Cleer Audio Alpha review 2024: top-notch sound and performance

Some of the best things about the Alpha are that it blocks out noise, can play for a long time, and looks great. But what really sells the Alpha is its high-quality sound. This comes from Bluetooth 5.1 with aptX Adaptive, Dirac Virtuo spatial audio, and a large soundstage that works well with all kinds of media.

Even though Cleer Audio Alpha is new to the audio business, the California-based company has already made a big impression on audiophiles and critics. The team liked releases like the Flow II and the Enduro ANC, and the new Alpha wireless headphones are just like those.

There are some problems with these headphones, like how uncomfortable they are and how they don’t have some popular features that other headphones in the same price range do. At the same time, the Alpha’s pros far outweigh its cons, making it the best noise-canceling headphone for $250 and one of the best noise-canceling headphones overall.

Cleer Audio Alpha SPECIFICATIONS

Design and Comfort

The Alpha over-ear headphones look and feel like high-quality products. Most of the cans are made of strong plastic and have a nice, smooth finish that makes you feel welcome every time you pick them up. We also like how the fake leather looks around the earpads and under the headband.

Also, the extenders and hinges feel like they were made well. Even small details like the text that is laser-etched into the round touch panels give the Alphas a unique look. These headphones are not very light. They weigh 11.64 ounces. In fact, they are heavier than the more expensive Bose 700 and Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones, which both weigh 8.95 ounces.

If you wore them for more than an hour, they were tiring, especially where they clamped, like around the ears. Even though this made it fit better, it was still a little uncomfortable. Most over-ear headphones that cost less than $250 come with an aux cable, a carrying case, and a charging cable.

Since the first Bose QuietComfort 35 came out, we haven’t seen an airplane adapter, but Cleer added one. The rise of wireless transmitters has made this accessory less useful, but it’s still nice to have for traditionalists who like to watch TV on planes with an in-line connection. You can buy this headphone from its official website.

Cleer Audio Alpha review: Features

The best noise-cancelling model from the company is wireless and has a lot of extra features that make the sound even better. Even though it costs $250, the Alpha is worth it because it has so many advanced and customizable features. The Alpha is ready for any trip because it has features like smart noise cancellation and Dirac Virtuo processing.

Which can be controlled by an app. The Alpha headphones fit over the ears and are made to last. It’s also not too bad for comfort. The 40mm full-range drivers are surrounded by soft earcups with cooling foam that can be taken off and put back on. we our not sure why I’d ever need to take off the earcups, but it’s nice to know that in this age of cleanliness.

We can rinse them off if we need to. The band is also cushioned, but you can’t take it off. You can put the headphones in their semi-rigid carrying case by laying them flat or folding them up. The battery can last up to 35 hours, and a quick-charge feature lets you play music for 4 hours after only 10 minutes of charging.

With Bluetooth 5.1 and Qualcomm aptX Adaptive, you can connect wirelessly to the Alpha. It also comes with a cable for connecting a wired source through a 3.5mm analog audio input.

Cleer Audio Alpha review: Sound Quality

In “Just Like Heaven” by The Cure, we can tell the difference between the bass riff in the middle, the rhythm guitar in our left ear, and the drum fill in our right ear. The bassline in Alpha by Cleer stands out in terms of details.

Then, Robert Smith’s quick vocals and a slightly bright key progression take over, and this is where we start to notice a problem. When you pay more attention to the higher frequencies, the soundstage gets bigger and it’s easier to hear each musical line.

However, this isn’t always a good thing. Here, the timing is off, and the overemphasis in the lower treble gets annoying after a short time. If you listen to Fela Kuti’s Zombie on Tidal, for example, the tenor saxophone sounds a little harsh, like it’s being overemphasized and pulled out of the mix when it shouldn’t be.

This fast-paced jazz piece is not made of the easiest music, but the Cleer headphones make the rhythm sound a little off. When we switch to the Sony Award winners, Kuti’s talented group of brass musicians and percussionists get us tapping our feet and nodding our heads again.

Cleer Audio Alpha review: Performance

But the Cleer Audio start to make a strong case for themselves in the middle. The voices are clear, right away, and full of information. Even though the midrange blends well with the frequencies above and below it, vocals are in a small space that makes them stand out.

The ALPHA seems to like a vocal performance more when it has more personality and/or feeling. In almost every other way, they are also interesting to listen to. Even though their soundstage isn’t the biggest, it’s well put together, and there’s a lot of dynamic headroom. The presentation as a whole makes sense and works well.

Cleer Audio Alpha review: Noise Cancelling

On the left side, there is a USB-C port for charging and a “action” button that cycles through your noise-cancelling options, turns on or off the Dirac Virtuo spatial audio effect, or calls up your voice assistant. Once you know how long and how many times to press the action button, it’s pretty easy to make your headphones do what you want.

The Cleer+ control app is just as helpful, and it works very well and stays that way. The app has many of the same control options as other places, but it also lets you change the five-band EQ and the amount of outside sound you hear when “ambient noise control” is chosen.

Price and Release date

Right now, a pair of Cleer Audio ALPHA headphones can be bought for $249 (or £249). The ALPHA is not yet available on the company’s website in Australia, so Australian customers can expect to pay around AU$450. At this price point, there is a wide range of over-ear active noise-cancelling headphones that anyone, no matter how much they know about headphones, can enjoy. The clear winner is the great Sony WH-1000XM4.

Conclusion

The Cleer Audio Alpha has to compete with a lot of other products at this price. Even though the app is fun, the noise cancellation is on par with the best in its class, and the partnership with Dirac is definitely a step in the right direction, the level of comfort, lack of musical cohesion, and overemphasized lower treble mean that they can’t compete with the best in their class right now.

FAQs

Is Cleer a good brand of headphones?

The new Alpha headphones from Cleer Audio are the company’s best wireless noise-cancelling model. They come with a lot of extra features that make the sound quality even better. At $250, the Alpha isn’t cheap, but it’s worth the price because it has so many advanced and customizable features.

Is Cleer Audio legit?

The Cleer Audio Alpha is their flagship model because it has great sound quality that only a few high-end brands can beat. The wireless headphones have one of the longest battery lives, and the noise cancellation is good enough for the price.

Which company has the best noise cancellation?

Bose has been a leader in noise cancellation technology for a long time, and the 700 builds on that reputation by having the best noise cancellation of any over-ear headphones we tried.