In this review, I’m looking at the Cleer Enduro ANC noise-cancellation headphone. The Enduro ANC features a 60-hour battery life, ambient ANC mode and 40mm ironless drivers. Tested at $149 (currently on sale for $119).

Disclaimer: This sample was provided by Cleer for an honest review. All observations and opinions here are based on my experience with the product.

Cleer Enduro

What’s in the Box

• Cleer Enduro ANC
• USB-C charging cable
• Auxiliary cable
• In-flight adapter
• Soft carrying pouch
• User guide

Design

Although it’s made primarily of plastic, the build quality of the Cleer Enduro ANC is really good. It’s available in either dark navy or light grey and both colourways have a matte finish with gold trim.

There’s ample padding on the underside of the headband and the earpads are soft and comfy. The earcups rotate and pivot, allowing them to fit better to the shape of your head. While the clamping force is firm, it doesn’t feel tight on my ears. I can wear the Enduro ANC for hours at a time but my ears start to feel hot after a while.

All of the buttons and controls are located on the left earcup. There are 4 buttons in total and they’re easy to distinguish by feel. The power button also acts as the play/pause, skip/previous and call control key.

The ANC button is multi-functional and it can cycle through the ANC/ambient/off modes as well as open your phone’s smart assistant. Holding down the ANC button activates the “conversation mode”. In conversation mode, the music is muted and ambient noise is enabled for as long as you hold the button.

There’s an NFC tag on the left earcup that lets you connect to your phone just by tapping the handset on it. You can also disconnect your phone using the same method.

Bluetooth and Battery Life

The Enduro ANC comes equipped with Bluetooth 5.0. It supports SBC, AAC, and aptX adaptive audio codecs. It even features Bluetooth multipoint, allowing you to connect it to multiple devices. During testing, I found the connection rock-solid and never experienced any signal loss or dropouts.

One of the most impressive features of the Cleer Enduro ANC is its battery life. With up to 60 hours of playback time, including ANC, I think it’s safe to say “Enduro” is a fitting name. The headphones also have quick charge and a 10-minute charge provides 2 hours of playback.

Cleer+ App

To get the most out of the Enduro ANC, you should download and connect to the Cleer+ app. Within the app, you can control the ANC/ambient mix, apply preset and custom EQ profiles and see the remaining battery life. You can also do OTA firmware updates, rename the device and set the auto power-off time limit.

Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)

The ANC works great for entry-level headphones. It isn’t as effective as class leaders like Sony and Bose but the Enduro ANC costs a lot less than those. Engine, fan and air conditioner noises are almost completely silenced. But things like the sound from a TV or people talking still get through.

The ambient mode works really well and helps you to be aware of your surroundings. I like the way the “conversation mode”, is implemented too; holding down the ANC button mutes any music and enables ambient mode so you can talk to people or hear what’s going on around you.

Call, Video and Gaming Performance

Call quality on the Cleer Enduro ANC is above average. My voice sounds loud and clear and others can easily hear what I’m saying. This headphone is ideal for making calls and video conferences.

Watching videos is great too. There’s no visible lag when watching YouTube or movies on my iPhone. Gamers can enjoy the Enduro ANC too because there’s hardly any noticeable latency when playing games with the headphones.

Sound

Cleer developed a patented Ironless Driver that supposedly drastically reduces distortion. It seems as though the tech works because the 40mm drivers in the Enduro ANC create a clear (no pun intended) sound with no audible distortion.

The sound I’m describing here is how the Enduro ANC sounds with its default “Flat” EQ preset. You can change things up a bit with the other presets or a custom EQ but the core sound characteristics remain the same.

The Enduro ANC is like that one-party animal who always shows up with the best bass-thumping tunes but sometimes forgets to invite the rest of the band. Its deep, meaty bass dominates the scene, making it perfect for electronic and jazz music, but it can sometimes overshadow the vocals and acoustic instruments.

The midrange is clear and mostly neutral, but it’s a bit recessed and can get lost in the shadow of that powerful bass. Female vocals fare better than male voices and come through with a bit more spirit and fidelity. And don’t worry, this party animal knows how to behave – its treble is soft and smooth, without a hint of sibilance or sizzle. Just enough bite to add some balance to those thumping lows.

Verdict

The Cleer Enduro ANC has a lot to offer in features and functionality. Its overall performance is solid, especially with regard to its stellar battery life. Other features like the NFC and multipoint connectivity give it a leg up over a lot of the competition.

The sound is punchy and non-fatiguing but demanding audiophiles should probably consider other options. At the same time, if you’re a regular music lover and are looking for something with good ANC and excellent battery life, these are hard to beat.

Specifications

• Weight: 280g
• Driver: 40mm Ironless™
• Frequency Response (Bluetooth): 20Hz-20kHz
• Frequency Response (Line-in): 20Hz-40kHz
• Headphone Type: Over-Ear
• Foldable: Yes
• Microphones: cVc 2-mic 8th gen
• Inputs: Bluetooth, Passive Line-in USB-C to 3.5mm

Bluetooth

• Bluetooth Version: 5.0
• Audio Formats: MP3, SBC, AAC, aptX adaptive
• Bluetooth Multipoint: Yes, pairs seamlessly to multiple devices

Battery

• Battery Life: 60hrs
• Charge Method: USB-C
• Quick Charge: 10min charge provides 2hrs of playback