Open-ear earbuds used to lose the argument before the first song finished. Leakage, mushy bass, clips that pinched—then Anker Soundcore’s original AeroClip flipped that script for a lot of skeptics. The AeroClip 2, reviewed by MakeUseOf’s Gavin Phillips on September 22, 2026, is the refinement pass: same idea, sharper fit science, smaller case, and enough audio polish that Phillips now ranks them as his favorite clip-ons.
At $169 / £159 in Cloud White, Mist Blue, Burgundy Red, or Midnight Black, they sit in the “serious accessory” tier without drifting into Bose Ultra Open money. That pricing matters this week: Beats 360 and Sonos Ace Ultra just ate the sealed over-ear headlines. AeroClip 2 is the counter-move for people who refuse to cork their ears at the gym or on a trail.
Two thousand ears, one C-bridge
Soundcore says it measured 2,000 ear profiles to land a one-size C-bridge clip. The old model’s interchangeable silicone sleeves are gone. Phillips had family and friends try them; everyone found a secure seat across supermarket walks, moor climbs, and regular runs. Each bud tips the scale at 6.2g (up a negligible 0.3g from the first gen), and the thinner bridge lets the carry case shrink to roughly half the original footprint while still claiming up to 40 hours total (about eight hours on the buds alone).
That case is the one sour note. Buds now nest back-to-back, which takes practice, and the shell rattles more than the first generation. Not unsafe—just less “thunk” than you expect at this price. Pocketability still wins the trade.
Audio that sounds like… audio
Open designs usually compensate with exaggerated bass that still disappears outdoors. The AeroClip 2’s 12mm dual-magnet drivers push a more balanced Soundcore Signature tune: enough low end to fight leakage without turning every track into a club remix. Phillips calls the detail surprising for a clip-on, which is the whole selling point of the category growing up.
Bluetooth lands at 6.0 with SBC, AAC, and Sony’s LDAC. Out walking or cycling, codec differences were hard to hear—an honest reviewer admission that saves you from paying a mental tax for hi-res badges you will never A/B on a windy sidewalk.
The companion app remains a love/hate object. HearID personalization and EQ tools are strong; shipping Signature labeled as “flat” is still a fib. Voice control via Anker’s Anka chatbot can bump bass or swap EQ profiles, but music playback is stuck in Anka’s own chill catalog—one track looping if you ask for focus audio. Useful? Sometimes. Forced AI theater? Also sometimes.
Calls are the real AI win
Where the Guinness-adjacent THUS AI chip earns its keep is voice pickup: four mics plus vibration sensing that isolate speech in noisy streets. That matters more for grocery runs and trail calls than any chatbot playlist. Durability hits IP57—a real step up for sweat and weather—Qi wireless charging is in, and solo-bud mode works. MakeUseOf’s score: 7/10. Comfortable, pocketable, musically credible, with a rattly case and half-baked assistant as the tax.
How they sit next to this week’s cans
Beats 360 ($349) and Sonos Ace Ultra ($449) are sealed, ANC-forward over-ears built for focus and flights. AeroClip 2 is the opposite thesis: stay aware, stay clipped, stay light. If your week mixes open-road runs with deep-work desk sessions, you may want both categories—not a single “winner.” That is the sharper buy hook for September 2026 audio: pick the job, then pick the form factor.
Geeknewz take: who should buy these?
If sealed buds feel like ear corks and bone-conduction still sounds like a tin radio, AeroClip 2 is the open-ear sweet spot for runs, shops, and awareness-first days. Skip them if you need deep ANC isolation or lossless wired purity. For everyone else in the “hear my music and hear the bike” club, these clips finally justify the category.
Source: MakeUseOf