It’s now time for the second half of our annual Headphone
Shootout, the In-Ear-Monitors. We have some great models from some excellent
manufacturers. And they came in both wired and wireless. They include the Cleer
ARC4, MSRP $99, Beyerdynamic Amiron Zero, MSRP $179, Ultimate Ear UE350, MSRP $399,
Alclair UV3, MSRP $399, and Shure SE846, MSRP $989. We’ll start with the lowest price and work
our way up, and see how they do.
Cleer may be a fairly newcomer to headphones, but they do
have almost 15 years under their belt. They are known for providing innovative
features at budget prices. Included is their Cleer ARC4. Following their
corporate philosophy, they provide innovative features for a budget price.
Features and specs:
General
Weight: 10.8g (per
earbud) 76g (both earbuds and case)
Driver: 16.2mm
Headphone Type: Open-Ear
True Wireless Earbuds
Microphones: 2-Mic
Qualcomm cVc (Clear Voice Capture)
Inputs: Bluetooth
Bluetooth
Audio Formats: AptX
Adaptive, AptX Lossless, LC3, SBC, AAC
Battery
Battery Life: Up to
7hrs, In total 32hrs with charging case
Charge Method: USB-C
Quick Charge: 10min
charge provides 2hrs
Features
Dolby Audio, THX Certified, Hi-Res Audio, MultiPoint
Connectivity, IPX7 Water and Sweat Resistance, Adaptive Volume Control, Personalization
via Cleer+ App
The Cleer ARC4 came in a nice color printed box with photos
and specs of the in-ear monitor. Opening the box revealed a well-protected IEM,
held in place in their charging case. Materials used in the construction was
mostly plastic with some silicone and metal. Quality of materials used, as well
as fit and finish, was very good. Also included was the manual.
I like the design of the Cleer ARC4. It’s a simple around
the ear design that is true wireless. This makes them very simple to put on and
take off. They also have some great features, such as Dolby Audio,
THX-certified, Hi-Res Audio, IPX7 Water resistance, adaptive voice control, and
touch controls. There’s even an app that’s used for sound modes, EQ and media
playback. Now let’s see how they sound.
Earth, Wind, & Fire: September – texture of the wood
block came through very good, snaps and snare drum was dynamic, cymbals and
hi-hat was crisp and clean. Kick drum was deep and played with authority.
Trumpet was also really clean with very good harmonics. Vocals were silky
smooth with good texture of the timbre.
Guns & Roses: Patience – whistle was smoother than
honey, acoustic guitar was really crisp and clean with good resolution of the
strings. Vocals were really smooth with good texture of the timbre.
Brandon Beal: Drop That Booty Down Low – bass beats were
nice and tight, clean and played with some extension with some authority. When
the booty got dropped down low, there was some extended depth, and some
authority.
Next up is the Beyerdynamic Amiron Zero. Beyerdynamic is a
German company that has been making excellent audio products for generations.
And they are known for excellent professional headphones. Their Amiron Zero are
an open-ear clip design. MSRP is only $179
Features and Specs:
Wearing Style: Open-ear
Operating principle: Open
Transmission Type: Wireless
via Bluetooth®
 |
Battery Runtime: Up
to 6 hours (one charge); Up to 20 hours in total (6+14)
Headphone frequency response: 20 – 20,000 Hz
Range: Up to 15 m
Bluetooth® version: 5.4
Codecs: SBC, AAC
Charging Port Type: USB-C
Article No.: AMIRON
ZERO select option
They Beyerdynamic Amiron Zero came in a nice color printed
box with photo and specs of the earbuds. Opening the box revealed a well-protected
earbud held in place in their charging case. Materials used in the construction
was mostly plastic with some silicon and metal. Quality of materials used, as
well as fit and finish, was very good. Also included was the charging cable and
manual.
I like the design of the Beyerdynamic Amiron Zero, they are
a simple wireless clip-on design that is really easy to use. And the open
design makes it easy to hear your surroundings. They also feature IP54 water
resistance. There’s also the Beyerdynamic app, which allows you to customize
both the sound through the 5 band EQ or the touchpad controls. Now let’s see
how they sound.
Earth, Wind, & Fire: September – texture of the wood
block came through good. Snaps and snare drum was dynamic, cymbals and hi-hat were
crisp and clean. Kick drum had very good depth and played with good authority.
Trumpet was also really clean and played with very good harmonics. Vocals were
silky smooth with good texture of the timbre.
Guns & Roses: Patience – whistle was smoother than honey
with very good harmonics. Acoustic guitar was really crisp and clean with good
resolution of the strings. Vocals were also really smooth with good texture of
the timbre.
Brandon Beal: Drop That Booty Down Low – Bass beats were
nice and tight, clean and played with good authority. And when the booty got
dropped down low, the bass beats got even deeper, and played with good
authority.
Now it’s Alclair’s turn with their Alclair UV3 universal
in-ear-monitor. Alclair has been in the hearing industry for over 60 years. And
they have been manufacturing custom IEMs for over 15 years. While they mostly
tailor to the professional musician market with custom IEM’s, they also have a
few universal models. Their UV3 is their top of the line universal.
Features and specs:
Three Balanced Armature Drivers
2-Way Crossover
-26dB Noise Reduction
27 Ohm Impedance
105 dB SPL Input Sensitivity (@100mV)
20 Ohm DC Resistance
The Alclair UV3 came in a nice color box. Opening the box
revealed the well-protected IEM held in place in its hard zipper case.
Materials using the construction was mostly plastic. Quality of the materials
used, as well as fit and finish, was excellent. Also included were multiple
different sized ear tips, and a cleaning tool. There was a QR code on the box
to scan for the owner’s manual.
I really like the design of the Alclair UV3. It’s a
universal IEM, with three balanced armatures. There’s a balanced armature for
low, mids, and highs. And I love the clear plastic housing, so you can see all
the internal components. And to make sure you get the best fit, there are
multiple different sized ear tips. Now let’s see how they sound.
Earth, Wind, & Fire: September – texture of the wood
block came through very good, snaps and snare drum was very dynamic. Cymbals
and hi-hat were really crisp and clean with good resolution of the impact.
Kickdrum had really good low-end extension and played with really good
authority. Trumpet was also really clean and played with very good harmonics.
Vocals were silky smooth with very good texture of their timber.
Guns & Roses: Patience – whistle was smoother than
honey, with excellent harmonics, acoustic guitar was really crisp and clean
with excellent resolution of the strings and their decay. Vocals were smooth as
well with excellent resolution of the texture of the timber.
Brandon Beal: Drop That Booty Down Low – bass beats were
tight, clean and played with a ton of authority. And when the booty got dropped
down low, it was a whole new level. Not only did the low-end extension go
really, really deep, it was like an earthquake in my ears.
Now it’s time for the Ultimate Ear’s UE350. Ultimate Ears
revolutionized the industry 30 years ago by providing custom IEM’s. Today they continue
their legacy, with most of their models being custom models. They do offer a
few universal models. The UE350 is the top of their universal models.
Features and specs:
Type: Wired
Connectivity: 1/8"
plug
Fit Style: In-ear
Drivers: 3
x BA drivers
Noise Attenuation: Passive
Noise Isolating
Impedance: 13.5
ohms
Sensitivity: 113dB
Detachable Cable: Yes
Cable Length: 50"
Color: Clear
Case/Bag: Soft
Case
The Ultimate Ears UE350 came in a nice-looking color printed
box. Opening the box revealed a well-protected IEM, held in place by custom
molded foam. Materials used in the construction was mostly plastic. Quality of
materials used, as well as fit and finish was excellent. also included was a
hard zipper case, additional sized eartips, cleaning tool and manual.
I love the design of the ultimate ears UE350. They feature
three balanced armatures: a separate tweeter, mid and woofer, along with a
passive crossover network. And the housing is clear, so you can look in and see
all of the components. While they are universal to fit anyone, they do come
with several different sized eartips so you can get the best fit for you. It’s
a great design. Now let’s see how they sound.
Earth, Wind, & Fire: September – texture of the wood
block came through very good, snaps and snare drum was very dynamic. Cymbals
and hi-hat were very crisp and clean with very good resolution of the impact of
the stick and the decay. Kick drum had very good low-end extension, and played
with good dynamics and authority. Trumpet was really clean and played with
excellent harmonics. Vocals were silky smooth and played with very good texture
of the timbre.
Guns & Roses: Patience – whistly was smoother than honey
with stellar harmonics. Acoustic guitar was extremely crisp and clean with
excellent resolution and dynamics of the plucking of the strings and their
decay. Vocals were also very smooth with excellent resolution of the texture of
the timbre.
Brandon Beal: Drop That Booty Down Low – bass beats were
tight, clean, and played with good authority. And when the booty got dropped
down low, it got even deeper. Not only did they play really deep, they played
with even more authority. Oh yeah, it’ll bring a smile to your face.
Last but not least is the Shure
SE846 Gen 2. Having been in business for over 100 years, they have been making
headphones for over 80 years. So they have been making excellent headphones for
many years. And the SE846 Gen 2 are their top of the line in-ear monitors.
Features and specs:
Four high-definition drivers
provide high-end clarity and unparalleled low-end performance for a
state-of-the-art listening experience. Three-way system for dedicated low, mid
and high frequency distribution. Hi-Res certified by the Japan Audio Society.
Groundbreaking low-pass filter
provides the deep low-end performance of a true subwoofer - without sacrificing
clarity or detail.
Sound Isolating technology blocks
up to 37 dB of noise to eliminate distractions. Enjoy the most immersive
listening experience with a design that keeps earphones in and noise out during
exercise or travel.
Detachable 3.5 mm cable allows
the SE846 Earphones to attach to different cable accessories with an MMCX
connection, including the True Wireless Secure Fit Adapter for Bluetooth
connection.
Two-year warranty in tandem with
durable build quality engineered for a lifetime of use. See what we’re made of
and ensure your investment lasts.
Includes SE846 Detachable Sound
Isolating Earphones (Gen 2), 3.5 mm straight cable, fit kit with a variety of
sleeves for the perfect fit, 1/4” adapter, and a hard carrying case. Also
includes a set of Comply™ foam sleeves (XS, S, M, L) for additional sleeve
options.
The Shure SE846 Gen 2 came in a
nice color printed box, with photos and specs of the IEM. Opening the box
revealed a well-protected IEM, held in place in custom molded foam. Materials
used in the construction was mostly plastic. Quality of materials used, as well
as fit and finish, is excellent. Also included is a hard carry case, multiple ear
tips, ¼” adapter, and unique sound signature nozzles.
I love the design of the Shure
SE846 Gen 2. It starts with the drivers. You get four balanced armatures in a 3-way
design that features a single tweeter, single midrange, and dual woofers. It
also incorporates a low-pass filter so you get true subwoofer performance. With unique nozzles, you can also customize
the sound to your liking. It appears to
be a well-designed IEM with game changing features. Now let’s see how it sounds.
Earth, Wind & Fire: September
– the texture of the wood block was excellent, snaps and snare drum was very
dynamic. Cymbals and hi-hat were extremely crisp and clean with excellent
resolution of the impact and decay. Kick drum had low-end extension, dynamics,
and played with a ton authority. Trumpet was extremely clean and played with
excellent harmonics. Vocals were silky smooth with excellent resolution of the
texture of the timbre.
Guns & Roses: Patience –
whistle was smoother than honey, with stellar harmonics that was aural bliss.
Acoustic guitar was also extremely crisp and clean with excellent resolution of
the plucking and decay of the strings. Vocals were also smoother than a Dove
bar, with excellent resolution of the texture of the timbre
Brandon Beal: Drop That Booty
Down Low – bass beats were tight, clean, and played with a ton of authority.
It’ll bring a smile to the face of any basshead like me. But when the booty got
dropped down low, it was no joke and definitely sounded like having a subwoofer
in your ears! Took things to a whole new level, and it was like an earthquake
in my ears. Like the quote from the old 80’s movie, Robocop, “I like it!”
As stated in part one of this
years annual Headphone Shootout, we also test the Bluetooth range with a
torture test. While we have yet to see a headphone not meet the published
range, we also like to see what their limits are. So indoors, we test to see
how it does between walls on the same floor, as well as between the floors from
the basement to the main and second floors. For outdoors, we test it up to 300
feet, now let’s see how they do. The wireless models are the Cleer and
Beyerdynamic.
Beyerdynamic – no problems in the
basement, glitchy on the main floor but useable, a little too glitchy on the 2nd
floor to be usable. Outside a little glitchy at 150 ft, usable to 250 ft.
Cleer - no problems at all in the
basement. Bluetooth connection a little glitchy on the main floor, but usable.
Walking up to the 2nd floor, it was too glitchy to be useable.
Outside it performed great, with a single glitch at 150 feet, bet then usable
out to 300 ft.
For the Cleer ARC4, I was
impressed at its performance at just $99 MSRP. You don’t get quite the
resolution, nor the bass performance with it’s floating over the ear design, as
compared to other in-ear traditional designed models. Yet I was still impressed
with how well it did sound for its design. Sound signature was mostly neutral,
and Bluetooth performance was very good.
For the Beyerdynamic Amiron Zero,
I was also impressed with its performance at only $179 MSRP. Bluetooth
performance didn’t do as well as I had hoped, but it still did better than it’s
published range. And it’s wrap around your ear design didn’t quite perform as
well as the more traditional in-ear design, it still performed very well. And with
the speaker being partly in the ear, it did help with its bass performance.
Sound signature was mostly neutral.
This was our first experience
with Alclair, and we were very impressed. Highs were really crisp and clean,
mids were nice and smooth, with excellent clarity in all ranges, with an
excellent ability to resolve a lot of instruments without getting bottled down.
And the bass response was equally impressive with the same level of detail to
make any basshead happy. Overall sound signature was neutral. And I loved the
amount of accessories they provided.
Next up is the Ultimate Ears UE350.
They have a long history of providing excellent IEMs. We have also reviewed
multiple of their IEM’s in the past, and I’m glad to see they haven’t’ been
sitting on their laurels. Highs were really crisp and clean, mids were also
nice and smooth, with very good to excellent resolution provided across all
ranges. Low end extension in the bass is also excellent: it goes deep. And the
bass output is also really good. Overall sound signature feels just a tad on
the bright side. They also give you a great amount of accessories.
Last but not least, is the Shure SE846
Gen 2. They have a long history of providing excellent headphones. We’ve
reviewed several of theirs as well in the past, and they are always impressive.
Yet they have managed to empress me and exceed my high expectations. The highs
were so crisp and clean, with pleasantly smooth mids, the level of resolution
and detail are a new level. And for the bass, oh snap! That in-line filter they
figured out, they must have some Keebler elves working some magic, cause it
sounds like there’s a subwoofer in there. Guys, when your girl screams, Yes!
Yes! YES! ….You know what I’m talking about. Well, it’s a lot like that. They
also provided some excellent accessories. And those actual physical nozzles
that you can switch out to change the sound signature? Game changer! While the
sound signature is neutral, you can change that to your liking with the
filters.
We had some excellent products
again in this years In-Ear model part of the annual Headphone Shootout. No
matter your budget, there are some good options. The Cleer ARC4 provides an
easy to wear option, that doesn’t break the bank. The Beyerdynamic Amiron Zero
is a bit more, but also provides great wireless performance and for the extra
money gives even better sound. But if you can stretch the budget a bit more,
both Alclair UV3 and Ultimate Ear UE350 provide monitor level performance. Yet
if you can stretch the budget even more, the Shure SE846 Gen 2 are something
special, giving more custom IEM level performance in a universal model. Based
on their design, features, quality and performance. The Cleer ARC4 has earned
our Value award. The Beyerdynamic Amiron Zero has earned our Recommended Award,
the Alclair UV3 and Ultimate Ears UE350 our Highly Recommended Award, and the
Shure SE846 Gen 2 has earned our Editor’s Choice Award. For more info check out
their websites at www.alclair.com, www.beyerdynamics.com, www.cleer.com, www.shure.com,
www.pro.ultimateears.com.
