Cleer Audio – the San Diego audio outfit known for its affordable headphones – has taken the wraps off its most wallet-friendly Bluetooth speaker yet.
At £99 (around $120 / AU$180), the Scene appears to have plenty going for it, including dual 48mm neodymium drivers and two passive bass radiators. Cleer reckons the device a new standard for "hi-fi quality audio on the move".
If the design looks familiar, it's probably because the Scene follows the blueprint set by the Stage, the company's first smart speaker with built-in Alexa. Like its pricier sibling, the Scene is shockproof and IPX7 waterproof, meaning it can survive a dunk in 1m-deep water for 30 minutes.
Battery life is a claimed 12 hours per (USB-C) charge, so you should be able to party heartily until dawn. That compares well to some of the best Bluetooth speakers, including the class-leading JBL Flip 6, which also conks out after 12 hours of jamming.
Digger deeper into the specs, Cleer confirms the presence of Bluetooth 5.0 – but doesn't mention higher quality streaming codecs such as aptX HD, which supports high-definition audio up to 24-bit/48kHz. Perhaps that's wishful thinking at this price point.
Like to combine business with pleasure? The Scene is kitted out for conference calls with an echo and noise-cancelling microphone that aims to prevent users from sounding like they're trapped in an elevator.
At £99, the Scene won't be short of competition, with JBL's range of portable Bluetooth speakers and Ultimate Ears' Wonderboom 3 leading the charge. Still, Cleer has form here: three years ago, the company launched the hefty Crescent wireless speaker, complete with no fewer than eight 40mm full-range drivers. Let's hope the Scene has some of that punch.
Available in red or grey, the Cleer Audio Scene is available now in the UK.
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