Brian Abuga/SlashGear
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I have owned about a dozen wireless earbuds in the past few years but it wasn’t until recently that I got to dabble with clip-on earbuds. The cool thing about clip-ons is the fact that they always leave your ear canal open so you’re mostly aware of your surroundings while still enjoying your music. I initially thought this type of earbuds would be subpar in general given their open design — but the first pair I tried (SoundPeats UU2) proved me wrong — they instantly became my everyday carry. About three weeks ago at the time of writing, SoundPeats supplied me with a second pair of a different model to test.
These are the SoundPeats CC3 Pro, released a few weeks after the UU2 here in the Summer of 2026, and I have been using them for about three weeks for this review. Before we dive into my experience with them, it’s worth noting that they are not direct UU2 successors — they are a totally different lineup hence the short time between their releases.
Quality hardware but the case is a fingerprint magnet
Brian Abuga/SlashGear
The CC3 Pro earbuds come housed in a smooth glossy case which looks and feels quite good to the touch. The only gripe I have with it is that I have to wipe it down almost every time I get my hands on it (if I want it to appear fingerprint-free).
Not a big deal but you have the option of getting a protective case — same brand or third party. The actual earbuds have a similar finish (compared to the case) plus some liquid silicone and memory steel wire holding everything together. You get IPX6 water resistance with these earbuds, meaning they should survive sweat and small splashes. I have used them in the rain a couple of times and haven’t noticed any issues so far.
Each CC3 Pro earbud comes with one mic for audio input. Each bud also works with a feature I’ve come to appreciate in earbuds that have them: a clicky physical button. You can customize the two buttons (one for each bud) to perform specific functions via SoundPeats’ app, but I found the defaults to be just about right.
Default control for the right earbud button jumps to the next song or increases volume, the left one reverts to the previous song or decreases volume, and both play or pause whatever you’re listening to. All these commands happen through a sequence of single clicks, double clicks, and long presses.
Great for the outdoors and quite comfortable
Brian Abuga/SlashGear
What I’ve loved with the CC3 Pro (and the UU2 before it) is the fact that the open-ear design is a potentially life-saving feature. The CC3 Pro earbuds always give me the luxury of enjoying my favorite playlists without necessarily being oblivious of what’s going on around me wherever I go. Of course I may struggle hearing more subtle sounds like people speaking but I can always hear the vehicles, bikes, and many other critical things whenever I’m in the streets.
Clip-on earbuds like these ones are never a tight fit thanks to the memory steel wire, and being outside the ear canal also means you never have to worry about pressure build-up. I’m the kind of person who works with music on and I have worn this pair continuously for hours on end without experiencing any form of ear fatigue, even with my glasses on. Of course this may be subjective but the loose fit does make things a lot more comfortable than in-earbuds.
You might think the loose fit compromises stability, but the way the buds hook to the back of your ear will always keep them in place. I have jogged with them and done vigorous head shake tests, and they always stay put without needing me to nudge them back into position. One other thing on the earbuds that contributes to both stability and comfort is the liquid silicone finish on the inner side that touches your skin as it adds grip.
They sound surprisingly good
Brian Abuga/SlashGear
For open-ear headphones, these earbuds sound quite good capturing instrumental details that I never believed possible on this design. Despite lacking a seal around the ear canal, the bass somehow still packs a punch and I was able to enjoy my bass heavy hiphop tunes without any issues. I’ve also gone through rock, pop, dancehall, and classical music playlists and haven’t noticed any struggle across the different instrument arrangements in all these genres. For podcasts, I had to turn up the volume close to max when outside in noisy areas but they did well indoors even at less than 50% volume. Active noise cancellation (ANC) is unavailable for obvious reasons — no seal around the ear canal.
All this is without altering my equalizer, and I have been using them on the default settings ever since I unboxed them. You can always make tweaks to your liking via the app or choose from one of the many equalizer presets. I have been using the CC3 Pro earbuds mainly on my iPhone 16 Pro with occasional use on my Windows PC and Samsung S9 Plus.
There’s one interesting feature on Android — Lossless Digital Audio Codec (LDAC) which you can enable via the app. Using this feature added a little bit of noticeable detail whenever I played high resolution audio. If you’re an audiophile, this is one feature to always use to get the best out of this Bluetooth 6.0 device. However, it will disable multipoint connection when you have it turned on.
SoundPeats’ app adds some useful customization options
Brian Abuga/SlashGear
I usually avoid installing an extra app to manage my earbuds but I did play around with the SoundPeats app. It’s quite straight forward and the first thing it shows you is the remaining battery on each earbud and the case. It also lets you turn additional features like spatial audio, multipoint connection, game mode, drainage function, and privacy mode in one touch. You also manage your equalizer including adaptive equalizer. The latter lets you play various sounds at different frequencies, you confirm whether you can hear each frequency, and the earbuds will customize your equalizer to your hearing abilities.
Brian Abuga/SlashGear
One thing I recommend doing with the CC3 Pro or any other clip-on earbud for that matter is adjusting the fit first before altering any equalizer settings or listening to something. You have to point them just right into your ear canal to get the best listening experience. I was a bit worried the first time I tried them on thinking they had no bass until I tweaked their positioning a little.
The only issue I have with the app is the fact that you have to create a login account to be able to use it. The only advantage this gives you is that you will always have your earbuds listed when you access the app on other devices. If you love tinkering or know how to work an equalizer, the app is definitely a must-have — but you can live without it — I do operate without it.
Battery might be last thing you think about
Brian Abuga/SlashGear
After sound quality, battery life is the thing that usually makes or breaks a deal for me when buying wireless earbuds. The CC3 Pro earbuds didn’t disappoint on the tests that I performed. For the buds, I did two battery life tests — one was listening to music at maximum volume and the second at medium volume (50-60%). At maximum volume after charging them fully, they lasted a total of 7 hours and exactly 8 hours and 40 minutes at medium volume. Now these numbers might be subjective based on listening habits and the type of music but they do give you an idea. SoundPeats claims up to 10 hours of playback.
I drained and recharged the earbuds in the case and then repeated the cycle until the case was depleted. I was able to fully charge them four more times and still had a little bit of juice (single digit percentage) left in the case after the fourth full charge. Based on these numbers and using them at medium volume you should get 43 hours total without having to charge the case which does support both wired and wireless charging. And one more thing about charging — you can place either earbud on either slot and they will still charge — no need to match the left or the right side.
SoundPeats CC3 Pro clip-on earbuds price and verdict
Brian Abuga/SlashGear
The SoundPeats CC3 Pro earbuds are available for $69.99 on Amazon. You may also find them for a lower price than that depending on whether they’re still running an early-bird deal though their SoundPeats homepage – where they currently (in late October 2026) show the price at $69.99 on temporary discount to $45.49 (when discounted for “Early Bird” buyers).
They are a nice middle ground between cheaper options like the Baseus Bowie MC2 ($60) and the pricey Bose Ultra Open ($245) earbuds. From my experience including jamming to some music as I type this line — they are solid for everyday use. Ever since I made them my daily driver it’s becoming harder to go back to traditional in-earbuds given the comfort and sense of security they offer. I’ve also been using them to make and receive phone calls whenever I have them on, both indoors and outdoors without any complaints from the other side.
The CC3 Pro may not be for audiophiles or anyone keen on having heavy thumping bass — but they still pack more than enough punch to keep you entertained. Even the absence of ANC is no big deal since sound cancellation runs counter to the biggest selling point of open-ear designs. They just work — and you will never have to worry about getting caught unaware by a passing bike, vehicle, or pedestrian while jogging or walking in the streets — just so long as they’re not entirely silent!