Cleer’s Arc lineup of open-ear earbuds have always been impressively well-equipped with features, but now the company has added some bells and whistles designed with gamers in mind: The $190 Cleer Arc II Gaming and $235 Cleer Arc 3 Gaming earbuds are available in either black or white finishes starting February 4.
These new models are essentially the same as their non-gaming counterparts (the Cleer Arc II and Cleer Arc 3), but with one key difference: each comes with a dedicated USB-C wireless dongle for low-latency connections. On the Cleer Arc II Gaming, Cleer says that latency gets under 60 milliseconds and on the Cleer Arc 3 Gaming, it can achieve just a hair under 30 milliseconds. The lower the latency, the better when it comes to gaming (and watching videos).
Observant readers will note that the only supported codec capable of delivering sub-60 millisecond latency is aptX Adaptive, but on its own, that codec can’t achieve the sub-30 millisecond latency claimed for the Arc 3 Gaming.
Cleer tells me that it’s also using a Qualcomm chipset in the Arc 3 Gaming dongle that’s optimized for gaming. In other words, aptX Adaptive is getting a reduction in latency thanks to some hardware help.
The dongles also make the two Gaming models compatible with popular consoles like PS4, PS5, PC, Switch, and Black : Electronics. The Cleer Arc 3 Gaming also works with the Meta Quest series of VR headsets.
Assuming that these numbers deliver the kind of performance that gamers need, the real question is whether or not open-ear earbuds are the right choice in terms of design. They let in a lot of outside noise — that’s intentional and it can help with situational awareness when outside in busy/hazardous areas. But that also means there’s no way to block out that noise when you want to focus exclusively on your audio.
On the other hand, open-ear earbuds are much less fatiguing and more comfortable for long sessions than earbuds that use silicone eartips to seal out external sounds.
Cleer argues this is why gamers will enjoy these new models. Cleer’s “innovative open-ear technology lets you immerse yourself in the game while staying aware of your surroundings—no more sweating or ear fatigue during long play sessions,” claims the press release.
Both models feature:
- 16.2mm neodymium dynamic drivers
- aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, LDAC, AAC, and SBC codec support
- Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound
- Bluetooth MultiPoint
- On-device touch controls
- Frequency response from 50Hz – 40kHz
- HD calling with aptX Voice technology
The Cleer Arc 3 Gaming model also gets:
- Dolby Atmos spatial audio with head tracking
- Touch screen smart charging with wireless charging and an internal mirror
- UV-C Light built-in to the charging case for cleaning and sterilization
The Arc II Gaming is rated at IPX5 water resistance and gets a claimed 8 hours of playtime on a charge, plus 27 hours with the smart charging case, while the Arc 3 Gaming is rated IPX7 and gets 10 hours of playtime per charge, with an additional 40 hours from the case.
