I have reviewed several headphones by Cleer and have always been impressed by their products. I was very excited when I was given another set to review. The pair I have on my desk for review now are the Cleer Flow Wireless Hybrid NC Headphones. So what’s new with this set of headphones? Is the quality of the product still there? How about sound, fit and ease of use? Read on for the full review of the Cleer Flow Wireless Hybrid NC Headphone.
Specifications
The Cleer Flow Wireless Hybrid NC Headphones have the following feature and specifications.
- Hybrid noise canceling technology
- Ambient mode for awareness of your surroundings
- Intuitive controls on headphones
- Driver: 40mm Ironless
- Frequency response range: 20-40KHz line in, 20-20KHz Bluetooth
- Connections: 3.5mm jack, Micro USB for charging
- Battery: Lithium Ion
- Playback time: Up to 20 hours
What’s In The Box
- Flow Headphone
- Audio cable
- Micro USB cable
- Pouch
- Extra rings for cans (rose gold)
- In-flight adapter
- Quick start guide
Design
The Cleer Flow Wireless Hybrid NC Headphones are an on-ear headphone with plenty of soft padding in all the right places. This makes for a very comfortable fit when listening for long periods of time. I do have to admit that when I first put on the Flow headphones, they were not very comfortable. At first, I thought this was going to be a problem, but after a few minutes, and a quick adjustment or two, I forgot that I was wearing headphones. I could still feel the weight of the headphones sitting on my head of course but there was nothing uncomfortable about these headphones.
The Cleer Flow Wireless Hybrid NC Headphones have on-ear controls that let you control your music and calls without taking out your device. There are touch controls on the left can that let you play/pause/answer calls, next/prev track, and volume up/down. The left can also houses the 3.5mm jack, power/pair button, NC button and the Ambient button. You will find the micro USB charging port on the right can.
The pair that I reviewed came in black with silver highlights. They have what Cleer calls Deco Rings on the outside of the cans. The rings are interchangeable and allow you to add a bit of bling to your headphones. Our review unit came with silver and rose gold rings. I like the idea of the deco ring as it lets you customize your headphones to a certain degree. I just wish there were more colors to choose from, even if that meant paying for a set of just the rings separately.
The included hardshell carrying case zips up and has the Cleer logo stamped on the outside. There are two pockets for carrying items, one on the outside and one on the inside. There is a little tag sewn on the inside with a single image diagram showing how to position the Cleer Flow Wireless Hybrid NC Headphones in the case.
Sound
The Cleer Flow Wireless Hybrid NC Headphones have a well-balanced sound when it comes to highs, mids and bass. Everything seems to be in just the right proportion. The highs are clear and cut through the mix nicely, the mids are well represented, and the bass rounds things out with more than enough punch to keep the party going. Sometimes bass can sound sound muddy, but the Flow headphones brighten it up just enough to keep it sounding clear. And even though the bass is clear, it’s not booming enough to give you a headache. If you are looking for a big, booming bass, these may not be the headphones for you. For my taste, listening to a wide range of music from EDM, rock and even classical sounded great on the Cleer Flow Wireless Hybrid NC Headphones.
The noise cancelation feature of the Cleer Flow Wireless Hybrid NC Headphones worked very well. The NC cut most of the background sound and did so without any hiss. With the NC on there was a reduction in outside noise and voices of approximately 90%. I could hear sounds around me, but it was hushed and indiscernible. With the NC turned off and only the cans and foam between the outside world and myself, I would say the outside noise was cut by about 60%.
There is also an Ambient mode for when you need to hear what is going on around you. This mode allows in more sound and cuts the music level. With Ambient mode on normal outside noise was cut by about 40%, with Ambient on Voices mode it was cut by about 25% and with the highest level, Ambient Aware, the music is cut to just a whisper, and you can clearly hear voices and what is going on around you.
So there are 5 different levels of ANC/Ambient that you can select. All the way from “I only want to hear my music” to “my music is faint, go ahead and talk, I’m listening.” These features worked very well, and the Ambient modes are nice to have if you need to converse with someone but don’t want to be taking your headphones off constantly. The headphones also automatically pause and play your music when you take them on and off. A very nice feature to have I think.
Reception/Call Quality
Bluetooth reception for the Cleer Flow Wireless Hybrid NC Headphones was fine. I tested this indoors and was able to move from one side of the house to the other without signal loss. Calls sounded great on both ends of the call. The only complaint I received was a bit of echo on the side of the person that I called. Other than that, everything was clear.
Battery Life
The Cleer Flow Wireless Hybrid NC Headphones have a claimed playtime of up to 20 hours. I tested the Flow headphones with the volume set at 50%, the NC on and the source never than five feet away. I was able to get just over 20 hours of play time before the battery gave out. Your results may vary depending on usage.
Price/Value
You can purchase the Cleer Flow Wireless Hybrid NC Headphones for $279.99USD from the Cleer website. This may seem like a steep price for some, but excellent sound, great styling, customization, and on-ear touch controls make it well worth the price in my mind.
Wrap Up
The Cleer Flow Wireless Hybrid NC Headphones are a great set of headphones with well-balanced sound, comfortable fit, modern styling, easy to use on-ear touch controls and a top-notch fit and finish. If you are in the market for a set of headphones to take your music listening to the next level, make sure you check out the Cleer Flow Wireless Hybrid NC Headphones.
