Clear Arc 3: Cleer’s Arc 2 earbuds are among the best-sounding wireless earbuds with an ear-hook design. The new Arc 3 buds are still close to the top for sound but other companies like Shokz and Bose have caught up and arguably sound a little better. But the Cleer Arc 3 buds have something other buds of this ilk don’t: a touchscreen LCD built into its charging case. It lets you control playback and access the buds’ features, including EQ settings and use the case as a remote control to take a photo on your smartphone. Since they have been on the market for a while, Cleer has released a new one Clear Arc 4 Plus without a smart case, the Arc 3 is discounted.
Anker Soundcore AeroClip: Soundcore by AeroClip are Anker’s best earbuds right now. Not only do I love their design — they have a premium look and feel — but they’re comfortable to wear and have the best sound of clip-on buds. Equipped with 12mm drivers, it offers plenty of bass with good volume and decent clarity. The buds sound fuller and more open than many cheap clip-on buds and are among the best-sounding earbuds I’ve tried (Android users should note that they have support for Sony’s high-quality LDAC audio codec). I also thought they did a good job of making calls. For the most part, callers say they hear me well — even in noisy environments like New York City streets (Anker says they have shiny microphones, wind-blocking meshes and advanced AI). Battery life is rated at up to 8 hours at moderate volume levels, and the covers are IPX4 sweat- and water-resistant (splash-proof). Their list price is somewhat high, but is currently being discounted, making it a decent value.
Baseus Bowie MC1: Baseus is known for its affordable earbuds, power banks and charging products. While its Bowie MC1 ($43) aren’t in the same league as Bose’s Ultra Open Earbuds, they cost about a sixth of the price and sound decent for this style of clip-on earbuds, especially for less demanding tracks without heavy bass and multiple instruments playing at once. Note that the new one MC1 Pro add enhanced sound and it’s not too expensive.
Edifier LolliClip: Bose’s Ultra Open Earbuds may be the loudest and most comfortable earbuds. But they cost 300 dollars. In contrast, Edifier’s new LolliClip buds cost $130 and their sound is much closer to what you get with the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds — and they’re almost as comfortable to wear while I’m wearing them securely. They also have other features that the Bose buds don’t, including active noise cancellation (not all effective but you can hear it blocking out some noise at low frequencies), a heart rate monitor, a blood oxygen sensor and ambient noise with tracking. There is also a low latency mode for playback and it supports the LDAC audio codec for Android users.
Sony LinkBuds Open: While the LinkBuds Open retains the ring-shaped open driver of the original LinkBuds, it is slightly smaller than the original driver (11mm vs. 12mm). Also, the Air Fitting Supporters are an improvement over the original Arc Supporters, which were too small and did not conform to the shape of your ear and these new supports. The combination of a slightly smaller driver design and new supports should allow the buds to fit most ears comfortably and securely. However, those with small ears may have some problems with them.
Amazon Echo Buds: Amazon’s 2023 Echo Buds impressed me in a few unexpected ways. First, they sound great for inexpensive earbuds, delivering decent clarity and plenty of bass. But they also have a solid feature set, including multipoint Bluetooth pairing, hands-free Alexa and in-ear sensors that stop your audio when you take one or both buds out of your ears. Their sound falls on that of Apple’s AirPods 4, which brings a better bass performance and a full, clean sound (they are better at managing complex music tracks with many instruments playing at the same time). But AirPods 4, even the entry-level model ($129), are very expensive.
Beyerdynamic Amiron 200: Beyerdynamic is known for its sound quality, so it is not surprising that the Verio 200, its first open earbuds with ear hooks, deliver high-quality sound with good depth and richness. They have excellent clarity and bass performance for this type of open earbud and match the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds and Shokz OpenFit 2 in sound quality, and may sound a little better than those models depending on the fit you get. Unfortunately, how they fit in your ears is the one big caveat about these buds. While they fit my ears comfortably and securely, they bent the skull of my ears slightly to make me look ridiculously worn. That means they fit my wife’s small ears perfectly.
1More Fit SE S30: 1More makes a few open sports earbuds with ear hooks, including new ones Fits SE S31 ($50). I Fits S50 ($100) features slightly better sound than the Fit SE S30, has a better design and is fully waterproof (IPX7 rating). But I like the fit better on the S30 that goes down, it’s IPX5 splashproof (it can withstand a splash of water) and it costs less than $40, making it a better value.
Soundcore by Anker AeroFit Pro: The AeroFit Pro is among the best open-ear “air conduction” earbuds, with a great look and feel, and they’re comfortable to wear. (I had no problem keeping them in my ears while running or working.) On the other hand, they are expensive, but they feature solid sound quality for these types of earbuds, with plenty of bass and volume, and decent clarity. They’re perfect for making calls (they do a great job of reducing background noise) and offer a solid battery life of up to 14 hours at medium volume levels.
Sony Link Buds: The LinkBuds are, in a sense, Sony’s answer to Apple’s standard AirPods. While they don’t sound as good as Sony’s WF-1000XM5 noise-isolating earbuds, they offer a smart, innovative design and a more secure fit than AirPods, as well as great sound and excellent voice calling performance.
Cleer Audio Arc 2 Sport: Cleer’s original Arc earbuds were solid sports earbuds that featured decent sound from open-style earbuds that sit over your ears and fire sound into them. This new 2023 model increases the sound quality and offers further improvements and feature improvements, including a new “advanced” charging case with UV protection and multi-point Bluetooth connectivity (Bluetooth 5.3), all of which make for a more advanced product.
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live: Samsung’s bean-shaped earbuds were a hit when they came out in 2020, but they’re out of date. Like regular AirPods, they have an open design, so you don’t put the ear tip in your ear. They are comfortable to wear and fit my ears more securely than AirPods. These wireless buds are smart and sit in your ear, reducing wind noise while cycling. I often use them for running and cycling, and they are great for sports activities if they fit your ears well. But one caveat: Some people won’t get a secure fit, so buy from a seller with a good return policy.