impressive or category-leading.
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The open-ear fit keeps traffic, coworkers, family, and other surroundings audible without requiring a transparency mode. Reviewers repeatedly called this especially useful for running, cycling, office work, and all-day listening.
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Overall sentiment is strongly positive for comfort-first, awareness-focused use, with repeated praise for features, battery, and usability. Satisfaction drops among listeners who prioritize audiophile music quality, deep bass, compactness, or low price.
-
At about 11.5 grams per earbud, the ARC 5 generally feels light and low-pressure. A few reviewers still noticed the size or weight, especially when the fit was imperfect.
-
IPX7 protection makes the earbuds well suited to sweat, rain, and demanding workouts. Reviewers treated them as durable for active use, while still advising against swimming.
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Spatial audio is a major differentiator, producing convincing depth and positional effects for movies and games. Music reactions are more mixed, with some reviewers preferring standard stereo or questioning the value in noisy environments.
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Vocals and mids usually come through clean, natural, and forward enough for podcasts, calls, and music. Reviewers especially liked the clarity of male and female voices.
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Call quality is widely praised, with voices coming through clear and natural during walks, workouts, and public use. Outdoor performance is generally above average for open-ear earbuds.
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Multipoint switching between phones, tablets, and computers is consistently viewed as convenient and seamless, reducing the need to re-pair devices.
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The app and case provide substantial EQ flexibility, including custom tuning and multiple bands. Reviewers liked the control, although the available band count is not class-leading.
Cons
-
Passive isolation is intentionally minimal because the earbuds leave the ear canal open. That supports awareness but makes them a poor choice for buyers wanting outside sound blocked.
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other Open-Ear Headphones, this product is above average in Codec support, Carry case quality, Spatial audio, near average in Sound quality, Charging, below average in Volume output.
Comparison summary
39 compared features-
Above average 0.4+ pts higher27 (69%)
-
Same as average within 0.3 pts11 (28%)
-
Below average 0.4+ pts lower1 (3%)
Largest category differences
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Codec support | 5.0 | 3.2 | +1.8 |
| Carry case quality | 4.9 | 3.5 | +1.4 |
| Spatial audio | 4.5 | 3.1 | +1.4 |
| Touch control responsiveness | 4.6 | 3.1 | +1.5 |
| Find My | 5.0 | 3.4 | +1.6 |
| Voice assistant integration | 5.0 | 3.7 | +1.3 |
| Instrument separation | 5.0 | 3.7 | +1.3 |
| Equalizer customization | 4.8 | 3.8 | +0.9 |
Consider This Instead
If you want better Value for money
Choose Shokz OpenFit 2+. It scores 4.5 vs 3.7 for Value for money, with a 4.2 overall score.
If you want better Preset EQ profile quality
Choose EarFun Clip 2. It scores 4.6 vs 3.5 for Preset EQ profile quality, with a 4.4 overall score.
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
ARC 2
- Older model: comfort and physical refinement The ARC 5 is lighter, smaller, and less intrusive than the ARC 2.
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds
- Alternative: comfort, spatial audio, case features, and battery The ARC 5 matches Bose open-ear comfort while adding more features and longer battery life.
Huawei FreeArc
- Better: sound quality and price The Huawei FreeArc is presented as a cheaper option with stronger sound.
FAQ
Are the Cleer ARC 5 comfortable all day?
Yes. Comfort is the strongest point of agreement, with many reviewers wearing them through full workdays, workouts, travel, and long listening sessions without pressure or fatigue.
Do they sound good for open-ear earbuds?
Most reviewers say yes, praising clear mids, smooth treble, respectable bass, and spacious presentation. One detailed review found the sound muddy, underpowered outdoors, and below expectations for the price.
Are they good for running and workouts?
Generally yes. The fit stayed secure for most reviewers during running, jump rope, gym sessions, and outdoor activity, and IPX7 protection handles sweat and rain; one tester had an unstable fit on one ear.
Is the touchscreen case useful?
Reviewers overwhelmingly found it practical for battery checks, playback, EQ, spatial settings, and other controls without reaching for a phone. The tradeoffs are extra size and reversed left/right docking.
Do they block outside noise?
No. The open-ear design intentionally preserves environmental awareness and provides very little passive isolation, with no active noise cancellation.
Is the price justified?
It can be for buyers who value comfort, awareness, long battery life, spatial audio, codecs, and smart-case controls. Value is weaker for listeners focused mainly on music fidelity, deep bass, or a compact design.
Sample Expert Reviews We Analyzed
These are a few of the reviews included in our analysis.
Video Reviews
YouTube - GearUP with Aaron
- Review score
- 4.2
YouTube - GoTechGeek
- Review score
- 4.8
YouTube - Dave Taylor
- Review score
- 4.8
YouTube - Highly Recommended Products
- Review score
- 5.0
Article Reviews
techradar.com
The Cleer Arc 5 have loads of features, but they're expensive and don't sound amazing.
- Review score
- 3.0
twice.com
After spending time with the new Cleer ARC 5 open-ear earbuds, what stood out most is how aggressively the product pushes beyond limitations.
- Review score
- 4.9
avnirvana.com
A couple of years ago, Cleer’s ARC 2 earbuds landed on my desk and quickly became one of the easiest audio products I’ve ever recommended for...
- Review score
- 4.8
androidguys.com
Discover the Cleer Audio Arc 5 open-ear earbuds, combining comfort, impressive sound quality, and a high-tech charging case for ultimate...
- Review score
- 4.9
hometechnologyreview.com
You don’t adjust them, you don’t think about them—you just put them on and go.
- Review score
- 4.7
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