Flow II Wireless Bluetooth Noise Cancelling Over Ear Headphones
$250 U.S.
Nemo’s MyMac Best New Audio Product of 2019
You will love these headphones. I certainly do. Flow II from Cleer Audio are three-way, full size, over ear headphones.
They connect to a legacy audio 3.5mm line-in port with an included detachable AUX cable that delivers Hi-Res audio. They have world class Bluetooth wireless class noise cancelling. And they have an Ambient Mode so you can hear external sounds and voices while continuing to listen to your wireless Bluetooth media content. There is also a clever Conversation Mode. I did not test the Google Assistant, but it’s there if you have a compatible device.
All controls and functions, including telephone and FaceTime/Skype/other live talking, are managed from the left earpiece. These features are easy to locate and use while wearing Flow II. Charging the built in battery is via an included USB-C/USB-A cable, and the playback battery is very long. The company claims 20 hours and in my experience it is even longer.
Flow II are available in attractive silver or gray. Styling is minimalist and gently retro-classic. Build quality is solid. Weight and balance are comfortable for extended listening, including a padded over-head segment and cushy ear cups. There is some sense of weight on your skull that you quickly forget once your music is playing. These headphones fold conveniently for travel and storage, and a durable travel case is provided. Cleer Audio thought of everything, and they succeeded, including auto playback pause when the headphones are removed from your head. Here is a link to the cleerly-written and illustrated product manual, with specifications at item number 9.
I have not previously been a fan of headphones with finger sliding music and call controls, and now I’m a convert. It is very easy to play/pause, volume up/down, next/previous track, and do eight different calling functions with finger gestures on the surface of the left earpiece’s multifunction touch pad.
How’s the sound? Outstanding! The company claims that Flow II has bold and articulate playback, and I agree. Audio performance is stunning, full spectrum, natural, clean, and crisp, without any coloration or gaps in the sonic experience. I have listened to all genres of music and video for hundreds of hours during our evaluation period, and these headphones are equal to or better than all others in my collection of competing premium headphones in the $250 to $500 range.
How’s the noise cancelation? Fabulous. I just took a nap when fifteen feet away my family members were in the kitchen making cookies and talking loudly about cheesecake recipes. I was listening at immersive moderate volume to a Baroque Classics playlist on Spotify and I was in dreamsville. I have to be careful to use Ambient Mode most of the time so I can remain an engaged family member and not zone out to the detriment of relationships with my loved ones.
This a new product without many independent reviews. Don’t confuse them with Cleer Audio’s original Flow, because Flow II are better. I expect Flow II will develop a large following once the word gets out. At $250 U.S., this is a serious purchase, and it’s worthwhile in every way.
I am pleased to award Flow II Wireless Bluetooth Noise Cancelling Over Ear Headphones our MyMac Best New Audio Product of 2019 recommendation. I use these headphones daily, and they are the most versatile end enjoyable full size headphones I’ve ever experienced. In addition to brilliant wireless and wired sound, I particularly value they way can switch easily between noise cancellation, ambient, and conversations modes; how well they fold and travel; and how easy they are to operate. Bravo, Cleer Audio. You have a clear winner.
MyMac Review Rating is a perfect 10 out of 10.
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