Realme Earbuds, Analysis Opinion

Table of Contents

The Best

Compatible wireless charging
Autonomy
Touch controls
Price

The Worst

Construction materials
External noise isolation
Sound balance
Optical sensor upgradeable

In case you have not noticed, we are still in a full fever for true wireless headphones. A trend initiated by Apple that has managed to turn its earbuds into one of its most profitable products in recent years. And as usual, many companies claim their share of the cake following the successful trial. There is nothing better than attacking the two weaker points of Apple wireless earbuds. Poor compatibility outside the brand ecosystem and its high price. In this article, there will be a discussion on realme earbuds and their review.

In recent months you can count thousands of copies and imitations of Apple’s truly wireless headphones, mostly quite mediocre. The authentic Buds Air that we analyzed today could go through an attempt to copy more. Obvious similarities are apparent, and it would be foolish to deny the evidence. But between the cheap copy and a competent product mediates an abyss. In this case, luckily for me and my dear ears, we are in the second case.
In fact, after a few hours of using these authentic Buds Air for analysis. I would dare to say that we are possible – although far from perfect. Before one of the best economic imitations of the Airbuds, I had the opportunity to try. Do you not believe it? Keep reading.

Summary of the analysis of Realme Airbuds

Design: inspired by actual events
Connection: simple and always alert
Control: you have to catch the trick
Volume: your Achilles heel
Battery: with wireless charging and acceptable autonomy
Conclusions: Is the best economical alternative to the AirPods on the market?

A design inspired by actual events

The inspiration for the design of the AirPods of these authentic Buds Air starts almost from their packaging, and they are not equal. Still, they have enough similarities in medium and long distance. It is challenging to differentiate them, not in the short space where they no longer manage to hit us.

Airpods vs. Realme Buds Air
Apple Airpods (left) vs. realme Buds Air

When not in use, the headphones are stored in a compact (51.3 x 45.3 x 25.3mm) charging case with a small button to activate pairing mode. A status LED and a USB-C port on the bottom. Besides, the situation is compatible with Qi wireless charging of up to 10W, the second version of the Apple AirPods. However, the overall quality is much lower than these.
The whole assembly generally conveys a certain fragility, especially the lid’s hinge with magnetic closure, made entirely of plastic. It does not inspire much confidence and raises questions about how it will withstand the passage of time and use.

The headphones are removed and housed easily and securely inside the case thanks to a magnet system. The total weight is 42 grams, of which only 8 grams correspond to the headphones, 4 grams each. They are made of the same plastic as the case and are slightly more bulky than the AirPods. The head, where the 12 mm drive is placed, and the stem, where the battery inserts.

In general, they are pretty comfortable. Although they present the same problem as their Apple counterparts: they are not suitable for everyone. Not having an interchangeable pad system such as the AirPods Pro, Sony WF-1000XM3. Or the Xiaomi Redmi Airdots. Not everyone feels comfortable with them.

In my case, I already have “quiet,” I find them comfortable, and I can even do sports with them without falling. However, I must admit that it took a lot to tame and get used to the first AirPods. I have companions to whom these really Buds Air find uncomfortable and do not even manage to hold them correctly inside the auditory pavilion.
Despite everything, the adjustment is ostensibly worse. And I suppose that due to the slight increase in volume. Something that, as I commented, does not affect the firmness of the support in the ear. But if at the time of isolating ourselves from the external noise. Something that is practically non-existent since all the sounds around us is strained directly regardless of the volume to which we have the music set.

A simple connection always alert

Compatible with Bluetooth 5.0, the pairing system is straightforward; we have to press the case button for a few moments until the LED blinks monotonously and look for the headphones from the device.

The good thing is that once paired, the Real Buds Air stores the connection with the terminal-linked device so that it is enough to open the lid to resume the relationship.
In general, the connection remains stable, although sometimes I have been able to appreciate the odd cut, although not systematically, or that isn’t very pleasant.

Realme headphones, A control that you have to catch the trick

Like the AirPods, they have a control system through small touches on the outside of both headphones:

Two contacts to stop/resume playback or answer a call
Three references to go to the next track
Long press on one of the headphones to invoke the voice assistant (which also works with Siri) or hang up an ongoing call.

Besides the last gesture, press both headphones simultaneously to activate and deactivate the low latency mode, which is specially designed for when we use the headphones to play.
At first, the control system gives the feeling of failing more than a fairground shotgun, but the truth is that when you take the trick, it is pretty useful, and the error rate is quite acceptable. You have to remember that the “sweet spot,” the area where the sensor is located, is somewhat limited, nothing more.

The Air Buds of realme also sin of one of the most annoying errors of the AirPods, the absence of physical volume control, which forces us to interact with the sound source or invoke the voice assistant to increase or decrease the volume.

Like their apple counterparts, both hearing aids have an optical sensor to detect if we have the headphones on and stop or resume playback accordingly. Although in this section, the response time is quite improbable, and the errors are frequent. Here there is not that “sweet spot” that I commented on previously. Playback is not interrupted if you leave the headset on the table with the drive facing the table.

The volume is an Achilles’ heel

For sound reproduction, they incorporate two small 12 mm loudspeakers with a multi-layer diaphragm optimized for reinforcement in low-frequency reproduction (Dynamic Bass Boost).

The result is a clear and relatively balanced sound, with a proper backup of the low frequencies. When the volume level remains measured below 50/60% of the maximum power. The equalization pattern responds to the traditional U-shaped with powerful bass and treble.
The problem comes when forcing the volume a bit, something quite common since. As I commented, the isolation level is relatively poor. In the last third of the amount, an exponential increase in distortion begins to be perceived; the bass starts to go out and remain in the background, and the high frequencies skyrocket.

In general, everything starts to sound very distorted and quite sharp. Something for individual music styles, such as pop, is not excessively annoying. But that gets along well with other genres, such as rock.
Although it is not the only problem, the sound balance is not adjusted correctly. We do not know if it is a specific problem of the unit of Bud Aris realme used for this analysis. Still, the imbalance between the right channel (much more powerful) and the left is sometimes quite obvious. Something that is annoying and that we can not correct since it does not have an application that allows equalizing the sound.

I tested with several different sound sources, even with several partners. In case age was playing tricks on me – the problem, at least in the test unit, is chronic. However, it is true that depending on the song and the source is perceived on a greater or lesser average with Tidal. For example, it is less evident than with Amazon Prime Music, and even with some themes, it is almost not noticeable.

In the call section, little indicates that the performance is correct. They incorporate a second microphone oriented towards the outside (one by handset) to cancel part of the ambient noise during calls. Exclusively for that use, which does a good job. I was able to listen without problems to my interlocutor during the tests. And I had no complaint about the quality with which my voice collected. Nor when giving orders to voice assistants such as Google Assistant or Siri.

I wonder why this second microphone has not been used to mitigate part of the sounds around us. Also, listening to music instead of limiting it only to calls.

Finally, it is interesting to mention game mode or low latency. Up to 51% less, depending on the brand, thanks to its R1 chip with super reduced latency. For those who are not familiar with this concept. Good latency refers to the time it takes to reach our ears for what we see on the screen. This factor is relevant when we watch video content or play with our mobile.