Cleer Put the Touch Screen in the Earbud Case and It Works

Open-back earbuds have spent the last two years proving that you don’t need to cover your ear to get great sound. The pitch has always been a comfort and awareness of isolation from the bass. It worked well enough to transform the category from a niche curiosity into a real segment with options at all prices. Cleer Audio has led that push since the original ARC, sharpening the formula each generation while competitors scramble to keep up. ARC 5 is the latest result, and it feels less like a minor update and more like Cleer planting a flag.

Amount: $219.99
Where to Buy: It’s clear

At $219.99, the ARC 5 is the first earbud with THX Spatial Audio certification and Dolby Atmos optimization. That combo has been around in over-ear headphones and in-ear monitors for a long time, but putting it in the open is a game changer. You get spatial processing with a driver that doesn’t intentionally block your ear.

The engineering challenge is real. It explains why this certificate took so long to reach the stage. The Cleer also packs in Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound S5, aptX Lossless codec support, and head tracking powered by a 6-axis motion sensor. The result is a surround sound setup that rivals what closed-back earbuds have offered over the past year.

What ARC 5 brings to the table

The biggest addition is THX Spatial Audio, which is placed on top of the THX Headphone Certification ARC 4 series that has already been captured. Where the last generation delivered balanced sound and precise stereo imaging, the ARC 5 pushes all that into three-dimensional space. Dolby Atmos optimization and head tracking create a soundstage that changes as you move. It’s amazing to hear about earbuds that leave your ear open. The 16.2mm drivers handle spatial processing around Cleer’s DBE 4.0 bass system, adding low-end weight without the mud that plagues many open-ear competitors when they force the bass to go beyond what the form supports.

Then there is the case. Cleer has equipped the ARC 5 with an AMOLED HD touchscreen charging case that acts as a standalone control hub. You can manage playback, adjust EQ settings, check battery levels, and trigger UV-C cleaning without touching your phone. Smart cases have been featured in products like the JBL Tour Pro 3, but the Cleer brings the concept of open-ears at a lower cost than most closed-back versions of earbuds. It sounds gimmicky on paper. Then it becomes something you quietly reach for every time you want to skip a track while your phone is sitting across the room.

Comfort gets a radical redesign for this generation. The ear hooks are smaller than the previous ARC 3, which cuts out the pressure build-up during long listening sessions. Cleer has also adjusted the way the drivers sit in relation to the ear canal, sharpening clarity and spatial projection without requiring a tight fit. Each earbud weighs 11.5 grams, and the full package with the smart case reaches 117 grams. That’s light enough to forget in a jacket pocket and sturdy enough to throw in a gym bag.

Battery life that surpasses the competition

The ARC 5 delivers up to 12 hours of playback per earbud, putting it ahead of many open-ear competitors right away. With the charging case, the total battery life extends up to 60 hours. A quick ten-minute charge gives you four hours of listening time. That kind of high speed kills the earbud-before-commute problem. Bluetooth 5.4 handles the wireless link with multi-point support, so switching between laptop and phone skips the re-pairing dance that still plagues most wireless earbuds in 2026.

Call quality works with Qualcomm cVc microphones with AI-enhanced sound compression. Open-ear designs have always struggled with call clarity because the microphone picks up more external sound than closed-back options. The dual-mic setup on the ARC 5 is tuned to cut out background noise while keeping your voice natural. IPX7 water resistance handles sweat, rain, and the occasional sink splash without worry.

How does it fit with the ARC 4 list

Cleer has positioned the ARC 5 as the top tier in a three-model lineup that still includes the ARC 4 at $99.99 and the ARC 4+ at $129.99. All three share the same 16.2mm driver, Bluetooth 5.4, THX Headphone Certification, and an IPX7 rating. The difference is in the details. The ARC 4 skips head tracking, Dolby Atmos (using Dolby Audio instead), and the on-ear power button the ARC 5 and ARC 4+ both feature. The ARC 4+ adds head tracking and Dolby Atmos but doesn’t get THX Spatial Audio or the AMOLED smart case.

Battery life follows a pattern with similar measures. The ARC 4 has seven hours of use per earbud with a total of 32 hours from the case. The ARC 4+ bumps that up to nine hours and 34 total. The ARC 5 jumps to 12 hours per earbud with a total of 60 hours from the smart case. Only the ARC 5 gets a smart case, so lower models still rely on the phone for EQ and settings. For $120 more than the entry-level ARC 4, the ARC 5 adds surround sound, a touchscreen case, a better battery, and a thinner ear hook. Whether that gap is worth it depends on how much surround sound content you use and how often you have access to the case-mounted display.

Who is this built for?

The ARC 5 is for listeners who already love open-ears and want the best version now. Full-service passengers get local sound and awareness in one package. Runners and cyclists get IPX7 protection and a secure fit that doesn’t block out traffic noise. Office workers get a comfortable all-day earbud that handles calls cleanly without cutting them off from nearby conversations.

Compared to the Shokz, which uses bone conduction and sacrifices sound quality for sensitivity, the ARC 5 keeps both. Against the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, the Cleer matches the comfort of an open ear but adds spatial sound, a smart case, and long battery life at a lower price.

What the ARC 5 doesn’t do is chase closed-back earbuds in one place or deep bass. There’s no active noise cancellation here, and there shouldn’t be. The open ear form factor exists because some listeners don’t want to be completely isolated. Adding ANC will disrupt the whole design. If heavy bass and a quiet ride are what you need, the ARC 5 doesn’t make that product. It’s the best version of something completely different.

Amount: $219.99
Where to Buy: It’s clear

Cleer also earned credit beyond the spec sheet. The ARC 5 received both the Good Design Award 2025 and the Red Dot Design Award 2025 before it even hit the shelves. That speaks to the design work behind making an earbud with this many features still sound clean and easy on the ear.

The Cleer ARC 5 is available now in black or white for $219.99 on the Cleer Audio website.