Immerse yourself in music with noise cancellation from Cleer.
Music is a huge part of my daily life. I enjoy listening to tunes while I work and they even help me drift off to sleep late at night. This is why high-quality headphones are quite possibly the most important accessory I use throughout my day. I have many different pairs of headphones and have tested all different types. And through all the testing, over-ear headphones still remain my favorite style of headphones. A couple of years ago, I reviewed a set of headphones from Cleer Audio, one of my favorite headphone designers. At that time, the Cleer Enduro 100s became my favorite set of headphones. They were comfortable, had great battery life, and sounded great. They were also more moderately priced in comparison to other premium over-ear headphones with the same features. The one thing that was missing from those headphones was active noise canceling and thankfully, Cleer has upgraded the headphones to include that feature with the Enduro ANC.
DETAILS
The Enduro ANC is the first noise-canceling headphones with 60 hours of battery life. The headphones use strategically placed external mics and a feedforward/feedback process that cancels environmental sounds by 25dB. This helps to provide tranquility in noisy environments – especially airplanes. The headphones are equipped with Bluetooth so that they are 100% wireless. There are 2 mics dedicated to phone calls and along with Qualcomm’s cVc 8th gen noise suppression technology, the headphones are a great companion for phone calls. There is a new level of customization available with the Cleer+ app which allows users to change the level of noise cancellation, ambient levels, and EQ levels. The headphones are available in two colors – navy or light grey.
- Up to 60 hours of noise-canceling playback from a single charge
- Hear only your music with powerful active noise cancellation
- Bluetooth® 5.0 with AAC and AptX® Adaptive
- 40mm Patented Ironless Drivers produce bold and articulate Hi-Res sound
- Customizable noise canceling and EQ settings via Cleer+ app
- Voice Assistant and Google Fast Pair 2.0
- USB-C charging cable, 3.5mm audio cable, an airplane adapter, and carrying pouch included
- Quick Charge, a 10-minute charge provides 2 hours playback
USER EXPERIENCE
The headphones come in a nice retail package. There is an image of the product on the front and back along with some of the main details called out. I like to see this on a box because it allows users to know exactly what to expect from the product that is housed inside the box. Inside the box, you will find the headphones a soft case, a USB-C to Aux audio cable, a USB-C charging cable, and an in-flight adapter. While I was expecting the charging cable, I was not expecting the other two accessories. I rather like that the in-flight adapter is included even though travel is somewhat restricted due to COVID-19, it’s a nice addition given that air travel will eventually be an everyday occurrence again. As far as the soft case goes, I usually prefer to see a hard or semi-hard shell case, but this bag is very durable and is easy to pack into a larger bag.
There are a lot of over-ear headphones with ANC in the market. Some of them cost 2 or 3 times as much as the Cleer Enduro ANC headphones. With a retail price of $150 (at the time of publishing), there are certain features I’m willing to go without, but there is one that is woefully missing – automatic pause. This is quite possibly the feature I like the most in headphones and I’ve grown quite accustomed to having it with any headphones I’m using. This feature automatically pauses your music or video when you remove the headphones from your head. The same functionality is present with most wireless earbuds, too. So, I was surprised when I removed the Enduro ANC and see the music track continue to play.
The headphones are quite comfortable. The ear cups seem to have memory foam built into them and the covering doesn’t cause my ears to sweat with prolonged use. I’ve worn the headphones for hours at a time and have sometimes actually forgotten I’m wearing anything. They are light and are rounded enough to fit the natural shape of most heads. The over-ear design provides for some sound isolation without the ANC being turned on. I think the thing I noticed the most when ANC or Ambient was turned on was the absence of air handling noises. The gentle hum that our air conditioner or furnace produce is something I can usually hear through most headphones without ANC. So, if I can’t hear it thanks to ANC being turned on, I consider that good noise cancelling. ANC is something I’ve really come to depend on since I’ve been working from home. There have been times that I’ve simply used it as a way to completely isolate myself from whatever is going on in our house. I have other brands of headphones that do a better job of noise cancelling than the Enduro ANC, but that doesn’t mean that the ANC does not work on the Cleer headphones. I think it works very well.
The sound quality from the Enduro ANC is similar to what I got from the Enduro 100. You really do get a high-quality, premium sound from these headphones without having to pay the premium price tag. I listened to the Hamilton: An American Musical soundtrack several times while testing the headphones out. It’s a pretty advanced, layered soundtrack and I was able to hear all the parts clearly and without it sounding muddied. Dialogue in movies and TV shows sounded great as well. For the price point I think someone would be hard-pressed to find a better sounding headphone.
CONCLUSION
Cleer Audio knows how to design headphones for people who don’t want to break the bank just to get a solid, high-quality product. The Enduro ANC continue to impress me as a member of the Cleer family and their price can’t be beat.
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