Cleer makes some fabulous over-the-ear headphones. Until now, however, they had a bit of an identity problem. Their wired Next headphones cost $699.99, while the next expensive offering, the wireless Flow 2, is $199.99. With the introduction of the $249.99 Cleer ALPHA wireless over-the-ear headphones, they have begun to fill in that large, untapped pricepoint in the middle.
The Cleer ALPHA headphones look great; even better, they have active noise cancellation with ambient mode, quick access to voice assistants, and they can get up to 35 hours of playback, with ANC on, per charge!
Available in Midnight Blue or Stone, the Cleer ALPHA has clean lines, and they look like the premium headphones they are. The company describes them this way:
ALPHA is our flagship noise cancelling wireless headphone, a culmination of the latest in Cleer technology and design. Featuring enhanced wearing comfort, adaptive active noise cancellation, spatial audio, multipoint connectivity, ambient mode, and powerful distortion-free audio… ALPHA is the ultimate Cleer headphone.
If the Cleer ALPHA is anything like other Cleer headphones we’ve reviewed, the large, soft ear cups will do an excellent job blocking ambient noise. Add in the active noise cancellation, which Cleer does an exceptional job implementing, and you have headphones that will let you shut out the world and simply enjoy your tunes. At the same time, the ALPHA has an ambient mode, so you can let the world in when you want to.
And that’s the point, the Cleer ALPHA Wireless will let you engage with your surroundings or cut them out entirely, but it is YOUR CHOICE!
And while our phones are used less and less for actual calls, the Cleer ALPHA takes that functionality seriously, too. By employing Qualcomm cVcTM (clear voice capture), a 2-mic beamforming design, and wind noise reduction, Cleer ensured these headphones would let you get business done between songs.
Of course, when it comes to headphones, the thing that matters most is the sound. Cleer put a great deal of thought and design prowess into this aspect of the ALPHA. The 40mm ironless drivers are patented and “produce bold and articulate Hi-Res sound. Bluetooth 5.1 with Qualcomm aptXTM Adaptive high-quality music streaming.” And by adding spatial audio into the mix, something I honestly thought was a useless gimmick until I actually heard it, they make the listening experience even better. As Cleer explains,
Integrated Dirac Virtuo spatial audio widens the soundstage, moving the audio out of your head, and making you feel like you are at the center of the performance.
Spacial audio is some serious wizardry, and I wish every company would add it to their headphones.
As you might expect, the Cleer ALPHA gets exceptional battery life. You’ll not only get up to 35 hours of ANC playback per charge, but a quick, ten-minute recharge will provide up to four hours of listening, so you’ll never be left hanging.
The Cleer Alpha wireless headphones have touch controls that can be customized using the free Cleer+ app; they offer Bluetooth 5.1 and Hi-Res audio.
If you are looking to up your listening game in 2022, you’ll want to check the Cleer Alpha wireless headphones out! At $249.99, they seem to be a good value, but they are a steal at the discounted price of just $219.99!