Not too long ago, Truly Wireless Earbuds were a novelty — they were not new, certainly, but they were out of reach of many due to cost constraints. Since 2016, when Apple introduced the AirPods, TWS earbuds became more mainstream, with more and more brands hitting the market with pocket-friendly options. But the quality was still lacking. All that has changed now, with affordable TWS earbuds delivering nearly as good an experience as their more expensive counterparts. The latest — and honestly, impressive — entrants in this segment are the Redmi Buds 5.
While this might read like hyperbole, the Redmi Buds 5 are a symphony of affordability and elegance. Priced at a modest ₹2,999, these little wonders manage to don a premium look that could easily make you assume they cost more than they do. But that is just on the surface, and looks can only take you so far. Do the Buds 5 perform as well as they look? Let's find out.
Upon cracking open the case, a small yet thoughtful touch caught my eye — a protective sticker shielding the charging contact pins to ostensibly prevent any unnecessary discharge. It's the kind of detail that, to me, speaks volumes about the thought given to user experience.
Pairing the Buds 5 was a breeze — on opening the lid, my Android smartphone showed a pop-up at the bottom. I hit pair, and that's it. Google Fast Pair took care of the rest, effortlessly syncing the buds to all my Android devices I had signed in on under the same Google ID. The Buds 5 experience can be customised and controlled with the Xiaomi Earbuds app, which allows you to tweak gesture controls, ANC/transparency adjustments, and equaliser settings.
Now, about the build — the plastic charging case, especially the lid, feels a bit flimsy at first touch, but it contributes to an overall feather-light package. Be careful not to put too much pressure on the lid when it's in your pocket, though.
Let's talk audio. Those 12.4 mm drivers inside the Redmi Buds 5 paint a balanced sound canvas across highs, lows, and mids. The Buds 5 support active noise cancellation (ANC) up to 46 decibels, and while it does its job in most scenarios, higher frequencies can sneak through, as they do on most, if not all, TWS earbuds. On the bright side, the transparency mode maintains sound quality without missing a beat (pun intended).
And the battery life?
Redmi claims a battery life of 38 hours with the charging case. In my experience, the buds held their own for about six hours before they had to be plonked into the charging case. However, they juiced up pretty quickly and were ready for duty in a jiffy.
Now, let me pick some nits. The touch control setup, while doing the job, feels a tad finicky — you can control your music playback through double and triple taps on the earbud, which can be a bit jarring experience for your ear canals, not to mention annoying. This was a problem I had with the more expensive first and second generations of Apple AirPods, too. I'd have preferred haptic touch or squeeze controls, but then again, this is a small problem.
Call quality, though? Crystal clear. I took a dozen or so phone calls with the Buds 5, and I have yet to be told that my voice was not coming through properly.
In conclusion
I found the Redmi Buds 5 to be a treat — a pocket-friendly indulgence that offer premium sound. Despite some quirks in control implementation, these earbuds offer an excellent listening experience. If you're on the hunt for affordable TWS earbuds that don't compromise on style and substance, the Redmi Buds 5 could be for you.
(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)
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