TWS true wireless earphones - under $100
THREE STARS - The Elevoc Clear has the strongest ANC active noise-cancelling on earbuds under $100, and handles phone calls brilliantly. Unfortunately, it's performance is unreliable.
Elevoc Clear specs and features:
Bluetooth 5.2 with AAC codec
5 - 6 hours listening on a full charge (ANC on/ off)
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 5 times
Comes with 6 sizes ear tips, USB-C cable, English manual
$60 on Indiegogo
Below this Elevoc Clear review, you will find comparisons of the Elevoc Clear vs Earfun Air Pro 2, Soundcore Life P3, 1more ComfoBuds Pro, and Huawei FreeBuds 4i/ Honor Earbuds 2 Lite.
Update November 18, 2021: Changed the score from 4.5 to 3 stars. I've now had three different pairs of Elevoc Clear I could test, and two of them have serious issues - one pair can't connect both earbuds to each other, whatever you try. The other has a sensor issue, where it automatically pauses with almost every head movement. Why still three stars? When it works and you don't have to move with the earbuds, the ANC works fantastic. The Elevoc even gave me some very relaxed nights in noisy hostels.
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Design, comfort and battery life
Elevoc may not ring a bell to you for wireless earphones, but it’s an experienced player on the market. Since 2017, this Chinese brand provides its ANC active noise-cancelling and the 'ENC' noise reduction for phone calls to other manufacturers, such as OnePlus, TaoTronics, and chipmaker Qualcomm. Now, the brand enters the TWS market itself, advertising the Elevoc Clear as an artificial intelligence-loaded earphone marketed with the slogan 'Voice On, Noise Off'. Let's see.
The Elevoc Clear has a straightforward design. The charging case and earbuds are not very outspoken, although the matte black and grey color scheme gives it a bit of a formal edge.
The charging case has a rubbery feel and a pleasant heft to it. It feels sturdy and seems to be nicely resistant to fingerprints and scratches. The USB-C charging port can be found below, next to four LED lights that indicate the remaining battery and charging status of the case. There's also a manual button to reset the earbuds to their factory default. Under the lid, there's plenty of room for bigger ear tips than the six pairs that come standard with the Clear.
The earbuds themselves follow a proven concept - these are AirPods Pro-like. You pick them up easily from the case, and they are light too, as the grey outer parts are plastic instead of metallic. The stems are lovely short, and the oval mound makes for a snug yet comfortable fit for hours in a row. Unfortunately, Elevoc doesn't provide a waterproof rating for the Clear - but it did survive a light rainfall while testing.
Battery life is easily sufficient for everyday use, with around 5 hours of playtime with ANC on, and an hour longer with the function turned off. While it's nothing groundbreaking, it's still half an hour longer than the considered standard earbuds for calls - the Apple AirPods Pro. If you’re only using the ANC without listening to music or calling, it can easily make 8 hours on a charge - making these suitable for use in bed as well. The case can recharge the earbuds five times fully before needing a recharge itself.
Controls and connectivity
The Elevoc Clear is easy to operate. It only responds when you touch the upper part of the stem and gives a subtle 'tick' every time you trigger a command (at least on iPhone and Android - it doesn't do so on a MacBook). It's easy to get used to the control scheme.
Tap L or R once to play/ pause music
Double-tap L or R twice to skip a track
Triple-tap L or R to return a song
Hold L or R to switch between ANC, Transparency, and Normal mode
Unfortunately, it's not possible to change the volume from the earbuds themselves. The good thing about the scheme is that the controls are always the same, no matter if you're using one or two earbuds.
It's easy to switch from one to two earbuds and back again, by the way. If you charge one bud and listen to the other, then take the charged bud out, you'll go over to stereo listening in a heartbeat - and the other way around.
Others aspects of the connectivity on the Clear are… questionable. The Bluetooth signal holds up strong up to 8-9 meters away from your device. The earbuds could connect and pair quickly (but one out of three pairs I tested didn't pair both earbuds to each other!), and music playback automatically pauses when you take an earphone out of your ears - and resumes when put back in. Unfortunately, the auto-pause function can malfunction: music may randomly pause when you're just wearing the earphones, and will pause often when you bow your head - all the time when they're just residing in your ears. It seems that there's an issue with the sensor here, and it stands in the way of enjoying the Elevoc Clear while you're moving.
Calling and watching movies
As the manufacturer specializes in it, it makes a big deal out of the call quality. The Elevoc Clear uses six microphones, artificial intelligence, and two 'Voice Accelerometers' to optimize calls… and it delivers.
The Clear is a winner for phone and video calls. Your voice sounds loud and natural, and has a telephone-like clarity. What's more important though, is that your voice ALWAYS sounds great. When you're calling from within a car, when you're walking near a traffic junction full of accelerating vehicles, when you're surrounded by people chatter or laughter. Only when you're cycling or walking directly into a fierce wind, things can become a little tricky - yet the Clear handles even this scenario better than average.
Taking a phone call holds just as well in an office area with people talking around you: the focus on your voice is so good, the other end of the line may not even hear other people talking at all - except for sudden shouts, possibly.
The performance in video calls is solid, too - like Zoom meetings, Microsoft Teams or even WhatsApp group calls. Once again, it's the noise-cancellation that does an incredible job. Sudden bright sounds like claps and door slams lose their sharp edge and mild people chatter is completely left out of the call. At the same time, your voice sounds natural, clear, and loud.
A thing to notice in video calls however is that the microphone does need a tiny moment to recognise your voice, so you may need to take your moment when you start talking.
With the Elevoc Clear app, you can change the amount of ENC (Environmental Noise Cancellation) in your calls. If you want the earbuds to pick up your voice just a bit faster, you can turn the ENC down manually - but then background noises aren't as reduced as good anymore.
Additionally, it's easy to watch videos on the Elevoc. Audio synchronizes with video flawlessly on iPhone and Android, including the YouTube app. There is a noticeable delay in sound effects when you're playing games, though.
ANC Noise cancelling test of Elevoc Clear
The Elevoc Clear lets you cycle between ANC off, Transparency mode, and ANC modes by holding down an earbud. A soft female voice confirms your actions in English.
ANC mode quality: The Active Noise Cancelling of the Clear is a blessing. Just about every constant sound in the background disappears completely. Traffic in the background? Gone. Chatter an office cubicle away? Nearly or completely inaudible. Especially darker sounds are successfully reduced, only to give you a very small amount of white noise in return. You can still hear brighter, louder sounds with the function activated, like chatter nearby or the lightest tap of keyboard clicks, but even those are heavily toned down. No matter if you’re in the office, on a plane, or sleeping in a shared bedroom in a hostel: this ANC brings rest to your ears like no other earbud in this price range.
Transparency mode quality: The Transparency or Ambient mode, designed to let through sounds around you when you need it, is convenient as well. It immediately lets in some lighter and darker sounds around you again, making it easy to hear both voices and traffic around you. Even when listening to music on moderate volume, it's doable to locate cars and other vehicles.
Wind noise reduction: As the Elevoc Clear offers Hybrid ANC, wind noise is fairly well countered when using ANC or Transparency. Happily, it's also possible to switch to ANC off-mode, which still leaves out music must successfully.
At the moment of writing, the Elevoc Clear are the best noise-canceling wireless earbuds you can buy under $100 - and likely in general.
Also read: The best wireless ANC earbuds
Sound quality of Elevoc clear: Work-proof
Music plays a bit of a secondary role on the Elevoc Clear. The sound quality is sufficient to support you in your workdays - not much more.
Whether you're listening on very low background volume with the ANC working its magic or listen on the highest volumes: there's little liveliness in the Clear's sound. Most of the effort in the music goes to the bass and the lower mid-tones, but even these aren't very pronounced.
The bass is mostly concentrated to mid-bass slams. The gentle bass thumps sound full and feel fast, but they lack a punch to make a proper impact - don't expect a heavy-hitting drum or stabbing electronic bass here. Lower mid-tones, such as darker electronic tones, are boosted in quantity and provide further fullness but aren't very textured.
Upper mid-tones and highs are rolled off before they have the chance to become remotely bright or harsh. From lower male ones to the high squeaks of Bjørk, vocals lack presence in the highs - everything is very smoothed out. Music does feel around you a bit, with some accents coming more from your left and right than others. Furthermore, center-mids like guitar play and claps seem to be skipped mostly, the restricted vocals can be a bit dull, and you won't be wowed with detail.
But despite all that, the overall signature... kind of works. It serves a purpose. Devoid of any sharpness and detail, it could just help you concentrate on your workday.
Elevoc Clear comparisons
Elevoc Clear vs Soundcore Life P3
The Soundcore Life P3 is and feels slightly bigger in your ears, yet comes with longer playtime per charge, compensating for it. The Elevoc triumphs in two aspects: its ANC noise-cancelling filters brighter and especially darker sounds better and suppresses white noise better than the Soundcore. And again, while calling with the Life P3 is easy, it's easier on the Clear, giving you more clarity in your voice and reducing your surroundings better. The Soundcore wins in the music department, with better separation, a finer balance between smoothness and clarity, and lots of options from the fantastic free app - although always with much more boosted bass than the Elevoc; something you should like.
Soundcore Life P3 review ($80)
ELevoc Clear vs 1more ComfoBuds Pro
Priced the same as the Clear, the 1more ComfoBuds Pro offers comparable battery life and a more effective Transparency mode. The ANC on the Elevoc reduces more noise - especially removes brighter peaks better, and the same goes for phone calls. While it's doable to take a call with the 1more, the Clear handles them better in more crowded situations, including walking in the wind. As the microphones pick up your voice faster, the 1more has an advantage in video calls. Musically, the ComfoBuds Pro has a strong advantage, presenting a more vivid, natural sound, with more emphasis on mid-tones, more prominent and detailed vocals, bass depth, and a more open character. The Elevoc has a smoother approach.
Elevoc Clear vs Earfun Air Pro 2
The Earfun Air Pro 2 ANC mode does a terrific job of ruling out noise and delivering phone calls for the same price as the Elevoc... yet in both aspects, the Elevoc still has a slight lead. The Clear's ANC mode is less fit-dependent and filters out darker noises just a tad better, and it rules out more surrounding noise in phone and video calls. The Earfun Air Pro 2 counters with fun - it has an hour longer playtime per charge and a more engaging sound. The Air Pro 2 bass has more impact and goes deeper, mid-tones have more texture, vocals are more upfront and clear while remaining smooth, and there's more air and separation in the music.
Earfun Air Pro 2 review ($70)
Elevoc Clear vs Huawei FreeBuds 4i/ Honor Earbuds 2 Lite
The Huawei FreeBuds 4i/ Honor Earbuds 2 Lite are appealing alternatives to the Clear thanks to their 8-10 hours battery life and rapid recharging - up to 4 hours of extra playtime after 10 minutes of quick charging. The Huawei and Honor deliver strong ANC, yet not on Clear's level. The Elevoc ANC reduces darker sounds a bit better and also has a more natural Transparency mode. Both are great for phone calls, with the Huawei and Honor performing better when you're facing the wind, but the Elevoc ruling out people chatter around you better. The Elevoc puts your voice through clearer and more natural in video calls as well. For music, the Huawei and Honor have a more balanced, natural sound, with less emphasis on bass and lows and more on the center tones than the Elevoc.
Buy Huawei FreeBuds 4i on Amazon US, Amazon Germany or other Amazon stores ($60 - review soon)
Verdict
The Elevoc Clear has the strongest ANC active noise-cancelling on earbuds under $100, and handles phone calls brilliantly. Unfortunately, its performance is unreliable, as music may stop automatically and pairing problems can occur.
So why does it still get three stars? Because there's a scenario the Elevoc handles like no other: using the ANC function while you're in one place. In your office, in a plain, or even in bed in a crowded hostel: there's no other pair of wireless earbuds under $100 that cancels noise so well.
But it isn't enough to give it a recommendation for all-around use.
Three stars - Worth considering
Buy Elevoc Clear:
I received the Elevoc Clear to test and review from the manufacturer. My reviews are 100% independent and non-commercial. I test and review all audio products equally honest - read about it here.
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