Controls really shine rather than going for the fiddly touch controls
Fresh ‘n Rebel Clam Ace 2
You can spend a small fortune to get a well-equipped pair of wireless noise-cancelling headphones, but there are several companies trying to prove that you really don’t.
One of them is Fresh ‘n Rebel, and its Clam Ace 2 seems to tick most boxes. Combining adaptive hybrid ANC, personalised sound, multipoint Bluetooth and a mammoth battery life of more than 100 hours, it offers a surprisingly comprehensive feature set for well under £100.
The Clam Ace 2 follow a familiar over-ear design, with a lightweight construction, flexible headband and soft ear cushions. They’re comfortable enough for extended listening, and the foldable design makes them easy to pack into a bag. Despite being made of plentiful plastic, they actually feel more solid than your usual budget offerings.
The choice of four colours also gives them a little more personality than the usual black.
Controls really shine: rather than going for fiddly touch controls (which never work), you get fitted physical buttons and a proper volume wheel. The headphones also support on-ear detection, automatically pausing playback when they’re removed.
The adaptive hybrid active noise cancellation is pretty effective, though it doesn’t match the performance of much more expensive headphones. You can adjust the level of noise cancellation through the My Sound app, while Ambient Sound Mode lets external sounds through when you need to remain aware of what’s happening around you. Holding the button on the left earcup provides quick access to this hear-through mode, which is useful when travelling or when someone wants your attention
Sound quality is, again, nothing to complain about. The Clam Ace 2 boasts plenty of bass, clear vocals and enough treble detail to keep things interesting. They’re not intended to compete with audiophile headphones, but they work well.
The rather polished My Sound app provides an equaliser and lets you adjust various headphone settings, while Audiodo Personal Sound creates a personalised listening profile based on your hearing.
As mentioned, battery life is one of the Clam Ace 2’s biggest strengths. Fresh ’n Rebel claims more than 100 hours with ANC switched off and up to 60 hours with ANC enabled. There’s plenty of flexibility in connectivity, too. Bluetooth 6.0 and multipoint make it easy to switch between a phone and a laptop. USB-C audio is also supported, so the headphones can be used as a wired USB audio device and charged through the same port.
The Clam Ace 2 don’t quite have the refinement or noise-cancelling sophistication of premium models from Sony, Bose or Sennheiser, but they don’t need to. For the price, it has few peers which can compete.
Fresh ‘n Rebel Clam Ace 2 is currently available from Amazon for £85.50
What users say
“Really impressed with these headphones. The sound quality is clear with good bass, and the active noise cancelling works well for everyday use – great for blocking out background noise when travelling or working.”
“The sound is good. The bass is there, the mids are clear, but in my opinion, there is sometimes a lack of depth. But that can be fixed because I can adjust the sound a bit to my preferences via the app.”
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