Cleer Ally Plus II true wireless earbuds reviewed

Looking for an all-purpose true wireless earbuds but not willing to break the bank? Fret not, we got you covered! Check out the latest the Cleer Ally Plus II true wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation.

What is the Ally Plus II?

Ally Plus II is Cleer’s latest flagship ANC true wireless earbud which features an impressive active noise cancellation and a 10mm graphene dynamic drivers for great sound quality. Everything you want is packed in the Ally Plus II, IPX4 rating, wireless quick charging, sound personalization, touch control and 11 hours of usage with 22 hours more in the charge case at just SGD 219.

The Cleer Ally Plus II comes in midnight blue or Stone beige color and is available at Cleer’s e-store or major retailers.

Specifications.

Size and Weight	6.8g (per piece), 58g (both earbuds and case)
Driver	10mm graphene dynamic driver
Frequency Response	20Hz -20,000Hz
Microphone	Qualcomm cVc 8th gen
Connectivity	Bluetooth V5.2
Audio Formats	MP3, SBC, aptX Adaptive
Battery	11hrs per earbud (22hrs with charging case) Qi wireless charging/USB-C Charge case Quick charge 5min provides 1hr usage
Software support	Cleer + App
IPX rating	IPX4 water resistance certified
Features	Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation Ambient Sound Control Wear Detection Auto Play/Pause Sound Personalization Mimi Hearing Health Sound Personalization

Aesthetics.

The Cleer Ally Plus II looks like a button you can find on a blazer, round and rather large. The large surface area also acts as the touch control and hides the led light. The body itself is one of the largest earbuds I had ever came across, I was quite skeptical at first wondering if it would fit or even be comfortable wearing for long periods.

The ear tip extends off the earbud at 45 degrees at the part which I called the pancake. If you rotate the earbud upside down, It actually looks like a double stack pancake with an ice cream on it. Although the Ally Plus II looks quite intimidating, It actually sits quite well on the ear.

I was assigned the midnight blue color and quite like the color scheme and design. The whole design is more to matt black with a shimmering metallic blue at the rim of the earbuds giving it a classiness feel to it.

I really like the clear Cleer charging case (pun intended) which provides a window for me to see if my earbuds are actually in it. There are times when I would just scoop off the charge case without noticing that my earbuds aren’t inside.

What’s more, the charge case itself can be charged wirelessly and provides a power reserve of 22hrs of usage time. Utilizing any USB-C cable or wireless charger gives me the freedom to charge unlike the ARC was quite limiting in terms of charge options.

The Cleer Ally Plus II comes with eight different kinds of ear tips, yes eight! Four round type tips (XS,S,M,L,XL) and three winged tips (S,M,L). I feel the default M size is just nice for me, although the earbuds might look bulky it is actually quite light at 6.8g a piece. The ear tip fits nicely into my ear canal without much discomfort and the pancake portion itself would sit on the concave part of my ear.

Overall, the Cleer Ally Plus II, although not the best looking, fits and sits well, displacing the discomfort of having only the tip supporting the earbud.

Performance.

The perks of being an audio reviewer is not just getting to try the latest earphones but revisiting great songs with better gears which made the audio experience more enjoyable every time!

The Cleer Ally Plus II supports MP3, SBC and aptX Adaptive which provides premium audio quality with low latency.

For this review I had utilized the Mimi sound performance app to fine tune the listening experience for my ear. Ever tried tuning up the volume so that the song would sound better? With the Ally Plus II, something special happened. I don’t need to crank up the volume to feel the wholesome of the music.

With “Closer” by the chainsmokers, the bass was amazing. I suspect it was due to the tight seal of the earbuds to the ear, the clicks and claps were distinct and sharp. While vocals were smooth, clear and was in harmony with the overall soundscape.

“Can’t Stand the Rain” by the Rescues showed good sound separation effect and again you can feel the bass vibration all around your ear canal. While with “Forgotten Time” by Tsai Chin, the vocals are smooth but I couldn’t feel the trembling effect when the singer was singing acapella.

A typical night would have me strolling or jogging around my neighbourhood, Cleer Ally Plus II accompanied me for a couple of nights and I found it to be quite stable. Even during uphill climbs with sweat and dirt trickling down my face, the earbuds would be snug securely in my ear. Answering calls was easy with the one touch control. Mic was clear and loud and my wife could hear me panting even with the wind blowing toward me.

In terms of music performance, the Cleer Ally Plus II did well with a solid bass, clear mid and highs. But a little lacking on lows. There was harmony without loudness when playing rock, EDM and pop music.

Controls and Cleer+ App

The Cleer Ally Plus II comes with the Cleer+ App, like my previous review of the Cleer ARC the app itself is simple and clean. It comes with an equaliser and settings to change the touch controls. However with the Ally Plus II, you will be able to toggle ANC and ambient mode through the app too.

The Ally Plus II also supports Mimi sound personalization which can done through the Cleer+ App. Based on your age and hearing abilities, Mimi will help tune the latency which is optimal for your music enjoyment.

The Cleer Ally Plus II also comes with ANC/Ambient mode which can be activated via the touch controls or the Cleer+ App. The ANC works with Feed Forward and Feed backward technology and can filter up to 34dB of noise. I tried it while my wife was reprimanding my children for spilling their drinks and you know what? I had a temporary moment of bliss until I figured that she was talking to me!

The ambient mode allows you to hear your surrounding sound, however with music blasting and ambient mode on. I need to crank hard to listen to what was happening around me. Unlike the Cleer ARC which gives you more freedom and clarity while working or even driving.

Next Track	Double Tap L
Previous Track	Triple Tap L
Pause/Play Track Pickup Call/Hang up Call	Single Tap L/R
Activate ANC/Ambient Noise	Double Tap R
Reject Call	Hold 1s L/R
Activate Voice assistant	Hold 2s L/R
Increase volume	Double Tap and hold R
Decrease volume	Double Tap and hold L

The Bottom Line.

For SGD219, Cleer Ally Plus II packs a lot in a small package. Although it can’t be compared to Sony’s WF-1000XM4, it was clearly priced to compete with it. The sound quality although not the best, but is one of the best I tried yet.

It is a trust worthy earbud which can be used during work, your evening run (IPX4 Sweat rating) or when you needed some me time. The only issue will be the size of the earbuds which might be too big for some ladies.

TLDR.

Great performance earbud with tons of functions and a fraction of the price.