When open-style earbuds first launched on the market a few years ago, I was a sceptic. In some ways I still am, as I find open clip-on earbuds about as easy to wear as drop earrings.

Open-style earbuds don’t suit my ear shape, but clearly the public loves them as they are selling like proverbial hotcakes. Beloved by cyclists, runners or anyone else who wants to listen to music but remain aware of their surroundings.

The latest open-style earbuds to launch are Anker Innovations’ Soundcore AeroClip 2 , which were unveiled at IFA in early September. These new earbuds are powered by the brand’s Thus AI chip, which is designed to provide ultra-clear calls.

Thus Al Multimodal Voice Extraction is powered by Anker’s advanced Al models. The system can precisely isolate human voices even in noisy environments, enabling Whisper Mode, which provides phone calls with high levels of clarity.

Another major benefit of these open-style earbuds is their all-day wearability, thanks to what Anker calls the GoldenFit Ergonomic Design System. The earbuds offer a pressure-free fit for maximum comfort.

The shape of the AeroClip 2 is based on a sample of more than 2,000 measured ear profiles. The design ensures an optimal balance between dynamic stability and a gentle grip. Anker claims its new sports earbuds achieve a perfect fit for 99% of global users.

Featuring an Open Acoustic Architecture, the AeroClip 2 earbuds use 12mm dynamic drivers in each earpiece. They support the high-definition LDAC Bluetooth audio codec, delivering a full Hi-Res audio chain even with an open-ear design.

With Anker’s Thus AI chipset, the earbuds can translate in real time, with hardware doing the heavy lifting. The AeroClip 2 are MFi certified, which means one-tap access with iOS devices like iPhones and iPads.

To pick up voices and to monitor background sounds, the AeroClip 2 uses professional microphone arrays for cleaner audio input, which can dramatically improve voice recognition and translation accuracy.

Pricing and Availability:

The new Anker Soundcore AeroClip 2 open-style earbuds are available now in black and white finishes from Anker website and online retailers like Amazon. Blue will be available later. The earbuds are priced at $169.99 / £159.99 / €179.99.

  • Playing Time: 8 hours (earbuds) / 32 hours with case.
  • Fast Charging: 10 minutes = 4 hours.
  • Wireless Charging: Yes.
  • Water Resistance: IP57 (earbuds).
  • Google Fast Pair: Yes.
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth 6.0.
  • Audio codecs: SBC, AAC, LDAC.