Soundpeats Pop Clip Review
Intro
Hello, this review and feature covers the latest from the audio brand Soundpeats named the Soundpeats Pop Clip ($39). Once again Soundpeats is at it with another non-conventionally and totally uniquely designed set of earbuds. The Pop Clip utilizes the same air-conduction technology which Soundpeats has been mastering over the course of the last few years. Folks, Soundpeats is constantly innovating and coming up with good ways to get music into our ears. However, they do so in some of the most unconventional of ways. I’ve reviewed a few of their air-conduction sets over the years and it seems that they only get better as time moves along. I suppose that makes sense. Certainly, Soundpeats is not a brand who simply rests on their laurels, but instead they routinely create, they invent, or they take an existing tech and make it better. Yet they don’t just make it better, but they also make it cheaper. Friends, we should all applaud this wonderful brand as they’ve never left the budget sector. Never. The Pop Clip is another example of Soundpeats thinking about those of us who don’t have money falling out of our pockets. Yet they are also thinking about different styles of listening, different purposes, different use cases, and they are constantly thinking of better designs which serve unique consumer purposes or needs. Never would I have thought that I needed a Pop Clip… until I actually used it on a daily basis.
Progressively better each time…
Like I said, I’ve reviewed a handful of Soundpeats air-conduction sets thus far, and each one has gotten progressively better with each new rendition. Now, I’ve featured so many Soundpeats true wireless sets and I’ve seen firsthand the improvement. It’s as though they do nothing unless a distinct improvement has been made. However, it wasn’t until the Soundpeats RunFree Lite (RunFree Lite Review) that I actually heard an air-conduction device. Truly, I was taken aback at how sound could shoot, or be pushed into a specific direction, and only that direction. I was blown away! Perhaps I’m easily amused, but I thought that was so cool. It solves a big problem for those people who want transparency with the outside world, but also want good and dynamic sound from their earbuds. The crazy thing was that this newer tech wasn’t expensive. It was actually cheap. The person right next to me couldn’t hear a thing but I was getting blasted by sound right next to them. Next was the slightly more expensive and better made Soundpeats RunFree (RunFree Review). After that I reviewed an even more mobile tws version of the tech with the Soundpeats GoFree2 (GoFree2 Review). What an awesome set that is. Lastly, I reveiwed the Soundpeats PearlClip Pro (PearlClip Pro Review), which is a much smaller tws version which actually clips on your ear. Each one is better than the last. However, it appears that the Pop Clip is a less expensive version of the PearlClip Pro. That said, the sonics are just as good. I am very impressed.
A cool tech
You know, this type of wireless tech serves a very good purpose for many users. I’d say they are marketed at people with an active lifestyle, for the most part. Obviously, for the person out for a jog, or working out, or just out for a walk it is of the utmost importance to be able to hear your surroundings. However, even with the passive pass through of the outside environment, the sound coming from your earbuds is still very dynamic and enveloping. It’s quite a technology. I should note that there are a handful of other brands trying their hand at crafting their own open-ear, air-conduction type tws sets, yet from what I’ve heard Soundpeats seems to be in a class of their own within the budget sector. No doubt there are plenty of more expensive sets from other brands which feature the ear clip style. That said, I’m very curious as to how the Pop Clip stacks up and I am more than happy to feature the Pop Clip here at Mobileaudiophile.com. I also feel that I’m ready to get into this review. So, without further ado, the Soundpeats Pop Clip everyone…
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Pop Clip Pros
-Build Quality
-Design is great, very unique
-Very comfortable, feels like nothing on the ear
-Auto channel adaptation
-Battery Life is great
-Movie Mode
-Earbuds tracking feature works
-Soundpeats App
-Dynamic presentation
-Nice vocal delivery
-Crisp highs
-Enormous soundstage
Pop Clip Cons
-Fit may not be great for everyone
-Bass is a bit lacking unless the fit is perfect
-Only AAC & SBC audio codec (not really a con)
Packaging / Accessories
Unboxing
Well, as per usual there really isn’t much to say here. It isn’t like my iems reviews where I’m constantly pulling out layers of new accessories. With a set like this you only really have a few inclusions. Anyways, the box that the Pop Clip comes in is very small. It’s a white box with a picture of the Pop Clip on the cover. Open the box and you’ll see the charging case covered in fitted clear plastic resting inside of a plastic holder, or tray of sorts. Open the case and you’ll see the Pop Clip sitting pretty inside. Under the tray you’ll find the manual and the very short type-c charging cord. That’s about it. As expected.
Build / Design / Internals / Fit / Misc. Info
*Note: I will borrow some of the verbiage that I used in the PearlClip Pro review as these features have not changed. Just full disclosure. I will speak on any changes at length if there are any.
Build Quality / Design
The Soundpeats Pop Clip is made entirely of a hard plastic and carries a very distinct shape. You basically have two sides connected by a thick rubber wire which holds the Pop Clip in place on the ear. Inside it is made of a TPU and Ni-TI memory alloy so that it holds the shape that you form it to per your own ear shape. The area of the speaker is simply a ball with seven equally spaced holes where the air-conduction tech can shoot the sound to your ears. On the back of the unit is the block which goes behind the ear. On this block you’ll find the all-purpose control button. Thankfully Soundpeats used physical buttons on this set. Much more functional. The entire Body of the Pop Clip is made out of skin friendly materials, as well as sweat resistant materials. Furthermore, the Pop Clip is also a very nice-looking set, in my opinion. Very simple, classy, sleek, and it’s pretty fashionable too. It isn’t overly gaudy or an eyesore. The Pop Clip only comes in black and white at the moment as well. Obviously, my set is black. Really a nice build and a nice design folks.
Internals
Inside of the housing Soundpeats went with a 10.8mm PU+LCP diaphragm dynamic driver of solid quality. I can tell because it doesn’t matter how loud I go I don’t hear any undue distortion from the drivers. Soundpeats also decided to go with the same SOC Chipset as they used in the PearlClip Pro. That is the BT8932D chip. Beyond the driver and the SOC chip there really isn’t much more to talk about. These sets are very simple and don’t need all the bells and whistles of other type of true wireless sets. The chipset serves the purposes of the Pop Clip very well actually and the driver is clearly a good one. Not bad.
Audio Codecs
One of the areas that I wish was a hair better is with the audio codecs that Soundpeats offers on the Pop Clip. Soundpeats specifies that the Pop Clip has both AAC and SBC codecs. So, you don’t get any hi-res codecs like Aptx-Adaptive, LDAC, etc. I actually would’ve been more than happy with the Aptx codec. Having said that, they still offer AAC which does a very nice job for this set. So yes, it’d be nice to have some better codecs, but really, I’m missing nothing at all. I really mean that. In truth, this type of tech really doesn’t need hi-res codecs anyways. Moreover, some of the best wireless products that I’ve ever heard only had the most basic SBC codec. Even more honestly, I would say that codecs have been afforded way too much weight. Each codec comes with its own bitrates, sample rates, and bit depths, and while codecs such as LDAC and Aptx-Adaptive have higher bitrates it doesn’t necessarily mean the sound will be better hitting your ears. I cannot stress this enough. Honestly, I am more than happy with the AAC codec that Soundpeats gave the PearlClip Pro. The sound is great. However, to most people it will be a “con” that the Pop Clip only utilized AAC & SBC. Though I should mention that with this type of design you aren’t going to really be able to tell a difference like you would if you had an in-ear design.
Fit / Comfort
I’ve already spoken a little bit about the fit and comfort of the Pop Clip and I’ll repeat those thoughts here. The Pop Clip is very comfortable for me. I truly love the fit and the whole idea behind the way the Pop Clip fits on my ears. All it does is clip on with little to no pressure whatsoever, and it stays put perfectly. Again, the Pop Clip are extremely light at just 4.3 grams per side, which feels like nothing on the ear. With a set like the Pop Clip, you have nothing penetrating the inner ear at all as the directional sound technology uses directional positioning to shoot the sound into the ear. They don’t have to be in the ear at all, or sealed, they just… sit there. It’s really a remarkably comfortable set of tws earphones. I feel that I can speak for the great majority of hobbyists when I say that too. Unless you have some mammoth earlobes, which block the nozzles from your open ear, these are going to fit nice.
Controls / Functionality
The Soundpeats Pop Clip offers users the ability to control all functions at their fingertips, with the simple press of a button. Except “Dynamic EQ” and “Movie Mode”. Below is the layout for the controls:
-1-Tap (Right Side): Volume Up
-1-Tap (Left Side): Volume Down
-Double Tap (Left & Right): Play/Pause
-Triple Tap (Left Side): Voice Assistant
-Triple Tap (Right Side): Voice Assistant
-Long Press 1.5 sec. (Left Side): Previous Track
-Long Press 1.5 sec. (Right Side): Next Track
So, as you can see, Soundpeats was able to add all functionality to the earbuds themselves. Except for obvious features like Movie Mode and Dynamic EQ. Those features can be changed within the PeatsAudio APP. However, if you don’t like the controls as they are, the PeatsAudio APP allows you to change them completely. I love this option very much. Just go into the app and hit the “Custom Key” button and it’ll take you to the change screen. It’s very nice to have. Something I wish all brands gave the option for.
How well does the push button work?
I’ve always been more apt to enjoy a push button, or a physical button rather than a touch surface. They just feel more robust and more responsive and less prone to failing or messing up my listening experience with phantom touches etc. With that said, the Pop Clip’s button is in a very easy to use place on the backside of the ear. I’m telling you it is very intuitive where Soundpeats placed the button. It takes all of a couple button pushes and the muscle memory is ingrained. Well, in my opinion anyways. From my experience, I have never had an issue with the Pop Clip’s push button. It works everytime and I’d take it over a touch surface any day.
Charging Case
So, the charging case which comes with the Soundpeats Pop Clip is nothing out of the ordinary. It is a medium sized case made entirely out of a hard plastic. One cool feature of the charging case is one you wouldn’t know that you’d need or want. It’s really a function that applies to this type of earbud. It’s called “Auto Channel Adaptation”. What it does is helps the user from having to distinguish between left or right earbuds before putting the earbuds into the case. So, either the left or right-side earbud can go in either the left or right side of the case. It doesn’t matter. Please believe me when I say that it does help. So, after you put either earbud in either side just close the case and after 10 seconds the case will automatically self-adjust the left and right channels. Basically, whatever side you put them in the case will charge your earbuds. Another cool feature is fast charging. Thankfully, Soundpeats saw to it to add this nice feature. If your earbuds die all the way down all you have to do is put the earbuds in the case for 15 minutes and it’ll provide up to 3 hours of juice. Pretty cool. Beyond that, the case itself provides up to 30 hours of battery life which is quite good at this price.
Specifications
–Core Specs
-Bluetooth: V5.4
–Profiles: A2DP 1.4/AVRCP 1.6.2/HFP 1.8/SPP
–Chipset: BT8932D
–Supported Bluetooth Codec: SBC / AAC
-Battery
-Battery Capacity: 45*2 mAH(Earbuds) 400mAH (Case)
–Charging Time: ＜ 1.5Hrs (Earbuds）＜2Hrs (Case)
–Charging Port: Type-C
–Total Playtime: 30 hours
–What’s in the Box
-SOUNDPEATS Pop Clip Wireless Earbuds
-Type-C Charging Cable
-Charging Case
-User Manual & APP guide
–Specs Cont…
–Driver: 10. 8 mm PU+LCP dynamic driver
-Gaming / Low-Latency mode: Yes
–Movie Mode: Yes
-Soundpeats App: Yes
-Touch Controls: No (Push Button)
–Earbud battery life per charge: 8.0 hrs
–Weight: 4.7 grams per earbud
Features
*Note: I will borrow some of the verbiage that I used in the PearlClip Pro review as these features have not changed. Just full disclosure. I will speak on any changes at length if there are any.
Game Mode
Soundpeats offers a very nice “Game-Mode” or “Low-Latency Mode” which really does a nice job for both watching movies as well as some light gaming. Even without the game mode applied I don’t have issues with watching videos or movies. However, if I begin having problems then gaming mode is perfect and works pretty darn well. I found that less graphically intense and simply less intense games do much better with the Pop Clip. I mean games like Angry Birds, or games known as “Casual Games” will really come across perfectly timed, without fail. There are some 1st person shooter games where the sound didn’t perfectly match what my eyes were seeing. Nothing egregious though. Basically, in a 1st person shooter like Call of Duty, the sound will line up 80% of the time. It’s just the very intense scenes where the Pop Clip (and most every tws) seems to suffer a hair. As I would expect. However, for everything else game mode works great. Movies and videos are never out of sync. The only issues that I saw were videos which are off no matter what earbuds I use. Now, I will say that the gaming mode in the Pop Clip is slightly less on-point (so to speak) then the PearlClip Pro, but it is generally very good.
Dynamic EQ
I couldn’t be happier with Soundpeats “Dynamic EQ” which basically takes the sound signature, soundstage, and imaging of the Pop Clip and takes it up a couple notches. Everything sounds more robust, more dynamic, better enhanced, less flat, cleaner, more detailed, more holographic of a stage. Really a solid setting which I always have turned on. In fact, out of the box this feature was turned on and so I would definitely call Dynamic EQ a “stock setting”. Bass gets slightly deeper, more authoritative. The mids sound more forward, tighter too, and the treble adds some extension while the stage widens and gains some depth. Really a very nice feature that I’m glad is at our disposal. Of course, the Dynamic EQ will likely use a hair more battery. I don’t know if this is entirely true, but I have to assume.
Movie Mode
Soundpeats added in “Movie Mode” to the Pop Clip which is a definite improvement over the PearlClip Pro. I found the PearlClip Pro added too forward of a sound at times, but the Pop Clip seems to be better controlled with this feature. Basically, Movie Mode will enhance your listening experience. The stage all of a sudden seems to widen and sound more holographic. It won’t change your life but it’s a cool feature.
PeatsAudio APP
Now we get to the PeatsAudio APP. Friends, I have always celebrated Soundpeats for having the presence of mind to create an app tailored to enhancing the experience of listening to their earphones, headphones etc. I promise I have used every app under the sun from the well over one hundred ture wireless sets that I’ve purchased and even reviewed. They’re absolutely not all created equal, and their apps are absolutely NOT all created equal. The PeatsAudio APP is a complete app my friends. Truly a great way to dial in the sound, choose your favorite features, upgrade your earphones, and you have a litany of ways to EQ the sound to your liking. I most certainly applaud Soundpeats for this app. I love the design of it, the ease of use, the colors chosen, the font even. It’s fresh looking and it’s much better than their older Soundpeats APP. They did a nice job.
Navigate the PeatsAudio APP
First connect your earphones to the app. It’s very Intuitive and easy to do. Then you’ll get ushered onto the Home page. On the Home page you can check battery status on your earphones and the case. You can disable touch controls, select Dynamic EQ, go into Movie-Mode or Game-Mode as well. Also, from the Home page you can click the menu at the top right and upgrade the firmware, reset your buds, change prompt tones, etc. At the bottom is what appears to be an EQ symbol which will take you to just that, the EQ. From there you’ll see all of the Soundpeats preset EQ profiles. They are interesting and you should check them out. They have Soundpeats Classic, Treble Boost, Bass Boost, Bass Reduce, Rock, Pop, Electronic, Folk, and Classical. I found the presets to be very well done. I don’t usually use them, but they’re nice to have, nonetheless. Soundpeats also offers “Adaptive EQ” which goes through a cycle of tests to provide you with the perfect EQ settings per your specific hearing abilities. Also nice to have. Lastly, you can use the 8-band graphic equalizer and fiddle with the EQ yourself to dial in the sound. Truly an awesome feature that you should most definitely try to use. The last thing on the app is an icon which looks like a human from the shoulders up which lets you read the manual and contact Soundpeats. Honestly, this was a very brief overview, but the PeatsAudio APP is clearly a great feature.
EQ
I realize I just glossed over the EQ settings, but I do feel that it should be a feature on its own. I really enjoy the way Soundpeats laid their presets out and I greatly appreciate the graphic equalizer. One thing is for sure, the Pop Clip reacts very nicely to any EQ changes. One thing I love about the graphic EQ is that you can customize your own profiles which get saved to the buds themselves. Meaning, it’ll save internally on the buds and those EQ settings will remain no matter the device you use, or the app that you choose to play music through. This has been around a long time, and it definitely isn’t new, but that doesn’t make it any less nice to have. Not every set allows that. Also, the presets are great to see folks. They really do work as intended. It’s just a nice thing to have. I love tinkering and the PeatsAudio APP makes it easy to do so. I would certainly dial in the sound with the Pop Clip, you won’t regret it.
Adaptive EQ
If the presets or the graphic EQ don’t fit your fancy than you also have what Soundpeats refers to as “Adaptive EQ”. So, Adaptive EQ is basically the same thing as a “Hear ID” such as you’ll see with some brands. What it does is helps the user to tailor the sound to their specific hearing abilities. The app basically goes through some real easy to follow instructions and tests to come up with EQ settings which fit you. I personally didn’t use the adaptive EQ just because I am able to EQ using the graphic equalizer just fine. However, there are plenty of folks who swear by Soundpeats Adaptive EQ. Who knows, give it a shot.
Call quality
One way that I’ve used the Pop Clip quite a lot is for work purposes. That’d be online meetings as well as simple general office usage. So many of these sets make me sound hollowed out and metallic to the people on the other line. Basically, I usually sound somewhat artificial usually. I’ve found that Soundpeats has done a very good job of keeping things at least somewhat natural. Obviously, no set of tws sounds completely natural without spending $400. However, Soundpeats has been at this wireless game for quite some time and have really dialed in the call quality aspect of these sets. In truth, call quality is pretty nice on the Pop Clip. Again, perhaps not perfectly natural, somewhat tinny, but about par for the course for the cost. Voices sound very nice coming through to me, and I can hear them perfectly. I’d say call quality is above average in my opinion.
Battery Life
As far as battery life is concerned, the Pop Clip is definitely above the average set of tws. Soundpeats states that the Pop Clip will provide up to about 8 hours of battery life on a single charge. Also, I’ll reiterate that if your battery dies then all you have to do is put the Pop Clip back into the charging case for 15 minutes and you’ll get about 3 hours of usage due to its fast-charging capabilities. Honestly, 8 hours is something that almost nobody is going to deplete, ever, without putting the earbuds back into the case. I don’t know how many of you have used earbuds that long. Now, for work purposes I will definitely use the Pop Clip all day long (so long as I’m working in the office). However, I do periodically take them out and back into the charging case. Besides the 8 hours per earbud, you also get 30 hours in total with the charging case. Not bad at all and definitely above average.
Transparency
This last feature really isn’t a “technical feature” at all, but more a feature of the style and build of the Pop Clip. Remember, the Pop Clip is an open-ear style set of tws, which means that the outside world is still very much open to the listener when wearing. I liken it to listening to a boombox, or a car stereo. Okay, that may not be the best analogy, but you get the point. The outside world isn’t really hushed or attenuated at all, but the sound from the Pop Clip is very much dynamic and present in your ears. It’s a cool way to hear your music while still retaining some awareness of the world around you. I can think of many areas where this ability would serve the consumer very well. Those being, for joggers who need to be able to run safely with good awareness of their surroundings, while still being able to hear their music. No doubt this is a huge benefit. You need to be able to hear cars, hear any danger surrounding you. I actually like the Pop Clip for driving too. I love to listen while not losing any awareness of the cars around me and traffic in general. I’m telling you all right now, the use cases are numerous, and the Pop Clip serves those uses wonderfully while not losing gout on the crispness, dynamism, note body, and basic loudness of a good set of earbuds. Soundpeats did a very nice job.
Sound Impressions
*Note: I should preface the sound portion of this review with a couple things. When listening I used the out of the box Dynamic EQ the entire time. I see no reason to turn it off. I also went with the out of the box tuning and no EQ applied. For all of my music listening, I listened using flac or better files which are stored on my devices. Also, I primarily use Poweramp from Bluetooth listening and at times I used UAPP (USB Audio Player Pro) as well.
Some caveats
I will make the sound portion of this review somewhat shorter than I usually do simply due to the fact that these types of air-conduction sets much more serve a functional purpose rather than a sonic purpose. Of course, that doesn’t mean that they can’t sound good. Thankfully, as far as I’m concerned, the Pop Clip sounds very nicely tuned. Remember, I am observing the sound with no EQ changes at all and no Soundpeats preset EQ settings either. So do keep that in the back of your mind when reading. Also, remember that the Pop Clip does react decently to EQ changes. One more thing, perhaps a sort-of caveat as to whether the Pop Clip will sound both robust and dynamic in presentation is that you really need to have the speaker as close to your ear hole as possible. I had to fiddle to get them there everytime. However, the sound will go from thin, relaxed, and less enthused just next to the ear, to wholly dynamic, authoritative, and full bodied with it just over the ear. Just something to keep in mind when using.
What’s it sound like?
The Soundpeats Pop Clip has a nicely balanced sound where there really isn’t any area of the mix (bass, mids, treble) which steals the focus from any other area. I’d definitely say that the Pop Clip is more emphasized in the low-end and the upper-mids / lower treble areas. There’s a huge caveat to that which I slightly glossed over a little bit ago. That is, you won’t hear the bass emphasis unless you have a perfect fit. It’ll sound as though the bass is only ever-so-slight if your fit isn’t perfectly positioned. At any rate, these impressions assume you have a perfect fit. So, to my ears the Pop Clip holds a slight V-shaped sound signature. Like I said, there is a bass and treble emphasis, but I also don’t hear a big recession in the midrange either. There’s actually a nice dynamic balance. I’d definitely say that the Pop Clip is more focused on clean-lined clarity and comes with a nicely detailed sound approach. Don’t buy this set if you’re looking for a meaty bass region or an overly musical presentation. However, that’s not to say it doesn’t have some musicality either. It just doesn’t specialize in it. From what I can hear the Pop Clip has a more authentic timbre. It’s certainly on the organic side (at least to my ears) without anything artificial sounding or anything metallic sounding. The Pop Clip has a smoother sound altogether yet also can come across crisper as you move up the frequency. To a degree anyways. However, the Pop Clip also has some good energy too. There’s some nice contrast tonally as the sound isn’t dull at all. Really a nice sounding set for $39.
Openness
Another nice quality of the Pop Clip’s acoustics is that there’s naturally very good width to the sound, there’s space to the sound, it’s very open sounding. Of course, with an open-ear set (such as the Pop Clip) you’ll certainly hear a more vast and airy presentation of the soundstage. Especially if you are coming off of in-ear earbuds. You get the same feel from flat earbuds. The sound is just more cavernous to a degree, more immersive in that way.
Overcome
Of course, like any set of tws, the Pop Clip has an onboard DSP chip (BT8932D) transferring the digital signal as well as an on-board amplifier. Also similar to other tws, you are sort of left to deal with the chipsets particular tuning along with the brand’s implementation of that chipset. Some are good, and some are… not so good, like anything. Please hear me when I say that Soundpeats is very dialed in folks. They make darn sure that the products they are crafting come with a chipset which exemplifies the Soundpeats “House Sound” so to speak. Once again Soundpeats came out with a very well qualified set that seeks to overcome any of the barriers which naturally affect audio quality from an open-ear style. I felt the same way about the Soundpeats PearlClip Pro too. They did a good job of overcoming the limitations sonically.
Bass Region
As far as the low end goes, you really need to make sure that your fit is right. This cannot be missed and must be addressed prior to judging the bass region because if the fit is off… then the entire spectrum is off, and you aren’t hearing the Pop Clip as intended. Especially the bass region. However, like I said, I am assuming you found a good fit. So, the low-end certainly has a mid-bass focus. The sub-levels have a hair less than moderate ability to add haptic feedback. The Pop Clip has a small amount of sub-bass rumble. Not even remotely close to basshead, but it’s there, you still have a sub-level presence. What’s nice is that it’s not a slow bass. It’s actually quite speedy. You don’t have all of the lingering resonances as you would a DD for an in-ear setup and so the sound comes across more lithesome, agile, swift in its attack through sustain. The mid-bass on the other hand has a very healthy slam, I’d still say it’s moderate in actual emphasis, but it can slam, it has some punch to it. Obviously, a set like this isn’t going to have the most density to its bass region and you shouldn’t expect a huge booming bass section. However, for an open-ear style set it is very hard for me to not be impressed. I’m telling you, the bass sounds very solid for this type of earphone. It’s relatively tight, well defined, and has enough oomph for a good bass drop, enough fullness to replay a convincing bass guitar, and enough hollow boom to provide a decent kick drum. Not bad at all folks.
Midrange
The midrange on the Soundpeats Pop Clip is one of very nice timbre. In fact, it surprised me a bit. It’s also a midrange with good energy. I wouldn’t say that note weight is robust or that each note has the best density. Of course, that is to be expected. Though I would say that the Pop Clip has fantastic clarity and high resolution for a tws set using only the AAC codec. It shows that codecs aren’t nearly as important as we have been made to believe. So, the lower midrange lacks a bit of warmth (again, expected) and richness, and so it won’t come across as a highly musical sound, though I do feel that the Pop Clip isn’t without some level of smoother musicality. I’d simply say that it favors a crisp replay, good instrument separation, better imaging than I would’ve expected too. It’s a very clean midrange folks. The low-mids are basically untouched by the low-end leaving behind crystal clear male vocalists. Perhaps a hair less energy and dynamism in this area, but very clear and nicely defined. Now, as you make your way up the midrange the sound becomes more forward leaning, more luster and vibrance too. I hear some nicely controlled energy for the price point. Nothing shouty, nothing sibilant, nothing metallic or any other form of odd timbre inflections. It’s simply a nicely tuned region. Females sound very nice with much better presence against the rest of the mix then I would’ve guessed prior to hearing the Pop Clip. Again, closer to natural than it isn’t, nicely detailed, and enough of a smooth demeanor to jot sound overly clinical.
Treble Region
The highs on the Soundpeats Pop Clip are certainly emphasized and provide a fairly sparkly top-end of the spectrum. I certainly wouldn’t call it a “treble-head’s paradise”, but I also wouldn’t call the treble boring either. It’s really tastefully lifted with enough brilliance to add some levity to the rest of the mix. Enough emphasis to add some snap to midrange percussion, edginess to strings, and gives woodwinds the tuneful resplendence to come across as energetic and sprightly. I’d also say that the treble has enough borrowed shimmer to give females twinkling luster to never sound bland or boring. I’d also say that detail retrieval up top is great for an open-ear set of tws earbuds. I even hear some decent bite to notes believe it or not. Which is the last thing I would’ve expected for this particular style of earbud. What I enjoy about the highs on this set is its ability to provide an airy sound to the spectrum. It comes across open, there’s space, it isn’t at all congested. The treble has solid note definition and even some crispness to it as well. Again, not a treble-bois’ dream, but the Pop Clip actually has some nice output in the highs.
Technicalities
Soundstage
Like I’ve stated, the soundstage has quite a wide sense to it and can come across as pretty immersive. Now, it isn’t so large and cavernous that it feels like I’m in a stadium or anything. Yet it is very open and very airy in its approach. No doubt the openness is a by-product of the style of earbud that the Pop Clip is, but that doesn’t make it any less nice to hear. I wouldn’t say there’s a ton of depth to the sound, and you won’t hear world class layering of the sound field, but there is enough height and width to make for a nice experience.
Separation / Imaging
Instrument separation is certainly one of the strong suits of the Pop Clip in my opinion. Again, it’s another attribute which is at least partially due to the style of earbud that it is. However, the Pop Clip also has very nice note definition, and good transients as well. Add in the fact that you never really have bass masking over the spectrum and so it’s mostly kept clean and clear for stuff like separation and details to come across illuminated. At any rate, separation of elements within the stage is nicely done. Imaging of the sound field follows suit as well. I hear vocalists coming in dead center and I haven’t heard anything which sounds out of place or floating around my head. I wouldn’t say the Pop Clip is a technical beast or anything, but for the cost to own it… it’s pretty darn good.
Detail Retrieval
I’ve spoken of this a few times, but detail retrieval is actually quite nice for a set like this. Once again, you have solid note definition, a very nice balance of the spectrum and you don’t have an over-saturated bass or treble to drown out any of the finer minutiae in my music. Most certainly the Pop Clip hangs its hat on its ability to come across with nice resolution. Coincidentally, it’s that high level of resolution which helps the Pop Clip to sound both clean & clear as well as provide better than average detail retrieval.
Is it worth the asking price?
This one is ridiculously easy for me to answer. There would be no world where this set is not wort the asking price. Of course, the tuning does have to at least somewhat agree with you (though you can EQ) and you have to want an open-ear style of earbud. However, for its purpose and for its price the Pop Clip is certainly what I would call a no-brainer. Friends, Soundpeats has been at this wireless game for a very long time. They have mastered the art of crafting tws sets which compete, and they do so at cheaper prices than most. No doubt the Pop Clip is the culmination of all of Soundpeats expertise in the area of wireless audio and to be perfectly honest…it shows. Absolutely the Pop Clip is worth the $39 it takes to own it.
The Why…
Well, because the build is actually fairly robust. Remember this is a $39 unit folks. You won’t see an alloy clad earbud with the special outward antenna at this cost. It truly has to be plastic. That said, it isn’t a cheap feeling plastic. Furthermore, the Pop Clip has a nice design too. Of course, it won’t be everyone’s cup-o’-tea, but honestly… what is? You have every control right at your fingertips using a nicely positioned physical button. Very intuitive. The transparency that the Pop Clip provides to the outside world is almost unparalleled at this price too. Also, the Pop Clip has full access to one of the best APPS in the PeatsAudio APP which allows you to cycle through every feature and every EQ preset or even decide your own personal EQ to save to the buds themselves. It allows firmware upgrades and a host of other options.
That sound
However, in my opinion what makes the Pop Clip one of the better open-ear style earbuds is the way the air-conduction pumps the sound to the listener. It is so wild to me that a set such as this could provide the dynamics and range that it does. It’s a wild tech which works almost flawlessly. The only caveat is fitment. It has to be perfectly aligned. Yet when you do get that good fit you will hear a very energetic and crystal-clear reproduction of your music with plenty of volume whilst still being well able to hear your surroundings. It’s a very nicely tuned set and it does exactly what it was created to do. In my humble opinion I applaud Soundpeats once again for putting to market a solid device which will likely bring plenty of gratification to anyone who purchases a set. So, to answer the question, absolutely the Pop Clip is worth the $39 it takes to own it.
Final thoughts on the Soundpeats Pop Clip
Everything is relative in this audio game. This is entirely true for the Pop Clip. The sound is wonderful, relative to both its cost as well as it’s style. It has to be put into that box though and with that stipulation. This is a set that has a function. It’s a set that carries a purpose. In fact, this is one review where the functionality of its design is likely the most important aspect. I hate to say that “sound” comes secondary but here we are. With that said, I feel that the sound is great folks. Make sure that the fit is good, click on the Dynamic EQ and you are golden. You’ll hear a very well-balanced sound field with a wide stage, crystal clear notes and enough vibrance, dynamism, and energy to effectively usher you through a workout without other hearing what yoilu are listening to or becoming a nuisance. Add to that, the timbre is actually quite great. This is coming from a guy who reviews some pretty awesome iems. While any wireless set already has its back against the wall, and they are limited in many ways (compressed sound, codecs), I found it so cool that Soundpeats is able to really tune the Pop Clip in a solid way. So, to finalize my thoughts in the Soundpeats Pop Clip, I want to personally recommend this set to anyone who desires this type of earbud.
Conclusion
To conclude my full review and feature of the Soundpeats Pop Clip, I want to first extend a huge thanks to the truly wonderful people at Soundpeats. I have such a heart for this brand and all of the people who have helped me in the past. You could call that a bias if you want but they’ve never once asked me to speak a certain way, talk highly of, or hype their products. All they’ve ever asked of me was to finish a review by a certain date, that’s it. I’m more than happy to oblige. Beyond that, they always give me ample time to learn about a set, know a set, and really dive deep into their products to give you an accurate opinion. Whether that opinion was good, or even not so good. They’ve always been a joy. So, thank you Soundpeats. I also want to thank you, the reader, for clicking the link to this review. Both my partners and I over at Mobileaudiophile.com couldn’t thank you enough. It is because of you that we do what we do and in my opinion, we take our reviews very seriously and with a high level of importance. Thank you very much.
Other Perspectives
So, you’ve read this review but now I hope you will go and check out other perspectives from other reviewers so that you may get a solid idea of what you are getting. I say this in every review because I feel it is of the utmost importance to you that you best know if a product will suit you, or not. Not everyone has $39 burning a hole in their pockets. That is actually a ton of money for many people across the earth. So do read, watch, or listen to other reviews and I do hope you get this purchase right. So with that I think I’m done. Please take good care, stay as safe as possible and always… God Bless!
