Design and features:This Bluetooth wireless portable on-ear model provides very good sound. Its open-air design doesn't muffle outside sounds so you'll be able to hear that door bell ring, train announcement, or car horn when you are wearing the headphones. The ARC II SPORT has a volume control plus an integrated microphone and player function controls. Additional features include - either earphone can be used alone for one ear monitoring of Bluetooth streamed audio and telephone communications. Charging/carrying case has built-in rechargeable battery that the manufacturer claims can be used to recharge the earphone batteries for an additional 27 hrs. of playtime for a total of 35 hrs. Manufacturer claims IPX5 water resistance. Has UV-C light charging case, when earbuds are placed in charging case, mfr. claims Ultra Violet lamps built into case can kill up to 99.9% of bacteria in the corresponding area of the earbuds. UV cleaning time is 10 seconds and is automatically activated when earbuds are placed in the case and the case is closed. Has touch controls for music player transport, call connect/disconnect, digital voice assistant activation, and Bluetooth volume control. Supports compatible digital voice assistants when used with Bluetooth devices that have those features and that, if needed, have the appropriate apps installed. Has Head motion control for music and calls, can answer or hand up a call or play next or prev audio track by either turning or nodding your head (feature if off by default but cant be activated in app). Supports multi-point connection for two Bluetooth devices. Has quick charge feature: 10 min of earphone charging will provide 1 hr. of playtime. Bluetooth connected Apple mobile devices using iOS Version 5 and above will show the battery level. Cleer+ app download for Apple and Android mobile devices can be used to show battery level, adjust the headphone's tonal balance, customize the touch control functions, enable/disable the motion control function, adjust the auto power off features, and update the earphone firmware, etc. The ARC II SPORT comes with Carrying/charging case, USB-A to USB-C connector charging cable, User Manual.
Sound quality:We found the ARC II SPORT delivers sound quality that falls in the very good range - it reproduces music and voice very well although it does have some noticeable sonic quirks. With the Cleer+ app Equalizer set to flat and Smart Sports EQ set to "off" (as received state of the earphone) the bass (as in bass drums, bass guitars, stand-up bass, etc.) has good impact and goes deep, but is a touch prominent and boomy. The midrange (voices, guitars, horns, etc.) is a bit grainy, hazy, congested (think sonic traffic jam), and the upper midrange is a bit prominent. The treble (cymbals, the upper range of violins, etc.) is extended but is somewhat smeared and the upper treble is somewhat subdued. The sound also has a decent sense of liveliness and is open--sound-wise it seems like you don't have anything plugging up your ears and does a decent job of recovering room ambience in the midrange. Warmish character. The overall sound can be summarized as fairly even and a bit grainy, hazy, and congested. The tone settings of the app do have a noticeable effect on the sound of these earphones.
Comfort and Fit:We found that these earphones produce a sense of light pressure on the ears.
Some users may find that the earphones feel a bit heavy.
Small
Users with small sized ears may find that ear hooks feel a bit bulky behind the ears, that this model stays in place with no problems for casual use, and are stable during fairly vigorous head movement.
Medium/Large
Users with medium to large sized ears may find that ear hooks feel a bit bulky behind the ears, that this model stays in place with no problems for casual use, and are stable during fairly vigorous head movement.
Incidental contact with the touch controls can cause unintentional playing and pausing.
