2025-04-29 17:46:00
How good can the sound quality of open headphones be?
On April 22nd, Cleer officially released its new generation flagship open AI earphones - Cleer ARC 5 Sound Arc. This time, it not only continues the lightweight, comfortable, safe and transparent characteristics of open headphones, but also upgrades the sound quality again: Dolby head tracking sound effects, THX audio certification, and DTS spatial audio technology, three international top-level audio systems, appear for the first time in a pair of open headphones at the same time.
Why is it difficult to achieve outstanding sound quality with open headphones?
To understand how difficult Cleer's breakthrough is, one must first understand the structural characteristics of open earphones. Unlike in ear and closed ear headphones, open ear headphones use a suspended design that is "close to the ear but not in the ear" to hang the sound unit outside the auricle and release sound waves in an open manner. The biggest advantage of this design is that it is comfortable to wear, there is no pressure on the ear canal, and long-term use will not cause stuffiness or fatigue. It is very suitable for sports, office work, and daily commuting.
However, at the same time, an open structure also means that sound cannot be effectively sealed, and low-frequency energy is easily "leaked" during propagation; The lack of concentration in sound directionality makes it difficult to shape the sense of three dimensionality and space; The external environmental noise has a significant impact and weakens the perception of sound details.
In such unfavorable acoustic environments, it is difficult for open headphones to precisely control the sound path and create a full sound field like closed headphones. That's why open headphones have long been considered to have poor sound quality.
Starting from ARC II, Cleer has quietly fired the first shot of the "sound quality revolution"
However, this stereotype began to be shaken as early as the release of the Cleer ARC II sound arc. Cleer is not constrained by the limitations of an open structure, but instead confronts it head-on, driving sound quality innovation with independent technological innovation.
The ARC II is equipped with a rare 16.2mm ultra large dynamic coil unit in the industry, far exceeding the standard size of 10mm-13mm commonly seen in general headphones. A large-sized unit means stronger driving force and a wider frequency response range, injecting solid confidence into the sound. More importantly, Cleer has independently developed DBE (Dynamic Bass Enhancement) technology, which can intelligently enhance low-frequency energy according to different music genres and playback scenarios, allowing open headphones to have "bass, elasticity, and diving".
In terms of hardware, ARC II is also equipped with Qualcomm S3 flagship audio platform, which leads in signal processing capability, codec support, power optimization and other dimensions, laying a solid foundation for high fidelity sound quality output. This time, Cleer made people realize that open headphones can also have a "listening level".
ARC 3 Sound Arc: Introducing Dolby sound effects with head tracking for the first time, further enhancing immersion
If ARC II is Cleer's first breakthrough in sound quality, then ARC 3 is a bolder technological revolution.
ARC 3 has become the world's first AI earphone to introduce Dolby head tracking sound effects into open earphones. This technology utilizes a built-in high-precision 6-axis sensor to track the wearer's head rotation in real time. When the user moves their head, the sound direction is dynamically adjusted - as if the sound is fixed in a certain position in space, creating a highly immersive "spatial sound effect". No longer just 'hearing sound', but truly 'immersing oneself in sound' brings an immersive 3D listening experience, and also makes ARC 3 synonymous with the ceiling of open headphone sound quality.
ARC 5 "Innovation and Evolution": Three major audio giants join forces to define a new peak in sound quality for open headphones
And this time, Cleer's ambition is even greater. In addition to continuing to use Dolby sound with head tracking technology, this time Cleer boldly integrates the two international top audio technology standards of THX and DTS, completing an unprecedented resonance of the "three major audio giants" on the same stage in the history of open headphones.
Between "comfortable listening" and "ultimate listening", Cleer provides an almost perfect answer with the ARC 5- open headphones that can also achieve cinema level sound quality.
THX Authoritative Certification: Cinema Standard, First Landing Open Earphones
If you love movies or audio equipment, you must be familiar with the "THX" logo. THX, created by Star Wars director George Lucas, is one of the most influential cinema sound certification standards in the world, representing ultimate sound quality accuracy, sound field consistency, and sound reproduction. To obtain THX certification, a product must pass rigorous tests in multiple dimensions such as low-frequency control, dynamic response, distortion rate, and spatial perception.
Cleer was not only the first brand to introduce the THX standard into open earphones, but also collaborated with the THX team to develop sound quality evaluation standards for open earphones, filling the industry gap in this field. As a result, ARC 5 has become the world's first open earphone to obtain THX certification, which means its sound performance has reached the threshold of "high fidelity" level.
In terms of actual listening experience, both the control of low-frequency drum beats and the clarity of human voices demonstrate cinematic resolution; The sound field positioning is more realistic, allowing you to clearly perceive which side and angle the sound comes from, creating a three-dimensional immersive experience similar to that of a cinema; The sound reproduction is more natural, like listening to the unprocessed master tape in the original recording studio. With the support of THX, the Cleer ARC 5 Sound Arc is not only an "open earphone", but also a "portable cinema grade earphone".
DTS Spatial Audio: Breaking the Dimension of Listening Experience
In addition to the cinema grade sound quality standards brought by THX, ARC 5 also introduces DTS technology system to further enrich its spatial sound performance. DTS (Digital Theater Systems) also originated in the film industry and was originally used for the surround sound design of Jurassic Park. It is now widely used in cinemas, Blu ray discs, games, and home audio systems.
The DTS spatial audio technology carried by ARC 5 can create a 360 ° stereoscopic sound field through advanced sound field simulation algorithms, even if only two speakers are producing sound, it can simulate multi-channel surround sound. By forming strong synergy with Dolby's head tracking, DTS endows ARC 5 with more "dynamic" and "field sense": the sound has a stronger surround feeling, from background wind to footsteps, as if sound is coming from all directions; Dynamic sound effects have more tension, especially in movie and game scenes, where explosions and shooting sounds are more impactful; The depth space is clearer, not only in the left, right, front, and back, but also in the far and near layers, truly giving the ear a "spatial perspective". Compared to the "single-sided playback" of traditional open headphones, ARC 5 brings a complete spatial auditory system.
It must be admitted that after the release of ARC 3 Sound Arc, Cleer has almost reached the pinnacle of open headphone sound quality. The debut of Dolby sound with head tracking technology and the widespread acclaim for DBE dynamic bass enhancement have made it a king in both the market and professional circles, earning it the reputation as the "ceiling of open headphone sound quality".
However, Cleer did not stop there. What we see in ARC 5 is a brand's insistence on technological idealism: not to surpass others, but to constantly surpass oneself.
ARC 5 not only continues the technical route of ARC 3, but also completely broadens the sound quality boundary of open headphones by introducing the THX and DTS sound systems. It is no longer satisfied with "pleasing to the ear", but aims to achieve "precision, three dimensionality, immersion, and realism", truly bringing open headphones from "scene headphones" to the high-end dimensions of "professional monitoring" and "audio-visual entertainment".
This generation of products not only refreshes industry awareness once again, but also presents a new proposition to the entire industry: what should truly good sound quality open headphones look like?
Why Cleer Behind the continuous breaking of the sound quality ceiling is the brand belief of "not giving in"
On the track of open earphones, there are competitors, but it is always Cleer who can truly make users hear "surprise" and the industry hear "awe". The reason why the ARC Sound Arc series can dominate and continue to lead in sound quality is that Cleer always adheres to the product concept of "technology up, experience oriented", never satisfied with "being a little better than others", but constantly asking itself: can it be even more extreme?
From the exploration of low-frequency enhancement technology in ARC II, to the launch of Dolby Head Tracking in ARC 3, and the introduction of three authoritative technologies, THX and DTS, in ARC 5, Cleer is not following the old path of "copying piecing together packaging", but rather a zero to one technological innovation and ecological construction. Every improvement in sound quality is achieved through the collaborative polishing of multiple dimensions such as technology, design, chips, algorithms, acoustics, etc. The spirit of "unlimited technology and endless experience" is the fundamental reason why Cleer has become a beacon in the industry.
Why can only Cleer truly 'break the circle'? Behind it lies more confidence and accumulation
In fact, brands seeking "innovative breakthroughs" are never absent in the field of smart wearables and audio. But the question is: why is it Cleer who ultimately stands at the center of the breaking circle?
The answer is hidden in the thickness of technology and also in the span of time.
Since its establishment in 2012, Cleer has been firmly committed to the path of "technology builds products, quality builds lives". It does not rely on OEM or imitation of popular products, but always adheres to the dual engine strategy of "acoustic self-developed" and "system level audio solutions". More importantly, Cleer has a more powerful technological backbone - Guanxu Electronics.
As one of the few professional audio manufacturers in China with independent acoustic laboratories, Guanxu Electronics has been deeply involved in the acoustic industry for 28 years, and has applied for more than 3426 intellectual property rights (including 2845 patent applications and 316 authorized invention patents). According to the global patent ranking, Guanxu Electronics ranks 7th in the world in terms of "number of patent applications for smart earphones", following closely behind Apple (5th) and Qualcomm (6th), making it a well deserved "technological ceiling" among domestic brands.
This also indicates that Cleer is not an accidental phenomenon of "making a name for itself with one product", but an inevitable result built on long-term technological accumulation and system capability accumulation.
Technology ≠ gimmick, breaking through the barrier of sound quality still relies on a "powerful chassis across the entire chain"
Of course, even with advanced audio algorithms and excellent acoustic design concepts, without a powerful hardware chassis, system level tuning capabilities, and the ability to reproduce real user scenarios, these "black technologies" are just gimmicks stuck in PPT.
The real difference of Cleer is that it is one of the few brands that can maintain a high degree of consistency in the three major chains of "technology research and development product implementation user experience". From self-developed acoustic units, chip level tuning algorithms, to AI intelligent interaction and spatial sound integration capabilities, every "audible" detail is operated by underlying technology systems that are "invisible" behind them.
That's why Cleer dares to constantly refresh the ceiling of open headphone sound quality and define what it means to have an auditory experience that is both open and immersive.
Open end headphones can also be a choice for "golden ears"
The release of Cleer ARC 5 Sound Arc is not only a product upgrade, but also an industry demonstration - open headphones, which should not be underestimated. It can be comfortable and burden free, as well as inspiring. It can free both ears and also shock the hearing. And Cleer is using one technological breakthrough after another to reshape our imagination of open headphones.
How good can the sound quality of open headphones be? The Cleer ARC 5-tone arc open AI earphones have already provided the answer.
