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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want an all-in-one open-ear gaming headset you can wear for hours without anything in your ears, choose Cleer ARC II Gaming; if you need a plug-and-play Bluetooth transmitter that upgrades the headphones you already own, choose Sennheiser BTD 700.
• Cleer ARC II Gaming — biggest strength: A complete, self-contained open-ear audio system: ear-hook earbuds, touch controls, a 35-hour total battery setup, and an included USB-C dongle for low-latency gaming on PS4, PC and Switch.
• Cleer ARC II Gaming — biggest trade-off: It's a single-purpose headset with no active noise cancelling, an open design that lets the world in by design, and a fit that depends on you liking ear hooks.
• Sennheiser BTD 700 — biggest strength: It's a tiny transmitter that turns almost any Bluetooth headphones or speakers into a low-latency, aptX Lossless-capable setup — and it multistreams audio to several listeners at once via Auracast.
• Sennheiser BTD 700 — biggest trade-off: It produces no sound on its own. You still need good headphones, and you're limited to USB-A or USB-C source devices.
• Who each pick is for: The Cleer is for someone who wants one box that solves gaming, calls and music in an open-ear form. The Sennheiser is for someone who already loves their headphones and just wants them to sound better and lag less.
The Cleer ARC II Gaming is built around one idea: keep your ears open and still get a gaming-grade signal. It's an open-ear design that sits on soft ear hooks rather than sealing into your ear canal, so you keep situational awareness — you can hear your teammates in the room, a doorbell, traffic, or your own voice while you talk. That's the whole point of the form factor, and it's why people who hate the plugged-up feeling of in-ears gravitate to it.
The spec sheet backs up the "gaming" in the name. Latency is rated under 67 milliseconds, which is the number that matters for lip-sync and gunfire timing. Snapdragon Sound with aptX Lossless and aptX Adaptive handles the audio side, and Bluetooth 5.3 with LE Audio and Multipoint pairing lets it hold two devices at once — a laptop and a phone, say — so you can take a call mid-session without re-pairing. There's also a USB-C dongle in the box, which is the cleaner path for PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch than relying on the source's own Bluetooth.
Battery is the other headline: up to 8 hours in the earbuds and 27 more in the case, for 35 hours total, with the case recharging in about two hours. For voice, Qualcomm cVc noise and echo cancellation cleans up calls and meetings, and an IPX5 rating means sweat and light rain aren't a problem. Touch controls and the Cleer+ app round it out.
Who should buy it? Someone who wants a single product for open-ear gaming, calls and everyday listening — especially a PC or console player who wants the dongle included rather than bought separately. Who should skip it? Anyone who needs active noise cancelling (this has none), anyone who wants a sealed, bass-heavy in-ear fit, or anyone who already owns headphones they love and just needs a better connection.
The Sennheiser BTD 700 isn't headphones. It's a Bluetooth dongle — a small transmitter you plug into a USB-A or USB-C source — and that distinction decides whether it's right for you. Its job is to take a device that either has weak Bluetooth or no Bluetooth at all and give it a clean, high-quality, low-latency wireless link to the headphones or speakers you already own.
The audio side runs aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless, so the dongle is capable of passing high-quality music, calls and media without the usual compression compromises. There's a dedicated gaming mode that drops latency to about 30 milliseconds, which is genuinely tight — tighter than the Cleer's rated figure — and makes it a strong fix for audio-video sync on streamed video or games. Setup is plug-and-play with no drivers: plug it in, pair your headphones, done.
The feature that's genuinely unusual is Auracast multistreaming. The dongle can send the same audio to multiple Bluetooth headphones or speakers simultaneously, so two people can watch the same movie on a plane or a group can share one stream at home. That's a niche need, but if you have it, almost nothing else solves it this simply.
Sennheiser also bundles a hard-shell case — a compact, weather-resistant square with a zippered closure, a soft-lined main compartment, an interior mesh pocket for eartips and cables, an elastic strap to stop things shifting, and a carabiner. It's a nice touch for travel, though it's a storage accessory, not a reason to buy on its own.
Who should buy it? Anyone with a laptop, desktop or console that needs a better Bluetooth link to their existing headphones — and anyone who wants one audio source feeding several listeners. Who should skip it? Anyone who doesn't already own compatible Bluetooth headphones or speakers, and anyone expecting it to make sound by itself. It's also worth checking that your headphones support aptX Adaptive or Lossless to get the most out of it.
• Best for open-ear comfort over long sessions → Cleer ARC II Gaming. Ear hooks and an open fit mean nothing presses into your ear canal for hours.
• Best for the lowest latency figure on paper → Sennheiser BTD 700. Its gaming mode is rated around 30 ms versus the Cleer's under 67 ms.
• Best if you want everything in one purchase → Cleer ARC II Gaming. Earbuds, case, dongle and controls arrive together.
• Best if you already own headphones you love → Sennheiser BTD 700. It upgrades what you have instead of replacing it.
• Best for sharing one stream with several listeners → Sennheiser BTD 700. Auracast multistreaming is the standout feature here.
• Best for console and PC gaming out of the box → Cleer ARC II Gaming. The included USB-C dongle covers PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch.
• Best for staying aware of your surroundings → Cleer ARC II Gaming. The open design never seals you off.
• Best for travel with a console or laptop → Sennheiser BTD 700. Plug-and-play, no drivers, and it comes with a hard-shell case.
• Best for calls and meetings → Cleer ARC II Gaming. cVc noise and echo cancellation plus Multipoint pairing make it a practical work headset.
• Worth checking before you buy either: confirm the current price on Amazon, since the two products sit in very different categories and budgets.
In my opinion, most people reading a "gaming" comparison should buy the Cleer ARC II Gaming. It's the one that actually makes sound, it handles gaming, calls and music from a single box, and the included dongle means you're not hunting for accessories to make the low-latency claim real. I'd pick the Sennheiser BTD 700 only in one specific case: you already own Bluetooth headphones you're happy with and your problem is the connection, not the headphones. If that's you, the BTD 700 is the smarter, cheaper-feeling upgrade — and the Auracast sharing is a genuine bonus. Otherwise, buy the Cleer.
They solve gaming audio differently. The Cleer is a complete headset with latency rated under 67 ms and a USB-C dongle for PS4, PC and Switch. The Sennheiser is a transmitter rated around 30 ms that works with your own headphones. If you want an all-in-one, the Cleer; if you want the lowest latency with your existing pair, the Sennheiser.
Yes. The BTD 700 is a Bluetooth dongle, not a headset — it produces no sound itself. You plug it into a USB-A or USB-C source, pair your Bluetooth headphones or speakers, and it handles the wireless link. Without compatible headphones, it can't do anything for you.
The Cleer ARC II Gaming, clearly — it's the only one of the two with a battery. It's rated for up to 8 hours in the earbuds plus 27 hours in the case, for 35 hours total, with about two hours to recharge the case. The Sennheiser BTD 700 draws power from the device it's plugged into.
Yes. It has Qualcomm cVc noise and echo cancellation for voice pickup, Multipoint pairing with Bluetooth 5.3 so it can hold two devices at once, and touch controls. It has no active noise cancelling, so it's better in a quiet room than a noisy open office.
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