The Cleer Alpha ranks #78 out of 517 total Over-Ear Headphones for sound quality. See all Headphones rankings for every top pick.
Brand: Cleer
Prices on this page were last checked October 20, 2026 at 10:35 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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#78 Cleer Alpha: $199.99 Wireless Amazon $199.99 eBay
Pros: ANC over ears at about $200 with aptX Adaptive, multipoint, a 3.5 mm cable and up to 35 hours with ANC, plus a preference score of 86. Sub bass extends fully to 20 Hz with a 2 dB lift and the lower mids are close to target.
Cons: Upper bass is 3 dB low, which thins out warmth a little, and an 8.4 dB dip near 5.3 kHz plus dips near 9.2 and 11.5 kHz make treble subdued. There is no AAC for iPhones, it weighs 330 g, and the score rests on a single measurement.
Is the Cleer Alpha right for you?
Buy it if
- you want the tuning most listeners prefer in blind tests out of the box (Harman score 86).
- you are sensitive to bright or sharp treble (treble sits 3.0 dB below target).
- you want sub-bass rumble that reaches down to 20 Hz.
- you want noise cancelling for commutes or flights.
Skip it if
- you want the best value: the higher-rated Kiwi Ears x Z Reviews Serene costs about $89 less.
| Released | Dec 2021 (4 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Active Noise Cancelling | Yes |
| Back | Closed |
| Battery Life | 35 hours (ANC on) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, aptX Adaptive |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Connection | Wireless and wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.09 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 40mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 86 (1 squig.link measurement, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+2.7 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.26 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0.7 lbs (330 g) |
EQ Presets
Harman target
Set a preamp of -5.3 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Harman match with this EQ: 100 out of 100, up from 86.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -1.5 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -0.6 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 191 Hz | +4.7 dB | 1.04 |
| Peak | 2,124 Hz | -1.6 dB | 2.74 |
| Peak | 3,248 Hz | +3.0 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 5,200 Hz | +5.2 dB | 2.01 |
Neutral target
Set a preamp of -5.3 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Neutral match with this EQ: 99 out of 100, up from 59.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -7.2 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -0.6 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 193 Hz | +4.8 dB | 1.11 |
| Peak | 2,130 Hz | -1.6 dB | 2.79 |
| Peak | 3,248 Hz | +3.0 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 5,200 Hz | +5.2 dB | 2.00 |
Studio flat target
Set a preamp of -5.8 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Studio flat match with this EQ: 92 out of 100, up from 34.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -9.1 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +2.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 180 Hz | +3.5 dB | 1.98 |
| Peak | 1,072 Hz | -0.8 dB | 0.63 |
| Peak | 3,354 Hz | +5.1 dB | 1.07 |
| Peak | 5,449 Hz | +3.8 dB | 6.00 |
Warm target
Set a preamp of -5.6 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Warm match with this EQ: 100 out of 100, up from 83.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -1.3 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -4.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 194 Hz | +4.9 dB | 0.96 |
| Peak | 2,097 Hz | -2.2 dB | 3.42 |
| Peak | 3,260 Hz | +2.6 dB | 5.57 |
| Peak | 5,327 Hz | +5.9 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 6,907 Hz | -1.8 dB | 5.40 |
Bass target
Set a preamp of -5.3 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bass match with this EQ: 100 out of 100, up from 85.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +2.3 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -0.6 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 189 Hz | +4.7 dB | 1.00 |
| Peak | 2,120 Hz | -1.6 dB | 2.71 |
| Peak | 3,249 Hz | +3.0 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 5,202 Hz | +5.2 dB | 2.02 |
Bright target
Set a preamp of -6.0 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bright match with this EQ: 87 out of 100, up from 40.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -7.2 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +1.4 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 192 Hz | +4.8 dB | 1.15 |
| Peak | 2,066 Hz | -1.9 dB | 3.26 |
| Peak | 3,158 Hz | +2.5 dB | 5.77 |
| Peak | 4,768 Hz | +5.8 dB | 1.27 |
V-shaped target
Set a preamp of -6.3 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted V-shaped match with this EQ: 80 out of 100, up from 73.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +3.0 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +1.9 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 194 Hz | +5.9 dB | 0.92 |
| Peak | 4,544 Hz | +6.0 dB | 1.19 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
Frequency Response
How the Cleer Alpha measures across the audible range, against the Harman over-ear target that most listeners prefer in blind tests. Where the line sits above the target that range sounds louder (more bass, brighter treble), below it quieter. The curve is a single measurement, and both lines are shifted so their 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB.
Measurement data: a single measurement from the squig.link database of vsg. Thanks to them for publishing their work.