The SoundPeats PearlClip Pro are open-ear wireless earbuds designed for runners and anyone for whom situational awareness is a priority. With a lightweight clip-on design that wraps around your outer ear, touch controls, and app support with customizable EQ, they aim to offer a budget-friendly alternative to pricier models like the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds.
Our Verdict
The SoundPeats PearlClip Pro are great for sports and fitness thanks to their stable, clip-on design that stays secure during activities like running or cross-fit. The flexible silicone housing makes them comfortable for most users, while their lightweight build and IPX5 rating mean you can take them for a jog in the rain. Their open-fit design keeps you aware of your surroundings, which is great for staying safe, but limits their versatility. It also means they can't reproduce much bass, though their bright sound signature works well for podcasts and audiobooks.
Bluetooth multipoint pairing for up to two devices.
Comfortable fit
IPX5 rating means you can take them out in the rain.
Open-fit helps keep you aware of your surroundings.
Leak a lot of audio.
Short, three-hour battery life.
Companion app is prone to freezing and crashing.
The SoundPeats PearlClip Pro are a poor choice for travel due to their open-fit design, which offers no noise isolation from engine rumble or passenger chatter. That said, they're comfortable to wear for long periods and are compact enough to slip into your pocket when not in use. But you probably won't want to use these while seated next to fellow passengers, as they'll hear your audio loud and clear. And they only last around three hours, which isn't enough for longer plane or train journeys.
Comfortable fit
The open-fit design isn't very versatile or suited to use in shared spaces.
Leak a lot of audio.
Short, three-hour battery life.
Companion app is prone to freezing and crashing.
The SoundPeats PearlClip Pro are poor for office use. Their open-fit design lets in ambient noise, so you'll hear co-worker chit-chat along with your audio. That design also means they leak a lot of audio, which will distract anyone near you. That said, they're comfortable enough to wear for long periods and support multi-device pairing, so if you're working in a private space, they'll do the job. That is, as long as you're okay with their short battery life of three hours and their lack of bass output. These headphones are best suited for speech-based content like calls or podcasts.
Bluetooth multipoint pairing for up to two devices.
Comfortable fit
The open-fit design isn't very versatile or suited to use in shared spaces.
Leak a lot of audio.
Short, three-hour battery life.
Companion app is prone to freezing and crashing.
Despite offering a Gaming Mode, the SoundPeats PearlClip Pro can only connect to other devices via Bluetooth, and the latency is too high to make gaming viable for most people.
The SoundPeats PearlClip Pro are wireless headphones. You can't use them wired.
The SoundPeats PearlClip Pro have poor audio reproduction accuracy. Their bright tuning delivers clear mids and vocals, but the open-fit design severely limits bass, making your audio sound thin and tinny. They also have a big peak between the high-mids and low-treble that can make voices sound harsh and honky. In general, these earbuds are better suited for content like podcasts and audiobooks than they are for music listening.
The SoundPeats PearlClip Pro have terrible noise isolation, but that's the point. They sit outside your ear canal so you can hear the world around you. They also leak a lot of audio, so if you're in an enclosed space, people nearby you will hear your audio.
The SoundPeats PearlClip Pro have an okay microphone performance. Apart from a big resonance in the low-mids, which can make your voice sound boomy, you sound fairly natural, if a little dull. They do an alright job separating your voice from any noise around you, but their open-ear design means you'll also hear your surroundings clearly during calls, which might be useful or distracting depending on the setting.
The SoundPeats PearlClip Pro have very good frequency response consistency. Thanks to their design, their fit isn't affected by the size of your head, the length of your hair, or whether you wear glasses. But it's worth taking the time to get a good fit with each wear, as their fit does impact the stereo balance between the left and right drivers.
Performance Usages
Check Price
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The SoundPeats PearlClip Pro comes in four colour variants: 'Beige,' 'Purple,' 'White,' and Black'. We tested the 'Black' colorway, and you can view their label here.
If you encounter another variant of this headset, please let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
In terms of design, the closest rivals to the SoundPeats PearlClip Pro that we've tested are the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds and the Anker Soundcore C30i. In general, their quality more or less tracks their price point. The Bose are the premium option here with the flattest frequency response (although all three ultimately have bright, thin sound profiles). Next come the Anker, which do a remarkably good job given their much more affordable price point. Finally, the SoundPeats are the cheapest of the bunch. Their sound profile is a bit uncontrolled in the high-mids and low-treble, so voices can sound unnaturally harsh, and their battery life is also the shortest. But their mic is about on par with the Bose's and better than the Anker's, so if you're looking to keep costs down, they're not a bad choice at all.
If you're interested in other approaches to open-fit earbuds, you might also want to consider bone conduction headsets like the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 Bone Conduction. These also offer environmental awareness via their open-fit, though some may find the physical sensation produced by bone conduction uncomfortable. Finally, unsealed, stemmed buds like the Apple AirPods 4 are worth considering, especially for iOS users, as they deliver a more balanced bass response than the other buds listed here. But, of course, they're not true open-fit earbuds, so you do lose some environmental awareness.
If you're looking for earbuds for exercise, check out the best wireless earbuds for running and working out. Alternatively, if you're interested in earbuds with other features such as active noise cancelling (ANC)/transparency modes, check out the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds. Finally, if you're curious about other budget-friendly earbuds, head over to our article on the best cheap earbuds.
The Anker Soundcore C30i are slightly better open-fit earbuds than the SoundPeats PearlClip Pro. While both pairs lack bass by design, the Anker have flatter mid and treble-ranges, while the SoundPeats can sound a little harsh. The Anker also last longer off a single charge and have a more stable companion app. That said, the SoundPeats have a slightly higher IPX5 rating when compared to the Anker's IPX4, so if you like jogging in the rain a lot, the SoundPeats could be the better pick. They also have a slightly better microphone system.
The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 Bone Conduction and the SoundPeats PearlClip Pro take different routes to accomplish similar goals. They're both designed to sit outside your ear canal, leaving it unsealed so that you can better hear your environment. The SoundPeats use fairly standard dynamic drivers that are aimed at your inner ear, while the Shokz add in bone conduction drivers to try and better reproduce the whole frequency range. Unfortunately, our testing rig can't quite capture the effects of bone conduction. But you'll probably make your choice between these two based on budget. The more expensive Shokz have a flatter mid-range that doesn't add harsh resonances to vocals, while the cheaper SoundPeats do the job well enough given their affordable price point, but do make voices sound a bit harsh and nasally.
The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are better open-fit buds than the SoundPeats PearlClip Pro. But that makes sense as the Bose are many times more expensive. As is natural with open-fit buds, both pairs lack bass and are better suited to speech-based content, but the Bose have a flatter, more balanced sound, while the SoundPeats can render voices a little harsh or honky. The Bose also have a longer continuous battery life. Still, their microphones perform very similarly. Ultimately, the choice between these two will likely come down to budget, and it's notable that the SoundPeats put up a good fight against their much more expensive rival.
While most people searching for open-fit earbuds will consider models like the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds or the SoundPeats PearlClip Pro, it's also worth considering traditional, unsealed earbuds like the Samsung Galaxy Buds3. While these don't leave your ear as open as the Bose or SoundPeats, they still let you hear a little of your environment. Since they nuzzle gently by your ear canal, you also get much better bass performance. Whether the tradeoffs are worth it is really up to you. If you want something with more versatility, the Samsung are the way to go. But if hearing your surroundings while out jogging is your sole use case, the SoundPeats are the obvious choice.
We've upgraded our Headphones Test Bench to 2.0! This update brings several key changes to our tests and usages, making it easier than ever to interpret our sound results based on your personal preferences. You'll also find a brand-new interactive graph tool featuring multiple targets (including our own!) for you to explore and compare.
For a full breakdown, check out our changelog, which includes detailed commentary from our test designer explaining the rationale behind our update.
We'd also love to hear your thoughts: your feedback helps us keep improving, so join us in the comments!
Test Results
The SoundPeats PearlClip Pro have a very thin, bright sound that doesn't closely approximate any of the target curves available on our graph tool. That's to be expected, since they're designed to sit outside your ear canal, and thus don't form a seal with your inner ear, making it harder for them to reproduce low-end frequencies. Unlike similar earbuds such as the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, the SoundPeats don't have very flat or well-controlled mids and treble ranges. A large peak between the high-mids and low-treble can make voices sound harsh. In general, this tuning is best suited for spoken word content.
It's worth noting that these earbuds feature an automatic left/right earbud assignment system: whichever bud is placed on the left side of the case becomes the left channel, and vice versa. While functional, it can be confusing if you remove the earbuds mid-use and forget their orientation, as resetting the channels requires placing them back in the case for 10 seconds. Fortunately, swapping the buds has no noticeable effect on sound quality.
The manufacturer advertises a 'Dynamic EQ,' but our testing revealed no measurable changes based on content or environment. Instead, the Dynamic EQ preset appears to be a fixed EQ profile that simply boosts the lows and highs.
We excluded EQ preset measurements because resetting and repositioning the earbuds between changes introduced inconsistencies. These variations made direct comparisons unreliable.
The SoundPeats PearlClip Pro have very good frequency response consistency. Their sound doesn't change drastically between wears, but it's worth taking the time to position them correctly in order to ensure a well-balanced stereo image.
As is typical for open-fit designs, the bass response drops off sharply. In tracks like No by Robag Wruhme, the beefy four-on-the-floor kick drum lacks thump and punch. But there's enough high-bass to give you a sense of the kick drum's rhythm and groove.
The SoundPeats PearlClip Pro have decent compliance with our mid-range target. The low-mids are a little recessed, which can make sung vocals in tracks like I Will Dream by Emmylou Harris sound a bit thin. On the other hand, the high-mids have a peak that can make voices sound harsh and honky.
The SoundPeats PearlClip Pro have sub-par compliance with our treble target. The low-treble has a large peak, which is a continuation of a peak in the high-mids, that makes voices sound harsh and nasally. Above that, the treble response is very inconsistent, with peaks and dips making sibilants and cymbals sound alternately dull or piercing.
These earbuds have okay peaks and dips performance. They produce little bass in the first place, so there's not much scope for deviation from their sound profile in that range, but their response is still fairly even until the crossover between the high-mids and low-treble, where a big peak can render voices harsh. The treble range is rather uncontrolled, with a series of peaks and dips making higher-pitched sounds like ride cymbals alternately dull or piercing.
These headphones offer great stereo matching, with both drivers closely aligned in weighted amplitude and phase response. The largest deviations appear in the high-treble range, near the upper limits of human hearing, so it's unlikely you'll notice any issues in real-world use. That said, the clip-on design means fit and positioning are important—slight adjustments to either bud can noticeably affect the stereo image, so you'll want to take the time to seat these correctly with every wear.
Like other open-fit, clip-on earbuds, this model poses challenges for our testing rig, since the buds don't form a seal with the rig's ear. While the measured results suggest bad group delay performance, you won't notice these issues in actual use since the buds already struggle to reproduce low-end.
While these headphones produce a small amount of noticeable distortion during normal listening, the test score doesn’t fully reflect this real-world performance. At high volumes, the buds' loose clamp can cause them to rattle against the outer ear, which significantly worsens their distortion score in the bass range. As a result, like we did with Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 Bone Conduction earbuds, we've marked this test N/A. But you can still view the data we obtained in this graph.
These are Bluetooth earbuds, so they don't need an amp to drive them.
Although not clearly outlined in the manual or FAQ, these headphones offer a virtual soundstage mode: it's called 'Movie' mode in the companion app. Subjectively, it delivers a hollow and artificial sound. While it does create a slightly wider soundstage, the effect is more echo-like than immersive, and it detracts from the listening experience, whether you're playing music or watching videos.
These are the settings used to test these headphones. Our results are only valid when using them in this configuration.
The SoundPeats PearlClip Pro earbuds feature a sleek and modern open-ear design that wraps around your ear like a clip, in a manner akin to the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds. They're available in four colorways: 'Beige,' 'Purple,' 'White,' and Black'. We tested the 'Black' colorway. Most of the body is made from skin-friendly matte silicone, offering a soft, comfortable feel during wear. The touch-sensitive surface and the back of the earbuds use a smooth plastic finish that gives the buds a clean aesthetic that blends easily with casual or athletic wear.
The SoundPeats PearlClip Pro are comfortable. They're extremely lightweight and, when properly positioned on the outer ear, are almost unnoticeable during wear. However, after extended listening sessions (over an hour), some users may experience mild discomfort or fatigue due to the hard plastic resting against both sides of the ear. That said, the fit isn't as secure as the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, with a looser clamp that can cause the earbuds to shift, potentially altering driver stereo alignment, and reducing comfort. Additionally, the buds lack clear left/right indicators, and the similarity between the driver and battery sections can make it easy to misplace them on the ears, especially when trying to do so by feel alone.
The SoundPeats PearlClip Pro have acceptable controls, which you can view here. In general, the control scheme is fairly intuitive, if a little basic. The scheme offers straightforward access to basic playback and phone functions, making it easy to manage music and calls without reaching for your phone. However, the touch-sensitive area on the outer surface of the buds can be tricky to locate consistently. It often feels unresponsive, even when tapping the same spot, as there's no clear tactile indicator to guide your finger placement.
In terms of feedback, the earbuds include helpful voice prompts when switching between Power, Game, and Movie modes, and chimes that play when entering all other commands. Unfortunately, the chimes are all identical, so it's hard to know for sure which command you entered. Another minor drawback is the lack of audio cues to indicate left or right channels, since the buds themselves have no visible way of distinguishing left from right.
The SoundPeats PearlClip Pro are remarkably portable, and they take up minimal space and easily fit into a bag or pocket. They're easy to carry wherever you go.
The SoundPeats PearlClip Pro have a good case. It's lightweight and compact, making it easy to carry, but it's made from glossy plastic that feels a bit cheap. The magnets used to hold the buds in place are a bit weak, too, so the buds don't really snap into place when you insert them into the case. This also makes the buds slightly prone to falling out of the case if the case is shaken. While the buds have an IPX5 rating, the case doesn't have a rating at all.
The SoundPeats PearlClip Pro have a good build quality. They're made from lightweight plastic and silicone that flexes slightly while still retaining the buds' shape. They feel solid, with no major durability concerns. They're one-size-fits-all, though, without a variety of ear tip sizes to choose from. The buds are rated IPX5 against water resistance, so you can take them for a jog in the rain without issue.
That said, the case has weak magnets, which can allow the buds to fall out if you're not careful.
The SoundPeats PearlClip Pro offer excellent stability. They'll stay in place during intense workouts such as HIIT circuits full of burpees and squat jumps. That said, they don't have quite as secure a fit as the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds. The Bose use a tighter bend that grips the ear more snugly, while the SoundPeats have a wider arc and larger body, which can cause them to shift a little more than the Bose. It's worth taking the time to set these correctly with every wear, especially if you care about sound quality, as even small shifts can subtly affect sound performance and stereo matching.
- SoundPears PearlClip Pro
- Panda bear stickers
- User guide
- App download guide
- USB-A to USB-C charging cable (16.7 cm / 6.5 inches)
- Hard case
As expected from an open-fit design, these buds offer virtually no full-range noise isolation. But that's the point. With your ear canals unblocked, you're able to stay aware of your surroundings when out jogging. Of course, that means these are a poor choice for taking on a commute or for working in a busy office.
In common scenarios, these earbuds deliver exactly what their open-fit design promises: full awareness of your surroundings. This makes them a great choice for outdoor runs, where staying alert is important. However, their complete lack of isolation makes them a poor option for travel or noisy environments, where blocking out background chatter or distractions is essential.
The SoundPeats PearlClip Pro have passable sound leakage performance. At higher volumes, people around you will hear your audio if you're in a quiet space. But if you're out running, you won't disturb passing pedestrians.
These buds have an alright microphone system. Your voice is easy enough to understand, though it might sound a little boomy due to a large resonant peak in the low-mids. It also lacks sparkle due to the attenuated high-end, but that's common with headphone microphones, as it helps reduce background noise.
We've listed the results of the microphone THD performance as 'N/A' because, while there is distortion present, our test's weighting means the result we obtained would have disproportionately affected the overall noise handling score.
In noisy environments, the microphone system offers mixed results. In our pink noise test, speech remains intelligible, though there's a clear drop in clarity, and the noise is never fully removed from the recording. The system also struggles with more real-world conditions, such as the noise of passing trains. In our subway noise test, the system heavily attenuates the overall volume, almost muting the speaker's voice to avoid overwhelming the listener. Unfortunately, it significantly reduces vocal clarity in the process.
These earbuds have a disappointing battery life. They're advertised to last six hours off a single charge, but we measured just over three, which is well short of the manufacturer's claims. This discrepancy is likely because our calibrated testing level of 85 dB is one notch short of these buds' maximum playback level. In our testing, we also noticed that the volume automatically reduced after about 2.75 hours of playback, likely to preserve power. While high volume use can impact battery life, our results were so far below the advertised runtime that we plan to re-test them in the future.
The case stores three more charges, and SoundPeats claim that a 10-minute charge provides enough power for two hours of audio playback. It took us about 45 minutes to fully charge the buds.
These earbuds have a sub-par app with a frustrating user experience. The app is prone to freezing and crashing, with long load and connection times. During testing, we frequently had to re-pair or reseat the earbuds in their case just to get them to reconnect. Switching between devices often required manually placing the earbuds back in the case to trigger a reconnection.
That said, the app offers a wide range of features, including options to disable touch controls, enable Game or Movie modes, assign custom key functions, and access firmware updates and factory resets. You can also adjust prompt tone volume, locate your earbuds, and fine-tune audio using Adaptive EQ, EQ presets, or a fully customizable graphic EQ. You can see a video of how the app works here.
These headphones come with a USB-A to USB-C cable for charging, but you can't listen to them via a wired connection.
These headphones produce excellent Bluetooth results, with one caveat. They use Bluetooth 5.4 and can pair with up to two devices at once, so you can quickly switch between your laptop and phone. They have fairly low latency via SBC with their Game mode turned on, though the total latency might still make gaming tricky. We also measured top-tier Bluetooth range, but that's where the caveat lies. While our line-of-sight test result suggests strong connectivity, we noticed that real-world performance was inconsistent. We experienced frequent dropouts when walking around the office, especially in areas dense with electronics, such as our testing rooms or TV storage areas. These headphones are designed to be used for jogging outdoors, so that might not be an issue for you, but it's worth bearing in mind.
You can only connect the headset to your PC via Bluetooth. Once wirelessly connected, you get full audio and microphone support.