CLIP Style Buds? SoundCore C30i vs Bose Ultra Open vs Huawei FreeClip

Summary

This video review compares three clip-style open earbuds: Soundcore C3i, Huawei Free Clip, and Bose QC Ultra. Each model is evaluated on comfort, ease of use, battery life, design, and sound quality. The Huawei Free Clip stands out for its comfort, wireless charging, and sound performance. The Soundcore C3i offers good value for its price, while the Bose QC Ultra, despite its high cost, underperforms in sound quality. The video also discusses call quality, with Huawei excelling in noise cancellation. The review concludes with a recommendation for the Huawei Free Clip and alternative options for regions where it's not available.

Takeaways

• 🎧 The video reviews three clip-style open earbuds with different price points, focusing on their design, comfort, and functionality.
• 🔍 The clip-style design is praised for its compatibility with glasses and ease of use for those with long hair.
• 🏷️ Brands use various names for this style, but they all feature a clip that attaches to the ear's helix or anti-helix.
• 💰 The Soundcore C3i is the most affordable option, while the Bose QC Ultra is the most expensive.
• 📦 Huawei's earbuds are noted for their compact and pocketable case, being the thinnest and least wide.
• 🌈 Huawei offers the most color options, while the other brands provide at least two color choices.
• 🔋 All earbuds claim longer battery life than advertised, with Soundcore offering the best battery life among the three.
• 💧 Huawei's earbuds have the highest IP rating at IP54, offering both dust and water resistance.
• 🎵 Sound quality varies, with Huawei's offering the best balance and loudness, while Bose's sound is criticized as weak in the treble range.
• 📱 Huawei's earbuds excel in call quality, effectively suppressing background noise and maintaining clear voice transmission.
• 🛍️ The video concludes with a recommendation for Huawei's earbuds as the best overall choice, but suggests alternatives for regions where Huawei products are not available.

Q & A

What are clip style open earbuds?

Clip style open earbuds are a form factor of earbuds that clip onto the outer part of the ear, specifically the Helix area, without being fully inserted into the ear canal. They are designed to be open-ear, allowing for better compatibility with glasses and avoiding the issues of ear hooks getting tangled with hair.

Which part of the ear do clip style earbuds attach to?

Clip style earbuds attach to the Helix part of the ear, which is the upper, curved part of the outer ear.

What are the three earbuds reviewed in the script?

The three earbuds reviewed are the Soundcore C3i, the Huawei Free Clip, and the Bose QC Ultra Open.

Which earbud is the most expensive among the three reviewed?

The most expensive earbud among the three reviewed is the Bose QC Ultra Open.

What is the unique feature of the Bose QC Ultra Open earbuds?

The unique feature of the Bose QC Ultra Open earbuds is that they have a silicone wrap that rolls open to clip onto the ear, and they also look like earrings when worn.

Which earbud is the easiest to put on according to the review?

According to the review, the Huawei Free Clip is the easiest to put on because it has a flexible material that can be easily opened and doesn't require rolling or squeezing.

Which earbud offers wireless charging?

The Huawei Free Clip offers wireless charging, which is a feature not available in the other two earbuds reviewed.

What is the battery life advertised for the Soundcore C3i earbuds?

The Soundcore C3i earbuds advertise a battery life of 10 hours.

Which earbud has the best microphone performance in noisy conditions?

The Huawei Free Clip has the best microphone performance in noisy conditions, as it was able to suppress car noises and provide clear voice audio.

What is the IP rating of the Bose QC Ultra Open earbuds?

The Bose QC Ultra Open earbuds have an IP rating of IPX4, which means they are water-resistant but not dust-resistant.

Which earbuds support multipoint connectivity?

All three earbuds, the Soundcore C3i, the Huawei Free Clip, and the Bose QC Ultra Open, support multipoint connectivity.

What is the recommendation for someone who wants open earbuds but cannot get Huawei products?

For those who cannot get Huawei products, the recommendation is to check out the sponsor's products, such as the Open Fit Air and the Open Fit Incredible, which are also open earbuds with a hook style design.

Outlines

00:00

🎧 Overview of Clip Style Open Earbuds

The paragraph introduces three different clip style open earbuds, highlighting their design that clips onto the outer part of the ear, specifically the Helix. It discusses the suitability of this form factor for users who wear glasses or have long hair. The three products compared are the Soundcore C3i, the Huawei FreeClip, and the Bose QC Ultra. The ease of putting on the earbuds is evaluated, with Huawei being the easiest and Soundcore the most difficult due to its stiff plastic material. The paragraph also touches on the compactness and pocketability of the cases, with Huawei's being the most compact.

05:02

🔋 Battery Life and Charging Features

This section compares the advertised and actual battery life of the three earbuds, noting that all of them exceed their advertised battery life. It also points out that the Soundcore offers the best battery life. The paragraph further discusses the availability of wireless charging, with Huawei being the only brand to offer it in its model. The color options for each product are listed, with Huawei providing the most variety. The operation of the earbuds is also covered, with touch controls on Soundcore and Huawei, and physical buttons on Bose.

10:04

📞 Call Quality and Wind Noise Performance

The paragraph evaluates the microphone performance of the earbuds in noisy and windy conditions. It details the results of a mic test with each product, noting that Huawei's earbuds performed the best in suppressing background noise and wind. The paragraph also mentions the control options available during phone calls, with Huawei and Bose offering volume control, while Soundcore does not. The IP ratings of the earbuds are discussed, with Huawei having the highest rating of IP54, offering both dust and water resistance.

15:04

🎵 Sound Quality and Final Recommendations

This section delves into the sound quality of the earbuds, with Huawei's offering the best balance and loudness, while Soundcore's was found to be the least loud and had a shrill sound profile. Bose's sound was criticized for being bass-forward with weak treble. The paragraph also mentions the availability of EQ controls in the respective apps, with the exception of Huawei, which only offers presets. The final recommendations suggest Huawei as the best product, Soundcore as a budget option with compromises, and advises against the Bose due to its high price and average performance. The paragraph concludes with a suggestion for viewers in regions where Huawei is not available to consider open earbuds from the video's sponsor, Shockz.

Keywords

💡Clip Style Earbuds

Clip style earbuds refer to a design where the earbud clips onto the outer part of the ear, specifically the helix, without sealing the ear canal. This design is highlighted in the video as being comfortable for users who wear glasses or have long hair, as it doesn't interfere with these attributes. The video reviews three different clip style earbuds, emphasizing their form factor and how they fit onto the ear.

💡Open Ear Design

Open ear design earbuds are those that do not block the ear canal, allowing users to remain aware of their surroundings. This is contrasted with in-ear or noise-cancelling earbuds that seal the ear canal for better sound isolation. The video discusses the benefits of open ear design for activities where situational awareness is important, and it also touches on the design's impact on sound leakage and volume requirements.

💡Soundcore C3i

Soundcore C3i is identified as the most affordable option among the clip style earbuds reviewed. The video discusses its design, ease of use, and comfort level, noting that it is made of stiff plastic which might make it less comfortable compared to other models. It is also mentioned that it has touch controls on the backside and offers the longest battery life among the reviewed earbuds.

💡Huawei FreeClip

Huawei FreeClip is one of the earbuds reviewed, noted for its clip design that slides onto the ear's helix. The video praises its ease of use, with a flexible material that easily opens and clips onto the ear. It also mentions that it has a more compact case and comes in more color options than the other earbuds reviewed. Additionally, it has been updated to include volume control via touch controls.

💡Bose QC Ultra

Bose QC Ultra is positioned as the high-end option among the clip style earbuds. The video describes its unique feature of rolling open to clip onto the ear, resembling a fashion accessory. Despite its higher price, the video criticizes it for not offering wireless charging or having the best sound quality among the reviewed products.

💡Wireless Charging

Wireless charging is a feature that allows earbuds to be charged without the need for a wired connection. The video notes that Huawei FreeClip supports wireless charging, which is a notable feature in the context of the small form factor of the earbuds. This is contrasted with the more expensive Bose QC Ultra, which lacks this feature.

💡Touch Controls

Touch controls refer to the ability to control the earbuds by tapping or swiping on their surface. The video discusses how the Soundcore C3i and Huawei FreeClip use touch controls on different parts of the earbud, while the Bose QC Ultra uses physical buttons. The ease of use and learning curve associated with these controls are part of the review.

💡IP Rating

IP rating is a standard that rates the degree of protection provided by the enclosure of a device against dust and water. The video mentions that the Soundcore C3i and Bose QC Ultra have an IPX4 rating, indicating they are resistant to splashing water from all directions, while the Huawei FreeClip has a higher IP54 rating, offering additional dust resistance.

💡Multipoint Connectivity

Multipoint connectivity allows earbuds to be connected to multiple devices simultaneously, making it easier to switch between them without needing to disconnect and reconnect. The video initially states that only the Soundcore and Huawei support multipoint, but it corrects itself to include Bose, which added this feature through a firmware update.

💡Sound Quality

Sound quality is a critical aspect of earbuds, and the video provides a comparative analysis of the audio performance of the reviewed products. It notes that the Soundcore C3i has a limited volume and less impressive sound quality, while the Huawei FreeClip offers the best sound quality and loudness among the three. The Bose QC Ultra's sound is described as bass-forward but with weak treble.

Highlights

The review compares three clip-style open earbuds with different price points to determine the best option.

Clip-style earbuds are praised for their compatibility with glasses and ease of use for those with long hair.

The Soundcore C3i is identified as the most affordable option among the three earbuds reviewed.

The Huawei Free Clip is noted for its ease of use, with a flexible material that easily clips onto the ear.

Bose QC Ultra open earbuds have a unique rolling mechanism for clipping onto the ear.

Huawei Free Clip is highlighted as the most compact and pocketable case among the three.

The Soundcore C3i and Huawei Free Clip offer two color options, while Bose QC Ultra open comes in two colors in the reviewer's region.

All three earbuds advertise battery life slightly less than what is achieved in real-world use.

Huawei Free Clip is the only earbud with wireless charging capability among the three.

Touch controls are available on Soundcore and Huawei, while Bose uses a physical button for controls.

Huawei Free Clip has been updated to include volume control, which was previously lacking.

IP ratings are discussed, with Huawei achieving the highest rating of IP54 for dust and water resistance.

Huawei Free Clip is described as the most aesthetically pleasing, resembling a stylish earring.

Soundcore C3i includes additional grips in the box for a more secure fit.

Huawei outperforms the other earbuds in call quality, especially in windy conditions.

All three earbuds support multipoint connectivity, allowing them to connect to multiple devices simultaneously.

Auto volume control is a feature available on Bose and Huawei models, adjusting volume based on ambient noise.

Huawei Free Clip is recommended as the best overall product, with Soundcore C3i being a budget option and Bose QC Ultra open being less recommended due to its high price.

The reviewer suggests considering alternative brands like Shocks for open earbuds, especially for those in regions where Huawei is not available.

Transcripts

three clip style open earbuds three

completely different prices there can be

only one winner Namaste we DHR me

dramatically honest review mildly

entertaining just mildly all right today

we're looking at three buds which the

form factor has developed in the recent

time and become better and better so we

call them clip style buds different

brands use different names but basically

all of them have this kind of shape and

your ear kind of fits in here so if you

look at the side angle it kind of Clips

onto your ear it's still not in your ear

so that's a nice thing it's open ear

that part of the ear is actually called

the Helix which we just found out today

and where they clip onto or fold onto as

we'll see with the other earbuds is

around your anti-h helical fold all

right free biology lesson for you guys

but I think it's an excellent form

factor and especially for somebody who

would like to wear glasses for example

you have your glasses on these in no way

you know interact with that part whereas

if you're wearing a ear ear hook over

ear you're going to have some

interference and that's Hit or Miss

Right some buds have very thin ear hooks

where they do work well with your

glasses but if you don't want to deal

with that at all then these definitely

make a lot of sense not just that if you

have long hair and had long hair in the

past it's a real problem to get you know

ear hooks under your hair hair

especially if you've had it done so we

have three products we're looking at

today right from top to bottom this is

the sound core c3i on top the cheapest

of the lot then we have the Hua free

clip over here which is also kind of

this hook style thing and then we have

the Bose QC Ultra open Y and this one

actually rolls open to clip onto your

ear cont let's see how that looks on

your ear okay so this is what it looks

like you roll it open and this is how

they sit and also when you wear these

things they look like earrings right

they're a little bit above your ear Lo

but look like definitely a look yeah

yeah compared to earbud they actually

can act as a fashion accessory yeah

that's good to and if you look at the

sound core and the Huawei they both have

this clip on that just slide onto that

part of your Helix whereas as we saw the

Bose is a silicone wrap but which one

was the easiest to put on for you okay

so I would say the easiest has to be the

Huawei yeah because there is no rolling

there is no squeezing the Sea Bridge as

they call it whatever this hook it's

very easy to just open like this it's a

flexible material and you can just open

it whereas if you look at the sound core

it's made of the stiff plastic as its

price would betray but this thing has no

give almost you know I had to kind of

stuff my ear in there instead of opening

this up look at this look I'm pushing my

finger and it doesn't even go in whereas

if you look at the Hua if I push my

finger in it just moves you see it's

much easier I think the second best

would be the boss because you can roll

it open put your ear in there and then

it closes down so in terms of comfort

yeah I would give it to the Huawei and

the second would be the Bose and the

sound core I don't know I found really

hard yeah I can imagine now the cases if

you look at them are quite compact but

we would have to say that the Huawei

again is the most compact out of all of

them yeah it's the thinnest it's the

least wide and let's also look at this

most pocketable okay can you show us

what kind of colors we get these buds in

I thought you never ask let me open the

browser here so let's start with the

cheapest of the lot the soundcore c3i

they have a black and a white color I

like the black because it has that

semi-translucent look yeah oh the white

doesn't have that that's very plain

anyway to be honest I don't like the

black but okay to each their own then we

go to the most expensive Bad Boys is the

Bose Ultra open and at least in our

region it has these two colors smoky

white and black and then the Huawei free

clip has three different colors in our

region black purple and this cream color

beige so more choices on the Hua there

yep but everything has at least two col

let's take a look at the battery life

yeah so it's quite interesting you see

here that the Bose and the Huawei both

advertise less than they get and both

are at 9 hours but it's also true for

sound core so they advertise 10 and they

get 11 so you get the best battery life

on buds on the sound core only the

Huawei has wireless charging here not

Bose which is more expensive not sound

core which is and this is what we've

been seeing is with opener buds there

are very few that offer wireless

charging and to see a brand in such a

small form factor build wireless

charging in it's pretty cool yeah all

right so and then the way you operate

these buds you've got touch controls on

both the sound core and the Huawei yeah

um the bows on the other hand uses a

button on the barrel yes and that's this

button so this will be behind your ear

and you can depress it and what's

different about the sound core versus

the Huawei is that the touch is on the

backside for the sound core compared to

the Huawei which has both on the front

and the back right yeah so the thing is

the sound core has touch just here and

let me see if that's right yeah and

these are the speakers that will go

towards your year when I got the Huawei

it had only touch here on the bigger

part not the ball let's say but with the

software update now they've enabled

touch here and we'll come to that in a

bit and we talk about controls but yeah

that's the control situation here they

all do volume control only thing is that

the bows it has a weird like press and

then on the second press keep it held in

how do you control volume on the sound

core and on the sound core you can set

it in the app you can configure it for

long press for example or single tap

whatever you can customiz but do you

have to choose between different

settings no you can keep it for long

press so that's the way I've enabled it

is for long press but one thing I

noticed is because having the touch

sensor at the back for the sound core

was a bit of a learning curve as well

just like how the bows had the yeah yeah

okay but anyway to each there on I think

when you use these you get used them

pretty quickly and you know what the

scheme is like yeah I want to add one

here which is Huawei didn't have volume

control and it was released yeah so it's

gotten this update recently which is an

experimental feature as you can see you

have to tap and hold to adjust volume

the front ball as they say helps you

increase the volume it's an experimental

feature so it was not there out of the

box but I found that it worked pretty

well and I was quite happy with the the

implementation so Huawei is now complete

in terms of control for me as well nice

it's nice to see that you know you get

these for more updates and you get added

features actually then in terms of Ip

rating the bows and the sound core are

both ipx4 rated no dust resistance well

they'll be fine for workouts huawe again

one UPS them all with an IP 54 rating so

they are dust R rated as well yeah and

equally water resistant yeah now as we

said all of these are a look yes which

look do you prefer here man you can wear

this one on the left yeah so I wear this

one on the right let's do some modeling

sound cor yeah so this sound cor you

okay man ow yeah I'm not yeah the sound

cor is not for me this one at least not

very tough in terms of looks I've got to

say I like the Huawei it looks like an

earring yeah and a very cool one as well

very like sleek and yeah very Sleek I

think the Bose would be second for me

the sound Cod is not terrible looks wise

but oh man yeah no yeah and you need to

be into that translucent I don't know

kind of nothing it's nothing like

nothing like budget nothing there is no

loud branding on any of these buds

that's nice so that's kind of nice and

what you also need to know about the fit

like we said sound core less easy to put

on kind of painful depending on how big

or thick your helixes you got fat

helixes I got a fat Helix don't judge me

and as if the soundcore c3i were not

let's say thick enough or or tight

enough around your Helix they've got

they give you extra in the Box to make

them even Tighter and you can add those

additional grips that you get in the Box

to it and then you add more thickness as

if as if it wasn't thick enough it's

already too thick for me boys yes so

we're talking about the buds here yes

just the butts y yeah what about phone

calls well have a listen to the

Popsicles icicles and his test guys we

are out here with the soundcore C30 I

doing a mic test with cars in the

background there a little bit of wind so

you can see that on the meter pop pop

popsicle ice ice icicle test test

testing one 2 three now softly pop pop

pople ice ice

icle test test

testing one

two all right this is a mic test on the

Bose Ultra open earbuds pop pop popsicle

ice eyes icicle test test testing 1 2 3

top

tople test testing

one all right guys we are out here now

with a Huawei 3 clip doing a noisy test

with cars in the background with a tiny

bit of wind here we go pop pop popsicle

ice ice icicle test test testing one two

three nowly

all right guys now windy

M4

c3i test test

testing all right this is a mic test in

windy conditions of the Bose QC Ultra

open buds whatever not QC Ultra open

earbuds

ultra um here we go the wind meter is

going to be showing some wind at some

point as I pick up my

Pace all right pop pop popsicle ice ice

icicle test test testing 1 2 three pop

pop popsicle ice ice icicle test test

testing 1 2 3 and now a wind test on the

Huawei free clip with wind pop pop

popsicle ice ice icicle test test

testing one two 3 pop po popsicle I I

icle test test testing one two 3 all

right guys I just listened back to those

mic samples and for noisy conditions the

wind really goes to the Huawei they were

able to suppress the car noises to

almost nothing you couldn't hear it and

the voice although a little bit

processed was very Audible and then for

windy conditions huawe takes the wind

the win again because you barely heard

it at all it just took it all out and

the voice was crystal clear amazing well

those are the phone calls but before we

move on let's just touch upon what kind

of controls you get while you're on a

phone call so you get answer and hang up

on all of these but only the Huawei and

the bows give you volume control the

sound core even though it has volume

control it only works for audio and

doesn't work on calls okay yeah and none

of the mute on the call then let's talk

about the extra features so there's only

multipoint on the sound core and the

Huawei so a quick correction on this

guys actually all three devices support

multipoint Bose just introduced this as

a firmware update later on we actually

made a full video on that where they

made a few other changes as well so go

check that out if you want to know more

and also good to mention they do have a

device list in the

app and there's also a device list list

in the sound core app but there's no

device list in the app for the Huawei an

important extra with devices like these

where you know your ears and we come to

sound now but when your ears are open to

the world it's surprising how much more

volume you need to hear these when

you're outside depending how how loud

your environment is so both the boss and

the Huawei have Auto volume control so

they kind of listen to your environment

and boost the volume to kind of keep up

with the world around you that is not

there on the sound cor and when we're

talking about the app the all three of

them have apps which is nice and you get

a lot of customiz like EQ controls you

can change controls on all of them again

except bows they don't allow you to

change it so yeah that's what we have in

terms of the extra features let's talk

about sound yeah you just tou upon EQ I

think the Huawei does not have a custom

EQ it just has EQ presets the other two

have custom CU but you know open ears

are always going to be challenging guys

it depends on the exact distance from

your ear it depends on how they fit you

much more than in ear butts because they

are more consistent with the distance

from your inner ear so all will have

similar leakage as well so if you we

play loud volume I think people around

you in a quiet space are going to hear

it so don't play questionable stuff or

watch questionable stuff using these

Birds because it's a good chance people

are going to hear you but in terms of

volume itself we just tested it and you

had an observation didn't you yeah I did

the sound cord just couldn't get very

loud no so I was easily going to Max and

the thing with open a buds right is that

you're going to be using these out and

about and if if there's environment

noise you're going to hear it which is a

good thing yeah but that also means

you're going to crank up the volume to

be able to hear your audio and if you're

in a really loud environment you're not

going to be able to hear these yeah all

of them but sound cor for was the least

loud of them Bose was second least loud

yes didn't get Extremely Loud either the

the one that could get the loudest was

the Huawei yeah but again that's a whole

different topic but you shouldn't be

maxing out volumes true true just

because your Ambient sound is is high

look into noise cancelling butts but

that's a whole different video exactly

in terms of pure sound the sound code is

like I don't know these would have been

possible for sound possible I'm saying

two or 3 years ago okay now considering

what you get on open years hook style

but also these other two these are

strictly a podcast only can audio

product it's super shrill on the default

setting and the mids and the higher end

sound so chulent and they don't get too

loud either now the second worst or best

on this list would be the Bose all Ultra

and that's surprising considering how

much more expensive these Ultras are

they have a very base forward sound

decent Basse I would say but the treble

sounds very weak and thin and especially

the mid and higher travel now the base

is forward but extension control just

okay so you're not going to get like

deep sub base for this price category in

general of this product category rather

the three band EQ Works quite well to

change the sound very responsive but

doesn't fix the weaknesses that the

driver has and a really fun feature on

the Bose is the immersive mode now I

always criticize immersive mode for

listening to music but on open ears they

really give you like you get immersed

much more because the sound is coming

from farther away so you really feel get

that kind of speaker effect on open ears

it's just it's nice to have it doesn't

really change anything best of the lot

easily is the W okay sounds good similar

limitations of the base like I said

extension but it sounds good and it's

possible for casual listening and for me

the treble is a bit sharper and thinner

but it's a bit more of a balanced sound

and less of a mids recess so so and it's

the loudest of the three yeah and there

is some basic e presets in the app at

this all right to buy or not to buy well

guys Huawei is clearly the best product

here sound core you should get for the

price and it does come with a ton of

compromises and we'd say don't buy the

bows it is pricey as hell I'm not that

great for the price yeah but hey okay

let's because a lot of you guys watching

this are maybe in the US or places where

Huawei is not available what should you

buy then let me think yeah you should

probably check out our sponsor shocks

because they make open earbuds as well

they make them hook style so if we can

take a look at some of them here we go

that's the open Fit air and the open fit

incredible products with a thin ear hook

guys so these actually work quite well

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