Page 2 - A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
This is not the first pair of clip earphones we have looked at, as we have recently reviewed the same company's PearlClip Pro. The Clip1 has similar elements, but the design is a bit different. These earbuds are comprised of two portions connected with a thinner hook that is wrapped in silicone-like material. The whole unit is gray with some SOUNDPEATS branding on the larger portion. The matte gray finish is contrasted by a shiny, slightly warmer, silver finish. While the PearlClip Pro was a bit more similar in sizing between the two connected portions, it is clear with the Clip1 the smaller end goes into your ear while the larger one clips behind the ear. Overall, its small design and gray color make the SOUNDPEATS Clip1 look discreet compared to some other open earphones. The physical size when measured in a neutral state is approximately 2.9cm by 2.2cm by 2.5cm at its maximum. Each side weighs approximately 5g, which is light.
As for the controls, the SOUNDPEATS Clip1 uses a touch interface that responds to a combination of taps and holds. According to SOUNDPEATS, the entire body is touch sensitive. By default, a double tap on either side is used to play or pause music. Triple tapping the left Clip1 will go to the previous track, while triple tapping the right Clip1 will go to the next track. Single taps are not registered, although this is documented in the user manual to change the volume. The app only customizes double and triple tapping actions, so this is just an error in the manual. Personally, the touch controls on the SOUNDPEATS Clip1 were good most of the time. There were a few occasions when I was wearing it outside and wearing a hood and it would randomly register a double tap and pause my music. This came from contact with another part of my ear, which is a bit annoying.
Internally, the SOUNDPEATS Clip1 uses Bluetooth 5.4 to connect to devices. It supports multiple codecs, including SBC, AAC, and LDAC. SBC, or Subband Coding, is the default Bluetooth audio codec with decent audio quality and low processing power requirements. This codec maxes out at 328 kbps. AAC, or Advanced Audio Coding, is preferred by Apple's devices and maxes out at 250 kbps. Despite having a lower maximum bitrate, AAC is still known to offer better sound quality. LDAC is Sony's proprietary audio coding technology, and is a part of the Android Open-Source Project. It can communicate at up to 990kbps, but can step down to 660kbps or 330kbps depending on wireless channel conditions. LDAC is one of two Bluetooth codecs that makes the SOUNDPEATS Clip1 Hi-Res Audio Wireless certified. LDAC is supported by most Android devices, but not on iOS devices. The only other codec that is missing is Qualcomm's aptX codecs.
Taking a closer look at the SOUNDPEATS Clip1, you can see how these work in delivering audio to your ear. The larger capsule sits outside your ear on the back. The smaller sphere on the other end sits in your ear and users should direct the set of holes towards your ear canal. Connecting the two modules together is a steel structure that SOUNDPEATS has called N-Flex Arch. This is supposed to allow for flexible movement while retaining its default position. This memory-like action ensures the shape remains and the Clip1 stays attached to your ears. Due to how they sit around the ear, it does not get in the way of any glasses. In general, I found the SOUNDPEATS Clip1 to be comfortable for extended periods. I completely understand the appeal of this style of earphones, as it does not jam something into your ears, and instead ensures you can hear external noises. On the other hand, there are tradeoffs with this design, as it is not preferable for noisy environments or areas where you do not want to make noise from sound leakage.
Internally, each side has a 12mm dual magnetic driver with a titanium PVD coating. According to SOUNDPEATS, this should ensure a deeper and punchy bass, but we will explore this later in our review. The company has not provided us with any other details regarding the drivers or other audio specifications. Instead, SOUNDPEATS touts their DynamicEQ Pro algorithm that automatically optimizes the sound based on the audio you are listening to. Out of the box, this is enabled. Otherwise, the pair of wireless earbuds are IPX5 rated, which translates to "protection from water from a low-pressure stream from any angle". These should be safe from sweat or rain, making them great for use on-the-go regardless of the weather conditions. However, I would not go swimming or submerging the Clip1 in water. There are holes on the other side of the output that house the microphones on each side for input.
There are two pogo pins on each one to provide power for charging purposes. However, the two earphones are not marked by L or R for indication of which side is for which ear. This is because SOUNDPEATS has an automatic side detection called AutoSense. Every time you put these on within the first ten seconds or so, you will hear the earphones automatically adjust. It is a small blip while listening, but it is not too distracting. Given these are symmetrical and can clip on either side, it is understandable why SOUNDPEATS would implement the flexibility. By default, if you do remove the clip from either ear, any playing audio will automatically pause, as it also has automatic play/pause functionality.
Looking at the carrying case of the SOUNDPEATS Clip1, this doubles as both a carrying and charging enclosure for the earbuds. It is not exactly a small unit, however. With measurements of 69mm in length, 47mm in width, and 33mm in height when it is closed, this should fit in most pockets, but it is a bit bulky. Since the clip is a physically larger unit than many in-ear true wireless options, this bulbous box seems reasonable. The case alone weighs 45.5g. The top shell opens easily by releasing it from integrated magnets. On the front, there is a thin slit with a multi-color LED to show the battery status. When you open it, it will show the current battery status of the earbuds inside, ranging from a green for full charge, amber for medium, and red for low battery. When it is charging, these will blink through the same colors from red to amber to green until it glows a constant green for full charge. On the back, there is a USB Type-C port for charging purposes. Unfortunately, there is no wireless charging for the carrying case.
The SOUNDPEATS Clip1 is automatically in pairing mode when it is first opened. Once connected, they will always remember the last mobile device it connected to. You can enable dual connection for pairing of two devices. Just to note, you cannot enable LDAC and dual device connection at the same time. If you ever want to force pair, you need to place both sides back in the case and hold the small circular button at the back for 2 seconds until the light flashes white quickly. If you want to reset everything, you can repeat the same steps, but hold down the button for 10 seconds.
A total of three batteries power the SOUNDPEATS Clip1. There is a 45mAh battery in each of the earbuds and the case holds a larger 450mAh battery. According to SOUNDPEATS, we should have a battery life of up to 8 hours per charge and four more charges for a total of 40 hours of listening. From what I understand, enabling LDAC will reduce the battery life. We will see how these claims hold up. Modern phones for Android and iOS will report the battery life in the operating system, so you can rely on that or the mobile application. You can quickly charge the earphones for ten minutes to get up to two hours of usage. A full charge will take closer around 1.5 to 2 hours.
To make any other changes to the SOUNDPEATS Clip1, you will need to use their PeatsAudio app. This is available on both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. Once you are in the app, you can see the battery life for the two earbuds and the case. You can enable or disable Dolby Audio, which includes a music and movie mode. This helps create a more "immersive" experience, but it still is a virtual surround sound. Personally, I found both modes to be quite unnatural and left them disabled. You can see other things to activate and the names are self-explanatory. Under “Customize touch controls,” you can change what the touch controls function as for either a double or triple tap. The hamburger menu on the top right screen is where you can update the firmware for the Clip1 or reset it to factory settings. In the middle menu, you can see the different equalizer settings if you do not have DynamicEQ active, and take a listening test to see what your preferred equalizer is.
Everything was functional in the PeatsAudio app, but I found it overly intrusive and some steps seemed very unnecessary. For one, you need to register before the app is functional. There is no need for them to collect your information. Secondly, it also requires location permissions. This is reasonable, as you can use the app to find the Clip1 if you accidentally lose it. However, if you disable location permissions, the app constantly reminds you every time you return to the main menu. This pop up also shows up half in Chinese. Overall, I would not recommend anyone to use the app unless they really need to make a change. Thankfully, the Clip1 does remember the last saved settings, so you can make the change and uninstall the app after.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. Subjective Audio Analysis
4. Conclusion
