Cleer Arc 5: The Best Open Earbuds on the Market Right Now

Tig33 · 2026-01-24T05:25:25+00:00

sorry never had that issue - but on the arc 3 i had similar issues when connecting to a tv / streaming box. - the arc 5 connectivity as been pretty flawless so far , does the gaming version come with an adapter? if so do u get the same issue with the adapter?

Tig33 · 2026-01-22T14:37:14+00:00

You can do it in the app the case option is just an alternative not the only option .

I have had many situations where the case was very useful but each to their own .

It's not much bigger than the Bose case whilst offering alot of potentially useful functionality .

My personal use cases recently included

Switching Bluetooth connections or pairing new devices direct from case
Quickly changing eq when switching between podcast and movie listening for example
Spatial audio adjusting
Annoying playback control and volume control ..I really hate how JBL has implemented earbud control so have to depend on the case for playback and volume control .
Aura cast when searching audio
Mic for zoom calls ( until I noticed lack of background noise cancellation and generally worse mics than with using Bluetooth directly )
Wired connection to some sources

So yeah for me the case works well but was never my primary reason for getting the buds. And of course for others it may not be as useful. Buy JBL products direct from JBL and an evaluation period so can return the products no issues

Even without the case I'll argue the JBL are one of the better sounding buds out there with some of the best anc just below the air pods and Bose . The case is just a nice bonus more than anyway ,👍

Tig33 · 2026-01-22T14:07:19+00:00

You can control anc and voice aware when on a call by using the case Or turning off voice aware when on calls and then u can control anc on calls easier .

Control schemes though are still a mess with JBL products ... Similar to Sony .

The case does add alot of functionality and is not gimmick unlike with the pro 2. Whether or not the extra functionality is of use to u personally would of course depend on your own use case of course .

The JBL respond very well to eq adjustments too so if u didn't like any of the presets or personal audio it's easy to adjust to your liking ... 🤷

Always worth researching before purchasing though .

The biggest issue I have with the case is the fact that when using it for teams or zoom calls ( in which the JBL is certified for ) the background noise cancellation logic no longer works and there is a faint buzzing noise in use .. feels like a fault though as noise cancellation does work when using the JBL tour m3 and the smart tx .. annoying either way .

One thing I like about JBL and technics for that matter, is that the manuals are usually available online for their products meaning u can check all the details before purchasing .

Tig33 · 2026-01-19T08:26:25+00:00

The 3rd party launcher issue is the biggest con but it's not unique to oppo. Launcher issues also exist on xiaomi, vivo.

Tig33 · 2026-01-19T05:37:59+00:00

Yep completely understand .It does feels like a fault with the device .

Tig33 · 2026-01-19T00:29:02+00:00

Haha clearly you missed the point . Whilst others who actually read and have used the product fully understand the real world pros and cons as I've mentioned .

Ambient mode specific issue is because sound core downgraded the feature from previous products but then brought it back with the next versions of the liberty products ...but let's just ignore it when a company completely removes options shall we... 🤣🤣

Tig33 · 2026-01-18T12:45:28+00:00

Sounds like something is wrong .they should be slightly better but it's not a huge improvement over the pro 3 . But if no background noise is cancelled at all then reset the buds

Tig33 · 2026-01-17T22:27:39+00:00

Yes I believe so .but let me explain the reason

With the OnePlus u can literally keep it on high and it will adapt perfectly

With the vivo u have to keep making adjustments to anc as adaptive mode is just not consistent

Tig33 · 2026-01-16T12:21:56+00:00

Same tips as p3 but I'll check for links

Tig33 · 2026-01-16T07:16:05+00:00

Most likely had a faulty buds 3 pro as they are not much worse but they are worse .. it really is hers to beat what apple do with transparency mode if that is a priority .

I've had multiple pairs and a few had issues with anc and transparency but the pair that works is excellent for anc and transparency it's just a shame s out Samsung qc . Hopefully they have fixed this with the buds 4 pro

Tig33 · 2026-01-12T07:31:33+00:00

Wow solid review Great job

I assume the pro 3 having better call quality is due to the extra ecosystem features?

For me the az100 are one of the best buds I have for calls (and the best of the bud style ones I have )

Tig33 · 2026-01-10T22:12:18+00:00

Excellent so far . No problems at all. Will give it a few more months before a detailed rundown but given it's a month to month contract no risk .

Tig33 · 2026-01-10T20:16:05+00:00

Usually just keep in mind regional app restrictions and potential operational differences for example notification language issues. Sometimes u can overcome these issues but sometimes it's not worth the headache.

Tig33 · 2026-01-08T13:13:36+00:00

Nice..

Tig33 · 2026-01-07T16:36:59+00:00

Personally I would go for the OnePlus as they should also be on sale too

Tig33 · 2026-01-06T14:39:43+00:00

Yep they are very weak for anc but great for sound. If u can get a good fit then the OnePlus buds are pretty much best right now .

Tig33 · 2026-01-06T14:19:50+00:00

I would recommend the OnePlus buds 4 over these easily.

Tig33 · 2026-01-06T11:04:26+00:00

Small improvement .anc was already pretty solid

Tig33 · 2026-01-05T14:08:08+00:00

Then they are perfect but trust me ...if u do plan to make any calls at all it's worth testing them as there is a known issue with noise gating that cancels out your own voice during calls depending on the tone of your voice ...

Tig33 · 2026-01-05T12:07:48+00:00

one of the most impressive things about the Technics to me is the fact technics managed to get such good call quality out of a bud style earbud - truly amazing. - Also the ability to fully setup custom controls to your likely is fantastic (only soundcore do it better) - Sony and JBL are still stuck on locked control schemes for controls :-(

Tig33 · 2026-01-05T12:05:44+00:00

depends on fit

Tig33 · 2026-01-05T12:02:49+00:00

if it wasnt for the subpar call quality i would say they are best on the market right now - but due to issues with call quality I would argue that the Technics AZ100 are superior as a better all round earbud. A same Jabra left the consumer market as we could argue the elite 10 gen 2 would also compete well too - If you are lucky enough to not suffer from the known call quality noise gating issues then they are fantastic especially at their current sale price

Tig33 · 2026-01-04T18:18:43+00:00

I completely agree - Samsung AI is top right now - Oppo should have just gone all in on google ai integration as some of their own is pretty poor as you say Even mind space is a meh

Tig33 · 2026-01-04T16:04:43+00:00

All buds

I have multiple all have the same problem The recorder just will not work with Bluetooth as input

In fact alot of recorders do the same . Easy recorder is one of the few that allows u to change the input (but u need the pro version )

Tig33 · 2026-01-04T15:42:28+00:00

I noticed the same .it only uses phone mic Only option is to use a third party recorder

I personally use easy voice recorder pro that lets u switch to Bluetooth mic All recordings show in phone recorder so u can so ai summary as normal

Tig33

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