Cleer Scene Speaker (Hardware)
Official GBAtemp Review
Product Information:
Portable speakers tend to have a particular niche--they're either small enough to easily take around in your bag, or have punchy bass so they can be played outside at parties. Cleer Audio's Scene speaker looks like it wants to be one of those kinds of speakers, while missing the mark on those two features. However, if you're willing to approach the Scene as less of a portable party speaker, and more of a general speaker you can use around the house, then it reveals itself to be a really standout audio device.
One of the best aspects of the Scene is the fact that it's one of the few speakers that still respects 3.5mm connections. Having that feature gives it a lot of versatility. There's a line-in if you want to connect to the speaker directly instead of Bluetooth, and it's a highly appreciated feature. You can also pair it via Bluetooth or even NFC, with Bluetooth giving you a decent range of about 25-30ft before it begins to cut out.
Despite looking a lot like other cylindrical party speakers, I found that the Cleer Scene excelled wondrously as a podcast speaker. Thanks to the crazy high volume and very crisp vocals, it was lovely to set on a nightstand and listen to while doing small chores around the house, without having to deal with headphones or earbuds getting in the way.
The Scene also worked well as a hands-free calling device, because for some reason, it has that ability. It's actually quite nice, again, for when you're on the phone with someone, and you want to hear them clearly, while not relying on headphones. It even has a noise-canceling microphone, so it won't pick up any background noise when you're talking. This isn't a killer feature, but it's a nice inclusion for sure.
Music sounds great on the Scene in general; it boasts a balanced and dynamic sound signature, delivering crisp highs, well-defined mids, and punchy bass. Regardless of the genre, the Cleer Scene speaker delivers clear and vibrant sound. Inside the speaker are 48mm neodymium drivers, which helps the sound play as nice as it does, and it makes it so that even if you crank the volume up to max, the sound won't get distorted unlike other portable speakers.
The design of the Scene is interesting--instead of sitting vertically, the speaker lays horizontally, with one of the sides being flat so that the Scene doesn't roll away. Its mesh covering makes the speaker look nice and premium, and the big chunky control buttons are nice to press. While I wouldn't recommend putting the speaker in a situation where it's going to fall or get dropped from a tall height, the Scene feels like it can really take a beating. These are all great features, but it also means the Scene is fairly heavy, taking away from some of the portability factor.
Masquerading as a more portable party-style speaker, the Cleer Scene doesn't really feel like it fits within that category. With a middling battery life, low bass, and kind of heavy build, the Scene might not wow you if you're looking for something along the likes of the JBL Flip.
That is, however, not to say that I dislike the Scene, or even think that Cleer has done a bad job with it; in fact, I enjoy using the speaker a great deal; I just find that it does a much better job at being a more elegant desk or nightstand speaker, meant for playing podcasts or music for a couple of people, rather than a whole party. The Scene has loud, clear sound, it looks nice, and the ability to use it for calls just means it has a niche you might not expect, but one it excels at.
Verdict
- Has a 3.5mm jack!!!
- Very nicely built
- Gets ridiculously loud without distorted sound
- It can be used as a speakerphone
- Hardly any bass, so it's not great as a party speaker
- Meh battery
