I’ve been testing the new SoundPEATS PearlClip Pro earbuds for a some weeks now. These launched in January 2025, and SoundPEATS kindly provided me with a pair to try out. I was initially curious (and more than slightly skeptical I admit) about their “Clip-On” design. Can a low-price buds work in the modern work and life that well? Now, after some hands-on experience, here’s my take on how they perform and what experiences I have so far.
The most striking feature of the PearlClip Pro is obviously the Clip-On design. While traditional earbuds sit inside your ear canal (a stem or some other part sticking out), these have an “arm” that curves around the front to the back of the ear. It’s almost like wearing a pearl earring that hooks on – hence the name “PearlClip.”. As a man not wearing any earrings or other ear decorations, this does look very odd to me (on me) but let’s focus on function over the style. On the style, I need to point out that I did try out Microsoft Surface Buds three years ago (2022) , which also had a distinguishing design element. Btw, Surface Buds 2 never came out and I never got them to sit securely in my ears.
PearlClip Pro got VGP2025 Gold Award / VGP 2025 Best Cost Performance Award. I wasn’t familiar with these awards earlier, but I suppose these awards aren’t very loud in western / European countries.
The package contained all the essentials + some stickers. The package is not designed to be recycled fully, as there seems to be one plastic piece (where the case sits). Seeing how many companies put effort for package recycling, I wish the practice would extend to budget products as well.
The charging cable ( USB-A to USB-C) was provided but frankly that is a bare minimum. Cable is short and using that would mean digging a charger with USB-A port from the storage.. All my chargers come with USB-C port these days.
Sizewise, here is a size comparison to Jabra Evolve2 Buds case. These are similar in the size. the PearlClip Pro’s case design makes it easy to put to the “coin pocket” in jeans, despite being a bit larger than Jabra’s case.
I missed it first, but that “row of lights” is actually also a button that is used when pairing buds to other devices, or if there is a need to do a reset.
Comparing to Jabra’s case, PearlClip’s case feels plastique and cheap. It does the job, but the case might have a shorter lifecycle than Evolve2’s case has. But I point here as well: we are talking here about a totally different price range.
Solid Audio Quality Despite the unusual design, the PearlClip Pro sound better than I initially expected. They have a 12mm dual-magnet driver coupled with a Dynamic EQ, so you get good highs and decent lows. The open-ear design also creates a more natural soundstage, which can be quite “cinematic” if you want to be aware of your surroundings.
Music and Calls: Whether I was listening music or taking a Microsoft Teams call, I found the audio to be a good one, especially considering the price for around 50–60 USD (60-80 EUR).
Not Microsoft Teams Certified: Though not officially Teams certified, I had zero trouble using these for calls and virtual meetings on Teams. The mic quality was clear, and I didn’t have issues with connectivity.
At first, it wasn’t easy for me to figure out how to wear them. After practice, I got better at clipping them on, but I’m still not sure I’d trust them fully when moving around a lot or doing sports. This is mostly because of how they rest on my ear, pressing slightly on the ear flap. Normal buds are pressed into the ear canal, and to me it feels more secure but then there are buds which drop out too easily.. If you don’t like traditional buds (or they are never comfortable in your ears), give this design a try.
The comfort level is very personal. I found I could not wear them for two hours straight without feeling some pressure, but for shorter calls or music sessions, it was fine. If you have trouble with traditional bud designs, this clip style might be a great alternative. But if you prefer familiar in-ear buds (like I do), you might find these a bit strange. I can wear Jabra Evolve 2 or Logitech True Wireless buds easily for 3-4 hours without breaks.
Comparing to the promo picture with a model, it looks like I am wearing them quite ok but the model’s ear has a different shape that is better suited for the clip-on.
The PearlClip Pro features touch controls on the “arm,” letting you play/pause music, skip tracks, adjust volume, and answer calls. Unfortunately, I found these touch controls a bit unreliable. Often, a double-tap was registered as two single taps, making it feel tricky to navigate quickly. I ended up controlling music and calls directly from my mobile or computer, rather than using the touch interface on the earbuds.
A single charge gives you up to 6 hours of playtime, with another 18 hours from the case, for a total of around 24 hours. There’s also a fast-charging feature that provides 2 hours of playtime after just 10 minutes of charging. Not bad, but not a winner either.
Auto-Adaptive Left/Right is a real nice feature: One handy trick is that you can place either bud in either side of the case. After about 10 seconds, they’ll automatically adapt to be left or right appropriately, saving you from accidentally putting the wrong earbud in the wrong ear.
Dual-Device Connection: These can connect to two devices at once, so it is possible switch between your phone and laptop. This worked without issues.
Jabra Evolve2 Buds ComparisonIf asked about how PearlClip Pro compares to pricier earbuds such as Jabra Evolve2 Buds here is my opinion. To be fair, Jabra is in a different league (often closer to 300–350€) and includes features like Active Noise Cancellation, multi-microphone arrays, and official Microsoft Teams certification with a dongle.
Although Jabra’s fit and ANC are top-notch, the PearlClip Pro does an admirable job mastering the basics at a fraction of the price. If noise cancellation isn’t a priority or you want to stay aware of your surroundings, PearlClip Pro may be enough for your everyday needs.
Considering the big price gap, it’s not exactly apples to apples. Still, if you need a budget-friendly solution that works for calls and music, PearlClip Pro holds its own.
I also asked SoundPEATS contact about how they see PearlClip Pro compared to the Apple AirPods 2. They replied that “In terms of price, the PearlClip Pro is definitely more affordable, but it also competes strongly in terms of features. The open-ear design provides a different kind of comfort compared to AirPods Pro 2, which are in-ear, making the PearlClip Pro ideal for long periods of use while maintaining situational awareness. In terms of performance, the dual-magnet driver and dynamic EQ on the PearlClip Pro give it a distinct advantage in sound quality. While AirPods Pro 2 excel in noise cancellation, the PearlClip Pro offers a more natural, open listening experience and impressive battery life for its price range.“
That summarizes pros these buds have: the price and maintaining the situational awareness. I do have doubt these have sound quality advantages over pricier buds, but when looking a the price these are very good in many ways. Music and audio sounds quite natural to me (normal knowledge worker use who likes to play music on background during the workday). Battery life seems to be also quite ok, I didn’t stress test it yet but on my casual usage I didn’t have any issues. In terms of the battery life it doesn’t meet Jabra’s 33 hours with ANC on (with the case recharges), it isn’t bad for the price.
Tech specs table
The PearlClip Pro is clearly designed with mobile devices in mind, but they state that it is fully compatible with both Windows and Mac laptops/desktops as well. My tests with my Surface Laptop Studio PC didn’t have any connectivity issues and Apple iPhone 16pro also worked without any issues with PearlClip Pros.
These earbuds work with the new PeatsAudio app, which lets you customize EQ settings, check battery status, and configure touch commands. This can help mitigate some of the problems with the touch controls if you’re up for fiddling with settings. Here are some pictures from the app, to give understanding about features available.
Connecting to the device was easy.
Oddly, the device color needs to be picked. I suppose this is important for some people – but as usual, black / dark is my choice.
You can set buds also to Game and Movie mode.
It is possible to customize touch controls.
And more..
The PearlClip Pro stands out with its bold aesthetic. You either like it or you don’t, but I give SoundPEATS points for daring to be innovate. Traditional earbuds don’t fit everyone, so maybe this shape is exactly what you’ve been looking for?
If you find the design appealing (or if typical earbuds never quite feel right for you), spending around 50–60 USD (60-80 EUR with discounts, the original price is about 85€) might be worth it. Personally, I’m still relying to my Jabra Evolve2 Buds (and Logitech Zone True Wireless) for work and travel, since they fit my ears better and include active noise cancellation that removes surrounding noise. And I do admit, I do like more how traditional buds look. For casual music listening or calls here and there, PearlClip Pro does the job just fine. And if using Microsoft Teams noise cancellation / voice isolation the buds mic don’t have to excel at removing surrounding noise (despite they do claim it is good) and other people’s voices. And if you need to stay (audio) aware of your surroundings, this less closed design helps with that too. Microphones did pick up my voice clearly, which is pretty good for buds.
Overall, the SoundPEATS PearlClip Pro is an interesting new take on wireless earbuds. The clip-on design may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the sound quality, battery life, and call performance are surprisingly good for the low price point. If you’re intrigued by the concept – or if typical earbud styles have never been comfortable for you – it’s definitely worth giving these a try. They come at a budget-friendly cost, making them an easy recommendation for curious or those looking for something more unique.
So.. Buy or not? It all comes down to whether the clip-on design suits your ears and preferences, and whether you’re okay without the active noise cancellation. For me, it was a fun experiment, but I will still reach for my trusty (and more expensive) everyday buds for work and travel. Still, PearlClip Pro is a solid option in its price range, especially if you’re looking for something different.
If you want to check them out and you live in US, you can find these on Amazon US (I don’t get any incentive with that link). If you don’t live in US, you can find other countries from SoundPEATS pages where there are direct links to other Amazons, where you can buy these For example Amazon DE, where the price is 67€, with a 20% discount in place. The price seems to vary between different European countries a bit.
SoundPEATS kindly provided PearlClip Pro buds for me to write an honest experiences review.
