Anker soundcore AeroClip – open ear, clip-on BT buds (review)

The Anker soundcore AeroClip BT open earbuds are like a clip-on earring that securely wraps around the antihelix (outer edge) of your ear. They are pretty good too.

Now, we have seen open styles like Samsung Live (Jellybean), Sony LinkBuds, Bose Ultra Open, Apple EarPods, and even bone-conducting ones, but these have a lot more going for them.

If you suffer from Pulsatile Tinnitus, where you can hear your heartbeat in your ear with closed back or in-ear canal earphones, you will love this.

If you suffer from hay fever or itchy ears, these are superb, placing nothing in the ear canal yet preserving enough bass, mid and treble to satisfy. Most open suffer from poor bass and hissy treble.

When working or commuting, you need to be uber-aware of your surroundings. An open-ear design is better than ANC/Passthrough (no open-ear design can provide ANC).

Comfort is a huge issue. The earring design places very little pressure on the antihelix and the outer ear. Users comment that the Bose design has a pinch, while the AeroClip is comfortable all day.

But open earbuds are not for everyone. If the above does not resonate, read on.

Australian Review: Anker soundcore AeroClip Model A3388, firmware v1.44

Website	Product Page Manual
Price	$199.99 with free shipping
Colours	Midnight Champagne Mist Rosy Brown
From	From Soundcore  or Amazon AU
Warranty	18 months and a 30-day money-back
Made in	China
Company	Anker is a Chinese electronics company that produces computer and mobile peripherals, including phone chargers, power banks, earbuds, headphones, speakers, data hubs, charging cables, torches, screen protectors, security cameras, and more under multiple brands.
More	CyberShack Anker news and reviews

We use Fail (below expectations), Pass (meets expectations), and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. We occasionally give a Pass(able) rating that is not as good as it should be, and a Pass ‘+’ rating to show that it is good but does not quite make it to Exceed. You can click on most images for an enlargement.

First Impression – I don’t wear earrings

I hate to say it, but as good as these are, I don’t wear earrings—well, jewellery of any type. I admit that it is totally irrational, but it is like you have large rings through your antihelix. In fact, that is pretty much the only issue identified by users—you either love the design or not.

But personal preference aside, they are very comfortable. The clever design allows the speaker and mics to be in the inner part and the battery and electronics in the outer part, which hides behind the earlobe.

Now, the open-ear concept is important. The speaker part lightly rests in the Concha with minimal clamping. I wore them for eight hours straight and forgot they were there until my wife asked if I had a piercing.

The speaker projects sound down the ear canal, allowing it to remain open to the world.

They come with medium and large adjustable ear grips that allow you to increase or decrease the profile. The build quality is solid, and the IPX4 rating means they are sweatproof. There is no way these are coming off during exercise or running.

Setup

The Soundcore app is basic but allows for sound presets and firmware updates. It adds value with an EQ with Volume Booster, Bass Booster, Classical, Podcast, Treble Boost, and more.

BT 5.4 multipoint supports SBC, AAC, HD AAC and LDAC. The latter must be enabled in the app (Sound Mode) and cautions that it uses more power and removes BT’s Multipoint connection. You can toggle it on or off in the app. Why would you use LDAC (High Res) in an open earbud? Well, picky audiophile reviews do, but not Joe and Jan Average.

BT also shows spatial audio, which we will test.

How do they sound?

The sound is likeable, listenable, detailed, and a pleasure from 12mm Titanium-coated drivers. The first thing you notice is that the sound stage is well outside your head, 50-100cm at least. This gives excellent directionality and left/right separation.

Technically, it’s a Warm and Sweet signature (bass/mid boosted, treble recessed)—best for most music and movies. The EQs allow you to recess (but not increase) frequencies, and we lightened the bass a little.

• Mid-bass starts at a low 40Hz and builds to 100Hz (the start of the upper bass), where it is flat to 5kHz. So you get all the musically important bass, and there is a definite thump, not whump.
• Mid (200 Hz to 4 kHz) is flat (good) and gives excellent clear voice (for calls or podcasts). It then dips to avoid harshness
• Low/mid treble is from 4 kHz to 10 kHz and defines clean upper notes.
• High treble drops off a cliff at 10 kHz, meaning you don’t get a feeling of air, as if you were there.

The volume is great, and I only wanted about 70% for everyday use. If you go past that to drown out external noise, you are trying to defeat the purpose of open earbuds.

Read How to tell if you have good music – sound signature is the key

Dolby Atmos and Spatial

The test phone has DA and spatial processing, so we tried with DA content. Wow—it is really very good, with a 3D soundstage from just over your head to just under your chin and slightly wider than the stereo soundstage.

Hands-free – Pass+

Each bud has two mics, one of which is for AI environmental noise cancellation, specifically to reduce wind noise and reinforce voice. It kind of works well, and callers commented that my voice was clear and I could hear them clearly. Wind noise is a problem that few buds can eliminate.

Battery – Pass+

We got 8+ hours of use (20% battery left) at about 70% using the SBC codec, exceeding Soundcore’s claims.

The case recharge gives you an extra 24 hours, and 10 minutes charge gives you 3 hours of use.

A full recharge with a 5V/1A/5W (or less) is about 2 hours. You can use laptop ports or other PD chargers that output 5W.

Controls – Pass

There are simple tap controls on the left or right band. You need to tap firmly, not briefly touch.

OK, what are the downsides of Anker soundcore AeroClip?

• There is some sound leakage, and people up to 1m, can vaguely hear what you are listening to. We found that this issue was minimal with the right ear grip.
• Sound volume is inverse proportional to awareness. Too high a volume crossed over the awareness threshold.
• Touch controls are limited, and sometimes you need to touch ‘harder’.
• Some may not like the obvious earring design.
• Treble becomes harsh at higher volumes
• Audiophiles will complain, but these are not intended for Beethoven’s Fifth.
• No auto pause – switch off by placing it in the case.
• Battery level only shows in the app or the phone’s Bluetooth.

CyberShack’s view: Anker soundcore AeroClip cater to specific markets

They are good, as good as any $199 earbud out there, whether open back or not.

Buyers will include people who suffer from Pulsatile Tinnitus and Hay Fever (and there are lots of those), walkers, runners, office workers, and those who need environmental awareness.

No, they are not for videophiles.

User reviews are overwhelmingly 4 to 5-star (no 1 to 3-star)

Anker soundcore AeroClip ratings

We will rate them first as open-back and then as general wear earbuds.

• Features: 85 These have no ANC (impossible anyway), but the AI wind/noise rejection and voice enhancement are good. The app is more than you need.
• Value: 95. At $199, nothing is like these. The closest is the Bose Ultra at $349.
• Performance: 90. Great battery life, comprehensive app and lovely warm and sweet sound signature. I love these for podcasts.
• Ease of use: 90. Just charge, clip and go. They are so comfortable that you can wear them all day.
• Design: 85. Technically, it’s a very clever design to split the speaker and mics from the battery and electronics. Some will love the clip-on style, and some won’t. It is well-made and won’t accidentally come off. I especially like that it does not interfere with glasses.

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