boAt Airdopes ProClip review: easy on the ears

The boAt Airdopes ProClip is the brand’s second-generation open-ear clip-on TWS, succeeding the Airdopes Loops. The ProClip earbuds are designed to keep you aware of your surroundings by eliminating the vacuum-like seal that some users find uncomfortable or even nauseating. Moreover, the earbuds are priced affordably, and yet, they pack a healthy set of features such as Bluetooth v6.0, multipoint connectivity, AI-backed call quality, a claimed battery life of up to 52 hours, and more.

How well do these features translate into real-world use? More importantly, can the Airdopes ProClip deliver an enjoyable listening experience despite the limitations that come with an open-ear design? Read on to find out.

Table of Contents

Design

The boAt Airdopes ProClip feature an open-ear clip-on design instead of the conventional in-ear fit. Each earbud clips onto the ear, with the speaker and battery connected by a flexible bridge that is flexible enough to fit all ears out there and resilient enough to stay put when worn. These are one-size-fits-all buds, and unlike the in-ear fit, don’t require you to swap silicone tips. This also takes care of hygiene if you end up sharing the earbuds with others.

Moving on, we received the earbuds in the Satin White colourway. The charging case has a slightly flashy appearance, but the earbuds themselves offer a tasteful contrast. The outer shells of the speaker and battery feature a glossy finish, while the flexible bridge and inner surfaces are finished in an off-white shade. boAt has also paid attention to practicality by giving the case and most of the earbud surfaces a matte coating, which does a good job of resisting fingerprints and smudges despite the light colour.

The charging case may not be the most compact around, but its rounded edges make it easy to slip in and out of tight pockets, such as those on a pair of jeans. As for the earbuds, they are lightweight, weighing just 4.6 grams each, and remain comfortable even during extended listening sessions.

Despite their open-ear design, the fit is impressively secure, more so than many conventional TWS earbuds. You can comfortably wear them for a run or a workout without worrying about them coming loose. The ProClip is also IPX4-rated, meaning they can handle sweat and light splashes with ease.

Specs at a glance

Battery and charging

One of the reasons for the boAt Airdopes ProClip’s relatively bulky design is the big battery inside. The charging case packs a 500mAh battery, while each bud houses a 50mAh battery. The setup is rated to provide up to 52 hours of playback time between charges. Charging the buds and case takes roughly 50 minutes and 2 hours, respectively. But for emergencies, the Airdopes ProClip supports fast charging, which can add 200 minutes of playback time with just 10 minutes of charge.

In my testing, I was easily able to get through five days of use with around 4–5 hours of daily listening and roughly 40 percent juice still left in the tank. This included streaming music at maximum volume during gym sessions, along with occasional voice calls throughout the day. Based on my experience, I’m confident the Airdopes ProClip can comfortably achieve its claimed battery life, provided you listen at more moderate volume levels of around 50–60 percent.

Connectivity, app support, and controls

I primarily used the Airdopes ProClip with my iPhone. Pairing was straightforward after pressing and holding the button on the back of the charging case, although entering pairing mode took noticeably longer than on most other TWS earbuds I’ve tested. Once connected, however, the earbuds maintained a stable connection throughout my testing. Even when I left my phone at the opposite end of the gym, roughly 30–50 metres away, with walls and equipment in between, I didn’t experience any unexpected dropouts.

The Airdopes ProClip supports multipoint connectivity for seamless pairing with two devices simultaneously. However, it didn’t work as advertised in my case while trying to pair them with a MacBook, in addition to the iPhone. It was the same while connecting the buds to an Android or Windows device. This was despite the ‘Multipoint Connectivity’ settings enabled within the boAt Hearables app. A firmware update could potentially solve this issue. Speaking of issues, I also find the compatible app taking noticeably longer to boot and connect with the earbuds.

I used the boAt Hearables app (v1.7.4) on my iPhone. The app is intuitive to navigate, with all the essential controls just a tap away. It also serves as the primary way to monitor the battery level of the earbuds, at least on the iPhone. However, I wish it displayed the charging case’s battery as well. Beyond that, the app lets you customise the EQ, remap the touch controls using preset options, locate misplaced earbuds, and run diagnostics to check for potential issues.

The touch controls were reliable for playing or pausing music, skipping tracks, answering calls, and switching between EQ presets, among other actions. However, the touch-sensitive area on the outer shell of the battery module could have been positioned better. It can easily trigger the gestures unintentionally while adjusting or wearing the earbuds.

Audio and call quality

The boAt Airdopes ProClip is equipped with 12mm drivers and supports the standard SBC and AAC codecs, a setup you’ll find on most budget TWS earbuds. What sets it apart, however, is its open-ear design. It lets you stay aware of your surroundings while listening to music, something I appreciated even in noisy environments.

The earbuds get decently loud, helping me hear my music clearly even during gym workouts, except when I was standing right next to a party speaker – which is understandable given its massive drivers. At maximum volume, there is some sound leakage, so people nearby may faintly hear what you’re listening to. However, if you wish to keep things private, boAt has added a ‘Private’ EQ mode within the companion app. The mode makes the audio audible for you while significantly reducing leakage to those around you, which is helpful for private conversations during calls.

Speaking of call quality, the boAt Airdopes ProClip remains reliable in quieter environments. Its AI-powered Environmental Noise Cancellation does a decent job of reducing background noise, but there’s still room for improvement when it comes to voice clarity. Thankfully, this doesn’t carry over to music playback, which remains clear and enjoyable.

The boAt Airdopes ProClip keeps the audio fairly balanced in its default Signature Sound mode. While the soundstage is about what you’d expect at this price, the tuning leans slightly towards vocals, making voices stand out clearly. This contributes to clear and easy-to-follow dialogues in movies and TV shows, while slower, melody-driven tracks such as Sindbad the Sailor, Mitwa, Tere Naina, and Chaiyya Chaiyya sound particularly enjoyable. There is no noticeable audio latency, which drops to an impressive 55ms with the Beast mode enabled to keep the audio in sync with gaming and other fast-paced content.

The Bass Boost mode adds a noticeable lift to the low end, but there’s only so much an open-ear design can do. It lacks the depth and punch you’d get from in-ear TWS earbuds with a proper seal and ANC. Meanwhile, the Private EQ mode is tuned to minimise sound leakage by pulling back the mids while boosting the bass and treble slightly, resulting in an enjoyable listening experience without disturbing those around you. Users have the option to customise the sound experience per their preference.

Verdict

The boAt Airdopes ProClip comes across as one of the most compelling open-ear earbuds in the budget segment. Currently selling at a special launch price of Rs 1,599, it delivers a well-rounded experience with only a few compromises that are largely inherent to its design, such as lighter bass and a less immersive soundstage than conventional in-ear TWS earbuds. The earbuds also fall short in terms of call quality and multipoint connectivity, although the latter is something boAt could address through a future firmware update.

However, the ProClip manages to stand out with its relatively compact, lightweight clip-on design, which stays secure even during workouts while letting you remain aware of your surroundings, something conventional in-ear TWS earbuds simply can’t offer. Furthermore, the earbuds deliver dependable battery life, a feature-rich companion app, and clear, vocal-forward audio.

All of this makes the boAt Airdopes ProClip an easy recommendation, especially for anyone who finds the sealed fit of in-ear earbuds uncomfortable or nauseating, values situational awareness, or simply wants a pair of earbuds they can wear comfortably for long listening sessions.

Editor’s rating: 8/10

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