Sony has released its first. Sennheiser has released its first one too. And so has Samsung. And many others – including Apple and Google – are believed to be readying theirs. We are talking about the clip-style or clip-on earbuds that are now becoming increasingly popular in the personal audio market. As their name indicates, these earbuds are shaped like clips and are attached to your outer ear, rather than inserted into your ear canal. They generally comprise two tiny cylinders, one of which is a speaker and the other of which is a battery, connected with a band, and they are designed to clip onto your ear.
Although they were first seen on the market a couple of years ago, most notably from Huawei and Bose, and were released by many budget-friendly brands, clip-style earbuds are now taking their place in the audio tech spotlight. But what makes these relatively new totally wireless earbuds different from other TWS earbuds, and should you be thinking of getting one for yourself?
Well, here are thirteen points we think you need to know about clip-style earbuds before you clip a pair to your own ears:
They are on-ear and “open” and generally more comfortable
Clip-style earbuds are on-ear buds, and clip on to the outer ear like an ear cuff. This means that they lie on top of or near the ear canal, and do not go inside it, like many other earbuds. This makes them more comfortable to wear for most users – you do not feel something is inside your ear or just dangling near your earlobe.
They are light
In terms of weight, clip-style earbuds are about the same weight as general buds – about 5-7 grams, based on the design and materials used. For instance, the Sony LinkBuds Clip are about 6.4 grams each, while the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 are 7 grams each, and the AirPods are about 5 grams.
They are incredibly stable and almost NEVER fall off
Clip-style earbuds are among the most stable wireless earbuds. This is because they actually “clip” on to the user’s ear, gently pressing it between a speaker and battery cylinder or sphere. As a result, they are actually attached to your ear on both ends. You can shake your head violently, and they still won’t fall off. In our book, they are as stable as earbuds with hooks that go around your ears.
No ear tip options – one size fits all
As clip-style earbuds do not go into the ear canal, there are almost always no earbud options to let you adjust for a better fit. It is pretty much a one-size-for-everyone rule out there. This can cause a few problems, as the next point will show.
The size of your ear could affect your experience
The fact that there are no size adjustment options available at all in most clip-style earbuds and that they are basically clipped onto your ear means that your experience of them could depend on the size of your ear. Those with relatively large ears might find the speaker end of the buds lying farther away from their ear canal, while those with small ears might find the speaker end coming right on top of their ear canal. There is unfortunately no cure for this, other than making the connecting band on these earbuds adjustable or flexible, which no brand is doing so far.
They come with bigger drivers…
Most clip-style earbuds come with slightly larger drivers than those seen on most TWS. While most TWS have drivers of the size of 5 mm to 8 mm, most clip-style earbuds have drivers that are 10 mm or larger. For instance, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless have 7 mm drivers, and the AirPods are believed to have 7.5 mm drivers, while the Sony LinkBuds Clip have 10 mm drivers, and the Moto Buds Loop have 12 mm drivers.
…but are not the loudest
The interesting part, however, is that even though they have larger drivers, most clip-style earbuds are not as loud as other TWS. This is because the larger drivers push sound towards the ear, often going past pockets of air that lie between the buds and the ear canal. Some of the sound inevitably gets lost in this, resulting in lower volume levels.
Love bass? These are not great options
We are going to be up front about it – clip-style earbuds, and in fact most ‘open’ earbuds are not for those who love audio with plenty of bass. The open fit of these buds is not ideal for bass, which sounds best in a packed setup, allowing for reverberations and rumble. Many brands attempt to tune their buds to accent the bass and even use larger drivers, but the result is seldom close to what we get from in-ear earbuds.
External noise comes in…too much external noise sometimes
One of the biggest attractions of clip-style earbuds is that they allow external or ambient sounds to come in too, and do not seal you away from the outside world. However, this is a bit of a mixed blessing, as too much external noise, combined with the lower volumes of these ear clips, can drown out audio. We would not recommend using them in very noisy conditions like traffic jams, or even in gyms with loud noises – those sounds will come right in.
And there is no ANC either, but ENC exists
As they are “open” in design terms, and are actually made in a manner to allow external sounds to come in, clip-style earbuds do not have any active noise cancellation. The microphones on them – for phone calls – do come with some environmental noise cancellation, so call quality on many of these buds can actually be quite good.
Controls can be…challenging
Thanks to their design, which makes them very small, clip-style earbuds almost always have touch controls – there is hardly any room for buttons on them. And as the buds themselves tend to be small, these can be difficult to use and get used to. One inevitably figures out a way to get them working, but they are never quite as comfortable as those on other TWS and earbuds, especially those with stems. These are best controlled from the connected device.
Perfect for those times when you need to listen to your surroundings too (offices, large families, outdoor runs, etc.)
The fact that they are light, stay securely attached to your ear, and allow some ambient noise to come in makes the clip-style earbuds perfect for those places where you need to be aware of sounds around you. They are great for offices in which you need to keep your ears open for queries and remarks from colleagues or even for ringing phones, and even for those who stay in large families and need to keep their ears open, even while listening to music. And of course, we think they are perfect for those who love to go on outdoor runs and rides, as they stay in place and give one access to one’s phone and audio (when allowed) and also keep one aware of traffic and people around one.
Not for audiophiles, gamers, or for intense listening sessions
No matter what the brands tell you, clip-style earbuds are not for those who are very serious about their audio. They seldom deliver the kind of detail and audio quality that one gets from other TWS at their price points. At the most, one can hope for a reasonable level of clarity and a relatively balanced audio signature. While equalizers can make a difference to different frequencies, clip-on style earbuds are not really for audio purists or for those who like to listen very intensely to their music. Their relative lack of volume and limited bass also mean they are not the best option for gaming or even watching films, even though some of them do come with spatial audio. They are, however, excellent for podcasts and live streaming audio, absolutely super for audiobooks, and more than adequate for casual listening.
And one more thing…
They have a special ring carrying mode
One of the biggest problems with most TWS is putting them back in their cases. You need to find the case, open it, take them out of your ears, put them back in the case, and snap it shut. All of which can take some time, especially when you are in a hurry (say, when you want to talk to someone, or get on or off the Metro). Well, that can be avoided with clip-style earbuds. Thanks to their shape, you can simply wrap a clip-style earbud around one of your fingers. Just like a ring. Don’t worry, it won’t fall off easily. No need to fiddle around trying to find their case immediately.