The Soundpeats are well known for offering decent audio on a budget, and these are exactly that. They aren’t the cheapest open-ear headphones Soundpeats makes. Actually, I think they’re the most expensive ones, but they still definitely fit on the more affordable side of the mid-range, if that makes sense.

To help guide you through this review, I’ll cover several sections: Design & Build, Open-Ear Experience, Case, Looks & Style, Comfort, Fit & Durability, Bluetooth and Range, Pricing & Value, and, finally, my Verdict. This roadmap will ensure you can quickly find the details that matter most to you.

Design & Build

The actual headphones, on the other hand, tell a different story. They’re really premium feeling. They feel great and are very lightweight at only 5 grams per earbud, which is half the weight of AirPods Pro. This makes them comfortable and easy to wear for extended periods.

Moving next to the build quality, the central part of the headphones, the spring or arch, is well-made with a thin design and a rubber finish. It springs back neatly into place, securing the headphones firmly.

The larger side has a little shiny part of their logo on it, which I think looks really nice, considering it’s a logo. And this is the bit that sits behind your ear when you’re wearing them, so you can’t really see it unless someone is directly behind you.

At the front, all you really see is a thin black loop around each ear, with a shiny end in the middle. This design not only looks sleek but also stands in contrast to competitors like the Shokz OpenFit, which takes a more minimalist approach, and the Bose Ultra, known for its more pronounced, rounded design. A quick glance at how Soundpeats compare to these popular models shows how they position themselves in the open-ear headphone market.

sound Quality

They’re nice to listen to, and the sound quality is my favorite part. For the price, they perform above expectations. With ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ vocals and instruments were impressively clear, revealing details I didn’t expect at this price. These headphones deliver a surprisingly immersive experience for the cost.

They support the LDAC codec. If sound quality is important to you and your phone supports it, make sure it’s turned on in the app, if possible. They really do sound excellent—certainly far better than you’d expect for headphones that cost this amount—and possibly better than any other open-ear headphones like this that I’ve used before.

I’d love to do a blind listening test with them and see which one I prefer. I think that would be really interesting to do.

Open-Ear Experience

In summary, these are the Soundpeats Clip 1 open-ear headphones. I dislike the case but love the headphones—which is what matters most.

They sound excellent, and because they’re open-ear and clip-on, they’re incredibly easy and comfortable to wear. That open-ear, of course, I haven’t really discussed that in much detail, but obviously, you get no noise reduction or anything like that.

Instead, they let in your surroundings so you can naturally hear while listening. If you want the best affordable open-ear sound, these are a solid choice.

Case

And let me prove that by talking about the case, because this is definitely the area of these headphones that I like the least. The headphones themselves actually feel surprisingly premium, but the same cannot be said about this case. It just feels cheap and plasticky, with this very shiny finish.

It’s chunky—about half an inch thick, like a stack of five credit cards. It’s awkward in your pocket, and the opening mechanism feels unsatisfying. The case feels more like a budget product than a mid-range or high-end one.

It does have some good points, though. The headphones snap in magnetically, really quite nicely. And rather than having each side labelled left and right, it will automatically switch each headphone to the side you put it back in, if that makes sense.

So no matter which way round you put these in, they’re going to fit. And when you take them back out, they’ll always be the right way round for your left and right ear when you take them out to actually use them. That is a really nice touch, and I haven’t seen it before.

Looks & Style Comfort, Fit & Durability

Now, open-ear headphones often look a little odd, simply because we aren’t used to seeing them, much less the in-ear earbud style.

I think this thin loop design, though, looks very smart compared to others I’ve used. But it’s also made them look even more like jewellery than ever, which could be a good thing or a bad thing for you, of course, depending on your preferences. Personally, I think they look quite smart.

They fit well. Open-ear headphones are much more comfortable for long wear than in-ear options. You can hear your surroundings, and there’s no blocked-ear feeling.

They feel secure and are great for exercise. They’re IPX5 rated—no dust or sound protection, but some water resistance—so sweat and light rain should be fine.

Bluetooth and range

Bluetooth, as with all Soundpeats products I’ve tried, is superb. This model supports Bluetooth, and connectivity was seamless and easy. I had no trouble with initial connections, unlike the Soundpeats Pealclip Pro.

I measured the maximum range without dropout at about 12 meters, exceeding the usual 10-meter expectation. I could walk to the garage or basement without my phone. It may not sound like much, but it’s impressive.

The media playback is also something to brag about. While using this, I did not experience lag on calls, movies, music streaming, or while scrolling through social media. I enjoyed every aspect, and the low-latency mode was an added advantage.

Pricing & Value

Right now, for example, you can get these for about £60, and I’ve seen them for even less than that on Black Friday sales. So if you’re looking for the best audio you can find on a tight budget, these could well be worth a look if you’re after open-ear headphones.

Pros and cons

Pros

Excellent sound for the price (clear vocals/instruments, “above expectations”)
LDAC support (can boost audio quality if your phone supports it)
Very comfortable for long wear (no blocked-ear feeling, easy to wear)
Secure fit for exercise (stays in place well)
Lightweight (about 5g per earbud)
Great Bluetooth performance (smooth connection, low latency, strong stability)
Better-than-average range (you measured around 12m without dropouts)
Smart auto left/right behavior in the case (no L/R labels needed, it adapts)
Good value (often around £60, sometimes less on sales; you also mention $50 as a steal)

Cons

Case feels cheap (plasticky, shiny finish, “budget” feel)
Case is bulky/chunky (awkward in pocket; opening feels unsatisfying)
No noise reduction (open-ear design lets in all surroundings—good or bad depending on what you want)
IPX5 only (fine for sweat/light rain, but no dust protection)

Finally, here’s my verdict: Should you buy the Soundpeats?

If you are in the market for the perfect clip-ons with great sound quality, the Soundpeats clip-ons are among your best options. You get a very good-looking clip-on that sounds very good. I enjoyed using this, and at $50, these are definitely a steal.

For budget-conscious runners or commuters, these offer affordable, high-quality audio and an open-ear design that keeps you aware of your surroundings.

Soundpeats Clip1 Review