SOUNDPEATS PearlClip Pro Open Earbuds Review (2) – Rock Me Amadeus
The $59.99 (currently on sale @$29.99) SOUNDPEATS PearlClip Pro Open Earbuds were provided by the company for my review – and I thank them for that. You can get them on amazon.com and SOUNDPEATS.com.
When I first put the SOUNDPEATS PearlClip Pro into my ears (while setting up the free companion app), I was wondering how much Bluetooth sound you get for ~$100 these days…until I realized they are only $60. How are they doing this? I had started out with these clip-on types a few weeks earlier upon the Loomis’ recommendation of the TOZO OpenEaring.
Quickly did I become fascinated by this new idea of having round “loudspeakers” sitting on top of my ear canals. You don’t have to insert them (many don’t like that) and you don’t have to fiddle with silicone eartips of different materials, shapes, and sizes. In contrast to earbuds, these round speakers get the angle w.r.t. the ear canals always right.
Well, you still don’t have much ambient-noise isolation, but you get an amazingly full and healthy bass. I recommended the TOZO to another prominent Canadian reviewer, his wife grabbed them and she likes them, too.
Before having heard of this clip-on design that actually really looks like an open earring, I was quite content with the Oladance idea of wearables. Their OWS Pro are bigger than these clip-ons as they are worn over ear, though they also feel weightless. The PearlClip Pro and TOZOs are more flexible in their placement than the over-ear wearables and they fit essentially all ear sizes.
After I had found out, which side was the battery and which one was the speaker, I found the PearlClip Pro very comfortable. And when I did not know anymore which one was right and which one was left…both earpieces look identical and are not labelled… I just put them back in the case, and waited for a few seconds, until the system had automatically re-assigned left and right adaptively.
In the box were also a USB-A to USB-C charge cable, some strange panda bear cartoon stickers (better than waifu!) and a well-illustrated user guide in perfect English, German, and other languages.
Connecting the PearlClip Pro to my iPhone with Bluetooth 5.4 was easy. Upon first listening, the sound struck me as being rich and bassy, lots of mid bass, not the fastest, thick and somewhat dry. Not overwhelming although very punchy. A very solid foundation that works very well outside the house masking ambient noise.
I then connected the PearlClip Pro with the free PeatsAudio app (Google Play and App Store), which not only allows equalization (and gaming mode) but also modifying the touch controls. You can create your own eq-profile or select from pre-fab ones designed for different musical genres.
Though I changed the tuning with the built-in equalizer, the bass remains always dominant and the mids are somewhat back whereas the treble is reasonably forward and quite well defined. A classic U-shaped frequency response.
Voices could be richer but they are nicely etched out and also well separated from the mid bass. This results in good note definition and midrange resolution with great separation and instrument placement.
Stage is not very wide but really tall from sparkle introduced by the treble. The punchy bass adds some depth.
In comparison, the TOZO OpenEaring are less bassy and more mid forward, they have a shallower stage, are less punchy, have a lesser note definition and less sparkle but they sound more organic than the PearlClip Pro. The more spectacular, exuberant sounding SOUNDPEATS shine with Pop and Rock music, whereas the more subtle, constrained TOZO have more soul and work best with acoustic music.
I first preferred the TOZO but, after some use, I am currently more inclined towards the PearlClip Pro…with an open end. Both are valid alternatives at the same price.
Specifications Soundpeats PearlClip Pro
Driver | 12mm Dual-Magnet Driver & dynamic EQ |
Frequency Response | 20-20,000 Hz |
Chip | BT8932D |
Bluetooth Version | 5.4 |
Supported Bluetooth Profiles | HFP/A2DP/AVRCP |
Supported Bluetooth Codecs | AAC/ SBC |
Mutipoint Connection | Yes |
Battery Capacity | Earbuds: 35 mAh*2; Charging Case: 350 mAh |
Total Music Play Time at 60% Volume (BT AAC connection & all other features turned off) | 6Hrs Playtime + 18Hrs with Charging Case |
Charge Time | Earbuds: 0.53 h (Supporting Quick Charge) Charging Case: 1.77 h |
Charging Case Charging Time | 3.2 h |
Charging Input | 5 V/0.1 A (Earbuds), 5 V/0.5 A (Charging Case) |
Charging Port | USB-C |
Total Standby Time | 50 h |
Auto-Turn Off Function When Disconnected | 3 min |
Game Mode | Yes |
PeatsAudio App (Google Play, App Store) | Customizable Touch Controls And EQ Settings |
Water Resistance | IPX5 |
Net Weight | Single Earbud: 6.1g Earbuds+Charging Case: 47.34g |
Other | Automatic Left/Right Channel Adaptation with Charging Case |
Tested at | $59.99 (on sale $29.99 from 9-19 Jan. 2025 |
Purchase Link USA | amazon.com |
Purchase Link International | SOUNDPEATS.com |
In summary, the SOUNDPEATS PearlClip Pro are rather dynamic well resolving open earbuds with a healthy low end that are particularly useful for the road. The free PeatsAudio app allows for a variety of customizations. Although the PearlClip Pro are not the last word in audiophilia, I really like them and use them for my daily walks and for listening to my local morning radio show.
I really like these.
Until next time…keep on listening!