Huawei FreeBuds 5 review

You may know Huawei for its telephones and laptops however it makes varied different tech merchandise together with loads of pairs of headphones. The FreeBuds 5 are the most recent wi-fi earbuds and include an uncommon out-of-this-world design. 

The wi-fi earbuds wouldn’t be misplaced in sci-fi movies resembling Flight of the Navigator and if that reference is just too area of interest, they simply look very futuristic with no straight traces allowed anyplace close to. 

Other than the curvy form, the FreeBuds 5 supply up a surprisingly spectacular vary of specs and options for his or her modest worth. 

Design & Construct 

• ‘Optimum Match’ design 
• Three colors 
• Egg-shaped case 

Curved in nearly each route attainable, the FreeBuds 5 appear like some mercury dripped off a desk and solidified in mid-air, particularly within the Silver color I’ve examined – Ceramic White and Coral Orange are additionally accessible. 

It’s not simply to look completely different, however to make sure they match extra comfortably than rivals. I’ve to confess I used to be doubtful however they’re extraordinarily comfy, particularly for an open design (ie with no silicone ear ideas). 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

In addition to being cozy for lengthy intervals they’re additionally very safe in my ears, which might’t be stated for that many pairs as a consequence of my small ear canals. It’s like they defy the legal guidelines of physics one way or the other. 

There are downsides although and for me that features considerably flaky contact controls that refused to register faucets and quantity swipes even much less so. I additionally, for some motive, repeatedly put them within the charging case the incorrect manner round. 

The case itself feels good and appears like a tiny UFO, however the rounded form makes it awkward to place down on surfaces with any stability. 

With an IP54 ranking, they’re appropriate for carrying in gentle rain and must also address a sweaty fitness center session. Word that the case doesn’t have an IP ranking.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Sound High quality & ANC 

• Hello-Res Audio Wi-fi 
• 16Hz sub bass 
• Adaptive EQ 
• Open-Match ANC 3.0 

I used to be pleasantly shocked concerning the match of the FreeBuds 5 and this pattern continues with the sound high quality. The buds are geared up with Bluetooth 5.2 and 11mm dual-magnetic dynamic drivers with a formidable frequency vary of 16Hz to 40kHz (past human listening to at each ends of the spectrum). 

It’s notably the decrease finish that stands out because it means tracks with eardrum wobbling bass like James Blake’s Restrict To Your Love sound glorious as does primarily any bassy dance music – strive Pendulum Tarantula – or comparable.  

It means you possibly can actually really feel the bass, not simply hear it, however Huawei has been cautious to not let that dominate. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The tuning general is properly balanced so in that very same observe the vocals and piano come by means of clearly and the fragile tinkles of cymbals are shiny and detailed. It will be simple for the FreeBuds to solely actually go well with EDM (digital dance music) however they sound equally good for listening to comfortable indie folks music resembling Nick Mulvey the place you possibly can hear each particular person pluck of an acoustic guitar whereas additionally recreating the medley of sound from the Foo Fighters and different genres very nicely. 

The FreeBuds 5 don’t even want the quantity to be pumped to sound good and largely keep away from distortion in the event you do need to increase it up – although I discovered them completely good at middling ranges. 

Huawei has extra strings in its bow right here with another spectacular options for earbuds this low-cost. They provide Triple Adaptive EQ which means they will alter the sound primarily based on ear canal, carrying standing and quantity. This could’t be toggled by the contact controls or the AI Life app so I can’t touch upon how a lot it’s doing to the sound.  

The wear and tear sensor means playback is routinely paused while you take the earbuds (or only one) out and resumes ones at the least one is again in place. For me it really works very nicely however you possibly can swap it off within the settings in the event you favor. 

What you possibly can management is the ‘sound results’ with 4 profiles to select from: Default, bass increase, treble increase and voices. Which you favor will likely be a private alternative, however it’s also possible to create your individual profiles with a 10-band graphic EQ which is sweet to see. 

The AI Life app additionally lets you prioritise the connection high quality or the sound high quality with the latter utilizing extra energy and with the opportunity of delays in some situations. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Additionally within the settings, you may discover ‘HD Bluetooth audio codec’ which doesn’t do something while you faucet it however says LDAC. That is Sony’s Hello-Res Audio codec and means you possibly can hearken to higher-quality audio in case you have a suitable gadget and streaming service/subscription. 

The final aspect to speak about right here is energetic noise cancelling, aka Open-Match ANC 3.0, which I discover very spectacular, even with out factoring within the open design. It’s possible you’ll nicely use it within the Dynamic mode more often than not the place it could routinely alter primarily based in your environment or, in the event you favor, manually swap between Cozy for quieter locations like dwelling or Normal for while you’re out and about. 

You’ll be able to swap ANC on and off with the contact controls, however the mode must be chosen within the app. 

Battery Life & Charging 

• 5 hours from earbuds 
• 30 hours complete 
• Wi-fi charging 

Huawei touts a fairly if not outstanding 5 hours of battery life from the buds themselves and a complete of 30 hours while you issue within the case. You may get wi-fi earbuds that go longer however this type of efficiency needs to be sufficient for many customers. 

It gained’t get you thru a full workday or a long-haul flight with out charging however that’s the case for many wi-fi earbuds. The caveat with these figures is that they don’t embody noise cancelling so switching it on means the whole battery life drops to twenty hours. 

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

After an hour of playback with ANC on, I discovered the buds usually dropped 25% battery so you have to be round 4 hours of use until you’re in a very noisy surroundings the entire time. Oddly, the left earbud dropped decrease than the correct in that house of time, presumably as a consequence of me utilizing it for contact controls however I can’t make certain. 

You’ll be able to cost the earbuds absolutely within the case in 20 minutes and charging the case itself will take 40 minutes by way of USB-C however you possibly can cost wirelessly, too. Removed from a given at this worth so it’s good to see however it can take 4 hours complete so it’s actually an in a single day possibility. 

Value & Availability 

The FreeBuds 5 aren’t fairly price range in relation to worth, however they’re not too far over our restrict of $100/£100 for that class. 

You’ll be able to decide them up for £139.99, making them nearly half the worth of many premium flagship rivals from the likes of Sony and Apple.

Huawei sells the FreeBuds 5 on its official retailer, however it’s also possible to purchase them from the likes of Huawei, Amazon, Currys and AO. They’re not formally accessible within the US. 

Sitting in the midst of Huawei’s vary means you possibly can spend much less or extra in the event you like – search for the FreeBuds 5i or FreeBuds Professional 2 respectively with each being strong choices of their area. 

If you’re in search of cheaper wi-fi earbuds with an open-fit design, then it is best to try the Nothing Ear (Stick) for $99/£99. 

Try extra choices in our greatest wi-fi earbuds and finest price range wi-fi earbuds charts.

Must you purchase the Huawei FreeBuds 5?

Contemplating their weird form, I used to be greater than pleasantly shocked by the FreeBuds 5, impressed, in truth. 

These are among the best pairs of open-fit earbuds I’ve examined and there’s masses to love about them together with the comfy and safe match. Then the spectacular sound high quality with Hello-Res help and respectable ANC. 

The contact controls aren’t the most effective and battery life is nothing particular however neither are terrible and getting issues like wi-fi charging will not be a given at this worth, regardless that it is extremely gradual. I’m not a giant fan of the slippery and awkward case however I can dwell with it. 

General, these are glorious mid-range wi-fi earbuds in the event you’re in search of an open-fit design with loads of flagship stage options.

Specs

• 11mm dual-magnetic dynamic drivers
• Open-Match ANC 3.0
• Supported codecs: Sony LDAC, AAC and SBC 
• Bluetooth 5.2
• Multi-device connectivity 
• Proximity sensors 
• Contact controls
• IP54 licensed 
• USB-C
• Wi-fi charging
• Headphone weight: 5.4g 
• Case weight: 45g
• As much as 5 hours of battery life 
• As much as 30 hours with the case