ZDNET's key takeaways The Soundpeats PearlClip Pro earbuds are available now on Amazon for $59.
The PearlClip Pro earbuds offer high-quality sound and a design that holds to your ear, no matter how active you are.
The controls of the PearlClip Pro earbuds take some getting used to. $49.99 at Amazon
As a runner and a lover of music, I'm always looking for earbuds that can marry those two things in an active form factor. For the longest time, the ideal option has been bone-conducting headphones, but they're often lacking in immersive audio.
I recently started considering open-air earbuds as my go-to for running, but the problem is their touch control can be challenging due to the buds' movement (they hang over your ear, which means they can be a bit floppy).
Also: Why I recommend these DJ headphones to all audio professionals - especially at their price
Then the clip-on style of earbud came to my attention. It's a new style, and at first I was reticent to try them, assuming, by nature of their design, that they wouldn't have enough grip to stay on my ear.
But then I tried Soundpeats' PearlClip Pro earbuds, and found that their clever design and weight distribution made them stay put in my ears -- even when on a run. Here's how they fared during my testing.
My experience
After a quick unboxing, I unlocked my Pixel 9 Pro and assumed the pairing process would be automatic. Nope. I had to manually pair them and it took a few tries (and a phone reboot) to get it to work. As a Pixel user, I've grown accustomed to the phone auto-connecting to new devices. When that doesn't happen, I remember how frustrating Bluetooth can be.
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