The Redmi Buds 5 series is one the latest products from the Xiaomi sub-brand to arrive in Malaysia, consisting of two variants: standard and Pro. As already mentioned in the title, we’ll be taking a look at the latter model, which is touted to offer additional features not available on the former, including dual drivers, better ANC and also Hi-Res audio support.
And in case you missed our coverage on the recent launch, the new Redmi Buds 5 series is available now for the local market. The subject of this review, the Buds 5 Pro, is priced at RM299.
What Am I Looking At?
Well, there’s no two ways around it. The Redmi Buds 5 Pro’s look is clearly inspired by the AirPods Pro. As much as I want to poke fun at this, doing so already feels like beating a dead horse by now, especially considering the fact there’s already so many similar imitations around in the market.
Despite its resemblance to Apple’s product at first glance, the Buds 5 Pro does feature original elements that are unique to it. Amongst which are the touch panels on top of each side’s stem for managing playback and ANC activation.
Do note that touch-based commands for the Redmi’s earbuds are different from other similar devices. Double tapping will play or pause tracks, triple tapping will switch to the next or previous songs depending on which bud is being interacted with, while tapping and holding will activate or deactivate the onboard ANC function.
Each side of the Buds 5 Pro is comfortable to wear thanks to their light weight, and extra ear tip sizes are included in case you need them. The unit used for this review is the White colourway, while Black and Aurora Purple options are also available for your consideration. In terms of dust and water resistance, the buds are rated at IP54.
What’s Good About It?
Right out of the box, the Redmi Buds 5 Pro’s audio delivery has left quite a positive impression on me. Without needing to do any tweaks to its settings, the sounds produced from each bud are surprisingly good, which is uncommon for similar devices at this price range.
The bass is strong and satisfying, the clarity is bright, and the frequencies are balanced quite nicely regardless of song. Combined with a strong volume output, tracks played are given significant presence, especially those from the R&B and acid jazz genres.
Interactivity-wise, the awkward positioning of the touch panels will take a bit of getting used to, but they work as intended. Meanwhile, the battery life on each bud can go up to 10 hours on a single charge, with another 28 hours of charge to spare via the included charging case.
What’s The Catch?
Even though the sound quality on the Buds 5 Pro could impress the average joe, audiophiles won’t be easily convinced. For one thing, its soundstaging has a shallow sense of depth, causing the different instruments, vocals and beats to appear very close to one another. As a result, sounds are mashed together all at once, drowning certain elements in favour of louder ones. This is very apparent when playing orchestra-based tracks as well as live performances.
Meanwhile, the active noise cancelling (ANC) feature on the Buds 5 Pro isn’t terrible, but not great either. Even with the feature activated, chatter and other ambient sounds can still be heard, albeit suppressed. Playing music will help drown some of these. On the flip side, the accompanying passthrough feature works quite well, with picked up external audio sounding very natural.
Should I Buy It?
Coming in at just shy of RM300, the Redmi Buds 5 Pro is a pleasant surprise. It offers above average audio quality, ANC capability, touch controls and long-lasting battery life – a combination that’s rarely bundled together or done right on products that fall within the same price range.
Granted, the buds aren’t the best around and will still fall behind premium TWS models, while its design isn’t entirely original nor refreshing. However, you are getting what you pay for and then some with these.
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