SoundPEATS Clear Review

SoundPEATS Clear are cheap true wireless earbuds with an eye-catching design. They pleasantly surprise you in sound and features but underwhelm in battery duration and durability.

UPDATE 5/3/2024: We added more tables and comparisons between different earbuds we’ve tested.

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• List price (MSRP): $29.99
• Manufacturer: SoundPEATS

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Related: Best earbuds under $30 – Best cheap earbuds – Best wireless earbuds under $50

Our Conclusion

SoundPEATS tried to squeeze as much as possible into the Clear while keeping the price down. The result is true wireless earbuds for less than $30 that can seemingly do it all (but they can’t…)

You get impressive performance in audio quality (for the price), and you can customize it in EQ to find the perfect sound for you.

Also, the earbuds come with Game mode for reducing audio latency during gaming and a decent call quality for phone calls.

Earbuds are also comfy and incredibly stable. When you add an IPX4 rating, it makes them surprisingly suitable for sports activities.

However, earbuds suffer from wind noise when used outdoors and have a below-average battery life of less than 6 hours per charge (see how much below).

Nevertheless, SoundPEATS Clear TWS earbuds are still a tempting option due to their low price. But are they the right option for you? Find out in the review below.

Pros & Cons:

Compare similar earbuds

Our Analysis and Test Results

Our tests and measurements showed that SoundPEATS Clear have a pretty balanced default sound that lacks clarity and detail of more expensive options. Passive isolation is also a bit weak.

Moreover, earbuds offer Game Mode, which helps but at 150ms latency still can’t provide the best gaming experience.

On the other hand, they look cool, have good call quality, and are comfy and ready to workout with.

Sound

SoundPEATS Clear have a surprisingly balanced sound signature with natural tonality, especially after small EQ tweaks. However, they lack clarity and transparency of more expensive options.

Key points:

• Pretty balanced midrange with a noticeable bass boost.
• Pleasant sound signature and satisfying quality for the price.
• Lacking detail, the soundstage is small, and the imaging could be more accurate.

Check the SoundPEATS Clear A/B sound test

Learn how to understand sound comparisons.

The cheap true wireless segment (under $50) is saturated with various options. While most of them feel uninspired, the SoundPEATS Clear pleasantly surprise.

Out of the box, they sound decently balanced, whereas most competitors aim to provide insane mid-bass punch. Also, by connecting them to a companion app, you can tweak their custom equalizer, which is incredible at only $30.

On the flip side, you can still tell the Clear are budget true wireless earbuds due to the lack of clarity and resolution that the 12mm dynamic driver inside simply can’t produce.

Bass: Well-controlled for the price

Lower frequencies are the least “affected by the price”. They’re slightly boomy out of the box but easily fixable inside the SoundPEATS app.

Once you lower the bass, you can enjoy its smooth yet well-controlled performance. If you’re a fan of popular music genres, like pop and hip-hop, you’ll love these.

Moreover, the 12mm dynamic driver doesn’t distort, even at bassier songs like “Believer” by Imagine Dragons or “Wild Thoughts” by DJ Khaled. The bass notes feel nicely nuanced, which is excellent for the price.

On the other hand, while listening to metal and rock is still enjoyable, it’s not SoundPEATS Clear’s biggest strength. The double-pedal bass kicks start sounding less tactile on busier tracks, where the driver struggles to play kicks, heavy guitar riffs, and cymbal crashes all at the same time.

SoundPEATS Clear frequency response

Learn how to read audio charts.

Midrange: Well-tuned but veiled

The midrange is where you really start noticing the performance limitations of the driver inside the Clear. That said, tuning-wise, earbuds sound great, especially after minor EQ tweaks.

Regardless of gender, female and male vocals sound amazingly natural, which few headphones can do. That said, they could be slightly louder or more dynamic, but that’s a minor complaint.

On the flip side, while instruments sound natural and smooth, they feel like there’s a veil over the speaker, muting them and taking away energy and detail.

You can still enjoy all kinds of music genres despite the veil. However, compared to more expensive options (or even some cheaper wired options), you’re missing out on the excitement that greater dynamics bring.

Treble: Smooth but could use more airiness and resolution

Higher frequencies are the least exciting part of SoundPEATS Clear. That said, they sound okay. They’re smooth and pleasantly shimmery and have a natural decay.

It’s just that the treble could be airier and more transparent, especially in the middle treble region.

That results in a more congested sound when songs’ instrumentation gets busier. The latter also affects the ability to fully enjoy specific music genres, like progressive rock or metal.

The soundstage is also small. The sound isn’t necessarily “trapped” in your head, but it almost feels that way.

Similarly, the imaging could be more accurate, especially around the center channel. Still, the instrument separation is overall good and only gets a little messy on the busiest tracks.

Here are our custom EQ settings for the most natural sound:

Sound Comparison

My conclusion

SoundPEATS Clear have a very balanced sound signature that works well with most music genres. But, their technical performance works better on some genres than others.

Nevertheless, these earbuds are great true wireless performers under $30, putting them in the same sonic category as Skullcandy Dime but with more features.

That said, they aren’t the best sounding in this price region. The Dimes are more enjoyable across music genres, whereas wired CCA LYRA easily beat them in clarity and dynamics.

Also check:

• Best wireless earbuds under $30

Comfort & Fit

SoundPEATS Clear maintain a rock-steady stability, even during rapid head movements. Comfort is also the earbuds’ strong point, although you must ensure not to push them too far into your ears.

Earbuds do surprisingly well at maintaining comfort during long listening sessions.

The housing and included ear tips have a slightly oval design to contour the earlobes’ and ear canal’s shape. All of that combined results in great comfort.

That said, to ensure longer-lasting comfort, you mustn’t push the earbuds too deep into the ear canal. That way, you prevent the housing from pressing against your pinna, which slowly builds up into pain.

Fortunately, even with shallower insertions, you retain a stable fit. The silicone ear tips are surprisingly effective at latching into your ear canal and preventing earbuds from falling out.

To test that claim, I vigorously shook my head in all directions until I felt dizzy. However, earbuds have kept their grip. Even the seal remained intact, keeping the bass performance in all its glory.

Stability might worsen when the earbuds get sweaty during workouts or if you don’t regularly clean your ears. But even then, these earbuds perform better than some options with ear wings (EarFun Free Pro 2, for example).

Compared to other similar models

SoundPEATS Clear are similar to EarFun Air 2 and Air S, but make for a better sports pick due to their slightly superior stability.

Related:

• Best earbuds for workout
• Best earbuds for running

Durability

SoundPEATS Clear appear sturdy and have an IPX4 rating, so you can easily take them to the gym. But, the charging case is made of clear plastic that can easily crack.

SoundPEATS Clear look and feel sturdy despite being glued together from 4 parts. What makes them unique are see-through parts of the housing that expose the circuitry. They reveal less than CCA LYRA, but they’re still eye-catching.

The TWS earbuds are rated for an IPX4 rating. That means they can easily survive a sweaty workout or light sprays of water, like walking in the rain.

On the flip side, you should avoid taking them in the shower or near the pool, as submerging them will (almost) certainly lead to internal damage.

Despite the fact that every hole (nozzle, microphone hole, and bass reflex port) is covered with a mesh fine enough to prevent water from entering the earbuds.

Moving to the charging case, it’s relatively bulky and almost entirely covered in clear plastic. Sadly, you can’t see the circuitry inside, only the earbuds, due to a see-through lid.

That latter is also the biggest problem regarding the durability of the case. This type of plastic can easily crack during impact.

Moreover, it quickly shows micro scratches, which makes it look unappealing after a few months of use. That’s purely cosmetic, but still.

The charging case lacks an IP rating, so you should avoid storing it in a moist environment (like next to sweaty clothes after a workout).

Are they suitable for…

• Wearing in the rain: Suitable, but avoid pouring rain (you need at least IPX5 or IPX6 for that).
• Running & exercising outside: Suitable if you stay away from overly dusty roads.
• Sweating: Suitable, as IPX4 provides complete sweat resistance.
• Dipping underwater: Not suitable, as you need an IPX7 rating or higher for that.

Durability comparison

SoundPEATS Clear have a similar durability as most cheap earbuds under $30, like JLab Go Air Pop or Skullcandy Jib True Wireless. That said, the TOZO T10 and TaoTronics Soundliberty P10 PRO have an IPX8.

Battery

SoundPEATS Clear have a battery life of 5 hours and 45 minutes on a single charge, which is less than advertised and slightly below the average. The case holds another 33 hours of juice, but there’s no mention of fast charging.

SoundPEATS Clear battery comparison:

Earbuds lack special features like in-ear detection, ambient sound mode, and active noise cancellation. Despite that, their battery life is ever so slightly below average.

Our battery test

In our battery test, where we left earbuds to play music at 50% volume, we got:

• 5 hours and 45 minutes of playtime on a single charge.

While that’s good enough for a long listening session, it’s below average compared to other non-ANC true wireless Bluetooth headphones (see battery life comparison above). Also, it’s less than advertised 7 hours of runtime.

What helps to raise the final rating is the charging case, which holds another 33 hours of battery life. This means you can recharge your earbuds at least 5 times.

However, SoundPEATS doesn’t mention how long it takes to fully recharge the earbuds, nor if they support fast charging. Also, there’s no Qi wireless charging, but that’s rare at this price.

Here’s how Clear’s battery rating compares to ratings of similarly priced competitors:

Note: The battery rating considers battery life compared to alternatives, wireless charging support, and the speed of recharging.

Features

SoundPEATS Clear have a surprisingly wide set of features for less than $30. They don’t work amazingly, but some still improve the user experience, like Game mode and Custom EQ.

Despite costing below $30, SoundPEATS Clear offer features that most earbuds in this price range lack. You can play with:

• Adaptive EQ
• Custom EQ
• EQ presets
• Game mode

Note that you can’t customize touch controls. However, you can disable them if they annoy you or you get ghost touches (when your breath activates a single-press gesture in cold weather).

Earbuds support single tap, double tap, triple tap, and hold gestures.

Adaptive EQ

Adaptive EQ aims to personalize the sound based on your hearing health.

The feature plays a series of beeps at various frequencies, and you need to confirm if you hear them. The result is a custom sound curve that best fits your hearing.

However, in reality, the final curve is far from the balanced sound you expect to get. In my case, the app boosted all frequencies, resulting in bright and thin sound.

So, I advise you to stay with the default tuning or use our custom EQ.

Custom EQ

The app offers a 10-band customizable equalizer, ranging from 31 Hz to 16 kHz, which SoundPEATS usually only offers in higher-end models.

That gives you greater control over the audio tuning, although, at least in the Clear case, you can’t perform miracles.

One thing worth mentioning is that the DSP has some problems adapting to changes in tuning, occasionally producing a crackling noise before stopping the playback for a second.

However, these weird stutters only occur when tweaking the EQ and don’t persist indefinitely.

EQ presets

You get a standard selection of 9 EQ presets or sound profiles that typically arrive with SoundPEATS earbuds:

• SoundPEATS Classic
• Bass boost
• Bass reduction
• Electronic
• Rock&roll
• Folk
• Treble enhancement
• Pop
• Classical Music

Sadly, none of the provided presets, except for the SoundPEATS Classic, offer a good sound quality. So, it’s best to stick with the default option (or opt for our custom EQ).

Microphone quality

SoundPEATS Clear have a very clear (pun intended) call quality, especially when making phone calls in quieter places.

SoundPEATS Clear microphone test: (no noise test from 0:00-0:28, with background noise test from O:29-0:53)

The dual microphone setup manages to capture your voice nicely and clearly with decent fullness. Earbuds perform especially well someplace quiet, making them a great choice for indoor video calls.

On the other hand, the mic picks up some distortion when exposed to loud ambient noise. Microphones are also pretty weak at reducing background sounds, so the others still hear whatever is happening around you during a call.

In conclusion, SoundPEATS Clear are excellent pick for quieter environments, but try avoiding noisy places.

Features rating comparison

Noise Isolation

SoundPEATS Clear have a pretty good passive noise isolation. They block quite a lot of outside noise. However, the earbuds’ shape produces wind noise, making them unsuitable for outdoor use.

SoundPEATS Clear effectively block outside noise thanks to wide, mushroom-shaped silicone ear tips that contour the ear canal’s shape.

Here’s a SoundPEATS Clear noise isolation chart compared to room noise:

Here’s a table of how effective is SoundPEATS Clear’s passive noise isolation at blocking specific frequencies:

There’s a clear difference in ambient noise with or without wearing earbuds, making them an excellent pick for someone who doesn’t like using active noise cancellation but still wants to reduce outside distractions.

However, passive noise isolation can only block higher frequencies, whereas lower ones remain intact. This means they’re not the best option for long-distance travel.

How severe is wind noise?

Unfortunately, due to the earbuds’ shape, you hear an audible wind noise. While that isn’t an issue for indoor use, it is distracting for outdoor use.

Adding noise into the mix usually means the user is “forced” to raise the volume to mask the noise. However, that also means a higher chance of hearing damage.

Noise isolation rating comparison with other models

Bluetooth

SoundPEATS Clear have an average indoor Bluetooth range of 40 feet, standard SBC and AAC codecs, and a Game mode with minimal latency during gaming.

SoundPEATS Clear support Bluetooth 5.3, which ensures robust connectivity without stutters (excluding the ones due to DSP tuning issues).

Even the indoor Bluetooth range is good. Walking around the house, we managed to reach:

• 40 feet (12.2 meters) until the audio cut off completely. That’s right after passing the second brick wall.

That result makes them about average. And suitable for walking around the house somewhat freely without losing connection with the transmitting device.

It’s worth mentioning that some competitors can do better in this regard, like JLab Go Air Pop (45 feet).

Sadly, earbuds don’t support Bluetooth multipoint, so you can’t connect them to two devices simultaneously. However, no earbuds under $30 support that, at least to our knowledge.

How to pair SoundPEATS Clear?

1. First, you peel off the protective plastic from the earbuds that prevent charging and place them back in the case. Then, take them back out, and they should go into pairing mode.
2. To pair them with another device, place them in the case and hold the case’s button on the bottom (near the USB-C charging port) for a few seconds. Earbuds go into pairing mode when you see a small LED blinking.

What Bluetooth codecs do they use?

SoundPEATS Clear use SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs, with the latter being a default pick on Android and iOS. At $30, these two codecs are more than enough for all your listening needs.

Is there an audio lag?

Earbuds provide a lag-free listening experience when watching video content on different operating systems (Android, iOS) and platforms (YouTube, social media, etc.).

Enabling gaming mode further reduces lag in mobile games, which are less optimized for Bluetooth audio than video apps. However, we measured 150ms instead of the advertised 90ms latency, so you can still see a slight delay.

Bluetooth rating comparison

Should You Get SoundPEATS Clear?

SoundPEATS Clear are excellent true wireless earbuds that do many things simultaneously. They’re great for music, stable enough for sports, have a decent battery life, and low latency for gaming.

Pros & Cons

Who are these best for:

• Want a punchy or balanced sound (using our custom EQ).
• Like to play mobile games, but in a non-competitive way.
• Like to bring their favorite music into the gym.

Who should avoid them:

• Users who want the best audio quality for the price.
• Outdoor walkers or runners due to loud wind noise.

How do SoundPEATS Clear compare to the competition?

Here’s their value rating compared to similar alternatives:

Are they worth the price?

SoundPEATS Clear are among the most attractive-looking budget TWS earbuds with a lot of added features. Everything considered, they’re definitely worth the price.

Only if you’re looking for something more durable, you might need to check the TOZO T10 (2023 version).

SoundPEATS Clear alternatives

TOZO T10

CCA LYRA

What’s in the Box?

• SoundPEATS Clear true wireless earbuds
• Charging case
• 3 pairs of silicone ear tips (S, M, L)
• USB-C to USB-A charging cable
• User manual

Specifications