It’s not often we get a speaker like the Cleer Crescent in for review. We get a fair share of smart speakers, but nothing that remotely looks like the Crescent. We also don’t get many smart speakers that hit the US$699 price point. Now, that price may scare some, but for those who are into audio and have a passion for sound, it’s a drop in the bucket.
Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
While the Cleer Crescent comes with a higher than normal price tag, it’s for a good reason. Not only will you get some amazing sound, but you’ll also get a unique design and a build quality that’s right up there with any of the big-name smart speakers you can think of. We’re not calling anyone out, but you know the big two we’re referring to.
That being said, the Cleer Crescent and speakers like it aren’t for everyone. The price tag can be hard to swallow, but I reckon if you’re even reading this, price isn’t really something you’re thinking about. So let’s get into the full Crescent review.
Specifications
The Cleer Crescent has the following features and specifications:
- Power Amplifiers: TAS5805 (Full Range) + TAS5825 (Woofer) Class D
- Cabinet Principle: Vented-box
- Maximum Sound Pressure Level: 90db input pink noise@1m
- Frequency Range: 55-20kHz(-6db)
- THD: <1% (Electronics)
- Resolution: 24bit/48kHz
- Adjustable Bass and Treble Controls: Google Home App
- Stereo/Mono: Stereo
- Wireless Connectivity: 802.11 b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz & 5GHz) Bluetooth 4.2, Apple AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast
- Streaming Services: Spotify, Youtube Music, Pandora, Deezer, TuneIn, iHeartRadio
- Supported Audio formats: MP3, WMA, FLAC, Apple Lossless
- Wired Connectivity: 3.5mm AUX, Optical,LAN
- Power: 100W
- Mains Frequency: 1.5GHz (CPU)
- Dimensions: 660mm x 184mm x 119mm
- Weight: 5.6Kg
- Beamforming technology and immersive audio modes (Stereo Widening/3D/Room Fill)
- Eight 40mm driver array and dual 84mm woofers
What’s In The Box
- Cleer Crescent Smart Speaker
- Power Cable
- Power Brick
- Manuals and Documentation
Design
Design, holy cow design. The Cleer Crescent is certainly something I’ve never seen before in terms of aesthetics. The company purposely went for something extraordinarily different because they wanted to separate themselves from the sea of black and white plastic smart speakers already on the market.
The Cleer Crescent does not follow the same oval, square, and round shapes of the competition but instead opts for a…well…a crescent shape. This is really an unusual but lovely design, and I admit that not everyone will completely like this, but I dig it.
The whole speaker is a gold/bronze color which lends to its premium look and feel. The entire top is basically the speaker grille made of stainless steel, with the center top that houses the control panel. 8 40mm drivers are pointing out of the front and 2 84mm woofers out of the back. The top control panel houses the following push-button controls and features; thank you for the physical, tactile buttons!
- Microphone Button
- Sound Modes Button
- Sources Button
- Microphones
- Volume Down Button
- Play/Pause Button
- Volume Up Button
The bottom of the Cleer Crescent is well built and is a different shade of bronze, more like brownish bronze. The foot on the bottom does a great job of holding on to the surface you place the speaker on. On the front of the Crescent, you’ll find four LEDs, the same sort of LEDs most Google Assistant smart speakers have.
On the back are two radiators that help the subwoofers project the bass. You also have an assortment of inputs on the back, which is nice to see if you don’t want to use Bluetooth. The inputs include:
- AUX Port
- Optical Port
- LAN Port
- Barrel Port for DC power
Overall, the Cleer Crescent is most certainly something different. Cleer really took the approach of giving users something more than a speaker here. They’re looking at the Crescent as not only a tool for excellent sound but also a showpiece that compliments your home decor.
Ease of Use
If you’re looking to use the Cleer Crescent as a stand-alone speaker and forgo the smart features, you can connect via Bluetooth or Apple AirPlay 2. Setting this up via Bluetooth and Apple AirPlay 2 is simple and only takes a minute or two, and you’re no your way.
Of course, if you’re looking to AUX in or use Optical, it’s just a matter of plugging in with the appropriate wire. That’s very easy and simple and honestly will give you the best sound, besting Bluetooth very easily.
The speaker is worth the price tag on its sound alone, but Cleer does give you the option of setting this up via the Google Home app. This will give the speaker smart functionality via the Google Home app on your device.
Setting up the Cleer Crescent with Google Assistant is simple and requires you to follow the Google Home app instructions. Just head to the Google Home app, tap the + icon, and then choose “Set up device.” Then tap “New Devices,” and then you can choose an existing Home or create a new Home. Then the Google Home app will search for the Cleer Crescent, and once it finds it, you can connect.
Overall, the speaker is straightforward to use, and I love that there is no added software and the buttons are physical. If you choose to use the smart features, setting that up in Google Home is easy.
Smart Features
As for the smart features on the Cleer Crescent, well, it really doesn’t have any built-in smart features. The Google Home app controls everything smart about it. Everything you can do within the Google Home app is possible with Google Assistant on the Crescent.
There are a ton of services in Google Home that you can link to. I am only going to list a few here so you’ll get the idea of what services you can control with the smart features:
- Netflix
- Disney+
- Hulu
- Paramount+
- Sling TV
- YouTube Music
- Spotify
- Apple Music
- Pandora
- Sirius XM
- Deezer
- iHeart Radio
The Google Home app helps you set up and control Google Nest or Home speakers and displays, and Chromecast. You can control thousands of compatible lights, cameras, speakers, and more, as well as check your reminders and recent notifications, all from a single app.
Google
Here are few other things you can do with the Google Home app through the Cleer Crescent speaker:
- Set up Google Nest and Home devices (Google Home, Google Nest Mini (2nd gen), Google Home Mini (1st gen), Google Home Max, Google Nest Audio, Google Nest Hub, Google Nest Hub Max), Wifi devices (Google Nest Wifi, Google Wifi, OnHub), and Chromecast devices (Chromecast with Google TV, Chromecast, Chromecast Ultra, Chromecast Audio, and TVs and speakers with Chromecast built-in).
- Control, organize and manage compatible lights, cameras, TVs, and more, all from just one place. The Google Home app works like a remote with thousands of smart home devices from the most popular brands.
- Manage your Google Assistant settings and preferences.
- Manage Device settings.
I’m not much for using Google Home or Google Assistant anymore, and while I think it’s great that the Cleer Crescent has the feature within reach for those who want it, it’s really not needed for this speaker to sound amazing. Overall, the smart features are fine if that’s what you’re looking for.
Sound
Alright, this is what the Cleer Crescent is all about. The smart Google stuff is a bit of extra techie stuff for the few who care of such things. As we’ve mentioned several times, the Cleer Crescent is housing 8 40mm drivers along with 2 84mm woofers.
Crescent utilizes a linear array of eight custom 40mm full-range drivers and dual 84mm woofers. Unwanted sonic resonance is eliminated thanks to a glass-reinforced substructure and geometrically vaulted design.
Cleer
The only Cleer products we have tested have been their headphones, with the Crescent being my first speaker from the company. But holy cow, what a first experience! The sound on this thing is big and expansive, filling every room I placed it in.
The sound modes like stereo widening, 3D, and Room Fill all did an excellent job of doing what the company says they do. Here’s a brief description of what these sound modes do:
- Stereo Widening: Experience a well-defined, wide stereo soundstage that expands well beyond the physical speaker’s placement.
- 3D: Unlike previous all-in-one systems, Crescent can surround the listener in three-dimensional, high definition audio regardless of wall locations or reflected acoustics.
- Room Fill: For occasions with multiple listeners, we’ve created an ultra-wide sweet spot that engages listeners equally in every corner of the room.
Our advanced beamforming technology allows for flexible placement and listening positions, giving you a realistic acoustic experience from a compact integrated speaker. Experience an expansive sound stage typically reserved for larger, more expensive audio products.
Cleer
I was thoroughly impressed with the sound coming out of the Cleer Crescent. All music types sounded terrific on this speaker, and the soundstage was about as flat as it gets. I didn’t detect any push on the bass frequencies, and having a nice flat soundstage allows the listeners to hear how the engineer mixed the track rather than be colored by the speaker’s own tuning.
I asked the company if the Cleer Crescent could be used as a soundbar for TV and movies. They responded that the Crescent was not engineered for that particular application, but it could be used as a soundbar. The company really concentrated on the sound for music over everything, and I think they really nailed it.
Overall, the Cleer Crescent is easily one of the best-sounding smart speakers I’ve ever used, if not the best. The company really spent the time tuning this speaker to be flat, allowing the music to speak for itself. I’m a big fan of hearing what the artist and engineers intended us to hear, and Cleer did a fantastic job with the sound of the Crescent.
Price/Value
With a price tag of US$699.99, not everyone is going to be rushing out to purchase one of these. Honestly, the asking price is worth it. Adding Google Assistant to the Cleer Crescent was unnecessary and probably done to try and grab some of that market. The Crescent really could stand on its own as a really damn nice sounding speaker no Google needed.
Wrap Up
The Cleer Crescent sounds fantastic; if you don’t want a smart speaker, rest assured you don’t have to set this up as a smart speaker at all. If you do want a smart speaker, well then, you’re getting that and some awesome sound as well. The Cleer Crescent is priced fairly high, but I have no doubt they will spend the money, for those who care about quality sound.
In some of our articles and especially in our reviews, you will find Amazon or other affiliate links. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases. Any other purchases you make through these links often result in a small amount being earned for the site and/or our writers. Techaeris often covers brand press releases. Doing this does not constitute an endorsement of any product or service by Techaeris. We provide the press release information for our audience to be informed and make their own decision on a purchase or not. Only our reviews are an endorsement or lack thereof. For more information, you can read our full disclaimer.
