In the world of budget TWS earbuds, we have another contender here to prove its mettle and make its way in the shopping carts of the folks looking for a pair of TWS earbuds under Rs 3,000 – Redmi Buds 5. These earbuds showed up at the Digit Test Centre a couple of days before launch and I took them for a spin to see where they stand before running our full test suite on them. They bring a nice selection of features to the table and a design that will remind you of the recently launched OnePlus Buds 3. So, with that out of the way, here’s a look at my first impressions of the Redmi Buds 5.
When talking about features, first we get to the case. It draws a lot from the OnePlus Buds 3, with its shape and branding. I got the white variant for testing, which looked great for the price. Anyone whom I asked to guess the price placed the Redmi Buds 5 in the 4 to 5K price bracket, which is a great start. During my time of use, the case was fairly pocketable and I had no issues with it bulging out of my pocket a lot. The case also did not pick up many scratches in the first couple of days, which is a plus.
The earbuds come with an AirPods-esque design on the lobe, with the stem, having a silver accent line running through its length. Now, this is where I had my first gripe with these buds. While the silver accent is a nice aesthetic to go with, especially for the folks who like a flashy pair of earbuds, for others, who would want a discrete design on their buds, it is a no go. Not only that, the lining on the buds is a fingerprint magnet. I will talk about this more in my full review of the buds. As for the fit, as I have said earlier as well, try them on for yourself. If you are someone who likes the fit of the AirPods or other similarly shaped earbuds then it will not let you down. You have three ear tips in the box to nail the last bits of the fit. Let’s move on to the features.
This is where the Redmi Buds 5 redeem themselves. They come with the essentials like Google Fast Pair, dual device pairing, and the like. However, what stands out is their ANC. In the sub-3K price bracket, the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 were one of the first ones to implement ANC well. Now, we have the Redmi Buds 5. I used these earbuds in my office, which is a fairly quiet place, with some keyboard clicking sounds coming in, and the buds held their own in that scenario. While I am yet to test these out thoroughly, at first glance, it seems like they will stand up to the competition and give the Nord Buds 2 a run for their money. And, the app support with the Xiaomi Earbuds app makes them a strong player in the market in this regard.
Now, about the performance. In the price range where the Redmi Buds 5 are going to be in, we expect a bass heavy sound. And, the expectations were met to the T when I did the first sound signature test of these buds. It might not reflect off the bat, but these buds have a fairly bass-heavy sound. The dip in the low-mids was something strange and unexpected and I will run the tests again before finalise my thoughts. But, stay assured that if you are someone who listens to a lot of Bollywood, Pop, or Hip Hop music, you will not be disappointed with the performance of these buds. As for the mic, again I did not step into an area with a lot of noise around. However, in my office, the samples that I recorded, sounded fairly clear and crisp, especially considering the price of these buds.
The battery life of these earbuds is claimed to be 38 hours. I haven’t tested them out yet, but considering the recent trend in earbuds and Xiaomi’s track record, you should get anywhere between 34-36 hours of battery life in total. I am yet to test it out, so these numbers might be closer than I expect.
Now, should you take the plunge right away? Well, having spent some time with the OnePlus Nord Buds 2 while they were being tested, I will say that definitely keep them in consideration when looking at these buds. If you are looking to dive in straight away, for ₹3,000 these earbuds are decent. They can serve to be a nice stepping stone for people looking to experience ANC for the first time, and fit well for the enjoyers of bass-heavy music. I have already started testing these earbuds. So, watch this space for the full review of the Redmi Buds 5.
