Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 review: Doesn’t get better at Rs 4,499

Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2: Are we waking up a sleeping giant or is it a false dawn? Time will tell for sure, but what we know is that suddenly the truly wireless earphones segment has become the most sought after, at least by the tech companies. Over the last two weeks, several TWS have been launched in India including Oppo Enco W31, Realme Buds Air Neo, Huawei Freebuds 3 and the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 – the last we will review today. 

Priced at Rs 4,499, the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 come as part of Xiaomi’s larger strategy to target the premium segment under the ‘Mi’ sub-brand. They are positioned right against last year’s Realme Buds Air (priced at Rs 3,999) and the recently launched Oppo Enco (priced at Rs 3,999). 

I have been using the Mi True wireless earphones 2 for more than a week now to YouTube videos, listen to music and make calls. I even used them to record audio for one our videos which you can watch below. 

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So, let’s quickly have a look at these earbuds and find out if they manage to beat competition or not! 

Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 review: Good Old-Fashioned Love

Every time a new pair of wireless earphones are launched, there is a lot of chat around their uncanny resemblance to the Apple AirPods. And rightly so. The Apple AirPods have been so successful that brands in the Android ecosystem have left with no option but to design a pair that looks similar. Yet, they keep making minute changes to ensure that the product looks ‘inspired’ and not copied. 

The Mi True wireless earphones 2 are also very similar to the Apple AirPods but have been designed to kill the competition. They come packed inside a rectangular case with circular arcs and a matte finish. It’s not the most compact cases I have seen but fits in your palm well and is easy to carry around. 

The matte finish makes a lot of difference to the overall look and feel of the product. It’s a rare thing to find at this price point with most brands opting for a more glossy finish. The right edge of the case houses a physical button for pairing the device and the bottom, you get the Type-C USB charging port. 

The front side is relatively clean with a LED light to show the battery status. But, the back panel is covered with Mi branding and other product information, which could have been avoided. 

The earbuds come in the stem-like build with half in-ear design. I switched to the Mi earbuds after using the Huawei Freebuds 3 for about a month and found the fit to be slightly better. It could be due to the ear shape and the fitting might vary from person to person. A major drawback of this design is that there is always a chance of outdoor noises creeping in. Also, there are no ear tips to adjust the fitting and ensure a better grip. 

What I like though is that even the stem has been given a matte finish, lifting its value in the eye of the beholder. The earcups, however, remain glossy. The stem is slightly thicker than you would want it to be. However, there are a very few negative things to pick on about this device. 

Of course, you get the touch controls too. You can double tap the right earcup to play or pause music, double tap the left earcup to activate voice assistant and double tap anyone of them to pick calls. 

Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 review: I Want to Break Free 

The sub-head above might be a result of the Queen hangover I have from the weekend but it also sums up the performance of Mi True Wireless Earphones 2. They allow you to break free – whether you are watching movies, listening to music, podcasts or making calls. 

The earphones come with 14.2 mm dynamic driver with Titanium composite diaphragm. Some credit needs to be given to Xiaomi for bringing these at this price point. Just to give some context, the Huawei Freebuds 3 (priced at Rs 12,990) use the same drivers while the Jabra Elite 75t (priced about Rs 15,000) use 6 mm drivers. 

To connect the device, you need to press-hold the button for a couple of seconds and activate the pairing mode. Once connected, the earbuds auto-connect to your smartphone or laptop when the case is opened. However, I found them slow to react. It took three to four seconds for pairing to happen which was very annoying when you had to take an immediate call. 

There is also support for LHDC format which is again, rare in this segment. So, basically you can stream music at highest quality possible and expect a top-quality output as well. The only challenge though is that Xiaomi have tuned them for the Indian audience which means – more bass. 

The mid and highs are not sacrificed as much as they were on the Realme Buds Air. The vocals and instruments are also pretty clear.

I watched ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ – the movie, using these earbuds – followed by at least three hours of Queen music. Some tracks like ‘I Want to Break Free’, ‘Radio Gaga’ and ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ were damn good. I also tried a few tracks from the Coke Studio and the results were mixed. 

The wear detection comes handy in several cases. So, as soon as you take out one of the buds from your ears, the music automatically stops playing. 

One major issued I faced or the feedback I got, was while on calls. People on the other end kept telling me that they could hear their own voice. The call quality was fine otherwise but this is an issue that has remained throughout. 

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Just like most wireless earbuds, this one too lacks Active Noise Cancellation. Instead, the Mi True Wireless earphones 2 are dependent on Environmental Voice Cancellation for better audio output. What is it? Well, there are two mics – one brings audio to you while the other filters the external disturbances. This seems effective at home but will be tested better once this lockdown is over and I start to go out more. 

Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 review: Don’t Stop Me Now 

Xiaomi claims to offer about four hours of battery life on the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 with an additional 14 hours of charge on the case. In terms of size, the earphones have a 30mAh battery, while the charging case packs in a 250mAh battery.

I like to play my songs on higher volume, most between 80 to 100 per cent. With this, I managed to get around three to three and a half hours of battery life which is good, but could have been better. The 14-hour capacity of the charging case will surely help while you are travelling. Charging the case takes about 60 to 80 minutes.

Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 review: We Are the Champions? 

This is what the entire fight is about – to be the best in the segment. Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury has set the bar very, very high with his delightful, iconic performances. Do Mi True Wireless Earphones manage to reach there? Nearly. There are several feature that this pair can boast of – high performing drivers, premium design, responsive touch controls, quick pairing and a decent battery life. 

The problem, however, is that you are looking for perfection in a wrong place. I don’t see companies offering more than this in this particular segment. So, there will always be expectations and demands. In this case, I would have wanted better call quality, faster auto-pairing, eartips for better fit and more battery on the earbuds. 

Having said that, it doesn’t get better at Rs 4,499, at least for now.