Cleer Audio Alpha

Engaging and informative sound, with non-gimmicky spatial audio as a bonus ; Nicely built and finished ; Impressive specification includes fine battery life

Can be bettered for noise-cancellation ; Slightly restricted dynamic headroom ; Numerous higher-profile rivals

Unless you’re determined to achieve the best noise-cancellation this sort of money can buy, the ALPHA have plenty to recommend them – both in sound quality and pride of ownership terms

Impressive noise cancellation ; Novel Dirac Virtuo performance ; Improved app design

Harsh through the treble ; Lack rhythmic precision ; Feel a little heavy

Cleer Audio Alpha marry good looks and Dirac’s proprietary spatial audio solution, but their heaviness both sonically and physically prove wearing over time

Long battery life ; Well made and comfortable ; Big, convincing and enjoyable sound

Lack brand cachet ; Noise cancellation is ‘good’ rather than ‘great’

Mid-forward and fun to listen to ; Great engaging and musical presentation ; Good ANC performance

Padding is a bit uncomfortable ; Bass response is a bit overdriven

This is a fun headphone, and I love it. For $199, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a closed small portable that has a powerful presentation and tone like this. Yes, it has some clarity issues on the bass with control, and also on the treble. But the...

Cleer continues to refine their headphones. They fine-tune the sound and simplify the design. The Cleer Audio Alpha’s reflect a significant improvement over the Flow series, which used to be their premium product (now very discounted on their site and...

Cleer Audio's new Alpha headphones, the company's flagship wireless noise-canceling model, is jam-packed with extras to augment its very good overall sound quality. At $250, the Alpha isn't a budget offering, but its many advanced and customizable...

Top-tier sound ; Quality noise neutralization ; Long battery life ; Premium audio features ; Attractive, well-built design

Poor comfort levels ; Multipoint technology needs work ; Companion app could benefit from more features

Had it not been for the discomfort issues and inconsistent multipoint functionality, these headphones might have earned a perfect score. Nonetheless, the Alpha is well-deserving of an Editor’s Choice badge and one hell of a Bose rival.