As audioXpress previously reported, Cleer Audio surprised positively with the refined, elegant design of the Alpha over-ear headphones, which are also packed with the latest technology and features. Specifications include Cleer's patented 40mm Ironless Drivers, Bluetooth 5.1, Qualcomm's aptX Adaptive and cVc 2-mic solution, battery for 35-hours of playback in ANC mode with quick-charge via USB-C.
But one of the main product differentiators for the Clear Alpha is the headphones' spatial audio implementation. Swedish digital audio pioneer Dirac and Cleer Audio have collaborated to integrate Dirac’s patented spatial audio solution - Dirac Virtuo - into the Bluetooth chipset of the active noise-cancelling headphones, enabling users to enjoy immersive sound even from stereo content.
"Cleer Audio has established itself as a leading designer of ultra-high-quality headphones, earbuds, and smart speakers that offer premium performance at affordable prices,” states Lars Isaksson, Dirac’s Head of Business Development, Streaming & Headphones. "By collaborating to include Dirac Virtuo in the new Cleer Alpha, our companies have shown that headphone users can have easier access to better sound quality and more immersive sound experiences."
Spatial audio is becoming mainstream. It was already a standard in movies and scripted content, and now consumers have learned that music is also being mixed in "spatial audio". However, most consumed content is still stereo and Dirac Virtuo turns that content into an immersive sound experience emulating the perception of a wider, enveloping soundstage. It's not a decoder and rendering solution for any specific immersive audio format, such as Dolby Atmos or MPEG-H Audio, but purely a processing solution that allows consumers to enjoy something closer to a theater-like experience. As Dirac describes it, "With Dirac Virtuo integrated into the new Cleer Alpha, listeners experience a more balanced sound and an expanded soundscape that includes all spatial cues of the original stereo content – as if it were coming from a pair of high-end home speakers."
Dirac Virtuo uses a high-resolution Binaural Room Impulse Response (BRIR) to bring out the spatial cues already embedded in stereo recordings. The solution also includes Dirac's measurement-based frequency response correction technology to digitally enhance the sound quality of headphones, removing undesired resonances and colorations – creating a clean acoustic canvas for the spatial experience. The result is audio that sounds like it’s emanating from beyond the headphones, for a more natural and comfortable listening experience, whether enjoying music, podcasts, conferencing, or movies.
"Our collaboration with Dirac underscores Cleer Audio’s efforts to combine high-performance hardware and software to create the best sound experience possible from our headphones," says Patrick Huang, President & CEO, Cleer Audio. "Regardless of your media player or playback device, Cleer Alpha users can now always experience immersive sound."
The new Cleer Alpha wireless design was recently awarded a prestigious 2022 CES Innovation Award, by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). The headphones also standout for including adaptive technology to sense a user’s surroundings and provide a quiet, focused listening experience. Adaptive ANC automatically changes the levels of noise cancellation on its own, detecting changes in the frequency of sound coming at the listener and adapting in real-time for the best possible performance.
While other designs offer variations of this feature, Cleer Audio says that its focus was on simplicity, optimizing the adaptive approach to noise suppression, focusing on addressing needs in different listening environments, while maintaining an open and crystal-clear audio performance. On daily outings, Alpha's adaptive noise cancellation function, combined with upgraded earpads with a cooling feature significantly improve the users' wearing comfort.
The Alpha headphones also stand-out for its Cleer+ App customization features, enabled by a simple interface with personalization of the EQ settings, swipe/touch controls and smart assistants built in. With the Cleer+ app users can define swipe controls to optimize their experience and avoid button presses. The app also allows users to optimize the headphones' performance for both sound and noise cancellation features.
The Cleer Audio Alpha headphones (MSRP $249.99) are available now in Midnight Blue and Stone colors. Unfortunately, because of the Qualcomm chip, which does offer Qualcomm aptX Adaptive support, the Cleer Alpha headphones don't support AAC, limiting most Bluetooth sources to stream in SBC. High-quality wireless reproduction is only supported from source devices supporting Qualcomm aptX, such as some of the most recent Android phones. Not an option for users with iPhones.
The headphones package includes a carrying case for the completely foldable headphones, charging cable USB-C to USB-A, audio cable 3.5mm to 3.5mm (enabling the headphones to be used also in wired mode), and an in-flight adapter.
www.dirac.com | www.cleeraudio.com
