Redmi Buds 5 Review: Strong contender in a crowded market

Redmi Buds 5 Review: Redmi has recently launched their new Redmi Buds 5 earbuds at a price of Rs 2,999, and after using these wireless earbuds for a couple of days, I can say that barring a few niggles, I am quite satisfied with the product. Talking about the gremlins first, the gesture controls are very slow to respond, which makes the experience quite unpleasant. But if you are a person who is frequently on calls or in online meetings, then the product is for you. The clarity of the microphone is quite good, as the person can hear you if you speak even at low volume with no interruption or noise seeping in. A feature that can be considered a game changer for the product is the options you get while using it with the 'Xiaomi Earbuds' app. The app provides a lot of options you can toggle around to get the most out of the earbuds, but that too is limited up to a certain level.

Let's dive into more details about the Redmi Buds 5—  

Redmi Buds 5 Review: Design and Build

The earbuds have a very slick and minimalist design, which really goes with the fashion statement of the new and current generation. The buds come in three colour variants— Fusion White, Fusion Black, and Fusion Purple. The compact design of the case, along with the matte finish, feels good while holding it.

The buds are built quite ergonomically, and they fit very firmly; even bobbing your head to your favourite song does not make them fall out. Moreover, the added metallic band that goes down the stem of the buds gives it a subtle, flashy look, the top of which also acts as the touch control.

Moreover, the product has a good build and also looks good. The device also has a power button/reset button on the side, which helps to pair and also reset the device depending on the duration of the press. The earbuds also come with an IP54 rating, and you can use them during heavy workouts and also light rain.

Redmi Buds 5 Review: Sound and Microphone

The buds perform well, much like most buds that are available at this price point. At standard sound settings the buds don't stand out to most of its competitors. However, the enhanced bass, treble, and voice settings do provide a significant change in the quality of a song, of which the treble and voice settings give the most bang for the buck.

The sound is, however, not that bad, and the music is very clear. While listening to "Still Loving You" by the Scorpions, I felt that the buds didn't do justice to the bassline of the song, even with the enhanced bass setting. But it was clear, and you will still enjoy the songs you love.

Coming to the microphone, the clarity is significant, as the person on the other side was not able to distinguish if I was talking over the phone or through the earbuds. No sound seeps in, and the clarity is undoubtedly the best I have experienced at this price. This is because of the dual-mic AI voice enhancement of the product, and the company claims it can also filter out the wind sound while you are on the road.

Redmi Buds 5 Review: Noise Cancellation and Transparent Mode

When the buds are put in the ears, it automatically enables the 46 dB hybrid active noise cancellation, and one can really feel the ambient noise lowered to an extent.

While travelling through the Delhi Metro, it significantly lowered the surrounding noise, and with the app, you can also change the settings on what you want the noise cancellation to be—light, balanced, or deep. This noise cancellation is really good at this price point, and the different settings that are provided to you on the app enhance the experience.

The transparent mode, on the other hand, has its own set of settings—regular, enhanced voice, and enhanced ambient sound— which actually serves the purpose quite well. You also find the option to turn off both modes while using the app.

Redmi Buds 5 Review: Battery and Charging

Straight out of the box I have been using these buds for almost two hours over the past three days. It still had 40–50 per cent juice left.

Redmi claims that the buds can last for up to 38 hours of total playback on a single charge and up to 10 hours for the buds on a single charge, which I feel are justified.

The only problem I felt was while charging the device. The company claims that the device has a 5-minute fast charge, which can give up to two hours of playback, but while charging it for 5 minutes, there was no increase in the battery percentage of the case. However, after a long session with the buds, the case charges the buds up really fast, which earns the device some brownie points.

Redmi Buds 5 Review: Bluetooth v5.3 and Google Fast Pair

As the buds come with Google Fast Pair, pairing the gadget with your Android phone is a breeze.

After pairing the device for the first time with my Android phone, I just had to open the lid of the case, and it automatically paired up.

There is always strong and stable connectivity, and with the latest Bluetooth v5.3 on the device, there was hardly any lag between the audio and the video or while playing games on the phone.

Redmi Buds 5 Review: Touch Controls

The major issue with the device has to be the touch controls, and they are very slow to respond. After setting up the touch controls in the gesture control settings on the app, I have tried a lot to make full use of the touch controls, but it lags so much that it is much more efficient for me to control the songs with my phone than the buds.  

Redmi Buds 5 Review: Final Verdict

Honestly, I feel that it is a strong contender in a crowded market. However, the options I got for the buds on the 'Xiaomi Earbuds' app really enhance the experience by miles. One can very much make do without a powerful bass, but the touch controls really frustrated me while using it. However, if you want a device that has a great microphone and doesn't lag much while on a call, then it can be a great product that one can buy at this price point.

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